What's for dinner tonight? Chicken Caesar Burgers with Parmigiano Taters
Goodbye bagged, pre-made Caesar salads that cost way more than they're worth! Hello, tasty Caesar burgers! Tonight, I made chicken caesar burgers with fancy parmigiano "french fries." Everything came out great with relatively no mistakes! Even the dipping sauce for the taters was awesome. I learned a new trick tonight too...if you don't want your burgers to pooch in the middle when you cook them, use your thumbs to make a dip in the middle of the burger and they will come out perfect! It worked!!! Another great RR tip! All these years I've been grilling burgers, they always come out to poofy in the middle and sometimes end up too rare in the center and burnt on the outside. By compressing them in the middle like a bowl, the burgers cooked evenly and were a perfect shape!
Prav and I had fun eating this meal. I think he loves any food that comes with a dipping sauce! I had to work today, so I prepared the burgers last night while cooking dinner. All I had to do tonight was pop the burgers in the pan and cook the taters. I'm really learning so much from this challenge! I can't believe how much dinner time has changed for Prav and me. I'm even setting the table in a "fancier" way these days. I can't wait until I can buy some of the new everyday dishes I registered for. I just love that Prav is looking forward to coming home for dinner now! We spent the evening talking about our wedding and how cute our parents are. My heart feel so full (my tummy does too). That reminds me, I've lost 4lbs! Could it be the food I'm cooking combined with working on my feet for 13 hours 3 days a week? Hmmm...all I know is the pounds are gone and they can stay gone! :)
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
8/30/09...Take out or make your own take out? Citrus Soy Pork Stir-Fry with Noodles
What's for dinner tonight? Citrus Soy Pork Stir-Fry with Noodles
Hooray!!!...I found a way to cook pork without Shake-N-Bake!!! That's right, I cooked pork a new way! When Rachael made this recipe on her show the audience voted for chicken; however, I made it with pork. I'm shaking things up around here!
This was sooooo easy to make and it was really, really good! Fresh ginger, garlic, and soy...what could be bad? Yummy. This meal proves that I am learning something in the kitchen!
I'm exhausted...day 2 of 3 at work.
Hooray!!!...I found a way to cook pork without Shake-N-Bake!!! That's right, I cooked pork a new way! When Rachael made this recipe on her show the audience voted for chicken; however, I made it with pork. I'm shaking things up around here!
This was sooooo easy to make and it was really, really good! Fresh ginger, garlic, and soy...what could be bad? Yummy. This meal proves that I am learning something in the kitchen!
I'm exhausted...day 2 of 3 at work.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
8/29/09...people are noticing! Flat Iron Steak with Bleu Chz Butter, Tomato & Onion Salad with Balsamic Vinegarette & leftover Cordon Bleu Potatoes
What's for dinner tonight? Flat Iron Steak with Bleu Cheese Butter, Tomato & Onion Salad with Balsamic Vinegarette and leftover Cordon Bleu Potatoes
I had to work today...the first real work day of my 365 day challenge. I didn't know how I'd be able to do this after such long days at the hospital. I wake up at 4:45AM on work days. I'm out the door by 6AM, at the hospital by 6:35AM, and work until 8PM. I get home around 8:30PM (if all goes well). I helped myself out a bit last night by pre-making the bleu cheese butter and putting it in the fridge overnight. I also marinated the steak in Montreal Seasoning overnight. All I had to do when I got home was broil the steak, add the butter and reheat the potatoes. As for the tomato and onion salad...I had the world's greatest sioux chef! Prav cut up the onion and tomato for me. We'll call this a, "bless his heart moment." He tried. The tomatoes were cut a little thin and uneven, but at least he was trying to help. The onion was a bit too thick, but I was so grateful for his help that I didn't say a word.
Tonight, we had a breakthrough...Prav said this was his favorite meal so far! He absolutely LOVED it! I once made him a similar meal with steak and bleu cheese, but this blew that meal out of the water! This was truly a culinary masterpiece and it was fairly simple. I was exhausted doing it, but it was so worth it to see Prav's reaction. Dinner is really something we're both starting to look forward to!
I have to work again tomorrow and Monday. This is going to be tougher than I thought.
I had to work today...the first real work day of my 365 day challenge. I didn't know how I'd be able to do this after such long days at the hospital. I wake up at 4:45AM on work days. I'm out the door by 6AM, at the hospital by 6:35AM, and work until 8PM. I get home around 8:30PM (if all goes well). I helped myself out a bit last night by pre-making the bleu cheese butter and putting it in the fridge overnight. I also marinated the steak in Montreal Seasoning overnight. All I had to do when I got home was broil the steak, add the butter and reheat the potatoes. As for the tomato and onion salad...I had the world's greatest sioux chef! Prav cut up the onion and tomato for me. We'll call this a, "bless his heart moment." He tried. The tomatoes were cut a little thin and uneven, but at least he was trying to help. The onion was a bit too thick, but I was so grateful for his help that I didn't say a word.
Tonight, we had a breakthrough...Prav said this was his favorite meal so far! He absolutely LOVED it! I once made him a similar meal with steak and bleu cheese, but this blew that meal out of the water! This was truly a culinary masterpiece and it was fairly simple. I was exhausted doing it, but it was so worth it to see Prav's reaction. Dinner is really something we're both starting to look forward to!
I have to work again tomorrow and Monday. This is going to be tougher than I thought.
Friday, August 28, 2009
8/28/09 Gruyere what?
What's for dinner tonight? Oven-Glazed Apple Lemon Chicken with Cordon Bleu Potatoes and Fresh Asparagus
So, tonight I am attempted to roast a chicken in the oven with a glaze and create au gratin style French potatoes! Well, let me tell you this was an ambitious undertaking for this sub-amateur cook!
First, I had no clue what Gruyere cheese was! I was pronouncing it "Groo-yer." Well, I called my mom to ask her what kind of cheese this is and she corrected me by saying, "Groo-yaire." Ok, so I was pronouncing it like a redneck, but whatever. I managed to find the cheese in the grocery gourmet cheese section. I usually just stick to the cheap cheese section near the yogurt and milk, but I spent a little more cash this time because the potatoes looked so good on TV.
I have to admit, I do not own a roasting pan that is appropriate for glazing chicken. I have been calling my broiling pan a roasting pan for years without realizing I was wrong until tonight. Plus, the only reason I even have a broiling pan is because it comes with the oven when you buy it. Hee hee... So, you guessed it, I have now registered for a roasting pan. A big one.
