Yearly Archives: 2007

Eating

In the smoking section

I made our first “real” meal in the new apartment tonight. And naturally, I set off the smoke detectors in doing so. What I mean to say is, I wanted to test the smoke detectors. Since I was already making dinner, I decided to take the two birds, one stone approach. Yes. I totally meant to smoke up the new pad.

Anyway.

I’m going to try to double up on at least two recipes a week between now and mid-November (a.k.a. PeteTime!). I bought a copy of “Don’t Panic: Dinner’s in the Freezer” before we moved, and tonight was the first chance I’ve had to take it for a test run.

We had Apricot-Glazed Chicken Tenders, which were very tasty. The “Don’t Panic” theory calls for the cook to multiply the meal for any given night, serving it for dinner and stocking the freezer with the extra portions. Until I realized that the Apricot-Glazed Chicken Tenders were actually in the appetizers section, I was a bit worried that the authors’ families were going hungry. The recipe was purported to serve 4 to 6 people, so I didn’t double the recipe. I think Rockford may have to run out for a burrito or something later. At least I’ll know for next time!

Something else I’ll know for next time: Bake, don’t broil. The “basic” version of the recipe calls for the chicken to be cooked under the broiler for a total of 18 minutes. I’m all for broiling, but the sugar in the glaze didn’t pair well with the intense, prolonged heat. The smoke detectors went off after the first three minutes of broiling.

While the chicken would have been better with its full complement of glazing, I opted not to set off the alarms again. Fortunately, the chicken was fully cooked at that point. And even without all of the glaze, the flavor was great.

The following recipe is for the appetizer version, which supposedly serves 4 to 6 people. As a main dish, I think it would serve 2 to 3 people, with the possibility of leftovers. Be sure to double (or triple) the amounts if you’re feeding more than a few.

Apricot-Glazed Chicken Tenders
2 lbs. chicken tenders
Marinade (recipe follows)
Apricot glaze (recipe follows)

Add chicken tenders to marinade in freezer bag, tossing to coat, and:

  • if freezing, marinate at room temperature for one hour. After marinating for an hour, freeze. Freeze apricot glaze (directions follow) in a separate, smaller freezer bag and store with marinated chicken..
  • if preparing for that day, marinate in the refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours or overnight.

    Discard marinade and place tenders in a large baking dish. (Thaw first if frozen). Heat oven to 425 degrees and bake for approximately 25-30 minutes, basting with apricot glaze and turning every 10 minutes. Shortly before chicken is done, put the chicken under the broil and broil until golden brown and bubbly.

    The Marinade
    1/3 cup vegetable oil
    3 cloves garlic, minced
    2 tablespoons lemon juice
    1 teaspoon rosemary
    1 teaspoon thyme
    salt and pepper, to taste
    1 small bay leaf, crumbled
    Combine ingredients in a large freezer bag.

    Apricot glaze
    1 onion, minced
    1 tablespoon unsalted butter
    2 tablespoons cider vinegar
    1 cup apricot preserves
    1 tablespoon soy sauce
    2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
    1/4 teaspoon ginger
    1/4 teaspoon cloves
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    1/8 teaspoon pepper
    In saucepan, cook onion in butter over moderate heat, stirring until softened. Add vinegar and continue cooking until liquid has reduced by half. Add preserves, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, spices, salt and pepper. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until thick. Place mixture in a food processor or blender and puree.

    • Flotsam / Jetsam

    Quick update

    All moved in. Surrounded by boxes.

    Team Move I was fabulous; Team Move II was canceled. Backup Team Move (Rockford and our friend Brent) were fabulous, but now they are tired.

    Flotsam / Jetsam

    Parting Shots

    Top quotes from my labmates from the previous week prior to my departure:

    “Hey, get us some free stuff!”

    Said in all seriousness. This was from one of our post-docs upon hearing I will be working for a biotech distribution company.

    “Most of all, I want to thank Rockford for planning our lab retreat.”

    Apparently I wasted my time at the bench. I should have just been party-planning. This one was from my boss on the topic of what he was proud of me accomplishing in the last year at my send-off lunch.

    Sidenote: I didn’t even attend the retreat, which was at the beach, because we needed to pack for the move.

    On a scientific note, this next one takes the cake. The setting is lab meeting last Wednesday. I am presenting my last data sets. Really, this was some of the best data I was able to generate and will hopefully become a part of a publication soon. One of the proteins I am introducing/discussing is called Ferritin, a protein involved in sequestering iron. I am presenting some work I did to knockdown the protein and then look at certain innate immune responsive gene targets upon stimulation when the protein is absent. About ten slides into the presentation, after having introduced the protein and having already gone over two or three results slides, a certain post-doc turns to me and says:

    “So what is Ferritin?”

    Not all the quotes were like these. I can say that some of the best friends I have made in the scientific realm have been from the last year in this lab. Example? Here’s the last thing Kent said to me before I left the lab for the last time:

    “You are my first American friend.”

    These friends have been very kind and supportive through the last week, and I am grateful for that. Here is a list of things I will miss:

  • Discussing baseball with my friend Kent every morning. I think I converted him to a Cubs fan.
  • Ying asking me if I have any new Poppy pictures to look at at least three times a week.
  • Lunchtime in the breakroom, sitting around a tiny coffee table and discussing any number of topics (usually involving me trying to explain something like how life insurance works or why some people are offended at burping in public.)
  • Penggao asking me to order something for him that he needs on Friday at 4:55 on a Thursday.
  • Kent asking me for my opinion on a range of topics, from what car should he buy to how to cook greens.
  • The genuinely happy demeanor of my friends

    I learned a lot over the last year. Most of what I learned was not from the bench but rather from interactions with my labmates. I wish them all good luck in the future.