Roast Chicken and Creamy Corn Recipe

 

Easy weeknight dinners aren't just about finding recipes that can be made in under 30 minutes from start to finish. They're also not solely about cooking up huge batches of stew on the weekend so you can feed yourself the same exact meal every night of the coming week. While those two strategies work, it's helpful to also turn to a third: Use made-in-advance building blocks to whip up easy and varied dinners on-demand.

I've written about this before when describing cooking strategies during the Coronavirus quarantine, so take this recipe as yet one more example of how to put those strategies to work. And mind you—they're useful for everyday home cooking beyond the current global pandemic situation.

In this recipe, I cook sweet summer corn in butter with thyme, leek, and white pepper to make the vegetable base of the meal. This vegetable ragout can be cooked while your chicken roasts, but you could also make the corn in advance (possibly even doubling the batch to have leftovers for another meal).

In a lot of classic French cooking, white pepper is used when you don't want the little flecks of black pepper visible in a dish. I've never bought into letting appearances determine choosing one ingredient over another, especially not at home. So while it may seem like the white pepper is a good visual choice for the corn, I actually prefer it here for its complex funky flavor and aroma, which makes the sweet corn a lot more interesting and plays well with the romesco sauce.

The romesco sauce, meanwhile, pulls double duty as both a sauce, but also a hearty ingredient that adds heft and substance to the meal, thanks to all the almonds, bread, and oil that are pureed into it. It's a great accompaniment to the corn, adding earthiness from the dried peppers and nuts alongside a sweet tomato note that synchs up with the corn.

The romesco, too, can be made day-of, but it keeps well in the fridge for several days, so it's yet one more component you can make in advance and then keep at the ready. It's also a recipe you can double to ensure you have more to slather on sandwiches or serve with vegetables or some other meat during the week. Just don't make my recent mistake of trying to double the batch all at once in a standard eight-inch mortar and pestle—it will be almost impossible to manage unless you happen to have an extra-massive mortar and pestle lying around for the occasion.

If you get those components prepared ahead of time, all you have to do for dinner is pop a chicken in the oven. And if you want to eliminate the spatchcocking step and just roast the chicken whole, that's fine too—there's nothing wrong with making your life a little easier when you can.

Tips for the Best Skin

 

1. Use the correct cleanser for your skin type.

"For oily or acne-prone skin, a salicylic gel or benzoyl peroxide wash works great," says Dr. Ava Shamban, a dermatologist in Santa Monica. "For dry mature skin, use either a moisturizing glycolic or milky cleanser. For skin with brown spots or melasma, use a brightening wash, such as an alpha hydroxy acid cleanser."

2. Don’t use too many products.

Layering on multiple skincare products all at once is a big no-no, says Dr. Julia Tzu, an NYC-based dermatologist. It can be harsh on the skin, resulting in more breakouts and clogged pores.

3. Moisturize both day and night.

"The best times to moisturize are right after you get out of the shower and right before you go to bed," explained Dr. Janet Prystowsky M.D., an NYC-based dermatologist. Avoid lotions with heavy fragrances and make sure you find a moisturizer gentle enough for every day use with zero irritation.

4. Don’t touch your face.

Dr. Tzu says figuring out how to avoid touching your face is very important. It doesn't just spread bacteria and cause breakouts — it can lead to scarring, an increase in wrinkles, and even the flu or other viruses.

5. Hydrate inside and out.

Every skin expert we spoke to emphasized the importance of hydration. "A lack of water means less radiance and more sag," says Dr. Mona Gohara, a dermatologist in Connecticut. She suggests choosing products (cleansing, moisturizing, and anti-aging) that have hydrating formulas. And, of course, drink around eight glasses of water a day.

6. Avoid direct heat exposure.

Don't just watch out for the sun — getting too close to heaters and fireplaces can also wreak havoc on your skin. "It causes inflammation and collagen breakdown. I recommend staying at least ten feet away," explains Dr. Debbie Palmer, a New York dermatologist. So next time you're roasting chestnuts or s'mores over an open fire, take a step back.

