Improvised Dinner / My Boyfriend Rocks

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

Hi.

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,

L