I Guess I'll Cook Since No One is Here

Grilled Spicy Lime Chicken with Black Bean Salad

I never told you about this masterpiece! It was so0o0o good. I made this one day because my family decided to go apple picking and had left me behind. Mostly because I had to go to work and I didn't have enough time. BUT I did have enough time to cook. Well mostly prepare.

This dish is perfect if you have a busy day and you just want to throw together something healthy. I prepared this black bean salad and marinated the chicken for my parents when they returned from apple picking. Unfortunatly I don't have a picture of the chicken but all grilled chicken looks the same. They thought it was delicious and they actually wanted me to make the marinade again for a dinner we had the next night.

This recipe called for Chipotle Chiles in adobo and I chose to go with the jalepeno instead. I would personally use more than I did but I had to regulate the spice for the children and the people who don't enjoy spicy foods.

I give this an A++++! You know the meal is good when it changes your view on vegetables and you crave it again!

October 10, 2010

That's What We Are Making!?

Wow! The picture looks really good. It's October, tis the season to be using butternut squash!

Gnocchi with Squash, Spinach and Prosciutto

I've never have gnocchi before so it was my first time trying it. I was never really a fan of prosciutto either. This in the long run was not a good dish for my taste.
Some things I learned while making this dish:
-fresh thyme and dry thyme when measured are totally different amounts. When the recipe says fresh and gives the measurement, you use that measurement. When the recipe says fresh and you use Dry, then you add half of the amount it calls for. I learned this the hard way.
- When buying prosciutto you should always ask for thin slices. Mine were too thick which made each bite saltier than they should have been.
I didn't add much salt to the dish because of the proscuitto.
I was not a fan of the texture of the dish. very dough-like...
Final thought: not making it again. On to the next one!

October 19, 2010

"What is it?"

"it's gnocchi."

"Don't tell me it's yucky before I even try it"

This looks like a nice picture

Spaghetti Puttanesca with Flaked Tuna

I flipped through the cookbook and landed on this colorful, delicious looking meal. I have seen this before (I think) in Italian restaurants and have never tried it. This is a recipe that I didn't have most of the ingredients for and that's including ANCHOVIES.

I've never worked with anchovies before and I was gagging as I opened the can. It was all in my head. You know when you talk to people who like anchovies on their pizza you automatically think its disgusting because its not the normal pepperoni. 

As you know I never follow the rules. I used sliced kalamata olives instead of pitted (not my fault)! 

In my house, we don't really cook with salt and if we do its very little. When I boiled the water I didn't add salt but I added it in the end, just a dash and some pepper.

This dish was alright. It's lacking flavor. It has flavors of tuna and some spice because of the crushed red pepper. I put such a small amount that I didn't think I would taste it, but I guess that's what it does when we let the flavors out and sautee it with other things right?

made October 7, 2010