Food by Lauren

Mahi Mahi Tacos with Lime Yogurt Sauce

2011-08-13T21:37:00.005-04:00

Hola, foodies!

I recently moved into a new apartment and tonight I made my first "real dinner" since moving in. With the help of my roomie, of course!

I've always wanted to make fish tacos. For this recipe I used pre-packaged frozen mahi mahi filets from Trader Joe's. So convenient - and surprisingly fresh, too!

I came up with the sauce on the fly. I used plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream because it basically tastes the same except it's fat-free and has a ton of protein. So yummy.. the sauce really made the tacos, for me.

1 pound mahi mahi filets
flour
extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1/3 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
1 clove of garlic, minced
juice of 1/2 lime
1 tsp honey
10" flour tortillas
pico de gallo (store-bought or homemade)
any color bell pepper, finely chopped
red or white onion, finely chopped
cucumber, chopped
cilantro, chopped
shredded cheese of your choice

Combine yogurt, garlic, lime juice, and honey. Set aside.
Slice fish filets into 1-inch sections. Coat with flour.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, or until fish is completely opaque throughout. Transfer fish to a plate and season with salt and pepper.
Place fish pieces on warm tortillas. Drizzle with a good helping of yogurt sauce. Top with pico de gallo, peppers, onions, cucumbers, cilantro, and cheese. Enjoy!

Cheers,

Thai Pasta Salad

2011-06-25T22:19:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to share a simple, easy, and VERY tasty recipe I tried recently. :)

Thai Pasta Salad (adapted from TastyGalaxy's Pasta Salad with Peanut Sauce)

1/2 pound of spaghetti
about a cup of chopped carrots
2 or 3 scallions, chopped
a big handful of cilantro
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp water
1 or 2 tsp fresh ginger, grated (optional)
1 clove garlic, chopped (optional)
toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Cook the pasta according to package directions.
While pasta is cooking, in a small bowl, mix together the peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce, water, ginger, and garlic.
Drain pasta and rinse with cold water. Drain again, very well.
In a big bowl, combine the pasta, carrots, and scallions. Mix in the peanut sauce. Add the cilantro and toss. Top with sesame seeds.

This was really really good cold, but I think it would also work if you served it warm.

There are not many things I love more than recipes that are as easy as they are yummy.

Cheers,

Quote of the Day

2011-06-15T14:32:00.002-04:00

“Cooking is an art, but you can eat it too.”

― Marcella Hazan

Cold-Brewed Iced Coffee

2011-06-11T10:20:00.000-04:00

I am an iced coffee addict. I don't know what it is about hot coffee... it's not that I don't like it, but coffee just tastes so much better to me served over ice and sipped through a straw. I am one of those people (are there others...?) who orders iced coffee in the dead of winter. By now, I've come to expect the "You said iced?" with eyebrows raised.

I don't know how I've gone so many years without discovering this recipe. Just thinking about all the crappy attempts I've made at homemade iced coffee over the years, and all the money I could have saved... makes me cringe!

Cold-Brewed Iced Coffee

This makes such delicious coffee. Better than the majority of iced coffees I've purchased, anywhere from Starbucks to Dunkin Donuts to a slew of independent coffee shops. I love how the bitterness is removed and you are left with a smooth, refreshing taste. What an awesome way to start off the summer. Iced coffee every morning and I don't have to leave the house. I should follow Deb's lead and put $2.00 in a jar every time I make this.

If you are an iced coffee addict like me, and you haven't tried this... DO IT! DO IT NOW!!!

Happy Summer :)

Cheers,
L

Welcome, Summer!

2011-05-30T16:44:00.001-04:00

It's only fitting that I write my first post of the "summer" on Memorial Day, the unofficial kickoff of the season. It's a lovely 93 degrees F and humid outside... that part of summer I'm not so excited about, but I am excited about the food. Summer food is the best. Fresh delicious produce, simple salads, classic American cookout dishes (who doesn't love burgers/hotdogs fresh off the grill, potato salad, and a refreshing glass of iced tea ?). It's even better when some -- or most, if you're lucky! -- of the ingredients come from your own garden.

A couple months ago I wrote about my burgeoning container garden. Well, it was mostly an epic failure. All that survived out of those many tomato seedlings is this one bad boy, who is still hanging on for dear life:

He's still growing little by little every day. I'll be quite impressed if he actually ends up producing any tomatoes!

In light of my tomato seedling failure, I gave up and purchased a cherry tomato seedling, which I'm excited about:

And as for basil...

The bunch you see to the left is all that's left of the basil I planted months ago. The bigger plant on the right was a store purchase (there's another one too, not pictured). All are growing like wildfire! :)

Sigh, cilantro. This was grown from seeds, and was going pretty strong, but has started to wilt quite a bit the last couple days, despite plenty of sunlight, allowing the water to drain, and not over- or under-watering. Cilantro seems to be a pretty fickle herb to grow. Any pointers??

I purchased this lavender plant for the wonderful aroma and beautiful purple flowers that will bloom (and have already started to bud).

As for what's been cookin' lately...

In celebration of Memorial Day weekend, I felt compelled to make some sort of BBQ stable, so I went with this basic pasta salad recipe, with the omission of chickpeas and eggs, and the addition of fresh basil from my garden.

In the words of Paul, "Can you make this again??? I could eat this all week..."

And, nothing says summer like a simple caprese salad (again, basil from the garden). I hope someday soon the tomatoes will be from my patio, as well. :)

Simple Memorial Day lunch.

What summer foods are you most excited about?

Cheers,
L

Brownies

2011-03-28T00:31:00.001-04:00

In the mood to bake a simple, easy, quick, classic crowd-pleasing dessert using ingredients you most likely already have in your pantry? This one's for you.

These will be sure to disappear fast at work tomorrow...