7. Exfoliate a couple times per week.

"We lose 50 million skin cells a day, and without a little extra nudge, they may hang around leaving the skin looking sullen," says Dr. Gohara. To fight this, you should "choose a product that is pH neutral so it doesn't dry as it exfoliates." And don't just stop with your face — the skin on your body needs exfoliation, too.

EFFECTIVE CONTENT IDEAS

 

The skin care industry is rooted on the ability to touch, feel, smell, sample and experiment with products in store. The e-commerce revolution incorporated convenient delivery, easy returns, wider product selections, and unfiltered user reviews – making it a solid complement, if not a direct alternative, to the in-store experience.

Top brands, retailers, local sellers and even home-run businesses are opting for strong online presences as opposed to shelf space. The online market for skincare products continues to grow rapidly. So now, more than ever, it is imperative that a Skincare website is designed to gain traffic and convert this traffic into revenue.

New consumers can have concerns before they purchase skincare and beauty products online since they’re unable to feel, smell and test the product before buying it.

It is imperative that the products are showcased effectively for consumers to be satisfied with just looking at the products. Photos of just the packaging might not be enough, photos showcasing the texture of these products before/after application can go a long way.  Also, celebeity endorsements can go a long way to build brand awareness and prestige.

Additionally, skincare website should be establishing the look and feel of the brand or blog – preferably with a landing page with large, bold images. Elaborate lists of products along with prices on the homepage, right from the get go, can look very unappealing to the concerned target group.

PLAY WITH YOUR VISUALS – PLAIN PHOTOS ARE BORING

It is effective to experiment with the settings for your photos, or play with illustrations on your images. Anything is better than plain photos when it comes to online engagement – especially with skin care and beauty products.

SMARTPHONE BUYING GUIDE

 

There are a few things you need to keep in mind while buying the right smartphone for yourself.

You must identify what do you use your smartphone for.

This guide takes you through the complete process of selecting the best mobile phone.

Smartphones have snaked their way into almost every living moment of our technologically-fueled lives. More people are buying smartphones, and the number of options is also increasing. Choosing a smartphone from such an overwhelming list of options might get confusing, so we made a guide that helps you pick the best smartphone for your needs.

SMARTPHONE PERFORMANCE: PROCESSOR AND RAM

Your smartphone processor, also known as the chipset or the SoC, is the component that is responsible for just about everything functioning on your smartphone. It is essentially the brain of the system, and most of these processors also come equipped with AI capabilities that essentially make your smartphone as ‘smart’ it is today.

CHOICE OF OPERATING SYSTEM

It boils down to two options - Android or iOS. The choice is actually more complicated than you imagine since both operating systems have a sizable list of pros and cons. If you’re someone who enjoys tinkering around with your device and customising it to your heart’s content, you’re Team Android. If you like a simple, powerful OS which gets constant software updates and is supported for a more extended period, you’re Team iOS. 

A GOOD DISPLAY

Smartphone display sizes seem to be ever-increasing and are continually pushing the boundary of what we’d expect a smartphone display size to be. They’ve reached the ‘phablet’ realm with displays even reaching up to 6.9-inches!

Snacks & Small Bites

If you, like us, are getting pretty good at stocking your household with more food and supplies than you would typically buy during your weekly shop and doing more of your purchasing online, you’ll be excited, like we were, to learn about Walmart+. Walmart just launched a membership program, and the benefits, which would look good any day, look particularly good right now.

First off, Walmart+ offers free unlimited delivery, as soon as same day. We know you’ve become an excellent meal planner by now, but if you’re feeling spontaneous or time-starved, or simply want to spend more time with family, you can choose what you want for dinner and get the ingredients delivered to your doorstep just a few hours later. With everyday low prices you love, this means anything is possible.

For anyone who has taken up bread baking or who is spending more time making homemade goodies, Walmart has a great and fully stocked baking section.

Need a slotted spoon for those poached eggs or a wand-style grater for that ginger? Through Walmart+, you can also order cooking utensils for as soon as same-day delivery. The same goes for cleaning supplies and electronics and health-care items.