This recipe called for both grated cheese and grated garlic, but not grated fingers, which is what I ended up with. I own a cheese grater! I didn't know I owned one, but I do! It must've been Prav's from before we moved in together because I have never used a grater before that I can recall. So, yay...one more thing I didn't think I had to register for. Wrong! This grater sucks. Yes, sucks. It doesn't have a nice handle like Rachael's does. It has to be held with 2 hands to stabilize it...so, where do I find the 3rd hand to grate the cheese with? Ugh...a nightmare. The grater slipped out of my hand and I ended up grating my knuckles and finger. Thank goodness there is a nurse in the house with plenty of bandage supplies leftover from forgetting to check my pockets before leaving work. LOL I did, however, have to throw away the garlic I was grating and start over. No one likes the taste of blood in their garlic...not even vampires because they don;t like garlic!
Once I had the grating under control, the rest of the preparation was rather simple. Chopping potatoes, breaking up deli meat, adding spices, mixing glaze, etc. I even had fresh apple cider to use for the glaze! Hooray...it's almost Fall, my favorite season!!!
This meal was one of my favorites so far. The potatoes were...heavenly!!! Cream, butter, and cheese...oh my! What could be bad about that? Mmmmm...sooooo good! The chicken was excellent. I really liked the glaze and it looks so pretty on the plate with a nice zesty lemon slice on top. Loved it! This one is going in the winner for dinner book!
So, tonight I am attempted to roast a chicken in the oven with a glaze and create au gratin style French potatoes! Well, let me tell you this was an ambitious undertaking for this sub-amateur cook!
First, I had no clue what Gruyere cheese was! I was pronouncing it "Groo-yer." Well, I called my mom to ask her what kind of cheese this is and she corrected me by saying, "Groo-yaire." Ok, so I was pronouncing it like a redneck, but whatever. I managed to find the cheese in the grocery gourmet cheese section. I usually just stick to the cheap cheese section near the yogurt and milk, but I spent a little more cash this time because the potatoes looked so good on TV.
I have to admit, I do not own a roasting pan that is appropriate for glazing chicken. I have been calling my broiling pan a roasting pan for years without realizing I was wrong until tonight. Plus, the only reason I even have a broiling pan is because it comes with the oven when you buy it. Hee hee... So, you guessed it, I have now registered for a roasting pan. A big one.
This recipe called for both grated cheese and grated garlic, but not grated fingers, which is what I ended up with. I own a cheese grater! I didn't know I owned one, but I do! It must've been Prav's from before we moved in together because I have never used a grater before that I can recall. So, yay...one more thing I didn't think I had to register for. Wrong! This grater sucks. Yes, sucks. It doesn't have a nice handle like Rachael's does. It has to be held with 2 hands to stabilize it...so, where do I find the 3rd hand to grate the cheese with? Ugh...a nightmare. The grater slipped out of my hand and I ended up grating my knuckles and finger. Thank goodness there is a nurse in the house with plenty of bandage supplies leftover from forgetting to check my pockets before leaving work. LOL I did, however, have to throw away the garlic I was grating and start over. No one likes the taste of blood in their garlic...not even vampires because they don;t like garlic!
Once I had the grating under control, the rest of the preparation was rather simple. Chopping potatoes, breaking up deli meat, adding spices, mixing glaze, etc. I even had fresh apple cider to use for the glaze! Hooray...it's almost Fall, my favorite season!!!
This meal was one of my favorites so far. The potatoes were...heavenly!!! Cream, butter, and cheese...oh my! What could be bad about that? Mmmmm...sooooo good! The chicken was excellent. I really liked the glaze and it looks so pretty on the plate with a nice zesty lemon slice on top. Loved it! This one is going in the winner for dinner book!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
8/27/09 Rollover meal... Sweet & Spicy Sesame Noodles with Shredded Jerk Chicken
What's for dinner tonight? Sweet & Spicy Sesame Noodles with Shredded Jerk Chicken
Well, there is a trend starting here. I started posting my food pics on Facebook and now I have lots of friends inviting themselves over for dinner, lol! One of my favorite friends, Sarah Dagenhart, is coming over for dinner tonight. Sarah has become a regular at my dinner table over the past year. I adore her! I love inviting her over for dinner because we always have such great conversations and Prav and I really enjoy her company. However, Sarah is a VERY picky eater...and I mean VERY! She doesn't eat most vegetables. A salad to her is lettuce and plain ranch dressing topped with croutons. Nothing else. She doesn't like spices, spicy, or ethnic foods.
I made a rollover meal tonight using the leftover jerk chicken from last night's dinner. I used Asian noodles as the base. I was supposed to use half the leftover chicken and veggies, but there wasn't enough to just use half for the three of us. I think, if we hadn't had dinner guests 2 nights in a row, I could've pulled off one more meal, but I would rather have the company than the leftovers anyway! So, I had to use all of the leftovers. I shredded the chicken and added the veggies to the noodles. Then, I ran into a little dilemma. I didn't have any smooth peanut butter! Yikes! This Thai-inspired recipe calls for smooth peanut butter. I had to borrow some chunky peanut butter from our house guest, Carla.
As it turns out, the chunky/crunchy peanut butter was really good and the added crunch of the peanuts was awesome! Sarah and I devoured our noodles! Prav came home shortly after and I heated up a bowl for him adding a little extra hot sauce since Sarah didn't allow me to add any to the ours. It was definitely better spicy! We have enough for lunches tomorrow and, hopefully, the spices will mix together overnight and be even better tomorrow!
On another note, I sent some of my food pics to the segment coordinator at the RR Show along with my first blog entry.
Well, there is a trend starting here. I started posting my food pics on Facebook and now I have lots of friends inviting themselves over for dinner, lol! One of my favorite friends, Sarah Dagenhart, is coming over for dinner tonight. Sarah has become a regular at my dinner table over the past year. I adore her! I love inviting her over for dinner because we always have such great conversations and Prav and I really enjoy her company. However, Sarah is a VERY picky eater...and I mean VERY! She doesn't eat most vegetables. A salad to her is lettuce and plain ranch dressing topped with croutons. Nothing else. She doesn't like spices, spicy, or ethnic foods.
I made a rollover meal tonight using the leftover jerk chicken from last night's dinner. I used Asian noodles as the base. I was supposed to use half the leftover chicken and veggies, but there wasn't enough to just use half for the three of us. I think, if we hadn't had dinner guests 2 nights in a row, I could've pulled off one more meal, but I would rather have the company than the leftovers anyway! So, I had to use all of the leftovers. I shredded the chicken and added the veggies to the noodles. Then, I ran into a little dilemma. I didn't have any smooth peanut butter! Yikes! This Thai-inspired recipe calls for smooth peanut butter. I had to borrow some chunky peanut butter from our house guest, Carla.