Brownies (adapted from TD's Brownies III)

4 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, beat together eggs and oil with a whisk until blended.
Combine remaining ingredients. Add to the egg mixture and mix well (but don't over-mix!)
Spread batter in a greased 9" x 13" pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

(Pssst... In the midst of making these brownies, I realized I only had one cup of white sugar left. I substituted the second cup with light brown sugar, and they turned out just fine.)

Simple as that.

Cheers,

Mini Garden Update #2

2011-03-25T08:36:00.001-04:00

I'm happy to report that I have actual basil (not a weed this time) and tomato seedlings growing! The tomatoes are going a little wild... I did not expect such a big turnout! ;)

Tomato seedlings gone crazy!

Baby basil plants. :)

Homegrown fruits, veggies, and herbs... here I come!

Are you starting a garden this year?

Cheers,
L

Mini Garden Update

2011-03-15T17:10:00.001-04:00

Meet Henry. My first baby basil sprout. He was just planted 2 days ago! Look at him go! He is already about a 1/2 inch tall. (Can you tell I have too much free time?)

Cheers,
L

SAD UPDATE: I showed that picture to a seasoned gardener I work with, who is also sprouting some basil right here in the office, and she thinks Henry is just a weed. He looks nothing like the basil she is growing in her office. :(

The Beginnings of My Summer Garden...

2011-03-14T19:11:00.002-04:00

Not too much to blog about these days, but there is something I am quite excited about. This past weekend I started my summer garden.

On the left we have basil, and on the right we have tomatoes (they're in there, somewhere). The tomato planter is a lot bigger than it looks in the picture. I'll keep the basil in its original planter, and when the tomato seedlings grow to about 5"-10", I'll transplant to a bigger container. For now, they'll rest in a warm spot here in the office where there is AMAZING sunlight in the morning and afternoon. They'll stay inside here until it gets warm out. This is my first time planting anything from seeds, so I really hope they grow successfully. Keep your fingers crossed for me! I hope to be making plenty of pesto and caprese salad with the fruits of my labor. I hope to also plant thyme, rosemary, mint, sage, oregano, and of course cilantro...my all-time favorite herb. Hopefully some peppers, too. And flowers, of course, 'cause they're pretty. :)

One last thing I'd like to share... there are few things more delightful than treating yourself to a nice, quiet, solo sushi lunch.

Miso soup.

California roll (goin' back to the basics), tuna roll with cream cheese & avocado, tuna roll which was supposed to be yellowtail but oh well, and salmon roll. After I finished my rolls and tasting how fresh the salmon was, I ordered some salmon sashimi, but I devoured it before I could remember to take a picture. Whoops.

I love that no matter where you go for sushi, or how simple your order is, the chef always takes the time to place the food so artfully on the plate. It makes the experience of eating your favorite food so much more enjoyable. :)

Cheers,
L

Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting

2011-02-27T14:39:00.005-05:00

At work, the word "meeting" usually makes people groan, but when they involve a smorgasbord of delicious lunch and dessert, as they often do at my workplace... my eyes light up. We have a lunch meeting this Monday, and I eagerly volunteered to provide a homemade dessert. Lately, I haven't so much as stepped foot in my kitchen other than to whip up a PB&J for lunch or heat up a quick dinner. This was a perfect opportunity for me to get back in the game.

This winter has been particularly crummy (and I'm not just referring to the weather), and I wanted to make something that evoked sunshine. These cupcakes just seem to scream spring. This morning started out dreary and gray, and as the hours spent in my kitchen wore on, the sun came out and the sky is now as blue as can be. A day like today... just me, my sunlit kitchen, and powdered sugar all over the place... was long overdue.

I've made this strawberry frosting a couple times before with fantastic results. I tell everyone it tastes like strawberry ice cream. I love, love, love it. It just makes me smile. This time I paired it with a basic vanilla cake. I'd love to pair it with a chocolate cake or brownies sometime.

And might I add... my blog's header is a huge photo of a cupcake. It's about time I wrote a cupcake post.

Strawberry Frosting (adapted from Sprinkles)
makes enough for 12 cupcakes (I doubled the recipe for 24 cupcakes... seven cups of sugar! ahhhhhhh!)

1/2 cup fresh strawberries, coarsely chopped
1 cup unsalted butter, just barely cool but still firm
pinch of salt
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Process the strawberries in a food processor until a smooth puree forms.
In a large bowl, beat together the butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy.
Lower the speed on your mixer. Gradually add the sugar and mix well.
Add the vanilla and 3 tbsp of the strawberry puree. Mix well. You can mix just until blended for a dense frosting, or you can keep going and incorporate more air for a fluffier frosting. It's up to you. I went fluffy this time.

Note: I added a lot of extra strawberry puree this time around because the berry flavor wasn't strong enough. I think it's probably because they're not in season yet. Just add however much strawberry fits your taste.

Butter...butter...and more butter.

Glorious buttercream...

Glorious buttercream after the addition of strawberries.

Darn right I licked the beaters!

This is how you get popular at work. Just kidding. Kinda.

How did you spend your Sunday?

Cheers,

P.S. My poor little hand mixer. It's an off-brand, sorta chintzy mixer I got for like 7 bucks at Kmart about 4 years ago. I thought it (not to mention my arm) would die today, with the amount of frosting I made. But it was the little engine that could! Still, it made me yearn for one of these beauties.

Photo Blog: What I've Been Up To...

2011-01-01T14:11:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since my last blog because, well, ~~sh*t~~ life happens. Here's what I've been up to food-wise since then, in photo form :)

My "inventive" curried tofu and sweet potato stir-fry, served over thin rice noodles.

My mom's cherry congealed salad.

My mom's savory chicken casserole. Yum!

Savory chicken casserole and rice.

Glorious sushi!

Everything was so, so, so good.

The green lights were actually very bright and flashed like strobe lights. A bit distracting, but cool. It was New Year's Eve, so I guess the chef figured, "why not?"

Red = Ahi tuna. Light pink = a fish we never quite figured out. Still tasty though!

