This dish is NOT a do over. Ick.... Chicken breasts were stuffed with mozzerella cheese, peanuts, and bacon. Then they were cooked and served with ranch dressing drizzled over top. I found this dish, surprisingly, to be very bland, but at the same time too much. This is a very heavy dish. It's almost something a child would like, but somehow misses the mark.
The asparagus was nothing to exciting. Except that instead of steaming it I roasted it in the oven. I actually liked this better because it cooked the asparagus, but still left it a little be crisp. The cook book called for parmasean cheese to be sprinkled over it, but with the heavy dish discribed above we forwent that - too much cheese....yikes....
Anyways this dish was so not tasteful to me that I couldn't even look at it to clean up after we ate... To my huge embarassement that nastiness left over from this meal sat there until the next morning... The sight of this dish the morning after may have also lead to my desire to not ever make it again...
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Mini Meatloaf Loaves (is that how you spells that??? looks weird) and Blue Cheese Macaroni
OMG This was our favorite dish so far!!!!!!! This is def. a do over!! It is just your general, very basic, meatloaf recipe except instead making a large loaf you make six mini loaves that take much less time to cook. In addition we had baked blue cheese macaroni...D.LISH.US. Instead of using a cheddar cheese you add blue cheese and swiss cheese. It was an excellent twist on standard macaroni.
Of course this dish was prepared early in the week when I wasn't exhausted and sick of cooking - that could having something to do with why we liked it so much! ha!....
Of course this dish was prepared early in the week when I wasn't exhausted and sick of cooking - that could having something to do with why we liked it so much! ha!....
Monday, August 10, 2009
Chipotle Lime Chicken Succotash
I was very nervous about how this dish was going to turn out as I was making it.... It looked way less than appetizing..... With the corn, lima beans, shredded chicken, and salsa all mixed together it looked something like vomit.... Not to be too graphic or anything?! hahaha ;0)
It also never required that I empty the water that the lima beans and corn cooked in, next time this dish is made this is something I will make a point to do.
I actually ended up using a Pineapple/Manage Chipotle salsa which I think gave this dish and extra kick. The pineapple and mango, though not called for in the recipe, actually blended really well with the lime chicken flavors. I also served this dish with lime wedges and tortilla chips - I was a bit impressed with myself! hahahaa
This is def. a do-over dish... Michael discribed it as very good, but not quite gourment.... food snob! hahahahaha Just kidding he really did like and he's right I could have made it look a little better.... next time....
** He also noted that just since I have been doing this he thinks my cooking skills have improved!!! Score one for Suzi!!!! :0)
It also never required that I empty the water that the lima beans and corn cooked in, next time this dish is made this is something I will make a point to do.
I actually ended up using a Pineapple/Manage Chipotle salsa which I think gave this dish and extra kick. The pineapple and mango, though not called for in the recipe, actually blended really well with the lime chicken flavors. I also served this dish with lime wedges and tortilla chips - I was a bit impressed with myself! hahahaa
This is def. a do-over dish... Michael discribed it as very good, but not quite gourment.... food snob! hahahahaha Just kidding he really did like and he's right I could have made it look a little better.... next time....
** He also noted that just since I have been doing this he thinks my cooking skills have improved!!! Score one for Suzi!!!! :0)
Beef Salad and Lemon Vinegrette
We actually made this on Thursday evening... just now posting it due to a crazy weekend!!! It was actually very good!!! I mean it's a salad so of course it wasn't too hard to make. Michael decided a London Broil was the best type of meat for this salad. That was so easy - salt and pepper it and throw in the oven to broil. Then the rest of the salad was really what we typically eat anyways. Romaine lettuce, feta (we got the garlic flavored and it was yuuuummmmmy!), red onions, kalamata olives (not my cup of tea but a small amount of them chopped up was do-able), tomatoes, and the dressing. Now I gotta tell ya I am not someone who makes there on dressing - that seems just a bit over the top for me. Michael on the other had ALWAYS makes his own dressing and it is usually really really good.
This dressing consisted of olive oil, lemon juice and zest, minced garlic, orgeano, salt, and pepper. First I started with 1 3/4 cup oil when it really only needed 1 1/4 cup oil.... so you can guess how well the rest went... I finally ended up pouring out and starting over. By itself I didn't really care for this dressing, but with the salad and everthing it actually did bring everything together and was pretty good.
This dish was good, maybe a do-over but with some variations....
This dressing consisted of olive oil, lemon juice and zest, minced garlic, orgeano, salt, and pepper. First I started with 1 3/4 cup oil when it really only needed 1 1/4 cup oil.... so you can guess how well the rest went... I finally ended up pouring out and starting over. By itself I didn't really care for this dressing, but with the salad and everthing it actually did bring everything together and was pretty good.
This dish was good, maybe a do-over but with some variations....
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Leftovers
So Wednesday... blah... hump day... Michael ended up working really late and didn't get to my apartment until 6:45 or so. I hadn't gone to the grocery store, so we decided to eat some of the yummy leftovers before they went bad. (Of course we had the stir-fry - I didn't even bother offering him the chicken/spinach/phyllo)
Nothing much to report here, except that I learned when you are reheating rice place a damp paper towel on top of it before you place it in the microwave or make sure what ever you top the rice with (in our case - stir fry) has enough moisture to keep the rice from drying out.