As it turns out, the chunky/crunchy peanut butter was really good and the added crunch of the peanuts was awesome! Sarah and I devoured our noodles! Prav came home shortly after and I heated up a bowl for him adding a little extra hot sauce since Sarah didn't allow me to add any to the ours. It was definitely better spicy! We have enough for lunches tomorrow and, hopefully, the spices will mix together overnight and be even better tomorrow!
On another note, I sent some of my food pics to the segment coordinator at the RR Show along with my first blog entry.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
8/26/09 Friends and Jerks...LOL Jerk Chicken with Roasted Veggies & Pineapple
What's for dinner tonight? Jerk Chicken with Roasted Vegetables and Pineapple
Tonight, I invited my friend Lydia over for dinner. She and I work together on 8100 at Duke and started on the same day. She's very sweet. I told her all about my 365 day challenge and she couldn't wait to come over to sample the cooking! Prav met Lydia for the first time tonight. They hit it off right away (everybody loves Prav). Lydia is awesome...she bought me and Prav our own Rachael Ray cookbooks! Comfort food recipes for me and guy food recipes for Prav! So nice of her! I chose to make jerk chicken because that is one of the meals being served at mine and Prav's wedding. We had a chance to sample it 2 years ago and we both loved it! Also, Prav absolutely loves pineapple.
Well, I learned a very interesting lesson while cooking tonight. Apparently, a blender and a food processor are very different things. I have a blender. Mostly, I use my blender for making my famous margaritas. Really there is nothing "famous" about them except that I make them pretty strong and add a dash of orange juice to the mix to hide the extra tequila flavor. Anyway, my blender has never really been used for more than making margaritas and milkshakes. Prav insisted on buying the Magic Bullet last year because he promised that he would use it for everything. He said he'd be making salsa and omelets for me, etc. So, I surprised him and bought the Magic Bullet for him as a gift! Well, R.I.P dear Magic Bullet...here lies the Magic Bullet, covered in dust in the back of my pantry, useless. Tonight, however, I pulled out the ole Magic Bullet hoping I could use it instead of a food processor, which I do not own. I was wrong. Plain and simple, you cannot substitute a food processor for a Magic Bullet, Slap Chop, or a blender. I have learned my lesson.
I am a mess. I sincerely thought that I could substitute another kitchen gadget for a food processor...nope. So, I have added a very expensive food processor to my wedding registry. Please, please someone buy me this item!!! I only hope it comes with VERY clear instructions on how to use it. I registered for the biggest, most expensive one I could find. I figured the more expensive ones must be better...maybe they are easier to use, maybe they do the work for you? Haha... Ugh...anyway, I apparently really need one.
For tonight, I used the blender...what a mess! It took me 30 minutes just to clean the goop out of the blades! And, my jerk sauce for the chicken doesn't look anything like Rachael's. I must say this, the chicken tasted amazing despite not being exactly like Rachael's and sans food processor. I think I can earn creativity points for tonight's mishappenings.
The meal was excellent!!! I cheated with the fresh pineapple. Rachael definitely used fresh ones, but I chose canned. Rach always says, "you control the quality of ingredients." Yep, I sure did...and I went cheap, easy and syrupy! I didn't have the strength to cut open a pineapple and core it. I've never done it before and I didn't want to end up in the ER tonight due to knife issues. FYI, Prav ended up in the ER last year attempting to cut open a watermelon. We affectionately call this the "Ninja incident" because Prav refuses to admit that he cut himself. So, he blames it on ninjas. I avoided all ER's tonight by purchasing canned pineapple. Done.
I served the meal with black bean soup (also from the can...come on, do you really think I made it from scratch...lol) and brown rice (boil in a bag, of course) in order to try to stretch out the leftovers because this can be rolled over into another meal tomorrow night. I'm going to try to do the rollover meals for as long as I have leftovers. I made 5 chicken breasts. Hopefully, that will be enough to roll it into a few more meals!
Lydia and Prav loved the meal! This one is definitely a keeper for the future. We have a winner for dinner!
Tonight, I invited my friend Lydia over for dinner. She and I work together on 8100 at Duke and started on the same day. She's very sweet. I told her all about my 365 day challenge and she couldn't wait to come over to sample the cooking! Prav met Lydia for the first time tonight. They hit it off right away (everybody loves Prav). Lydia is awesome...she bought me and Prav our own Rachael Ray cookbooks! Comfort food recipes for me and guy food recipes for Prav! So nice of her! I chose to make jerk chicken because that is one of the meals being served at mine and Prav's wedding. We had a chance to sample it 2 years ago and we both loved it! Also, Prav absolutely loves pineapple.
Well, I learned a very interesting lesson while cooking tonight. Apparently, a blender and a food processor are very different things. I have a blender. Mostly, I use my blender for making my famous margaritas. Really there is nothing "famous" about them except that I make them pretty strong and add a dash of orange juice to the mix to hide the extra tequila flavor. Anyway, my blender has never really been used for more than making margaritas and milkshakes. Prav insisted on buying the Magic Bullet last year because he promised that he would use it for everything. He said he'd be making salsa and omelets for me, etc. So, I surprised him and bought the Magic Bullet for him as a gift! Well, R.I.P dear Magic Bullet...here lies the Magic Bullet, covered in dust in the back of my pantry, useless. Tonight, however, I pulled out the ole Magic Bullet hoping I could use it instead of a food processor, which I do not own. I was wrong. Plain and simple, you cannot substitute a food processor for a Magic Bullet, Slap Chop, or a blender. I have learned my lesson.
I am a mess. I sincerely thought that I could substitute another kitchen gadget for a food processor...nope. So, I have added a very expensive food processor to my wedding registry. Please, please someone buy me this item!!! I only hope it comes with VERY clear instructions on how to use it. I registered for the biggest, most expensive one I could find. I figured the more expensive ones must be better...maybe they are easier to use, maybe they do the work for you? Haha... Ugh...anyway, I apparently really need one.
For tonight, I used the blender...what a mess! It took me 30 minutes just to clean the goop out of the blades! And, my jerk sauce for the chicken doesn't look anything like Rachael's. I must say this, the chicken tasted amazing despite not being exactly like Rachael's and sans food processor. I think I can earn creativity points for tonight's mishappenings.
The meal was excellent!!! I cheated with the fresh pineapple. Rachael definitely used fresh ones, but I chose canned. Rach always says, "you control the quality of ingredients." Yep, I sure did...and I went cheap, easy and syrupy! I didn't have the strength to cut open a pineapple and core it. I've never done it before and I didn't want to end up in the ER tonight due to knife issues. FYI, Prav ended up in the ER last year attempting to cut open a watermelon. We affectionately call this the "Ninja incident" because Prav refuses to admit that he cut himself. So, he blames it on ninjas. I avoided all ER's tonight by purchasing canned pineapple. Done.