Happy New Year! More posts in 2011. :)

Cheers,

Granola

2010-11-13T21:06:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite snacks is granola, and has been for a long time. Stir it into yogurt, eat it in a bowl with milk like cereal, sprinkle it on ice cream or frozen yogurt, eat it plain as a snack... But I've never made my own, until today. I wanted to make a real simple, healthy recipe. This does have some sugar content (3/4 cups of brown sugar for a recipe that yields 6 cups of granola) but there is no butter or oil involved. It is delicious, has just a hint of sweetness -- and is incredibly addicting! The pan of granola was sitting out cooling while I was making dinner, and Paul and I kept sneaking handfuls even though we were about to eat.

I look forward to making this cheap, easy recipe again and again so that I can always have some granola on hand. Tomorrow morning for breakfast, I'm making yogurt/fruit/granola parfaits. Plain Greek yogurt (snagged the big container on sale!), blueberries I have stashed in the freezer (thawed, of course), granola, and a drizzle of honey. Yummmm. I can't wait for tomorrow morning, just for this breakfast.

This is a pretty basic recipe so feel free to add extras if you wish... dried fruit, chocolate chips, coconut, etc.

Pre-baking.

Finito!

Granola!
adapted from Kathleen Daelemans' Food Network Recipe

Makes about 6 cups of granola.

3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp honey
1/4 cup water
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
4 cups rolled oats
2 cups chopped nuts (I used 1 cup pecans, 1 cup walnuts)
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
In a 2-cup microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup, combine brown sugar, honey, and water. Microwave on high for 2 1/2 minutes, or until sugar is melted. (If you double the recipe, use a bigger vessel in the microwave! The mixture bubbles while heating.) Stir the vanilla and salt into the brown sugar syrup.
In a bowl, combine the oats, nuts, wheat germ, and cinnamon. Add the brown sugar syrup and mix well.
Spread onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or greased), and bake for 45 minutes. Stir the granola every 15 minutes during baking. Let cool and store in an air-tight container.

Cheers,

Pumpkin Soup, Pumpkin Pancakes

2010-11-09T09:29:00.006-05:00

So, this post concludes what I've officially named Pumpkin Week. Last night, thanks to Paul's suggestion, I made pumpkin soup to accompany our dinner of pierogies and roasted veggies. This morning, I made pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast. Amazing fact: all four pumpkin recipes I've written about in the last few days (pasta, bread, soup, and pancakes) were made from only one 29 oz. can of pure pumpkin puree. How's that for economical? Ah, the joys of cooking for only two!

This soup was absolutely delicious. Reminded me of a butternut squash soup I had at one of our favorite Philly restaurants, La Viola.

Pumpkin Soup
adapted from Cream of Pumpkin Soup, allrecipes.com

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp butter, melted
14 oz chicken broth
about a cup of pure pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp hot sauce (optional)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup 2% milk

Saute the onion in butter in a saucepan until tender. Add 7 oz. chicken broth, stir well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.
By either transferring broth back & forth between a blender or food processor, or using an immersion blender in your saucepan, process until smooth.
(If using regular blender, return mixture to saucepan). Add remaining broth, pumpkin, hot sauce, salt, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and pepper. Stir well, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the half-and-half and milk and heat through - do not boil. Ladle into soup bowls and serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg on top.

Now for the pancakes...

Morning sunlight makes for the best pictures. :)

GOOD morning!

Pumpkin Pancakes

adapted from Easy Pancakes, allrecipes.com

1 cup flour
2 tbsp wheat germ (optional)
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2/3 cup pure pumpkin puree
1/2 cup chocolate chips or chopped nuts of your choice (optional)

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, wheat germ, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the egg, milk, oil, and pumpkin. Whisk together just until smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips or nuts.
Heat a non-stick griddle over medium-high heat. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve with any of the following: butter, maple syrup, honey, cinnamon, chopped nuts.

Sick of pumpkin yet?

Cheers,

Pumpkin Loaf

2010-11-07T14:25:00.002-05:00

Consider this a continuation of last night's pumpkin post. As mentioned previously, I've been craving a good pumpkin quick bread. After conducting extensive scientific research in order to locate the perfect recipe, I decided on smittenkitchen's pumpkin muffin recipe. With my own tweaks, of course. I obviously changed it to a loaf recipe, omitted the cinnamon sugar topping, and because I refuse to spend money on "pumpkin pie spice" when I already have all the individual ingredients on my spice rack, I changed -- and increased -- the spices. I like my autumn cakes/muffins with lots of spices, but not to the point of overkill.

As a habitual over-mixer of muffin/quick bread batters, I really liked Deb's advice in her post:

A large wire whisk, when mixing by hand, really allows you to incorporate all of the drying ingredients quickly without mashing them up too much. It’s made it much harder to overdo it, despite my better efforts.

I found this to be totally true. Despite my efforts to gently fold in the flour, I've always unintentionally over-mixed my muffins and quick breads, leaving them to fall flat (literally) or become a giant sinkhole. This whisk thing sure does the trick!

Pumpkin Loaf
adapted from smittenkitchen.com

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup pure pumpkin puree
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9"x5" loaf pan or baking dish.
Whisk together the pumpkin, oil, eggs, spices, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until smooth and thoroughly combined.
Whisk in the flour and baking powder just until combined. Pour the batter into your loaf pan/baking dish, and bake until golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour.

That last picture is the most flattering photo I could take of the finished product. I had a minor disaster while turning the loaf out of the pan -- things were not pretty (including the string of swear words that came out of my mouth in the process). But, although it doesn't look pretty, it is darn tasty, and that's all that matters. :)

Cheers,
L

Pumpkin! Pumpkin!! Pumpkin!!!

