Bad Blogger Lady

Well, I failed the NaBloWriMo challenge. I was doing SOOO good! But I have been bringing hours worth of paperwork home at night, and have not been feeling well on top of that. I have not really cooked anything in a long time, just quick easy things, if I cook anything at all. I had a doctor's appointment today, and some tests over the next two days to see what is going on. Hopefully we can get it all figured out, I really miss cooking.

I did cook tonight, just some quick steamed fish. It was delicious, but I was almost too tired to even do that! I cheated a bit here and used a bottled sauce, so this is more of a "how-to" than a real recipe.

Asian Steamed Fish

2 fillets white fish (I used catfish, use what you have on hand)

1 cup of your favorite stir fry sauce (I used General Tso's)

Red pepper flakes

Sesame Seeds

Soy Sauce

Heat 2 Tbsp oil over Medium high heat. In a separate dish, coat fish in sauce. Sprinkle red pepper flakes and sesame seeds on both sides. When oil is hot, place fish in pan and cover. Cook for approx. 5 minutes, or until flesh flakes with a fork. Serve over rice.

quick drink recipe

Ok. here's the deal. when I post a drink recipe, you can probably guess I've been drinking it. therefore, this post will be short, to the point. and I can't guarantee there won't be typos.

Guilicoffee

Me!

2 Shots Dr. McGillicuddy's Peppermint Schnapps, kept in the freezer at least overnight (mine is stored in there)

1 shot Starbucks Coffee Liquer

Stir ingredients together in a martini glass (or in my case, a margarita glass because it's that or a wine glass).

Sorry about the short post but I've been working the busiest Saturday we've had in, well, I really don't know because I don't work during the day on Saturdays anymore. But basically this introvert has been on the phone all day. And this drink is REALLY good. Yum! Go enjoy!

Cheesy Sausage Ragu

I gotta tell you, I've missed my kitchen this week. As tired as I've been, I've been uber frustrated with the lack of cooking I have been doing. But, I've brought so much paperwork home with me every night that I just have not been able to spend time in the kitchen. I did work an extra hour off the clock tonight, but I didn't bring work home with me. Instead, I came home and went straight upstairs. I didn't use a recipe for this. It was born out of the ingredients of my fridge, things I needed to get rid of.

Cheesy Sausage Ragu

From me!

1/2 lb of your favorite pasta (I used Rigatoni but I think something smaller would work better)

1/2 roll sausage (I used hot Italian)

1 cup Marinara sauce

Garlic powder

Dried Basil

Dried Oregano

Dried Thyme

Dried Rosemary (Dear spice company, can you for consistency's sake, use the same shaker cap on your rosemary as you do on all other herbs/spices? That way when I open the cap I don't pour half the bottle into my sauce. Kthx)

Salt and Pepper

Worcestershire sauce (what, did you actually expect me to make a recipe without it??)

2 oz fresh mozzerella, chopped

1/4 cup mascarpone

Parmesan

Boil water. Cook pasta per package directions.

While pasta is cooking, brown sausage in medium skillet. Drain grease. Add marinara sauce to meat. Add spices and herbs to your taste. Be careful with the rosemary. It's tricky! Let this simmer until pasta is almost done. Just before you drain pasta, add cheese to sauce. Drain pasta. Mix pasta into sauce. Serve with grated Parmesan on top.

Note--You can change the cheeses in this. I happen to have fresh Mozzerella and mascarpone from another recipe. You could easily use shredded packaged mozzerella and cream cheese. You just want something melty/stringy and something smooth and creamy. I'm all about using what you have on hand. Same with the herbs--use what you've got.

Pure Fall Heaven

Back when I made this, I had bought 2 squash, thinking that J. would love acorn squash, and I'd make it again. He didn't. Thus, I've had an extra squash sitting in my basket just waiting on me to do something with it. So, for lunch on Sunday, I decided to crack that baby open. Now, that is no easy task. Make sure you have a high quality knife and anchor your cutting board. You might even pierce the squash and stick it in the microwave for a few minutes to start the cooking process before slicing it open. I haven't tried that, I don't know how that would work. It should soften the skin a bit, to make it easier to cut open. However you slice it, be VERY CAREFUL. But, if you are hankering for something sweet and sugary, try this. Squash has sooooooo many vitamins. I made mine with sugar and butter, but you could easily do this with honey and your favorite low cal spread to lighten it up. 1 half was enough to feed me, I put the other half in a baggie in the fridge for another day.