I served the meal with black bean soup (also from the can...come on, do you really think I made it from scratch...lol) and brown rice (boil in a bag, of course) in order to try to stretch out the leftovers because this can be rolled over into another meal tomorrow night. I'm going to try to do the rollover meals for as long as I have leftovers. I made 5 chicken breasts. Hopefully, that will be enough to roll it into a few more meals!
Lydia and Prav loved the meal! This one is definitely a keeper for the future. We have a winner for dinner!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
8/25/09 YUMM-O! Italian Style Sandwiches
What's for dinner tonight? Rach's Italian Style Sandwiches
I'm keeping it real simple today because I am still sooooo tired from my very long work week. Italian-style sandwiches (or "sammies" as I like to call them). I had to cut this recipe down because it calls for a 1/4 of each deli meat and makes 6 samdwiches. We ended up with 3 sandwiches. 2 for dinner and one for Prav's lunch tomorrow. I bought the Ciabatta bread from my local grocery store since they have a great selection of "gourmet" bread. Rachael suggested using store-bought pesto and I am all for doing less work tonight! Hooray, for store-bought! I piled on the salami, provolone (Prav's favorite), turkey (my favorite), and mortadella (which surprisingly enough my store had plenty of, yay). I layered the sammies with lettuce and tomato and added a very tiny bit of spicy deli mustard and mayo (I can't eat a sandwich without mayo...not sure why). YUMM-O and simple!
On another note, Prav and I can't find our good camera. I had to use our old camera to photograph last night's meal. Tonight, the camera ran out of batteries and I'm stuck without a picture for my blog. :( Prav was so hungry when he came home tonight...I didn't dare tell him that he couldn't eat until I take a picture of the food, lol. I'll just have to make these babies again and take a picture some other time.
PS- I just found out that today is Rachael Ray's birthday!!! How fitting...I started my challenge yesterday and will finish next year the day before Rachael's birthday. Funny!
I'm keeping it real simple today because I am still sooooo tired from my very long work week. Italian-style sandwiches (or "sammies" as I like to call them). I had to cut this recipe down because it calls for a 1/4 of each deli meat and makes 6 samdwiches. We ended up with 3 sandwiches. 2 for dinner and one for Prav's lunch tomorrow. I bought the Ciabatta bread from my local grocery store since they have a great selection of "gourmet" bread. Rachael suggested using store-bought pesto and I am all for doing less work tonight! Hooray, for store-bought! I piled on the salami, provolone (Prav's favorite), turkey (my favorite), and mortadella (which surprisingly enough my store had plenty of, yay). I layered the sammies with lettuce and tomato and added a very tiny bit of spicy deli mustard and mayo (I can't eat a sandwich without mayo...not sure why). YUMM-O and simple!
On another note, Prav and I can't find our good camera. I had to use our old camera to photograph last night's meal. Tonight, the camera ran out of batteries and I'm stuck without a picture for my blog. :( Prav was so hungry when he came home tonight...I didn't dare tell him that he couldn't eat until I take a picture of the food, lol. I'll just have to make these babies again and take a picture some other time.
PS- I just found out that today is Rachael Ray's birthday!!! How fitting...I started my challenge yesterday and will finish next year the day before Rachael's birthday. Funny!
Monday, August 24, 2009
8/24/09...Orange Cashew Stir Fry Chicken
What's for dinner tonight? Orange Cashew Stir Fry Chicken
So, tonight I made Rachael Ray's Orange Cashew Stir Fry Chicken. The recipe originally aired on March 8, 2007. I figured this recipe looked easy enough for a beginner to cook and was something Prav wouldn't be afraid to eat. Prav is a pickier eater than I am. He hates carrots unless they are cooked into mush (aka very soft). He doesn't like sweet potato, orange juice (he will eat things that have a hint of orange flavor), radishes, fish (except sushi or tilapia), etc.
I didn't have any trouble making this meal. In fact, it was relatively easy to do! It tasted great too! I did have to hunt a bit to find Hoisin sauce at my local grocery store. Also, I substituted jasmine rice for boil-in-the bag white rice. I know I have a rice cooker somewhere in my pantry, but I've never used it before and didn't want to mess this up. It still takes me forever to chop vegetables and meat and herbs. I really wish I knew the technique for properly chopping, dicing, cutting, etc. Also, I am scared to use my big knives, which are probably better than using my steak knife, which is what I almost always use to do everything in the kitchen. These 30 minute meals are not taking me 30 minutes yet...more like 75 minutes. I hope I can get better at this! Also, I am making a bigger mess than I think I should be, lol. Prav has been reluctantly helping me with the dishes, but I know he hates it. Ok, so I have lots more to improve on, but the meal was yummy and it tasted just like take-out! Rach calls it "make your own take out." So, I call it "make out"...haha. It was so awesome to sit around the dinner table with Prav. I've decided not to tell him what's for dinner until I put his plate in front of him or until he comes home at night and asks, "what's for dinner tonight?" We loved the meal and I'm looking forward to tomorrow night's challenge!
PS- When I started cleaning up after dinner, I noticed that I completely forgot to put in the water chestnuts I had bought! Doh! Ugh...
So, tonight I made Rachael Ray's Orange Cashew Stir Fry Chicken. The recipe originally aired on March 8, 2007. I figured this recipe looked easy enough for a beginner to cook and was something Prav wouldn't be afraid to eat. Prav is a pickier eater than I am. He hates carrots unless they are cooked into mush (aka very soft). He doesn't like sweet potato, orange juice (he will eat things that have a hint of orange flavor), radishes, fish (except sushi or tilapia), etc.
I didn't have any trouble making this meal. In fact, it was relatively easy to do! It tasted great too! I did have to hunt a bit to find Hoisin sauce at my local grocery store. Also, I substituted jasmine rice for boil-in-the bag white rice. I know I have a rice cooker somewhere in my pantry, but I've never used it before and didn't want to mess this up. It still takes me forever to chop vegetables and meat and herbs. I really wish I knew the technique for properly chopping, dicing, cutting, etc. Also, I am scared to use my big knives, which are probably better than using my steak knife, which is what I almost always use to do everything in the kitchen. These 30 minute meals are not taking me 30 minutes yet...more like 75 minutes. I hope I can get better at this! Also, I am making a bigger mess than I think I should be, lol. Prav has been reluctantly helping me with the dishes, but I know he hates it. Ok, so I have lots more to improve on, but the meal was yummy and it tasted just like take-out! Rach calls it "make your own take out." So, I call it "make out"...haha. It was so awesome to sit around the dinner table with Prav. I've decided not to tell him what's for dinner until I put his plate in front of him or until he comes home at night and asks, "what's for dinner tonight?" We loved the meal and I'm looking forward to tomorrow night's challenge!
