Grilled Vegetables Orzo with Grilled Fish
If it seems that I haven’t cooked in a while based on the absense of recipes, it’s true. This weekend the non-cooking trend was finally broken and I’ve been cooking for a few days. It’s been fantastic! I love my tiny kitchen and how comfortable I’ve become in it. And to keep the enjoyment going in the kitchen, I made a few of my favorites and of course an experimentation or two. I made my favorite roasted chicken and paired it with the potato & green bean salad and a slaw for the crunchy craving. And for the experimentation in the kitchen, I tried my hand at grilling veggies in a grill pan and thought that orzo and feta would...
Read MoreTravel Photography Class
I love to travel. I love to take photos. I love to take photos when I travel. So this year, before I go on another trip, I thought it would be a good idea to take a Travel Photography class. The continuing education arm of the local university has a wonderful program and I finally found the time for this class. So this past weekend, we had our first photo shoot. We were supposed to see the city as if we’re travelers here and discover something new or different. Of course, like any class, we had a specific set of things we needed to capture. Here are a few photos from that photo shoot. I love the early spring, when the trees are just coming into...
Read MoreSlow Cooker Stock
Stock. Chicken Stock. Beef Stock. It’s one of those things many people find intimidating, and I have to admit, I was one of them. I thought I didn’t have a stock pot big enough, I thought I didn’t have the time to babysit the cooking pot. Then, I decided that I could use my slow cooker, and all my problems melted away. Right now, I have a most delicious beef stock brewing. I started it last night, and this morning, I woke up to a most delicious smell eminating from my kitchen. Coming home, this same delciousness welcomed me. MMMMMMM! Since I want the stock to be very versatile, I keep it very simple. Onions, carrots, salt, pepper, and a...
Read MoreGo-to Quick and Healthy Meal
I can hardly believe that it’s been a month since my last post. Things have been crazier than usual, and with being so busy, I haven’t really had too many chances to cook. Don’t get me wrong, I have all these grand plans for these fabulous meals… And then reality hits. In situations like these, it’s great to have an easy, healthy, go-to meal. At this point, I really only have one: Salmon and Rice. The salmon takes no effort at all, and now that I’ve discovered rice cookers, this meal is zero effort, takes a minute to assemble and turn on the timer. And my rice cooker is super simple, no bells or whistles, just about $10...
Read MoreSan Antonio Weekend
This past weekend I took a little trip to San Antonio, Texas. I’ve never been there before and heard great things about the city so thought I’d check it out. Even with everything I read, I was still surprised by the city. It’s compact, lovely, easy to navigate, and with tons to see and do. I arrived at my hotel, Crockett Hotel, a bit after midnight and the check-in process couldn’t have been more painless. The hotel has a continental breakfast and it was enough for me to hold me over till lunch (I just had some toast and jam). After some sightseeing, lunch was at Azuca, a great restaurant with a lively decor and fantastic food. I had Roasted...
Read MoreBeef Stew with Root Vegetables
The last few weeks have been exceptionally busy here; I feel like I hardly spend any time at home, and I love being home. But I did manage to make a really rustic, hearty, and healthy beef stew. It is tender and flavorful and just fantastic. This stew just hit the spot during those cold winter days we’ve had lately. Just complete satisfaction. Warm, like a blanket; bursting with flavor like summer. Feeds your belly and your soul. The potatoes and sweet potatoes are actually still from one of the winter shares of the CSA. I couldn’t believe it that they’re still good. But sure enough, if you store them properly (cool, dark place), they’re...
Read MoreHappy 2012 Everyone
I know, I know, it’s a week into this year already, and I feel behind. But there’s a reason for that; it doesn’t feel like a new year to me because I didn’t really get a chance to relax at the end of the year or to reflect on things.. You see, I like New Year’s because it’s a clean slate, new notebook, new pens and pencils, new chances, new beginnings, new attitude, etc. Just new. I need “new” every once in a while in certain things and a time of the year to renew, recommit, and reassess is much needed and very welcomed. So mentally, for me, it’s still sometime in early November. Yes, I’m a bit slow...
Read MoreStuffed Shells
I have always wanted to make a stuffed pasta dish but was always intimidated by it. Not quite sure why, because it’s so easy. Easier than lasagna, and I consider lasagna to be easy. And when I found a recipe in a magazine (Whole Living, March 2011 edition) and realized I had all the ingredients, I knew I had to try it. I was also surprised at how quick this came together. It is also healthy and very satisfying. The spinach, the low-fat farmer’s cheese (I noticed it’s lower fat than the ricotta the original recipe called for), the mushrooms in the sauce (another one of my tweaks) all contributed to the guilt-free satisfaction of this cheesy...
Read MoreLeek and Cabbage Soup
Take a look at this soup. It’s not photogenic. It’s not sexy. But it’s first and foremost delicious. Of course, it’s also healthy and incredibly easy to make. And on cold autumn or winter days, it really hits the spot. How could it not? The other fabulous feature of this soup is that it features veggies from the CSA (Highcross Farms), and home made chicken stock (chicken was from Grassway Organics). If you think that this combination is a little odd, I wouldn’t blame you. But then again, I think anything with peanut butter is strange. Just think about it, there is a leak and potato soup, and cabbage and potato soup. I just...
Read MoreRoasted Acorn Squash
It’s true, I’ve never had acorn squash before. “How can that happen?”, you ask. Simple. I thought I didn’t like it. It looked foreign (which it really is, to me), and hard to figure out, and since I’ve never had it before, I never knew what I’d ever do with it. But as I mentioned in some of my earlier posts, one of the benefits of joining a CSA is that you get veggies you might not have picked out on your own. Just check out the pumpkins/squash in the picture for an example of what I got in the last few CSA boxes. The folks at Highcross Farm do a great job with getting fantastic food to us and I take these...