Microwave Squash

Slice squash in half, scoop out guts. Place cut side down in microwave safe dish (I used my CorningWare) and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Cook on high for 8 minutes, until flesh is soft. Very carefully remove plastic wrap. Just as carefully, remove flesh from skin. Mix in butter, brown sugar, dried rosemary, salt. Mmmmmm...Pure fall heaven!

Green Pasta

Sorry about last night, guys. I know it was a skeeze of a post, but I was sooooooooo sick. CO2 poisoning is no fun! I am feeling MUCH better today though, the gas fumes have dissipated and the furnace parts are on order.

J. and I are going up to Huntington tonight for some festivities so I wanted to be sure to get this post up early.

Last night's recipe came from Artisan Sweets. It was fairly simple to put together, and full of Vitamin A, from the broccoli. However, I fattened it up quite a bit with butter and cream. This is one of those recipes that you don't measure, just throw it all in and taste. I would suggest using more milk than cream, otherwise it gets too thick for the blender (not that I found that out the hard way or anything). It's one of those recipes that you think...I am not really sure about this one. And even when we sat down to eat it, the green color was kind of off putting. But with pepper and Parmesan on top, this one is a keeper.

Broccoli Pasta

Adapted from Artisan Sweets

Steam broccoli over pot of boiling water. Remove from pot, throw in salt and your favorite pasta (I used bow tie). Saute broccoli in butter or oil and garlic, just until garlic is soft. Throw broccoli and garlic in a blender with butter, milk, and cream. Season with salt and pepper, maybe some other herbs, if you have any on hand (I had a little rosemary). Pulse until smooth. You may have to stir with a spoon, or add a little more milk to get it all to puree. Drain pasta, put back in pot, then pour sauce over. Add big handful or two of shredded mozzarella. Serve with lots of freshly ground pepper and Parmesan cheese on top!

We had breakfast for dinner tonight. It was delicious, but no recipes came out of it. Just a couple of eggs and some hashbrowns, nothing special. Just an easy, comforting meal after what was a very nervous day. I was not in the mood for cooking a big fancy meal. However, we can now breathe a big sigh of relief.

The problem--what to blog about tonight? Crap! So I went to the reserves for this one. It makes a great snack dip, something I like to keep in the fridge to dip celery and carrots in. It would also be good to take to a party as well, although you might want to make a double recipe if you are going to be entertaining.

Dill Dip

From A Recipe a Day

1/2 cup mayo

1/2 cup sour cream

1 handful dill

1 tsp seasoning salt

1/4 tsp onion salt

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp dried minced onion

1 Tbsp dried parsley

1/4 tsp hot sauce

Mix ingredients together and chill. Serve with cut veggies. Also makes a good sandwich or cracker spread.

Shrimp Flip!

I got this recipe from a Twitter friend--this was a favorite family recipe of his. His recipe originally called to flour the shrimp and fry it in 1/2 cup olive oil, which I'm sure would be marvelously delicious as well! As for me, I prefer my fried shrimp with cocktail sauce. If I'm going to have a wine sauce, I want my shrimp naked. That is the wonderful thing about cooking. You can ALWAYS change a recipe to how you like it.

I was so excited when I was cooking this recipe, because as I was cooking the shrimp I flipped it! You know what I mean, that fancy chef flip! I did it right on my first try, and I was so excited that I called J. up to the kitchen to watch. Of course as soon as he got to the kitchen, I threw shrimp across the room. Luckily we only lost 1 or 2. Sigh.

Note--next time you order a shrimp dinner and are complaining because it's taking so long--Don't. Instead remember that somewhere in the back of that Red Lobster someone is taking the poop pipe out of each teeny tiny little sea insect so that you can eat it. Mmm Delicious.

Note Squared--If you do make this at home, I recommend buying your shrimp already deveined. It is usually a few cents more expensive, but much less gross.

Herb's Shrimp in Wine Sauce

Adapted from KayDub

1/2 cup white wine

2 tsp tomato paste

4 Tbsp warm water

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Dash cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Butter

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 lb shrimp

1 green onion, chopped

2 tsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp chopped parsley

In a small sauce pan, whisk together tomato paste, water, salt, pepper, cayenne, and wine, in saucepan. Simmer for about 5 minutes to reduce.

Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until it starts to turn translucent. Add shrimp and saute until almost completely cooked thru. Add onion. Add sauce to shrimp. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute longer to finish cooking shrimp. Garnish with parsley and lemon juice. Serve warm with New Potatoes and Roasted Garlic (seriously this was goooooood).

This would also be really good served over linguine or with some thick, crusty bread to sop up the sauce.