PS- When I started cleaning up after dinner, I noticed that I completely forgot to put in the water chestnuts I had bought! Doh! Ugh...
Monday, 8/24/09...Contacting the show & accountability!
HUGE NEWS...
First, let me just start by saying, I have never written a blog before. I'm not really sure if anyone will ever be interested in reading my blog, but I have decided to create one if, for no other reason, than to do something for myself and to remain accountable to my challenge. At the end of this challenge, I will have something to look back on and see what I have accomplished in a year. I came from more of the "journal generation"...I always had some sort of journal tucked under my bed filled with my thoughts, etc. No one ever read it except me (and my sneaky mother, I'm convinced, lol). But, here I am putting my thoughts out there in cyberspace for all the world (or no one...haha) to read.
Let me tell you what happened today...
So, I was on the Rachael Ray Show website. No, not the Food Network one, the Emmy-award winning daytime talk show on ABC. I was looking up tonight's recipe for my challenge and I found one that looked uber-yummy! However, the recipe said to, "cook the chicken to an internal temperature of 165 degrees." Problem...you cannot tell a sub-amateur cook to cook chicken to an internal temperature! That is waaaaay too non-specific! How in the world am I going to know if the internal temperature is right unless I constantly poke my chicken with a meat thermometer? What temperature do I set the oven to, how long should I cook it, etc??? Aaaah! So, I decided to write to the show to ask for recipe clarification.
I was on the RR Show website looking for a place to write in my question, but I couldn't find a "submit your question" section. So, I opted for looking under the show topics section; specifically the "Food" section. There were lots of topics you could write in about. I chose one entitled, "I cannot live without Rachael Ray's recipes"...or something like that. When you write to the show, you have to provide your name, address, phone number, etc. There's a section where you can free type to let the show know about you. So, I wrote about my 365 day challenge and elaborated on how I am such an awful cook and really want to learn to cook better. Well, guess what happened...the segment coordinator, Liliana, called me!!! I swear it must've been like 20 minutes after I hit "send" my phone rang! I can't even get doctors to return pages at work that fast for critically ill patients!!!
Liliana was so sweet! I spoke to her about my challenge and she asked me to send her some pictures of me and my fiance, Prav. So, of course, I hurried over to my laptop and emailed her immediately. Now, I guess I just have to wait and see if the producers would like to put me on the show. Wow...I never expected this! I never intended to even contact the show.
Actually, this is might just be the perfect motivation and accountability I need to make it through all 365 days! Even if I never end up being on the show or ever hearing back from them again, at least I know that I am doing something good for myself...something creative, ambitious, and innovative. I feel good about challenging myself. I've just reached my goal of becoming a nurse. A dream I had been striving to achieve since 2004. 5 long years and now I'm here! My work schedule has left me with enough time to try new things, take on new challenges and adventures, and learn something new. My job is so stressful and this is just the distraction I need to make my home life better for Prav and me. The dinner table is such an important place. Prav and I both grew up enjoying amazing family dinners. Prav's mom is a vegetarian Hindu. Every night, she would cook a vegetarian meal for herself, a diabetic-friendly meal for her husband, and yet another meal for her picky, meat-eating children. And, she would cook the meat dishes to perfection without so much as a taste for herself! I have no idea how she did it! She makes the most delicious meat meals without ever knowing how it tastes! Amazing. My mom is a fabulous cook too. Even though she was a single parent, working 50+ hours a week, she always managed to put a fantastic meal on the table every night. The dinner table was a lace of peace for us. We would talk about our day, our fears, our troubles, our joys. Mom was like therapy at the dinner table...lol. When my mom, my brother and I would eat dinner together, we were in our own world. Life was good and we knew we had each other when it got hard. Dinner was joyful and often the best part of my day, especially when times were tough. I want that for my marriage, for my future family, for Prav and me. I'm hoping that, wherever this journey ends up, that it leads me back to the dinner table of my childhood. Back to the place where the food was as good as the company. To a place of peace and tranquility after a hard day's work.
First, let me just start by saying, I have never written a blog before. I'm not really sure if anyone will ever be interested in reading my blog, but I have decided to create one if, for no other reason, than to do something for myself and to remain accountable to my challenge. At the end of this challenge, I will have something to look back on and see what I have accomplished in a year. I came from more of the "journal generation"...I always had some sort of journal tucked under my bed filled with my thoughts, etc. No one ever read it except me (and my sneaky mother, I'm convinced, lol). But, here I am putting my thoughts out there in cyberspace for all the world (or no one...haha) to read.
Let me tell you what happened today...
So, I was on the Rachael Ray Show website. No, not the Food Network one, the Emmy-award winning daytime talk show on ABC. I was looking up tonight's recipe for my challenge and I found one that looked uber-yummy! However, the recipe said to, "cook the chicken to an internal temperature of 165 degrees." Problem...you cannot tell a sub-amateur cook to cook chicken to an internal temperature! That is waaaaay too non-specific! How in the world am I going to know if the internal temperature is right unless I constantly poke my chicken with a meat thermometer? What temperature do I set the oven to, how long should I cook it, etc??? Aaaah! So, I decided to write to the show to ask for recipe clarification.
I was on the RR Show website looking for a place to write in my question, but I couldn't find a "submit your question" section. So, I opted for looking under the show topics section; specifically the "Food" section. There were lots of topics you could write in about. I chose one entitled, "I cannot live without Rachael Ray's recipes"...or something like that. When you write to the show, you have to provide your name, address, phone number, etc. There's a section where you can free type to let the show know about you. So, I wrote about my 365 day challenge and elaborated on how I am such an awful cook and really want to learn to cook better. Well, guess what happened...the segment coordinator, Liliana, called me!!! I swear it must've been like 20 minutes after I hit "send" my phone rang! I can't even get doctors to return pages at work that fast for critically ill patients!!!
Liliana was so sweet! I spoke to her about my challenge and she asked me to send her some pictures of me and my fiance, Prav. So, of course, I hurried over to my laptop and emailed her immediately. Now, I guess I just have to wait and see if the producers would like to put me on the show. Wow...I never expected this! I never intended to even contact the show.
