Opinion and Recipe: Paula Deen, Heavenly Chicken, and Moderation

Y'all, I like butter. And TBird likes sugar. And that makes us fans of Paula Deen.

(Isn't she a sweet lookin lady? Source)

As many foodies know, she's recently opened up about her diagnosis of type II diabetes and what it means for her future (spokeswoman for a diabetes group and changing some of her recipes). She's already spoken in public about her battle with panic attacks and agoraphobia and divulging this now, a diagnosis that many will judge her own choices for, is brave and honest.

I've found in my dealings with my Northern friends that there's a little bit of a distaste for "good old Southern cooking". People envision things like deep fried Twinkies and mounds after mounds of greasy fried ... butter? We Southerners have a bad reputation for liking food that's bad for you, and no matter how many times I make broccoli for my friends, they all focus on my cheese intake instead. My family's motto is "always eat something green", and Thomas' mom never serves us dinner without a vegetable side. In fact, my fried chicken nuggets at Chick-fil-A are actually healthier than many fast food salads. So why the evil eye?

Because other people think we eat like grease monsters all. the. time. I fully believe that obesity is the number-one socially acceptable discrimination criteria, and I'm not even overweight. The amount of judgment out there for eating choices is incredible. And who really understands what we should be eating? A quick (or in-depth) search of the internet will reveal that you should eat: high-fat low-carb, low-fat high-carb, like cavemen, like animals, only vegetables, no vegetables, only meat, no meat at all when you're pregnant, no meat at all if you're a good person (poor fishies don't get saved on this one, typically), no starchy vegetables but the rest are ok if you stand on your head and close one eye while eating them.

So what do we do to help ourselves? Well, the thing I think we can all learn most from Paula Deen comes from her mouth to our ears - Eat your high-cal favorites in moderation. Sure, she's probably made some poor nutritional choices. Haven't we all? I certainly didn't need PBR last weekend to add to my thighs, or ordering out pizza instead of making that vegetarian curry last week. Similarly, I don't believe she eats her own high-cal food every single day, although I do believe she indulges in her favorites. Is it okay to eat fried chicken once in a while? I believe so. Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease, and many other awful diseases are not solely diet-based. They involve all kinds of things like genetics, age, and exercise in conjunction with your weight. So cut her a break and let's start looking at what WE are eating instead of blaming someone for a disease that they may or may not have brought upon themselves. Eat your meals in moderation! And when you're not, I always suggest eating as many whole foods as possible - things whose ingredient lists include: Tomatoes, water. Or broccoli. Period. Or lean meat. Things your great-great-grandma would've recognized (right before she fried it in Crisco, amIright?). Round out your diet with healthful, delicious, whole foods and don't worry too much about your cheat meals - if you can handle them in moderation. Push yourself to be healthy, get out there and do some exercise, and then be satisfied with your choices. THAT is called having a healthy lifestyle, not struggling with a diet or following a fad.

This recipe is what we call "Heavenly Chicken" in our house - I suspect it's a variation of the popular Southern "Chicken Divan". Paula just put out a new recipe for this, lightened up in her new fashion, which you can read here. And it looks delicious! But this is my version of comfort food, and I'm not changing the way I make it, as long as I still eat it less than once a week (see? moderation, y'all!). 

Ingredients: 

2 cans cream of chicken soup (reduced fat is OK, but not as creamy)

1/2 c. mayo (for this I do use reduced fat, no effect on outcome)

Curry powder

2 chicken breasts 

Package fresh or microwaveable broccoli

Shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Dice the chicken breasts and saute until cooked through. Season with salt, pepper, and curry powder.

Prepare the broccoli as directed - by microwave or by saute.

In a baking dish, layer broccoli, then chicken on top. 

Mix together cream of chicken soup and mayo. Spice with curry powder to taste.

Layer soup mixture on top of chicken and broccoli in baking dish.

Sprinkle cheddar cheese lightly on top of the casserole.

Bake until bubbly and warm all the way through - if desired, turn on the broiler at the end to have some crunchy delicious cheese.

Serve with brown rice.

This is my favorite comfort food - I eat it when I'm sick, when I'm down, or when I'm just craving some creamy goodness. Go out and indulge in it, or try Paula's skinny version, or eat your own favorite food just once instead of twice this week - do whatever you need to feel confident and healthy in your own choices. 

And quit giving people the side-eye in the Chick-fil-A drive through :). Anthony Bourdain, I'm talking to you.