The Great Plantain Ripening Experiment

I've heard that you can get plantains to ripen faster by placing them in a brown paper bag with an apple.  I've also heard that you can get plantains to ripe faster by placing them in a brown paper bag with an orange.  Maybe I've been working on my research study too much, but I felt like experimenting last week.

the control, condition A (apple), and condition O (orange)

I didn't have any brown paper bags around, so I used these grocery bags from Trader Joe's and stapled closed.

1 week later: not much of a difference between the control and the two conditions

So there you have it.  A failed experiment that left me with nothing but an overripe orange.  In conclusion, you can't alter time.  That only works on Lost.

A Marriage of Flavors

It's snowing in Atlanta today.  Guess what that means?  That's right!  Chicken n' dumplings!  (I also would have accepted "chili" as an answer, except that I made that last week during a different cold front).

I like to make my chicken and dumplings with rotisserie chicken because I'm lazy efficient.  I stopped by Publix to grab one from the deli only to find that they were out of the original recipe!  I shoved through lemon pepper after lemon pepper to try to find the lone chicken lurking towards the back of the counter.  Lo and behold:

I was instantly inspired.  What if I made Cuban Chicken and Dumplings?!  Pollo con bola de masa hervida, if you will.  Well, it didn't taste too Latino, but it was definitely the best version of chicken and dumplings I've ever made.  Here's the recipe:

Pollo con bola de masa hervida
Source: adapted from Southern Living 

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cumin, divided
3 tablespoons shortening
5 tablespoons cold water
1 large egg, beaten
3-1/2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon pepper
juice from 1 lime
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 mojo rotisserie chicken, pulled from the bone and shredded.  Keep the skin.

Directions:

Combine flour, salt, and 1 teaspoon of cumin with a whisk or a fork.  Add the shortening, water, and egg.  Use your hands to combine, unless you have a cool pasty tool that I don't have yet but registered for :)

Meanwhile, combine broth, pepper, remaining cumin, lime, and garlic in a large stock pot.  Heat to a boil over medium-high heat.

Back to the dough, roll out until it's about 1/8" thick.  Cut 2 x 3/4" strips with a butter knife.  Place a few pieces at a time into the boiling broth.  Cook uncovered for 7 minutes, or until the dough is tender but chewy.

Add the meat (including the skin) and cook for 4 minutes.  When the meat is warm, remove skin from the stock pot and ladel into bowls.  Serve immediately with an avocado and lime themed salad.

Yield: 4

I suppose you could use chicken marinated in mojo, or use mojo sauce on unseasoned chicken.  Play with it and let me know how it turns out!