Actually, this is might just be the perfect motivation and accountability I need to make it through all 365 days! Even if I never end up being on the show or ever hearing back from them again, at least I know that I am doing something good for myself...something creative, ambitious, and innovative. I feel good about challenging myself. I've just reached my goal of becoming a nurse. A dream I had been striving to achieve since 2004. 5 long years and now I'm here! My work schedule has left me with enough time to try new things, take on new challenges and adventures, and learn something new. My job is so stressful and this is just the distraction I need to make my home life better for Prav and me. The dinner table is such an important place. Prav and I both grew up enjoying amazing family dinners. Prav's mom is a vegetarian Hindu. Every night, she would cook a vegetarian meal for herself, a diabetic-friendly meal for her husband, and yet another meal for her picky, meat-eating children. And, she would cook the meat dishes to perfection without so much as a taste for herself! I have no idea how she did it! She makes the most delicious meat meals without ever knowing how it tastes! Amazing. My mom is a fabulous cook too. Even though she was a single parent, working 50+ hours a week, she always managed to put a fantastic meal on the table every night. The dinner table was a lace of peace for us. We would talk about our day, our fears, our troubles, our joys. Mom was like therapy at the dinner table...lol. When my mom, my brother and I would eat dinner together, we were in our own world. Life was good and we knew we had each other when it got hard. Dinner was joyful and often the best part of my day, especially when times were tough. I want that for my marriage, for my future family, for Prav and me. I'm hoping that, wherever this journey ends up, that it leads me back to the dinner table of my childhood. Back to the place where the food was as good as the company. To a place of peace and tranquility after a hard day's work.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Sunday, August 23 2009...Let the 365 Days of Rachael Ray Challenge begin!
So, I heated up my leftover Rachael Ray meal at work today for lunch. Everyone was asking what smelled so good…a rare thing in a hospital, LOL! When I showed everyone my fabulous dinner creation, they were shocked, to say the least, to hear that I had actually made this delicious dish! My friend and co-worker, Sheryl (aka big Sheryl, since I am lil Cheryl) gave me an idea. She said, “You should keep this up! Have you seen that movie ‘Julie & Julia’”? And the rest is history… I have challenged myself to learn to cook and become more like spunky, amazing Rachael Ray by cooking one of her meals everyday for a year! 365 days of Rachael Ray!!! My fiancé may kill me for taking on this ambitious feat, but here I go!!! Now, the real question is: what’s for dinner tonight???
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009...Inspired!
YUM-O! So, I just watched Rachael Ray’s TV show and, let me say; now I’m starving! Rach made a balsamic chicken dish with a stuffing that looked soooooo good! Prav LOVES stuffing too! I think he’ll be ecstatic that I’m going to serve him something other than microwaved Stove Top for once! Plus, she made a pear tart for dessert! Ok, now I’m on a mission…I’m going to attempt to make this dish.
First, I need to go shopping because I doubt I have most, if any, of the ingredients she used to make the meal. This should be interesting because I have no idea where to find leeks, how to cook them and, apparently, they require some special cleaning too. Uh oh. Also, I don’t think I’ve ever even eaten a chestnut let alone cooked one! I’m off the grocery store!
Ok, grocery shopping is not as easy as I thought it would be. Leeks are not kept in the same area as onions…I thought a leek was in the onion family? I guess they are the bad sheep of the family because they are not kept in the dry bins with the red, yellow, and white onions. They must be more of a scallion because I found them (with the help of the produce manager) in the cooler next to, of all things, the radishes. They’re much bigger than I thought they’d be too. I’m not quite sure how to use them yet. I’m glad I have Tivo and a TV in my kitchen because I think I’m going to have to replay today’s TV show while preparing dinner. Next, finding chestnuts…OMG, there are NO chestnuts in North Carolina, I swear!!! Rachael said I could use fresh ones or the jarred kind. So, since I am still a sub-amateur cook, I went for the jarred variety. However, there are NO jarred chestnuts in North Carolina either! I asked the store manager for help finding chestnuts and he laughed at me! Yes, laughed at me! He said, “Mam, chestnuts are seasonal and it isn’t Christmas time for another 4 months.” Ugh…as if I didn’t feel bad enough having to ask for help, but then to hear that I’m searching for an item that is only available around Christmas…pathetic. So, I had to improvise. I thought to myself, “What kind of a nut is similar to a chestnut?” Well, considering I’m a Jewish girl from South Florida, I’ve never tasted the loveliness of a chestnut roasted on an open fire. I’ve sung the Christmas carol before, but where in South Florida would I find an open fire in the 80 degree weather in December anyway…or a chestnut to roast on it? Ok, so my best guess was that this chestnut thing is probably a pretty soft nut since it is going into stuffing which tends to be kind of soft and mushy, right? Plus, Rachael said the chestnuts were buttery and smooth on the show. So, let’s see here…I need a nut that tastes good in a stuffing, is soft and buttery, and I can find in the middle of August. (By the way, I just discovered that the episode I am getting this recipe from originally aired in February when chestnuts ARE in season…lovely!) Alright, my best guess for a substitute chestnut is a macadamia nut. Lord, help me…I hope this is a decent choice. I also needed challah bread for the toasted bread bits that go into the stuffing. Thank goodness, an ingredient this Jewish girl actually knows what it is and how to use it! However, this will be my very first time ever toasting challah. Well, wouldn’t you know it, North Carolina, aka the buckle of the Bible belt, disguises their challah bread! Ok, maybe they don’t “hide” it per se, but the bakery clerk had no clue what I was looking for when I asked. Challah bread is pronounced with that guttural “ch” that sounds like you are hocking up a loogie where I’m from. I had to actually pronounce it “hallah” in order to get the bakery clerk to even think he might have heard of this product. But, he still had no clue. So, he got the bakery manager involved. He too had no clue what I was talking about. Funny, the one ingredient I know how to cook, what it is, etc and everyone is looking at me like I have 2 heads when I ask for it as if it doesn’t exist and I’m making some foreign food up in my head! Finally, a very nice customer, who just happens to be from New York, points out the beautiful bread labeled “braided egg bread” sitting on the shelf behind me near the pies and muffins. Whew! I’m not crazy…challah, aka braided egg bread, does exist! Lastly, I had to find puff pastry sheets for the pear tarts. I don’t exactly know what puff pastry sheets are, but I figured they must be near all the other pastry items; so, I started in the bakery. Well, there are no puff pastry sheets in the bakery and, being that I was so embarrassed by the chestnut and challah fiascos, I didn’t bother to ask the bakery manager for help. So, I checked the only other area I have ever bought pastry products from…the baking aisle. Nope, they aren’t there either. My last attempt was hoping that I could substitute Pillsbury crescent roll dough for this puff pastry stuff. Wrong!!! This is where I’ve gotten in trouble in the past with following recipes…I usually don’t know what half the ingredients are or where to find them and how to cook them, so I substitute other junk and end up with a mess and a large grocery bill! Ok, so I am standing in front of the sad little section with the Pillsbury crescent rolls and I must’ve looked lost and confused because this very nice woman, obviously a customer, asked if I needed help. Now, normally I would’ve just shaken my head, “no” since I was mortified at the thought of being laughed at again (ala the chestnut incident), but I decided to take her up on her offer to help since she looked just like Paula Dean! Maybe she would know if this was a good substitute or a nightmare waiting to happen. When I told her I needed puff pastry sheets she very politely informed me that I was in the wrong section. I guess I must’ve looked like a complete baking idiot because she personally walked me over to the frozen section and picked out the product I needed and put it in my basket for me. She was so nice, thank goodness. She even gave me a bit of advice and told me that Pepperidge Farm is the only brand to use for this type of recipe! Hooray for the kindness of strangers! My grocery bill was a bit higher than I’d hoped for because I had to buy some odd products that I don’t usually keep in my cupboard. Although, most people wouldn’t consider thyme and chicken stock an odd product, it’s foreign to my house!
