a little bitter, a little sweet

Inspired by real simple, yet again, I made some lunch.

Butternut Squash, Kale, and Chicken Breast. I think this combination of foods is excellent; starch, vegetable, and protein.

Roasted butternut squash is tender and sweet and almost squishy in a delightful kind of way.

Kale is tangy bitter and crunchy even after you cook it, unlike collards that get very mushy, Kale withstands the heat very well. Put sweet tender squash with bitter crunchy kale and you have a party in your mouth!

Mouthfeel is money making business these days, with al the artifical foods we try and convince our mouths are real. It's also fascinating, read more about mouthfeel here, or here, or here. Why add gums, chemicals, or starches to something to replicate mouthfeel when the world of real foods already created it for you?

I made some chicken too. Chicken is less exciting for me than vegetables, but I did cook the chicken in a new way. I seared it in the hot cast iron skillet and when the sides were mostly brown I moved the skillet to the 400 degree oven and let the chicken finish cooking (thanks to my handy dandy smart electronic meat thermometer.) This worked splendidly! The chicken was moist and tender and not like eating a stringy rock, which has sometimes happened to my

chicken of the past. Overcooked chicken may be guaranteed salmonella free but it isn't that delicious.

Real Simple's recipe called for bone in pork instead of chicken, does anyone love bone in pork, should I have tried it?

Happy Eating!