Cook, Eat, Repeat.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

We're Back in Business Baby


Ok, ok, ok, I know this has been a fail lately, and I'll admit it's 100% my fault. I swear I've been cooking but not up to par at all. Nor have I been posting. The madness! Will you ever forgive me guys?

How can you guys not forgive that sad face?!
Look at it!
LOOK AT IT!
Full of shame and despair from the loss of cooking.







Lets get back on track...

Ice cream?



Holy ice cream maker! I'm really enjoying my ice cream machine, not only is it easy but it makes delicious things for me to eat. Recently my mom gave me some lemons... like 15 lemons and so i decided to make some lemon sorbet, I juiced and juiced and zested and mixed this sorbet and hoped for the best. I threw it in the machine and it swirled and churned. It created a delicious lemon sorbet.... that was EXTREMELY overpowering. I think I over indulged in the zesting or something because boy... It was hard to eat. So it was what we like to call "a good intentioned fail". This has not discouraged me though, I will continue to create ice cream and my roommate wants me to make some frozen yogurt soon, fro-yo for short and it will be grand.
Maybe you guys can do better on the recipe?

Lemon Sorbet
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Remember to zest lightly ladies and gents.

Lets move onto something quick an easy shall we?

We have a large amount of chicken that our household likes to eat and at times it can become a bit... boring. God how could you say that about chicken?! I know. Its terrible. But its true and sadly to say I've been running out of options for new and improved delicious chicken treats. But we also ALWAYS have tortillas at the house. So? Chicken tacos, you guessed it. They look delicious, like I've marinated the chicken for days in tomatoes sauce and all that goodness. Its a ploy. Ha ha! All i did was cook the chicken in salsa (any will suffice) and it turned out full of flavor. Throw some normal taco ingredients in there as well, cheese, sour cream, ect. and you've got a full blow meal.

Chicken Taco's


They're so good. I want one right now.

So I was at my grandmothers house awhile back and we decided to go shopping for my mother and her twin sisters birthday, we walked through a number of shops and of course one HAD to be full of plates and nic nacs and throughout the store it was littered with miscellaneous cook books and everyone that I picked up I couldnt help but want. Finally I decided on a salad dressing cook book because who make salad dressing cookbooks with pictures?! I needed it. I clutched it tightly as we finished up walking through the store and then I saw it. I cookbook with a large picture of baked Mac and Cheese as the cover, it was a cook book... of HOME COOKING. Ok... so I tossed the salad dressing book, I mean was I really going to buy champagne vinaigrette? Who am i kidding?

I meticulously looked through the cookbook when i returned home because whichever cardiovascular threatening dish I was about to embark on needed to be the correct one for my first. And I chose well.

Baked Conchiglione with Spinach-Ricotta Filling

(Before they baked)

(After they baked)

Before they met certain death in my mouth.

Also I'd like to note that whenever i say "Ricotta" I think about Giada and how she says it and it feel somewhat legitimate.

Recipe taken from "From Our Home to Yours:
1/2 Pound Spinach leaves
2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
1 Cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1/2 pound Mozzarella (I used a whole pound cuz were really into cheese)
1 egg lightly beaten
1 tablespoon finely minced basil (Omitted)
Salt and Pepper to taste
20 Conchiglione (Jumbo Shells)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1/2 cup Pecorino romano cheese

Alright people. Get to it.

So everyone knows how much I like to bake muffins right?
Come on, you haven't noticed a pattern by now?

Well I like to do this thing, usually around 8 pm on a week night where I look in our cabinets and take all the delicious ingredients we have and put them into muffin form. Now the problem with this method is that sometimes I create splendid muffins and sometimes I create muffins that taste like powerbars. The other problem is that I have NO IDEA what i put in them to make them so delicious or not.

Well I made these blueberry muffins and I didnt put much sugar in them because I wanted them to be less sweet and more approachable for breakfast. I remember putting oats and blueberrys and other muffin like ingredients but who really knows what was in those babys. All I know is that i sprinkled sugar on top, baked them and they were gone in a day and a half. To this day people still ask me to let them know when I make those muffins again so I can either save them one or invite them over. What was in those muffins?! WHAT?!
Love obviously and some well rounded cynicism.

Blueberry Muffins with Sugar Tops

These look professional for sure.

I have this memory growing up, a positive one, of me and my father going to Jack in the Box after school all the time and getting chicken teriyaki bowls. We would then proceed to the park in Rockridge under the freeway and sit on the ground in the sunny spots that we could find and eat them together. Boy do I miss him and those bowls. Well I figured out how to make them myself! Fooled you Jack in the Box! They are fairly simple and if you know how to make rice and cook vegi's your set. I just steam the broccoli and carrots, saute the onions and of course some minced garlic in a store bought terriyaki sauce and add some chicken. Throw it on some rice, mix it on up and you got yourself a homemade meal ready to calm your comfort food craving.

Chicken Teriyaki Bowls


I have not have a good piece of red meat in awhile, so when I returned from Italy (Yes I went to Italy, we can get into that food in another post), I wanted to cook myself something fantastic. So once again me a Fillet Mignon had a showdown. Last time I just cooked it on my stove top slightly, having done no research. But this time I was ready for battle, I did my research and figured I would pan sear it and then bake that baby. And thats what I did.
Now the sides were a little harder, I wanted green beans (I know I always make them but I like them) and but i really wanted some pearl onions as well. Now my good friends always bake a chicken with pearl onions and it turns out marvelous and I wanted that kinda taste in my mouth. A succulent pearl onion that popped in my mouth. What's best when you dont know what to cook it with? In the words of Paula Dean, Add some butter!
So I sauted my pearl onions in butter for awhile and then added in the beans, lets just say the fillet mignon was not the only thing my friends were jealous of as they watched me eat.

Pean Seared Fillet Mignon with Brown Butter Green Beans and Pearl Onions


Not too glamorous on our plastic plates but it was damn delicious.

Thats all I got for now, I need to go cook me some lunch, my brain cells are depleting and I need to give ya'll something to look forward to eh?
I know it's been a lengthy time since my last entry but I'm back dont you worry, Momma's gonna make you some more meals.