2010-11-06T21:12:00.003-04:00

Welcome to autumn. It is officially that season where you see pumpkin (or the ever popular "pumpkin spice") everywhere -- muffins, quick breads, pies...all sorts of foods for that matter, lattes, coffee beans, coffee creamers, beer, candles, bath products, etc. For a few months, everyone deems pumpkin their favorite food and believes it is the best thing ever invented. Then the holidays are over and it seems everyone forgets about poor pumpkin until next year. I admit I am one of those people. I wish pumpkin was in season all year. Since October rolled around I've been dying to use it in the kitchen. I've had pumpkin spice coffee creamer on hand for the past month -- currently on my second bottle. When one store was out of said creamer, I went to another store to find it (success!). I am that desperate to grasp tightly onto the pumpkin craze before it disappears for another 10 months. Anyway, I haven't cooked with pumpkin yet this autumn. I have plans for pumpkin bread tomorrow, but tonight it was pasta.

My coworker recommended a Rachael Ray recipe and I'm glad I tried it. I altered the portions to serve two, and used half-and-half instead of heavy cream to cut the fat content, among other tweaks. The original recipe calls for sage, but I had none. So, if you have it, use it. But, word to the wise... follow Rachael's directions and USE WHOLE WHEAT PASTA! I only had regular semolina pasta on hand, and upon my first bite, my face lit up at the taste of the sauce but then I frowned a little. This pumpkin cream sauce needs the nutty richness of whole wheat pasta to bring out that autumn-y essence. Without it, the dish just lacks...something. I taste the pumpkin, the spices, but my palate is craving something else. One of the many reasons I love a really good quality (read: non-cardboard/sandpaper variety) whole wheat pasta is the depth of flavor it adds, and this is one of those cases.

I also want to mention that this would be a great main dish if you added chicken or sausage. Tonight, this was the "second course" of our dinner. Paul cooked the first course, and I cooked the second. I love when Paul cooks because his dishes always have his personality in them... from the seasonings he uses, to the tricks he's learned from his mom, to the very diligent, delicate, and patient way he chops up carrots into perfectly shaped little pieces. :) His first course was a salad consisting of romaine lettuce, carrots, apples, walnuts, and dried cranberries; topped with a pan-fried salmon fillet. Simple, yummy, and refreshing. This was a nice warm follow-up.

Pumpkin Lovers' Pasta for Two
adapted from Rachael Ray's Penne-Wise Pumpkin Pasta

1/2 pound whole wheat penne
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth (I used chicken)
7 to 8 ounces pure pumpkin puree
1/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 tsp hot sauce (I used Sriracha)
a dash of ground cinnamon
a dash of ground nutmeg
salt and pepper, to taste
grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions.
While pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a sautee pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until soft. Don't burn the garlic, like I did, and always will do.
Stir in the broth, pumpkin, and half-and-half. Add the hot sauce, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Let simmer on low heat until thickened, about 5 minutes.
Toss pasta and sauce together, and serve with grated cheese and a dash of cinnamon on top.

Shallots & garlic cooking in olive oil. One of my favorite smells ever.

Simmerin' sauce.

Bon appetit!

Cheers,

Photo Blog: Pesto-Making

2010-10-19T17:14:00.000-04:00

This is just a simple little photo blog. I decided to make some pesto this afternoon and photograph the process, just for fun. Enjoy :)

Cheers,
L

Adventures in Hummus: Pasta Edition

2010-10-18T20:48:00.002-04:00

I've been on a hummus kick lately, but that "kick" has almost exclusively consisted of dipping a variety of snacks -- Wheat Thins, pretzels, veggies -- in the delicious and healthy dip/spread. I have had it on a pita and with falafel before, but I started to think, "There's gotta be more I can do with this stuff." Last week I made some scrambled egg whites for breakfast and on a whim, put a few dollops of Tribe roasted red pepper hummus on top, and it was delicious.

Yesterday at Pathmark, I bought some artichoke-garlic Athenos hummus, which I've never had before. I was dipping pretzels in it today at work, and I have to admit, I wasn't too crazy about the flavor. I think I'm just not an artichoke fan. Anyway, while fantasizing about dinner, I did some brainstorming. I remember reading in one of my Rachael Ray mags something about tossing hummus with pasta. I didn't want this hummus to go to waste, and I thought if it was combined with a variety of other ingredients, the flavor wouldn't bother me as much. Long story short, this was my final plan: toss whole-wheat spaghetti with sautéed mushrooms and tomatoes I already had in the fridge, and make a sauce out of this hummus!

Pasta with Hummus and Sautéed Veggies

Cook pasta (I recommend whole-wheat spaghetti) and set aside.
In a saucepan, combine 2 parts hummus, 1 part water (use your judgment with the amount of hummus to use, depending on how much pasta you're making). Stir and place on low heat.
In a skillet, heat extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté chopped mushrooms until tender and browned, and add some chopped tomatoes at the very end. Season with salt and pepper.
To the skillet, add the pasta and hummus sauce. Mix well.

The verdict? Using hummus as a pasta sauce is, in a word... interesting. It adds a creaminess much different from that of Alfredo sauce, for example. And I was right: the nuttiness of the pasta, meatiness of the mushrooms, and sweetness of the tomatoes all counterbalanced the "funny" taste I didn't like about the hummus, but you could definitely tell the hummus was there. And this was so, so easy to make.

Next adventure in hummus? MAKE MY OWN! Hmmm, perhaps that will be a blog in the very near future.

Cheers,

Lord, I was born a ramblin' (wo)man...

2010-10-13T11:20:00.003-04:00

Sadly, there has not been much to blog about lately. Life events, busy schedules, getting home late... keeps me from doing what I enjoy in the kitchen! The only things I have really "cooked" lately were some box-mix and frosting-from-the-can (cringe) cupcakes to bring to work last week, and some mac & cheese last night that I spruced up with ground pork and red bell peppers. Otherwise, Paul and I have made close friends with the Wendy's drive-thru. I gotta say though, their Pick-2 deal is pretty sweet. I get a half-size chicken pecan salad - their healthiest salad with mixed greens, grilled chicken, apples, pecans, dried cranberries, and low-fat pomegranate vinaigrette - and a baked potato. Proof that fast food doesn't have to kill your diet! And even though I haven't been able to dedicate much time to my kitchen, I have been dedicated to fitting in some exercise when I can. Working out for 15-30 min., 3-4 times a week makes a world of difference for my energy level and overall mental/physical/emotional well-being. I can now jog non-stop (no walking breaks) for 20 minutes! Haven't been able to do that in about 5 years! I am becoming familiar again, though, with the shin splints that plagued me during my high school track team years. Need better running shoes. ...This is the most rambling post ever.

