Why I No Longer Look Cute in a Bikini...

The fact of the matter is, I'm over thirty.  When we moved from the city to the suburbs I gained a rather stubborn five pounds due to my new life of sloth.  To buy things for dinner I must get in a car and drive places, not hitch up the pup and head out for a pleasant food gathering amble about the neighborhood.  My car is never out of sight, so I lug my heavy work bags mere feet before slinging them into the trunk in the morning; gone are the 4-8 block treks.  On weekends we sigh and moan and complain about our limited dining choices and then either pop in the car, or just surrender to the siren lure of the freezer.  No longer do we carefully weigh the cab fare against the mile and a half walk to Chinatown before changing shoes, heading out and then wondering exactly what we were thinking when we find ourselves starving before we actually get there.

But I expect my fondness for food isn't doing me any favors either.  Take this Chicken Paprikash.  Oh, it's delicious, warm and creamy and perfect for chilly winter nights.  Unfortunately, all that sour cream is entirely unsympathetic when it comes to my formerly girlish figure. What can I say? 

If anyone wants to meet me at the mall I'll be in the caftan section trying to purchase a cover for my shame.

DELICIOUS ALTHOUGH FATTENING CHICKEN PAPRIKASH

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb chicken breasts or thighs, I like how juicy thighs turn out

salt/pepper

2 T olive oil

1C finely chopped onions

1t finely chopped garlic

2T sweet Hungarian paprika

1C chicken stock

2 T flour

1 C sour cream

DIRECTIONS:

Pat chicken dry and salt and pepper.

Heat the olive oil to medium high and add the chicken. Golden brown on one side, turn and brown other side. Don't crowd chicken. If you're using thighs, do about 4-5 minutes per side and your chicken will be done and you can set it aside. 

 

Reduce the heat and add onions and garlic and cook over medium low heat for 8-10 minutes or til lightly colored. After that remove from the heat and stir in the paprika until the onions are well coated.

 

Return skillet to heat and add chicken stock. Bring to a boil, stirring brown bits from bottom and sides of pan.

 

In mixing bowl, stir flour into sour cream with wire whisk and stir into simmering juices. Simmer 6-8 min or until sauce is thick and smooth.

 

Return chicken and any juices to skillet heat long enough to warm through.  Revel in the warm savory creamy goodness.  Buy a caftan to cover your sins.