The cooking…well, I survived. I set up my TV, next to my laptop and all the ingredients. It looks like I’m going to do international business rather than cook here. I carefully measured, mixed and chopped! I roasted my macadamia nuts and put them aside as Rachel instructed. The challah was toasted, the chicken was browned and the sauce was simmering! The leeks were another story…I didn’t know you had to soak leeks in order to clean them! Thank you, Rachael, for teaching me a very important step. Thank goodness for my mom, as well. She called me on the phone while I was running the very hot water to soak my leeks in…I was thinking, “well, I feel the cleanest after I take a hot shower, so the leeks should be the cleanest after a hot bath too, right?” Wrong again! Mom informed me that leeks need to be cleaned in an ice bath so that they open and you can get all the grit to fall to the bottom of the bowl. Rach said you have to chop them first and then clean them. So, at least I got that part right. I soaked them for a long time and wiggled them around in the bowl. Then, just for good measure, I soaked them again in another ice bath! My pear tarts didn’t come out quite right. I’m not sure where I went wrong, but the puff pastry never “puffed” and I couldn’t get the sugar/water mixture to brown. Hmm…I even tried a second and a third time to make the sugar feel like wet sand and then heat it until golden brown. It still didn’t work. I ended up with very sticky, hard, granulated sugar. How is that even possible??? It started as “wet sand” and when I heated it, it turned into a clear syrupy liquid and then spontaneously transformed back into a solid granulated substance again! That even defies the law of chemistry in my opinion! I probably ruined the 3 pots I used for my 3 attempts at this too! Ugh. So, finally, I grabbed the light brown sugar that’s been sitting in my pantry for probably 3 years (the last time my mother decided to cook something sweet in my kitchen in 2006) and used that instead. Voila! We have golden brown syrup…LOL! So, I cheated…sue me!. I only have a 12 cup muffin pan and Rachael only made 6 tarts. Again, thank goodness for friends. My good friend, Barbara, taught me a while back (after another kitchen nightmare) that I have to put water in the empty muffin cups otherwise something bad happens to the pan. Whew…a problem avoided!
Prav absolutely LOVED this meal! I can’t believe I made gravy from scratch! Who knew that flour, butter, and chicken stock (still not sure what stock is…looks like chicken broth) could make gravy! Oh my gravy!!! We were making yummy tummy noises and “ooo-ing and ah-ing” at how good this tasted!!! My macadamia nut substitution was a great success…whew! We devoured the meal and even had leftovers for Prav to take for lunch the next day. We both really enjoyed sitting down to a home cooked meal together. Maybe I should keep this up?
First, I need to go shopping because I doubt I have most, if any, of the ingredients she used to make the meal. This should be interesting because I have no idea where to find leeks, how to cook them and, apparently, they require some special cleaning too. Uh oh. Also, I don’t think I’ve ever even eaten a chestnut let alone cooked one! I’m off the grocery store!
Ok, grocery shopping is not as easy as I thought it would be. Leeks are not kept in the same area as onions…I thought a leek was in the onion family? I guess they are the bad sheep of the family because they are not kept in the dry bins with the red, yellow, and white onions. They must be more of a scallion because I found them (with the help of the produce manager) in the cooler next to, of all things, the radishes. They’re much bigger than I thought they’d be too. I’m not quite sure how to use them yet. I’m glad I have Tivo and a TV in my kitchen because I think I’m going to have to replay today’s TV show while preparing dinner. Next, finding chestnuts…OMG, there are NO chestnuts in North Carolina, I swear!!! Rachael said I could use fresh ones or the jarred kind. So, since I am still a sub-amateur cook, I went for the jarred variety. However, there are NO jarred chestnuts in North Carolina either! I asked the store manager for help finding chestnuts and he laughed at me! Yes, laughed at me! He said, “Mam, chestnuts are seasonal and it isn’t Christmas time for another 4 months.” Ugh…as if I didn’t feel bad enough having to ask for help, but then to hear that I’m searching for an item that is only available around Christmas…pathetic. So, I had to improvise. I thought to myself, “What kind of a nut is similar to a chestnut?” Well, considering I’m a Jewish girl from South Florida, I’ve never tasted the loveliness of a chestnut roasted on an open fire. I’ve sung the Christmas carol before, but where in South Florida would I find an open fire in the 80 degree weather in December anyway…or a chestnut to roast on it? Ok, so my best guess was that this chestnut thing is probably a pretty soft nut since it is going into stuffing which tends to be kind of soft and mushy, right? Plus, Rachael said the chestnuts were buttery and smooth on the show. So, let’s see here…I need a nut that tastes good in a stuffing, is soft and buttery, and I can find in the middle of August. (By the way, I just discovered that the episode I am getting this recipe from originally aired in February when chestnuts ARE in season…lovely!) Alright, my best guess for a substitute chestnut is a macadamia nut. Lord, help me…I hope this is a decent choice. I also needed challah bread for the toasted bread bits that go into the stuffing. Thank goodness, an ingredient this Jewish girl actually knows what it is and how to use it! However, this will be my very first time ever toasting challah. Well, wouldn’t you know it, North Carolina, aka the buckle of the Bible belt, disguises their challah bread! Ok, maybe they don’t “hide” it per se, but the bakery clerk had no clue what I was looking for when I asked. Challah bread is pronounced with that guttural “ch” that sounds like you are hocking up a loogie where I’m from. I had to actually pronounce it “hallah” in order to get the bakery clerk to even think he might have heard of this product. But, he still had no clue. So, he got the bakery manager involved. He too had no clue what I was talking about. Funny, the one ingredient I know how to cook, what it is, etc and everyone is looking at me like I have 2 heads when I ask for it as if it doesn’t exist and I’m making some foreign food up in my head! Finally, a very nice customer, who just happens to be from New York, points out the beautiful bread labeled “braided egg bread” sitting on the shelf behind me near the pies and muffins. Whew! I’m not crazy…challah, aka braided egg bread, does exist! Lastly, I had to find puff pastry sheets for the pear tarts. I don’t exactly know what puff pastry sheets are, but I figured they must be near all the other pastry items; so, I started in the bakery. Well, there are no puff pastry sheets in the bakery and, being that I was so embarrassed by the chestnut and challah fiascos, I didn’t bother to ask the bakery manager for help. So, I checked the only other area I have ever bought pastry products from…the baking aisle. Nope, they aren’t there either. My last attempt was hoping that I could substitute Pillsbury crescent roll dough for this puff pastry stuff. Wrong!!! This is where I’ve gotten in trouble in the past with following recipes…I usually don’t know what half the ingredients are or where to find them and how to cook them, so I substitute other junk and end up with a mess and a large grocery bill! Ok, so I am standing in front of the sad little section with the Pillsbury crescent rolls and I must’ve looked lost and confused because this very nice woman, obviously a customer, asked if I needed help. Now, normally I would’ve just shaken my head, “no” since I was mortified at the thought of being laughed at again (ala the chestnut incident), but I decided to take her up on her offer to help since she looked just like Paula Dean! Maybe she would know if this was a good substitute or a nightmare waiting to happen. When I told her I needed puff pastry sheets she very politely informed me that I was in the wrong section. I guess I must’ve looked like a complete baking idiot because she personally walked me over to the frozen section and picked out the product I needed and put it in my basket for me. She was so nice, thank goodness. She even gave me a bit of advice and told me that Pepperidge Farm is the only brand to use for this type of recipe! Hooray for the kindness of strangers! My grocery bill was a bit higher than I’d hoped for because I had to buy some odd products that I don’t usually keep in my cupboard. Although, most people wouldn’t consider thyme and chicken stock an odd product, it’s foreign to my house!
