thistlechaser: (2 cats 1 cup)
thistlechaser ([personal profile] thistlechaser) wrote2014-04-05 05:34 pm
Entry tags:

Blue Apron meal #2: Roasted Chicken with Jalapeño-Herb Salsa

Recipe here.
Cooking time: 45 minutes (Blue Apron claims all can be made in 30 minutes, but I'm cooking challenged, so.)
Fire alarms set off: Almost one!
New foods tried: pistachios, wheat berries, shallot?

While I've never had wheat berries before, I wasn't worried about trying them -- I was actually looking forward to it. Turns out they're harmless, seemingly no different than steel-cut oatmeal.

I was kind of worried about trying pistachios; I've never had them before, but they're a green nut and that just didn't seem right. Turns out they're good!

I've seen shallots used on cooking shows, but as far as I know, I've never held one or eaten one.

Everything came out fine. My oven smoked like heck (maybe I used too much olive oil? I wish they'd say "drizzle a tablespoon..." instead of just "drizzle").

The salsa (can you call it that if I left out the jalapeno?) tasted outstanding in the bowl but too vinegary on the wheat berries. It was interesting having all that citrus mixed in with the berries, though I only ate about half the serving.

All in all, it was an okay meal. Not great, not horrible. I'm glad I got to try wheat berries, and I'm happy to discover I like pistachios.

[identity profile] ani-mama.livejournal.com 2014-04-06 04:02 am (UTC)(link)
What are wheat berries? Is it just un-ground wheat?

[identity profile] thistle-chaser.livejournal.com 2014-04-07 12:17 am (UTC)(link)
I actually have no idea. Let's see what google says! From wiki:

A wheatberry or wheat berry is the entire wheat kernel (except for the hull), composed of the bran, germ, and endosperm. Wheatberries have a tan to reddish brown color and are available as either a hard or soft processed grain. They are often added to salads or baked into bread to add a crunchy texture.

Now that I've read that, I think they'd be even better in a salad or in bread instead of as a lump on your plate. I bet it would make outstanding bread!