Anywho, I am determined to make time this weekend to whip up some good quality home cookin'. We attempted to go apple-picking last weekend, but all the good ones had been picked over and the only ones remaining were hail-damaged. We are going again this weekend, so hopefully I will come home with a bushel of apples and can whip up all sorts of apple-related dishes. *Fingers crossed!*

We did, however, enjoy Milburn Orchards' market shop and pumpkin "patch". It wasn't pick-your-own, but we picked up a cute lil' pumpkin which is now on our front stoop. We got some of their fresh apple cider, homemade apple butter, and fresh apple cider donuts. Holy crap, those donuts were good. We also got some romaine lettuce, snow peas, and of course some gummy bears for Paul.

Cheers,
L

Sunday Dinner: Pesto Pasta

2010-09-26T21:01:00.000-04:00

Tonight's vegetarian dinner was low-key and healthy. We had a very busy day full of errands and other activities so an easy-to-prepare meal was needed. I made a fresh batch of pesto, tossed it with whole-wheat spaghetti and some fresh tomatoes, and grated fresh parmesan on each bowl of pasta. We lit up our new tiki torches for the first time (!) and ate this meal out on the patio with the sounds of crickets surrounding us. A nice relaxing end to a busy day!

To make this pesto, I used fresh basil and thyme from our little "garden", pecans, walnuts, parmesan, garlic, lemon juice, and extra-virgin olive oil.

Finished product. Delicious!

What did you eat this Sunday?

Cheers,
L

Dining Out: Sushi Sumo

2010-09-17T23:18:00.003-04:00

Tonight Paul and I went out for my early birthday dinner. I chose my number one favorite food ... sushi. I've only had sushi once since we moved out of Philadelphia and I've been going crazy. If I had to name one thing I miss about Philly, it'd be the food. Specifically some of our favorite sushi bars...Mizu, Shinju, Misso (now out of business...such a shame), Wasabi House, Vic... I was worried we'd be lacking good sushi here in Delaware but I was wrong! I discovered that Mizu actually opened a location right here in Newark. We originally planned to go there, but I decided I wanted to try something new and did a little research and found Sushi Sumo to have pretty good reviews on Yelp. We were not the least bit disappointed.

We had:

Manhattan Roll: red and white tuna, cucumber, avocado, and spicy sauce inside; fresh mango, tobigo, and golden leaf on top.
Paradise Roll: spicy crunchy white tuna inside; tuna, salmon, yellowtail, and avocado on top. (My favorite)
Salmon Sashimi: OUT OF THIS WORLD!
Yellowtail Roll
Philly Roll: cream cheese, scallion, and smoked salmon (Paul's favorite)
Tempura Green Tea Ice Cream

Prepare to drool!

Happy Birthday to me!

Cheers,
L

Sunday Dinner: "LGH" Tilapia, Green Bean Salad, & Roasted Potatoes

2010-09-12T19:37:00.005-04:00

Here's a rundown of tonight's tasty (and pretty healthy!) dinner... pictures included, of course!

Paul's mom's green beans.

Paul's mom gave us a batch of green beans straight from her garden and I wanted to do something a little different. A little different meaning, not in a stir-fry or steamed and eaten plain, which is the only thing I have ever done with green beans. This is based on a fantastically simple recipe by Biana at TastyGalaxy.

Green Bean Salad thanks to TastyGalaxy (with a couple of my own little tweaks, of course)

about 1 pound green beans
a big handful of chopped pecans (her recipe calls for almonds, which I don't have on hand, so I substituted)
about 1/2 of a small red onion, cut into slivers
zest of one lemon
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper, which I forgot... oops!

Clean and wash the beans. Blanch for 3 minutes. Drain and immediately rinse in cold water or dunk in ice bath.
Combine lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
In a bowl, combine the beans, onions, and nuts. Toss with the lemon mixture.

Nutty goodness.

The finished product.

I made the salad a few hours before dinnertime and let it marinate in the fridge until then. The lemon infused the green beans and really enhanced their flavor, which is fantastic already. I really love this salad. It is crisp, refreshing, and so healthy. Definitely a great way to showcase some quality green beans.

I can't wait 'til I can have my own real garden someday. The quality of fruits and veggies from a well-tended garden is unlike anything you can get in the store. Moving on to the main dish...

Lemon-Garlic-Herb (LGH) Tilapia

3 or 4 tilapia fillets, depending on size... should be about 1 pound altogether
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp butter
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tsp dried parsley (or 1 tsp fresh)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Rinse the fillets in cool water, pat dry, and place in greased baking dish.
Pour the lemon juice over the fish.
Sauté the garlic in the butter until very fragrant. Remove from heat and mix in the herbs.
Pour the butter mixture over the fish. Bake for 12 minutes. Fish should flake easily when pierced with a fork.

Before baking.

Yummy!

This turned out pretty fantastic as well. The fish was soft, tender, with a delicate lemon flavor and little hints of garlic and herbs here and there. This was my first time baking, as opposed to pan-frying, tilapia and I think it's a great way to prepare this fish (not to mention healthier). Be careful not to over-bake because the fillets are so thin. I'm also glad I sautéed the garlic and butter beforehand; I think it added a nice toasty flavor to the whole dish. Side note: I actually used 3 tbsp butter, but I changed it in the recipe to 2 tbsp. I left some in the sauté pan, otherwise the fish would have been swimming in it (ha! see what I did there?)...and I was trying to go healthier. Now for the second side dish...