The stir-fry was just as good reheated!
blah... Wednesday's stink....
Nothing much to report here, except that I learned when you are reheating rice place a damp paper towel on top of it before you place it in the microwave or make sure what ever you top the rice with (in our case - stir fry) has enough moisture to keep the rice from drying out.
The stir-fry was just as good reheated!
blah... Wednesday's stink....
I WILL learn to cook!!!!!
I have always felt like I was a good cook. I enjoy cooking and creating. I even took a cooking class in Italy the one summer I lived over there. However, it wasn’t until I met Michael that I became aware of how not good at cooking I was. Now granted that makes it sound like Michael has convinced me of this without it being valid. (Side Note: Michael is an excellent cook! He just picked it up from having good cooks in his family his whole life and working briefly with a catering service. I have learned more just from watching him cook – sans recipes of course – than I have from any other source.) Sadly, the truth is he is right. As much as I love to cook – I am not very good at it. I don’t even really know the basics of it. So basically what I have been claiming as “cooking” is really the ability to follow instructions, i.e. a recipe. And lets be honest – I wasn’t really even that good at that. I would always add a little of this and a little of that, not really knowing what I was doing, and most of the time it would come out edible, but not necessarily good.
So it is now my life’s mission to become an excellent cook. I don’t really have the desire to be some gourmet chief or anything, I just want my grandchildren (many many years from now) to think that their grandmother is the best cook in the world. And for Michael to think that the best dinner comes from my kitchen, not some overpriced restaurant.
Anyways, back to the mission at hand. After seeing the previews for Julia & Julie, the movie with Amy Adams and Meryl Streep, I decided that the concept of that movie was a GREAT idea!! Now, as I said before, I have no desire of being some amazing gourmet chef, so the whole Julia Child’s thing was a little bit out of my league. For a more realistic approach, I am going to complete the entire Better Homes and Gardens “Anyone Can Cook” cookbook. This is a step by step cookbook/manual. My thought is that I should probably start with the basics, get those down, and then I can advance on to more intense things – like maybe a Julia Child’s recipe or two!
So it is now my life’s mission to become an excellent cook. I don’t really have the desire to be some gourmet chief or anything, I just want my grandchildren (many many years from now) to think that their grandmother is the best cook in the world. And for Michael to think that the best dinner comes from my kitchen, not some overpriced restaurant.
Anyways, back to the mission at hand. After seeing the previews for Julia & Julie, the movie with Amy Adams and Meryl Streep, I decided that the concept of that movie was a GREAT idea!! Now, as I said before, I have no desire of being some amazing gourmet chef, so the whole Julia Child’s thing was a little bit out of my league. For a more realistic approach, I am going to complete the entire Better Homes and Gardens “Anyone Can Cook” cookbook. This is a step by step cookbook/manual. My thought is that I should probably start with the basics, get those down, and then I can advance on to more intense things – like maybe a Julia Child’s recipe or two!
Chicken and Spinach on Phyllo
Well let's just say this night wasn't exceptional. It started off rough though becuase I was irritated with Michael for going to the Gamecock's open practice rather than participating in my little experiment. But I quickly got over it because Emily came over to play and enjoy my dinner!!
This dish was not really what I expected it to be. (Note: make sure to fully read the recipes before deciding to make them!!) I was under the impression, due to the ingredients involved, that this was going to be similar to a spanicopita - very much not the case. This dish required that I sautee vegetables and spinach and place them on top of browned phyllo dough to serve. I was then supposed to drizzle balsamic vinegrette over top.
Emily determined that the dish was fine, but would maybe be better served as a side dish or if I could figure out to make into some type of appitzer. I agree I suppose, but I thought it was pretty blah tasting.... Next time maybe more BV or salt. And a little feta of course....
Isn't pretty much EVERYTHING better with cheese?!?!? ummm... yuuuummm.....
Probably a good thing Michael went to practice - I don't think he would have been much of a fan.
On a much more exciting note... Me and Michael, his parents, Emily and Travis, and several other people, have all gotten a tailgate spot together for the USC football games this year! So Emily and I spent the rest of the evening going through cookbooks and planning the menus for each game! SO EXCITING!!! I LOVE FOOTBALL SEASON!!!!:0)
This dish was not really what I expected it to be. (Note: make sure to fully read the recipes before deciding to make them!!) I was under the impression, due to the ingredients involved, that this was going to be similar to a spanicopita - very much not the case. This dish required that I sautee vegetables and spinach and place them on top of browned phyllo dough to serve. I was then supposed to drizzle balsamic vinegrette over top.
Emily determined that the dish was fine, but would maybe be better served as a side dish or if I could figure out to make into some type of appitzer. I agree I suppose, but I thought it was pretty blah tasting.... Next time maybe more BV or salt. And a little feta of course....
Isn't pretty much EVERYTHING better with cheese?!?!? ummm... yuuuummm.....
Probably a good thing Michael went to practice - I don't think he would have been much of a fan.
On a much more exciting note... Me and Michael, his parents, Emily and Travis, and several other people, have all gotten a tailgate spot together for the USC football games this year! So Emily and I spent the rest of the evening going through cookbooks and planning the menus for each game! SO EXCITING!!! I LOVE FOOTBALL SEASON!!!!:0)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
