Despite the fact that I've pursued painting as my main obsession these days, I still love to cook. Writing a blog allows you to babble and ramble on endlessly about whatever you'd like to babble and ramble about! Your readers can read it or just click away. Well this afternoon, when I could have been painting, I went out to grocery shop after having been secluded in the house for perhaps 10 days. I went grocery shopping on New Year's Eve and have not ventured out for anything except wood for the wood stove or to shovel a bit of snow from the driveway and the porch. I was very good with all that. I'm a bit of hermit these days anyway.
So today when I came home from the grocery store, very hungry, I opened up the packet of ground chicken that I bought and seasoned it and formed it into 4 nicely sized burgers. I was hungry so I wan anxious for them to cook and saute' themselves ready for me to eat. In the meantime, I made some mayonnaise.
I really enjoy using my Tablet to watch whatever I'd like while I work in the kitchen. Today I happened to be watching a program about alien encounters. I'm not so much a believer or disbeliever as I am a "who is to say" person. This Netflix offering that accompanied my chicken burger creation is called "Alien Contact: Outer Space" narrated by the ever so lovely Jonathan Frakes. There is some speculation throughout, but it is all based on REAL information that we have, REAL photos, REAL transmissions that we've received, etc. None of the facts in the video are "made up", and we are left to draw our own conclusions after being presented with the information. I found myself thinking "OH that's just a hacker doing that" or STFU!!! a few times. But it was entirely entertaining, and as a huge fan of the movie CONTACT, and science fiction in general, it was right up my alley! So while I made some home made Garlic Mayonnaise (as I was totally out of mayo) and blended my ground chicken to make some tasty burgers, I was constantly driven to say WTF!!!??? as I watched this video. A couple things in particular occurred at 38 minutes and again at 44 minutes, but the whole video is very interesting. Believe what you like, digest what you hear, toss out the rest.
I needed mayo so I made some. I don't' even need the recipe anymore because I haven't purchased mayo in nearly 3 years. 1 whole egg, 2 T white vinegar, 1 t. salt, 1/4 t dry mustard powder, and about 2 T of vegetable oil, or your choice of oils. Whizz them up before you add 1 cup of oil in the blender to emulsify with the rest of the ingredients and voila! You have mayo. I've made it with olive oil, and its a bit too olive oily. Not bad but I prefer it with vegetable oil. All together though you need a cup of oil, whatever kind you like.
My chicken burgers were relatively simple and them formed and sautéed until just done. I ware careful not to cook them too long so as to dry them out. It was delicious on my home made Italian Bread with my home made mayo with some fresh iceberg lettuce.
I'd taken a couple of bites before I remembered to snap a pic so it's a half eaten burger to be sure. But oh so good!!!
MAYO:
1 whole egg
2 T white vinegar ( try whatever kind you want)
1 tsp salt
1/4 t dry mustard powder
2 T vegetable oil
pinch of paprika (optional- adds a nice rosy color)
1 clove fresh garlic minced (optional)
1 cup vegetable oil
Combine all the ingredients except the 1 cup of oil into a food processor and whizz until very well combined and a bit bubbly. Now, very slowly drizzle in the remaining oil and let it emulsify as you do this. When your drizzle in the last of the oil, let it go for abut 30 seconds and you are finished! a 1 pint jar of delicious mayo!
CHICKEN BURGERS
1 lb. ground chicken
1 t. salt
1 t. ground pepper
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon fat (olive oil, vegetable oil, coconut oil, or mayo they all help to moisturize the chicken)
1 clove fresh garlic, pressed or smashed into a past (optional)
Combine all the ingredients and divide into 4 equal sized patties. Sauté in a nice hot skillet until done about 3 - 5 minutes on each side, careful to watch the heat, depending on your skillet.
I served mine a small piece of the bread I made the other day with two nice leaves o romaine, a slice of Swiss cheese and some of my home made mayo.