No recipe here, but I had a couple extra potatoes to use up, and I already had the oven at 400, so why not roast them? And dip them in spicy mayo, of course. ;)

These always come out perfectly tossed in extra-virgin olive oil, sprinkled liberally with kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, and baked at 400 for about 10 minutes. Just make sure they are spread on a single layer on your baking sheet.

What did you eat this Sunday?

Cheers,

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-08T19:12:00.000-04:00

Dijon-Basil Potato Salad

2010-09-07T16:55:00.000-04:00

I went the whole summer without making potato salad. Of course I jump on the bandwagon the day after Labor Day. I have to admit, I'm not going to attempt writing a recipe for this because:

I lost track of how much of each ingredient was put into the dressing... I added & tasted as I went along.
I'm lazy.

But, I can say this: I used 3 russet potatoes (boil, peel, then cube), chopped 2 stalks of celery, and used about 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil. The dressing is a mixture of roughly-equal parts Dijon mustard, cider vinegar, and honey. I added kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to my liking, and just a bit of mayonnaise for creaminess. Mix everything together until it tastes right to you, then drizzle extra-virgin olive oil into that mixture while whisking VERY fast. I just add the oil until it looks like I have enough dressing. How scientific, right?

I don't usually gloat or brag about my food... but this is soooooo delicious. The basil and dijon flavors work really well together.

Taters, celery, dressing, basil.

DROOL.

Can't wait to bring this with my lunch to work tomorrow...

Cheers,
L

First Baking Post!: Lemon Sunshine Cookies

2010-09-04T14:43:00.000-04:00

The view from my back patio today.

The weather could not be more perfect today. Low humidity, mid-70s, plenty of sunshine, and just enough wind. I have nearly all the windows open and there is a wonderful [sneeze-inducing] breeze drifting through the house. On a day like this, I can't NOT bake something. Plus, I can't believe I haven't done a baking post, since I am such an avid baker. So, it just fits!

This recipe was described on Allrecipes as "THE cookie for the lemon lover." I love all things lemony. I think I take after my mom in that regard. Lemons just remind me of sunshine, and on such a sunshiney day, a lemon cookie sounded perfect.

Lemon Sunshine Cookies (I renamed -- and tweaked just a little -- Juanita's Lucious Lemon Snaps. Thank you for the great recipe!)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 tbsp lemon zest
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 and grease cookie sheets.
In a medium bowl, mix together first 5 ingredients. Form a well in the center. Pour the last 3 ingredients into the well.
Stir together to form a dough. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.
Bake for 7 minutes. Edges will be slightly golden brown. Makes 24 cookies.


I love the little bits of lemon zest in the dough.

Fresh out of the oven.

Just amusing myself. Thanks Angela for the cute plate set ;)

These are seriously really good. I would describe them as a lemony sugar cookie. They have just enough lemon flavor, a delicate crunch, and a slightly soft middle. They would be SO perfect with a cup of tea.

Cheers,
L

Five Senses Friday

2010-09-03T14:36:00.000-04:00

A round-up of the past week.

Seeing: Smiling, bright-eyed people. My own desk at work (it's shared, but it's still sorta "mine"!).
Tasting: Hot tea, hot soup, both of which burned my tongue horribly.
Hearing: Cheerful voices. Constantly running air-conditioner.
Smelling: Not much, thanks to a lovely cold.
Feeling: Accomplished. Proud of myself and others. Anxious. Optimistic. Now, relaxed.

Basic Chicken Noodle Soup For Two

2010-08-31T13:49:00.002-04:00

I know what you might be thinking. It's the end of summer, it's 93° out... why are you making soup? Well, starting on Friday I came down with a nasty cold. Thankfully I'm starting to feel better, but now Paul is starting to show symptoms. Great. It is his first week of grad school and I don't want him to feel as crappy as I did the last few days. I have nothing to do today, so I figured some good old chicken noodle soup would be a nice thing for him to come home to. The problem is, it's hot as hell outside, and I don't want to make things even hotter by having a pot of soup simmering on the stove all afternoon. So I decided to go for my trusty Crock-Pot. I know my tastiest soups have started with sweating the mirepoix in butter, and letting the soup simmer for a couple hours, but A) I have a lot of chores I'd like to get done today after laying in bed the last 3 days, and the Crock-Pot is the perfect solution; and B) it's HOT. I'm sure this will still be tasty, but most importantly, I want it to be healthy and hearty. And that it is.

I pretty much threw this together spontaneously, so this is the closest I can come to a recipe. It's very interesting and challenging to write recipes for meals in which I "wing it" -- but I just make sure I pay attention to the amounts I'm using as I go along.

Basic Chicken Noodle Soup For Two [for a small slow cooker -- about 4-6 cup capacity]

1 skinless boneless chicken breast, cut into chunks
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
about 1 cup of chopped onions
kernels from 1 ear of corn
salt and pepper to your taste
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped; or 1 1/2 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/4 tsp ground cumin
enough chicken broth to fill your slow cooker about three-quarters full
6 oz. noodles

Combine first nine ingredients in the slow cooker; cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours.
Cook the noodles separately and add just before serving.

Veggies.


Everything but the broth and seasonings.

Labeling is your friend.

All ready to cook.

This is cooking as we speak and it has a few hours to go. I was anxious to write a long-overdue new post, so consider this an unfinished work. Check back later tonight for an update on how it turned out!

UPDATE:

That's one chunky soup!

Turned out pretty good! This was a VERY hearty soup -- I may even venture out and call it a stew. But that is basically what I was going for. Chunky, lots of flavor, chock full of good nutrients. I still prefer to make soup on the stove-top, but this was a great option for a hot day.

Cheers,
L

Five Senses Friday

2010-08-27T12:40:00.001-04:00

Thanks to made by mike for the idea. It's a cool way to reflect on the past week.

