Last week Animal Aid visited my godson's school to talk to the children about intensive factory farming. Animal Aid is a group who campaign peacefully against all forms of animal abuse and their aim is to educate the public and particularly young people to a sense of moral responsibility towards animals. Paris, understandably, was quite perturbed about the information he had received, and I guess many parents might not agree with children being informed of, or traumatised by, the facts behind the animals that end up on their plates.
I have since done some research and found the subject matter very divisive. Of course we live in a climate now where we are overly protective of children, however, whilst we throw our hands up in horror at the thought of our children learning about how animals are treated and killed, we often allow them to play violent computer games.
Before chicken nuggets and burgers became the staple diet, children would have started to make the connection between animals and meat averagely aged five. When I made the connection as a child I no longer enjoyed meat in the same way and eventually, in my teens, I became a vegetarian. Many children used to go through a vegetarian stage, particularly when they acquired a pet and came to the realisation that they loved animals and didn't want to eat them. Paris stopped eating meat because he saw his mother preparing a chicken one day, only a few days previously he had fed some chickens at his friends farm, he made the connection and that was the start of his vegetarianism. The talk given by Animal Aid talked to the children about the sad reality of modern day farming (not the chickens running free on a farm as Paris had seen.) Most children have a conscience, many would probably eat less meat if they understood the ramifications of the meat industry. However, I am not sure that this would suit parents who want to feed their children with cheap chicken nuggets, chicken breasts, chicken popcorn, burgers or any meat that doesn't give them the opportunity to make the connection to a badly treated animal.
Eating animals is such a big part of human society, yet many meat eaters choose to ignore how horrific the conditions are for factory farmed animals or how distressing their deaths inside non-stun slaughterhouses. (Visit www.animalaid.org.uk/)
Given that we are so 'right on' regarding allowing our children to make all sorts of decisions, it is interesting that we don't want to expose our children to the truth regarding the food they are eating.
If we want to raise food literate children, if we want them to think morally and critically, we have a responsibility to tell them the truth.
I rarely buy chicken breasts as I tend to buy whole free range chickens from my butcher, of which none goes to waste, even the carcass is boiled for stock. I think chicken breasts are indulgent whereas a whole chicken is about being frugal and understanding that we are eating an animal. Last week however, I noticed that Aldi stock specially selected British free range chicken breast fillets, I often fancy a midweek roast and so bought these to that end.
Mid week mini roast
Recipe
4 free range chicken breasts
1 small handful breadcrumbs per chicken breast
1 slice mozzarella per chicken breast and extra for grating
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (optional)
Preheat oven 230c/ gas 8
spread breadcrumbs in a shallow baking tray and bake for 10 minutes until golden
Transfer breadcrumbs to bowl, drizzle with a little olive oil and season with sea salt, stir until crumbs are coated
Add a slice of mozzarella to each chicken breast, add breadcrumbs (and chilli if using) top with grated mozzarella
Place a roasting tray with a good glug of olive oil in hot oven, after 5 minutes add chicken breasts (I had already put some par boiled potatoes in 20 minutes earlier)
The secret to juicy baked chicken breast is to bake for a short time at a high temperature, longer baking will yield dry, tough meat
Serve onto hot plates with vegetables of your choice and gravy
'Compassion for animals is intimately associated with goodness of character, it may be confidently asserted that he who is cruel to animals cannot be a good man.'
- Arthur Schopenhauer
Love Donna xxxxxx
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