I was at work today, casually reading National Geographic, and I found this article about what makes us human. According to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, it is cooking that sets us apart from apes, well some of us at least. Apparently, coking our food releases more nutrition; so we didn’t need to spend so much time gathering and chewing. It also allowed our brains to get bigger, or whatever. So, when my mom was yelling at me to clean up while I was grilling this kick ass Rosemary Chicken, I was just increasing my intelligence. And, as I always suspected, cleaning is and will make you stupid.

But back to the kick assery of this chicken. With some kind of culinary magic, the rosemary, vinegar, honey, and mustard all come together to form my new favorite marinade. You would think one of the ingredients would overpower the others, but somehow that doesn't happen. They all come together perfectly. I made this before the cross-fitter moved back to Texas, so I was able to get a second opinion on this marinade. He thought it was good. That may not sound like a glowing recommendation, but he doesn't eat for taste, just calories. So any comment on how the food tastes means a lot.

I paired my chicken with a kale and pickled radish salad. The cross-fitted chopped the chicken up and mixed it into a salad with some of the other goodies from my CSA box.

For the Chicken-

1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons dijon mustard
2-2.5 Tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon sherry or red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1-2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
Skinless chicken breasts

Combine the garlic, olive oil, dijon mustard, vinegar, honey, salt, and rosemary in a shallow dish or ziploc bag.

Rosemary Chicken- Ingredients|Hello Darlings

Add the chicken and turn to completely coat the chicken in the rosemary goodness.

Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Grill or bake until white in the middle.

For the side salad (my way)-

Kale or other lettuce
Quick-pickled radishes
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- Coarse salt
- 3 ounces sliced radishes
- Rosemary (optional)
- Rosemary-infused olive oil
  - Rosemary sprigs
  - Olive oil

Start with the olive oil... Rinse the rosemary sprigs and pat dry. Place them in a jar and pour olive oil over the sprigs. Let sit in a cool place, away from direct sunlight for at least 3 days. Most people say 1 week, but I think 3 days ways plenty to taste the hint of rosemary. I used 3 sprigs of rosemary for about 8 ounces of olive oil.

Now for the radishes. Combine the vinegar, sugar and coarse salt in a medium jar. Shake until the sugar is dissolved. Thinly slice 3 oz of radishes, and combine the radishes and vinegar mix in one jar.