The cooking…well, I survived. I set up my TV, next to my laptop and all the ingredients. It looks like I’m going to do international business rather than cook here. I carefully measured, mixed and chopped! I roasted my macadamia nuts and put them aside as Rachel instructed. The challah was toasted, the chicken was browned and the sauce was simmering! The leeks were another story…I didn’t know you had to soak leeks in order to clean them! Thank you, Rachael, for teaching me a very important step. Thank goodness for my mom, as well. She called me on the phone while I was running the very hot water to soak my leeks in…I was thinking, “well, I feel the cleanest after I take a hot shower, so the leeks should be the cleanest after a hot bath too, right?” Wrong again! Mom informed me that leeks need to be cleaned in an ice bath so that they open and you can get all the grit to fall to the bottom of the bowl. Rach said you have to chop them first and then clean them. So, at least I got that part right. I soaked them for a long time and wiggled them around in the bowl. Then, just for good measure, I soaked them again in another ice bath! My pear tarts didn’t come out quite right. I’m not sure where I went wrong, but the puff pastry never “puffed” and I couldn’t get the sugar/water mixture to brown. Hmm…I even tried a second and a third time to make the sugar feel like wet sand and then heat it until golden brown. It still didn’t work. I ended up with very sticky, hard, granulated sugar. How is that even possible??? It started as “wet sand” and when I heated it, it turned into a clear syrupy liquid and then spontaneously transformed back into a solid granulated substance again! That even defies the law of chemistry in my opinion! I probably ruined the 3 pots I used for my 3 attempts at this too! Ugh. So, finally, I grabbed the light brown sugar that’s been sitting in my pantry for probably 3 years (the last time my mother decided to cook something sweet in my kitchen in 2006) and used that instead. Voila! We have golden brown syrup…LOL! So, I cheated…sue me!. I only have a 12 cup muffin pan and Rachael only made 6 tarts. Again, thank goodness for friends. My good friend, Barbara, taught me a while back (after another kitchen nightmare) that I have to put water in the empty muffin cups otherwise something bad happens to the pan. Whew…a problem avoided!
Prav absolutely LOVED this meal! I can’t believe I made gravy from scratch! Who knew that flour, butter, and chicken stock (still not sure what stock is…looks like chicken broth) could make gravy! Oh my gravy!!! We were making yummy tummy noises and “ooo-ing and ah-ing” at how good this tasted!!! My macadamia nut substitution was a great success…whew! We devoured the meal and even had leftovers for Prav to take for lunch the next day. We both really enjoyed sitting down to a home cooked meal together. Maybe I should keep this up?
Thursday, August 20, 2009...let the cooking begin!
Another night of the same old, boring chicken… Same marinade, same green salad, and the inevitable same reaction from my fiancé.
I’m so sick of cooking the same 10 predictable meals in my recipe repertoire. I have to do something to make dinner more exciting! I only see Prav, my fabulous fiancé, for the 30 minutes or so that we sit down to eat dinner at night. He is working his butt off and he deserves to come home to delicious meals that we both can look forward to. I'm a nurse...correction, I am a brand new nurse and I'm getting married in December. I work at Duke University Hospital. As a nurse, I only work 3 days a week...3 VERY long days a week, but still only 3 twelve hour shifts a week (which usually means waking up at 4:45am and working until 8pm). I have 4 days off during the week now. I am stuck working with a preceptor for the next 2 months during my orientation and, with that, I must work my preceptor's schedule. Claire, my preceptor is wonderful, but her schedule is NOT conducive to my life. She works every weekend...Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. This means Prav and I work opposite schedules.
I have to work this weekend, which means it will be another weekend of greasy Chinese take out, pizza delivery, and maybe the occasional Indian food to go. Ugh…this is not helping my needing to fit into my beautiful wedding dress in 120 days. I, reluctantly, ordered my wedding dress in a size 14, which does fit, but there is no room for Indian take out, pizza delivery, or sodium-rich Chinese food…trust me! So, I am on a mission to find recipes that are yummy, easy to follow, and figure-friendly! Admittedly, I am not a great cook. Let’s be honest here, I’m less than an amateur…I’m what the amateurs were before they became amateurs. I’m just a kitchen idiot! I have a drawer full of kitchen tools, passed down from my mother and mother-in-law and I have no clue what they are used for or how to even begin to use them! Last year, I returned a perfectly good crock pot that my sister-in-law gave me as an engagement present simply because I have no clue what a crock pot is, how it’s used, or what in the world I would use it for. What’s worse, the box even said “the easiest to use crock pot you’ll ever own.” Pathetic, I know! I’ve registered for all these great kitchen gadgets and cookware for our wedding, but I have no clue what I’d do if I actually received them! I need to get some courage in the kitchen. I need to emulate a chef who has spirit, know-how, and who makes cooking fun. I need to learn to cook from someone I can relate to…someone young and energetic who isn’t afraid to laugh at themselves (since I can guarantee I will be laughing at myself a lot in the kitchen). I am not up for the challenge of “Top Chef” and I am no Julia Child protégé. I’m thinking I can relate much more to Rachel Ray. I’m going to check out her TV show and see what she’s cooking today.
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