Lately, I've been attempting to work in some new recipes. If it were up to me, I'd get real lazy and just have a rotation of chicken/pork cooked on the Foreman grill along with a salad and an option of broccoli or some other green vegetable. Maybe some salmon to spice it up! Boring, I know, but I'm lazy so, simple foods and routine for the win! For instance, we have an almost daily routine of having cucumbers and hummus when Ed gets home from work. We really should invest in Sabra stock...
So I opened up my Pinterest board for cooking and opted to give something a try. First up:
This actually looked freaking delicious to me. It was recommended as a side dish, but honestly? I think it was an alright main dish. If you wanted some protein, you could add in a meat or some quinoa.
Obviously, it's a little labor intensive, in that there is quite a bit of chopping. But once that's done, it's just arrange and bake. When it's done the juices collect at the bottom and it makes for a delicious broth to top everything with. I only had half an onion on hand to action as the base but that didn't make it any less flavorful. I think I'll be making this again, especially with squash and tomato prices being so friendly in the summer!
Next I poked around our cookbooks. I've been enjoying The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook lately and decided it was time to try something new from there. (Also, I highly recommend her blog The Smitten Kitchen)
I've never tried my hand at risotto before. This initial experience was... alright. I didn't get the right kind of rice, so it didn't technically ever turn into risotto... but! I felt much more able to make risotto in the future thanks to just going through all the motions. So, prepare yourself for an improved risotto post to come!
I also did not bother to blister the skins of the peppers which can really help with the bitterness. I imagined little fireballs of poblano peppers if I attempted to blister them with the broiler (v.s. a gas stove top).
Despite not actually being a risotto, this recipe turned out pretty delicious and I look forward to doing it justice in the future.
Also, I bought some new spices, so I've been testing those out. For another Smitten Kitchen recipe, aleppo peppers were listed so I've been throwing them into a bunch of go to meals, like curried cauliflower. Curry makes everything more interesting. If I have no idea what I want to do with a vegetable you can bet it's going to be bombed with curry and peppers.
I'll be poking around to see what else catches my eye to try this summer. We're almost out of strawberry jam again so that needs to be put on the to do list. I've been stalling because you may or may not have heard on the news, it's hot as Hades here. And someone needs to come visit us. Preferably someone who likes cherries more than Ed does so I can make them mini cherry freakin' cobblers. And plums have been delicious lately too... so maybe I'll try my hand at this interesting recipe for Plum and Earl Grey tea ice cream! Fingers crossed I keep on keepin' on with the new things.
What I see when I cook:
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| This is probably Mom and Ken, although Carolyne and Uncle Tom are frequent visitors to my face time screen! |
What I see after I cook:
My favorite sight :)
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