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.

Oh Fillet Mignon, your good for many creations.

Have you ever had one of those weeks that was so stressful that all you wanted was a great meal before you did hella homework, or maybe just work in general?
Thats where I was on Wednesday, I had a huge exam and I hadnt eaten in hours and all i wanted was a delicious meal! I have not eaten red meat since i got food poisoning because i really have not felt up to it, but recently I'd been craving a good steak. Not one of those tough hearty steaks where i'll want to fall asleep after, but something that will melt in your mouth and leave you wishing you had more to eat.
Fillet Mignon? I think so.

I bought some cheap red wine that was on sale at safeway, it was about $2.90 and I figured it'd be cheap and good to cook with. Then i tried it... it was a really good wine. Now my family knows how to appreciate wine, they would what you would call "wine people" so over the years i've had a lot of experience with differnt kinds of good wine and for some reason this cheap cabernet sauvignon blanc was really good. I made my other roommates drink some and they agreed. So I marinated the fillet mignon in the wine for about 20 mins and starting chopping up some onions. I put some more wine in a large pan and threw the onions in and let it simmer. Then I put the steak in and let it cook. Now while it was cooking I started in on making one of my strange sauce creations. I like blue cheese on my fillet mignon so i winged a blue cheese, butter and wine sauce. It was killer. Lets just say my roommate took the bowl of it and put tin foil over it so she could eat more later. I also made some buttery delicious mashed potatoes to go along with the dish. Finally I took the steak off the pan and set up all the plates and was ready to eat. I cut into my steak.... disappointment. Way too rare for me, in fact way to rare for anyone I'd think. So... i just threw it back on the stove and cooked it till it was really ready. And then, success! The steak literally melted in my mouth. I even walked into my roommates room and made her try it to see if i was hallucinating, the first thing she said was "How'd you make that?!".

I'd say one of the best dishes. And the sauce was a great color!

Fillet Mignon with a Blue Cheese Sauce and Mashed Potatoes

It was hard to stop eating it

So on friday I was starving after a night of going out and I wanted some lunch but all i had were some small pieces of the fillet mignon left. So I improvised and and decided to make a fillet mignon sandwich and use the leftover sauce as a spread. I cooked the meat the same way I did the fillet mignon before. This time i carmelized some onions and threw them on top. Best sandwich so far.

Filet Mignon Sandwich with Carmelized Onions and a Blue Cheese Spread


Hands down one of the best sandwiches I've made.

Time to get ready to make another recipe tonight.
As for now the shower is calling, im still muddy from my soccer game this morning.
Seeya foodies.