Seeing: A cloudless blue sky out the window
Tasting: Coffee, and a lot of fast food (this was a lazy food week for us, but I did get the new Chicken Pecan salad from Wendy's. It was actually quite delicious! Highly recommended)
Hearing: The humorous chatter of bored car salesmen; crickets & birds chirping relentlessly; the sound of the breeze blowing through the large bush outside the open window in front of me.
Smelling: Not much, thanks to a stuffy nose due to allergies
Feeling: Optimistic, cautious, worried, and hopeful... didn't think it was possible to feel those all at the same time!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-25T12:50:00.000-04:00

Improvised Dinner / My Boyfriend Rocks

2010-08-22T22:41:00.001-04:00

In my introductory post I mentioned I might blog about non-food related stuff. This is one of those posts, because I myself haven't really been cooking this past week. But tonight we cooked a great dinner so, I'll start off with that.

Sometimes the best dinners are ones with no recipe, just improvisation using the ingredients available in your fridge/pantry. Paul gets all the credit for this because they were his ideas. Thanks Paul. :)

Pan-Fried Salmon Fillet with Sauteed Garlic, Ginger, and Scallions (cooked by me)

String Bean, Red Bell Pepper, and Hungarian Pepper Stir-Fry with Ginger (cooked by Paul)

There really hasn't been much going on in my kitchen in the past week. I've been pretty unproductive. The only thing I remember cooking this week was eggs. Work has been tiring me out and the weird hours (4pm-9pm) prevent me from cooking (or do they?). I keep saying I'll put something in the Crock-Pot before I leave for work, but it never happens. Ah, well... life gets in the way sometimes and that's okay. Paul usually has something cooking for when I get home around 9:30 which is nice. Earlier his week he made AWESOME burgers that I wish I had taken pictures of because they were soooo good. Into the ground sirloin he mixed various fresh herbs (basil, sage, and thyme), garlic, onion, egg, bread crumbs, then stuffed fresh mozzarella cheese in the middle! So delicious with a little Dijon mustard and a nice thick tomato slice. The cheese was so melty and wonderful.

As I write I'm listening to Paul play around on the cello, playing along with Of Montreal. He has been just an all-around awesome boyfriend and helping me out a lot as I adjust to my new schedule and juggle countless job applications and upcoming interviews. I drive his car to work most nights so he is usually stuck at home, but each night when I come home he's gotten some big project done at the apartment. Settling in here was very much a team effort between the two of us, but I gotta give him more credit. We wouldn't have accomplished nearly as much as we did if it weren't for his incredible work ethic and generosity. Thank you Paul... for the millionth time :)

I'll end with some pictures of some sweet skies we saw on our walk through Glasgow Park this evening.

Cheers,
L

Pasta Salad

2010-08-15T17:06:00.001-04:00

Today is a rainy Sunday. Not the downpour kind, but a gentle mist that has persisted throughout the late morning and afternoon. I love these kinds of days...the rain is soothing, it puts me in the mood to drink that extra cup of coffee, and it [usually] puts me in the mood to cook. And that I did.

Admittedly, this is not the most exciting dish to blog about. Pasta salad, macaroni salad, whatever you call it -- a routine summer staple. Still, it's one of my favorite things to eat, and I have never made it from scratch. I had fun making this today as I sort of made it up as I went along and it turned out delicious. So, blog-worthy to me!

Sunday Pasta Salad
dressing adapted from Taste of Home's recipe

Salad:

2 cups uncooked pasta -- I used mini penne
1 large celery stalk, diced
1 small-to-medium tomato, diced
1 green onion, chopped
about half of a 16 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
Optional: 1/2 cup cooked chicken breast, cubed

Dressing:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup prepared ranch dressing (eyeball it)
3 tbsp milk
3 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp dried minced onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp dried parsley flakes
1 tsp prepared Dijon mustard
1 tsp sweet relish

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
While the pasta is cooking, mix together dressing ingredients and let sit.
Toss together the salad ingredients, and add the dressing. Mix well.

Dressing.

Salad ingredients ready to be tossed. Not pictured: eggs which I added after this picture was taken, and the chicken, which I decided to add at the last minute after everything was mixed together. The chicken was left-over from a stir-fry Paul made a couple nights ago, and I didn't want it to go to waste. I labeled the chicken as "optional" in the recipe because I added it in order to make it more of a meal (I had not yet eaten lunch and was getting hungrier and hungrier as I was preparing it!). Personally, if this is just a side dish, I'd leave the chicken out. But it's up to you!

Yummy side-dish or, in my case today, a light lunch.

Hope you're enjoying your Sunday, rain or shine.

Cheers,
L

Slow-Cooked Thai Chicken Thighs

2010-08-11T22:55:00.004-04:00

I love chicken thighs. I love Thai cooking. I love my Crock-Pot. Put all three together and this is what you get.

Slow-Cooked Thai Chicken Thighs for a small slow-cooker (2-3 quarts), adapted from busycooks.about.com

3 chicken thighs (skin-on/bone-in or skinless/boneless, whichever you prefer... I prefer the former)
1 cup medium chunky salsa
2 heaping tbsp smooth peanut butter
juice of one lime
1/2 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1-2 inch piece of ginger root, grated/minced
dash of Sriracha
big handful of unsalted peanuts, toasted and chopped
1 green onion, chopped
about 4 lime wedges

Place chicken thighs in slow cooker.
Mix together salsa, peanut butter, lime juice, fish sauce, soy sauce, ginger, and Sriracha. Pour over the chicken.
Cook on high for 3-4 hours.
Plate the chicken and sprinkle with peanuts and green onions. Garnish with lime wedges and squeeze juice over the chicken before eating. Serve with rice or noodles (I chose rice).

Before mixing.

After mixing.

Quite possibly my favorite thing in our fridge.

Chicken thighs nestled in and ready to cook.

Ta-da.