Finally Friday!

Oh Friday nights. They are like a huge sigh of relief. Except usually, I come home and relax. Tonight...not so much. Why not? Well, I am entering a cheesecake contest tomorrow. A nearby winery is having their annual holiday festival, and a coworker and I are entering the contest. She is pretty famous for her cheesecakes, and has even shipped hers to California to be tested by a restaurateur! Me, it's just an experiment. I've never made a real cheesecake before and I thought it would be fun to try! I'll post that recipe tomorrow, once I can see how it turns out.

Because I was busy making the cheesecake, I didn't cook dinner. We ordered a pizza instead. Oh No! I have to post SOMETHING for NaBloWriMo! So I have for you tonight is one of my old standby recipes. It's one of those that I don't really have a set recipe for, or even know where it originally came for. I often will buy catfish or other whitefish on sale, and freeze each fillet individually in small baggies, then leave one out to thaw if I know I'm going to be alone for dinner. Just throw together a salad, or some SteamFresh veggies and you have a pretty good meal.

Pan-Fried Catfish

Butter

1 Fillet Catfish

Your favorite spice rub

Melt a pad of butter in a skillet over medium high heat. While butter is heating, rub spices into both sides of fish. Place fish in pan. Fry on both sides until meat is flaky, just a few minutes each. Put on plate and pour any extra butter over the top.

See, easy!!

Quick Well-Rounded Meal

Can I just say that I LOVE Cooking Light? I first discovered it while standing in line in the grocery store. I was just spreading my foodie wings, while at the same time struggling with the 20+ post engagement pounds. The photos in the magazine are gorgeous, and the recipes are perfect for a growing culinary mind. They focus on fresh ingredients, some that are familiar, but they also encourage you to branch out. This month's issue had a new section with full meal plans laid out in a certain time limit--great for a weeknight when I don't necessarily feel like spending hours cooking. (Ironically, I made this on a Sunday.)

I didn't do much to these recipes, I did add a marinade to the pork, as I think chops tend to run on the dry side. I also added the same spice mix to the potatoes.

Spice-Rubbed Pork Chops

Adapted from Cooking Light October 2009

Marinade:

New Day Meadery Semi-Dry Plum Mead

Worcestershire Sauce

Garlic Salt

Ground Coriander

Ground Cumin

Brown Sugar

Nutmeg

Lemon Juice

2 Boneless Pork chops

1/8 tsp garlic salt

1/4 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp brown sguar

1 1/2 tsp olive oil

Heat skillet over medium high heat. Rub spice mixture into pork. Add oil to pan, swirl to coat. Add pork to pan, spice side down. Cook 2 minutes or until browned. Turn pork over, and cook 4 minutes or until done.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Adapted from Cooking Light October 2009

Cut 2 large sweet potatoes into 1 inch cube. Combine potatoes with olive oil and more of the same spices used for the pork chops. Arrange in single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 500 degrees for 20 minutes until done, turning after 10 minutes.

Lemon Green Beans

Adapted from Cooking Light October 2009

Steam 8 oz green beans until crisp-tender. Toss with 1 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp grated lemon rind, adn 1/4 tsp salt.

Note--There's this new law about disclaimers that I have to start following--Cooking Light is not paying me for this post, this is my own opinion. I just really like their magazine and I'm a loyal subscriber. You'll see their recipes a lot on my blog but I'm in no way affiliated with them.

Chocolate Emergency!

Ladies, I know you have had THOSE days. You know the kind I'm talking about. When you feel like crap and you've had it up to HERE and dinner is just going to have to be chocolate or you will kill somebody.

The problem with THOSE days is that you rarely feel like cooking. Or at least I don't. I usually have a migraine and want to collapse in bed after my chocolate gorging. I have a secret that I thought I'd share with you all. Go make this on your next one of THOSE days. Seriously, pudding is like 50 cents a box. Yeah, it's not healthy for you but thats ok. Really. Who cares. I never said this blog was for healthy cooking! :)

Haley's Secret Emergency Chocolate Mousse

Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix

Heavy Whipping Cream

Pour a little of the mix in a bowl, and then with a fork, beat the cream into the mix. Then slowly add more mix, while continuing to whip the cream, until the mousse is thick and full.

You can make as much or as little as you like. I just put the rest of the package in a ziplock bag and keep it in my pantry for the next time I have a chocolate emergency. I always have heavy cream around. This is soooooooo much better than regular instant pudding. The mouth feel on this is fantastic. You could serve it at parties too, no one would know it wasn't something you spent HOURS making.