Pretty soon I'm starting a part-time job that will have me working from 4pm-9pm on weekdays. Good hours in terms of convenience (I can still go on interviews & get a ton of stuff done during the day), but not the greatest for someone who likes to cook dinner, because I sure as heck won't feel like cooking when I get home at 9:30. So, I have a feeling I'll be using the Crock-Pot quite a bit over the next several weeks on days when Paul won't be cooking (did I mention he is a great cook too!). Any good recipes? Send 'em my way ;)

Cheers,
L

My Favorite Condiment

2010-08-09T17:25:00.000-04:00

I'm certainly not the first person to discover the wonders of flavored mayo, but I had to share my most recent food obsession. I kinda ripped this off the Japanese, but over the past few months I've become obsessed with spicy mayo. For fellow sushi addicts, you know the orange "spicy sauce" you get with certain rolls? I discovered that a less spicy version of that is freaking delicious on just about everything. And it only takes two ingredients: mayo (preferably Kewpie, but any kind will do) and hot sauce (I recommend Sriracha, but again, use whatever you like). I also add 1-2 drops sesame oil, depending on the amount I'm making, to give it a little more depth of flavor. Paul and I are seriously addicted to this stuff. We mostly put it on sandwiches and use it as a dip for potatoes/fries/veggies. It's also delicious on burgers and can be used as a dip for pretty much any fried food. I've never had aioli, but I can't imagine not loving that, too. I just Googled "flavored mayo" and got about a billion recipes. Now I can't wait to try making all different varieties! They sell bottles of flavored mayo in the stores, but isn't it more economical -- and fun -- to create your own at home?

Cheers,
L

Tomato Sauce from Scratch

2010-08-08T19:04:00.008-04:00

I had the blessing of receiving a whole big batch of home-grown tomatoes from Paul's mom's garden. They are unlike any tomato you can buy in the store; sweet, tender, juicy, yum. Unfortunately, there were more tomatoes than I knew what to do with, so I decided to try a batch of tomato sauce (something his mom had also done while I was staying at their house this summer). I pretty much winged it, eyeballed everything, and threw it in my (CUTE) mini slow cooker (I'm usually cooking for two -- it probably holds about 3 or 4 quarts). Here's my "recipe":

Homemade Tomato Sauce

4 medium vine-ripened tomatoes
2 tsp tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, pressed
a few shakes of dehydrated minced onion
generous helping of whatever herb you have on hand (all I had was dried parsley for now)
salt and pepper, to taste

Place the tomatoes in boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove, peel, and chop to your heart's desire. Place tomatoes in slow cooker.
Add tomato paste, garlic, onion, herbs, salt, and pepper. Stir.
If, like me, you want a less chunky sauce, stick your immersion blender in there and puree. I blended until there were just a few tomato chunks left.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

Mine's still simmering, so I'll have to update this post and let you know how it turns out. Seems pretty foolproof to me, though. I plan on boiling some frozen (yeah, I know) gnocchi tonight or tomorrow and using the sauce for that.

Cheers,
L

UPDATE: Great success! The sauce was sweet but not too sweet, and had a nice kick from the garlic. The only negative was that it came out a bit watery -- next time, strain the tomatoes after chopping & before adding to the pot.

Gnocchi (from frozen) with Homemade Tomato Sauce, Freshly Grated Parmesan & Romano Cheese

Hi.

2010-08-08T18:41:00.003-04:00

The obligatory "first post"... how shall I begin? Well, I've been thinking about starting a food blog for a while ever since I joined Allrecipes.com. I review recipes and post pictures there all the time, but you have to be a paying member to have a blog there, so... no thanks. My older sister, Jess, suggested that I start a food blog in a comment on one of my cooking pictures I had posted on Facebook (she has also repeatedly suggested I go to culinary school...hmmm). My interest and enjoyment in cooking has increased over the past few years but I still consider myself largely a beginner. I would estimate 75% of my cooking is done without a recipe (this does not include baking). I feel that's the best way to really learn how to cook...experimenting and creating on your own. But of course, I do need (and greatly appreciate) help from the pros from time to time!

Literally a week ago, I relocated from Philadelphia (where I recently graduated from Temple University...go Owls!) to Delaware (where my boyfriend, Paul, will begin grad school this fall). I'm still unemployed (thanks, economy!) and when I'm not job searching, I'm slowly unpacking the apartment and getting back into cooking. I figured since I have all this free time now, it's the perfect time to take advantage of it and cook as much as I can... as well as start blogging. This is the state of my new, bigger kitchen now:

I love it; it gets plenty of sunlight and opens up to a big patio out back. Quite an upgrade from our kitchen in Philadelphia. As you can see, last night I finally unpacked (almost) all our kitchen boxes and unloaded everything onto the counters & stove. Yikes...what a mess. It hasn't stopped me from preparing a few meals, though. Last night it was my favorite way to prepare chicken breasts: Melissa D'Arabian's Versatile 4-Step Chicken. I love this recipe because you can switch out whichever poultry, aromatics, seasonings, citrus, and green veggie you want (last night I used chicken, onions/garlic, s&p, lemon juice, and American broccoli. In the past I've done pork chops pounded thin, lime juice, orange juice, pineapple juice, spinach...the possibilities are endless). And, in the corner near the microwave, you can see my mini-crockpot which currently has a batch of homemade tomato sauce simmering away (blog post about that coming soon).

Anyway, this is my little blog. I hope to chronicle as many cooking adventures as I can, as well as our experiences dining out. I may write about non-food related topics from time-to-time, as well. We'll see! In the coming weeks I may back-track and do some posts about favorite meals I've made or enjoyed at my favorite restaurants in the past. For now, here are some favorite shots of foods I've prepared:

Seared Ahi Tuna with Napa, Cucumber & Carrot Salad

Bacon-Wrapped Roasted Asparagus with Spicy Mayo Dip

Bacon-Wrapped Salmon Fillet with a Balsamic Glaze (everything's better when wrapped in bacon)

Cupcakes with Strawberry Icing (icing recipe...so delicious, tastes like strawberry ice cream)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins (recipe)

General Tao Chicken (recipe)

Apple Streusel Coffee Cake

Cheers,