A long long time ago, my parents came to see one of the plays I did the costume design for. I always try to impress my parents and make them an awesome meal, because they are both such good cooks. I looked through my big recipe book and found this one that looked perfect.

Poached Salmon

Ingredients:

1 lb fresh spinach

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 lemon

1 tomato, diced

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/2 lb asparagus, chopped

1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

2 cups tri color couscous

2 1/2 cups dry white wine

1 large Wild Salmon fillet (the one I got was probably a little over a pound)

2 tbsp butter

salt and pepper

Start off by preparing your salmon fillets. Using a sharp knife, cut down the center of the fillet, about half way through the fish. In a bowl, mix together freshly chopped cilantro, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Gently fill the fish with the cilantro mixture. Next season the top of the salmon with a little salt and pepper. Line a baking pan with foil and place the fish inside. Pour around a cup and a half of the white wine over the fish, along with the remaining lemon juice. Fold the foil into a pouch and bake for around 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Next, saute the chopped onions, and garlic in a small sauce pan. Then add the chopped asparagus. Let this cook for about 5 minutes, then add the remaining white wine, cilantro and diced tomatoes. Add a little salt and pepper and let simmer for another 5 minutes.

In the meantime, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the tri color couscous to the water, turn down the heat and cover. Let cook for about 5 minutes. Uncover and add the asparagus, tomato, wine, mixture to the pot. Mix together and cover.

In another heated pan, add some butter and garlic. Then add 1 lb of spinach. Saute until wilted. Season to taste and serve.

Carefully bring out the baking dish and open the salmon poaching packet. Break up the fillet into four equal pieces and serve along with the spinach and couscous.

Salmon, stuffed with lemon and cilantro.

Foiled lined dish with salmon and white wine.

Close the pouch and cook for around 20 minutes.

Sauteed onion, garlic, and asparagus with white and tomato added.

Add the asparagus, wine, tomato mixture to the cooked couscous.

Saute the fresh spinach with a little butter and garlic.

Poached salmon!

Plate everything and serve!

Plates for boyfriend, my parents and me.

Boyfriend was happy.

Blah blah blah. I’m still behind on blogging.

This is the second part of our Valentine’s dinner. I wanted to make something simple, and flavorful to go along with the carrot risotto. Boyfriend and I both love seafood and my grocery store was having an awesome sale on shellfish, so naturally I stocked up. I found a few different recipes for the kind of dish I wanted to make. Then I built my flavor profiles around those ideas.

Steamed Shellfish with Spicy Coconut Broth

Ingredients:

1/4 onion, chopped

1 habanero, chopped

1 red chili, chopped

2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

6-7 spears asparagus, quartered

4 little neck clams

1/2 lb mussels

1 can lite coconut milk

2 roma tomatoes, chopped

1 cup cherry tomatoes, whole

salt, pepper, red pepper

olive oil

In a saute pan, heat a little oil then add the onions, asparagus, and hot peppers. Let the onions cook down. Then season them with a little salt, black pepper, and red pepper. Add the chopped cilantro. Then pour in the coconut milk. Bring it to a slight simmer. Add the clams. Let them cook for about 5 minutes, then add the mussels. Cover the pan and let cook for 4-5 minutes. Now add the tomatoes and a little more cilantro. Cover the pan again and cook until all the clams and mussels have opened up.

Serve the clams and mussels in a bowl, then pour the broth over it. Serve hot and enjoy!

Saute the onions, peppers and cilantro.

Add the asparagus. Then add the coconut milk and let simmer. When its at a simmer, add the clams.

Let the clams cook for about 5 minutes, then add the mussels and season well.

Cover the pan, and cook for about 4 minutes. Then add the tomatoes and a little more cilantro.

Mix everything together and cover again, cooking until the clams and mussels are all open.

Looks ready to eat.

Serve hot and enjoy!

Boyfriend liked it.

The shelly aftermath. yum

Last week was Valentine’s Day! I wanted to make something special for Ben. He eats everything so I had alot of options. I knew I wanted to do shellfish, because its glorious. Then I found the perfect recipe. Risotto, which we both love to eat and make. It was a cute little night. And the food was great. The recipes are hard to combine in one post, so I’m splitting them up.

Carrot Risotto with Seared Scallops

Ingredients:

4 large Sea Scallops, sliced in half

2 cups vegetable stock, heated

1/4 lb carrots, grated

1/4 lb carrots,pureed with a little oil

1/2 onion, chopped

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup arborio rice

zest and juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp thinly sliced chives

1 red chili, chopped

olive oil

salt, pepper

The process is the same as any risotto. Start with a large saute pan. Heat a little oil in the pan then add the chopped onions. Let them cook for a few minutes, then add the cumin, grated carrot, salt, and pepper. When the onions are translucent, add the rice. Stir until the rice is coated with oil and the cooked mixture. Now add the white wine and stir until absorbed. Decrease the heat and stir in the carrot puree. Bring to a simmer and start adding the vegetable stock. Add the stock one ladle full at a time and stir each ladle in until absorbed, repeat this step until all the stock is gone or the rice is cooked to al dente, it should take about 25-30 minutes. stir in the lemon juice and a little olive oil. Remove from heat and cover for about 3 minutes.

In another saute pan, heat a little oil with red chilis. When the pan is hot, add the halved scallops. Season them well and let cook for about 2 minutes per side. Remove from pan and serve on top of the risotto. Garnish with a little grated Parmesan cheese and chopped chives.

Saute the onions, cumin, salt, pepper and grated carrot.

Add the rice and stir to coat well.

Add the white wine and stir until absorbed into the rice.

Stir in the carrot puree.

Now begin add the vegetable stock, one ladle at a time, then stir until absorbed.

Its just about ready. Remove from heat, stir in the lemon juice and a little olive oil. Cover and let sit for 3-5 minutes.

Heat a pan with a little oil and sear your scallops. 2 minutes per side.

Now serve. Risotto on the bottom, sprinkled with a little Parmesan cheese and chopped chives then topped with the wonderful seared scallops.

So I attempted to make my own peanut butter. It tastes great but isn’t exactly buttery. I think my little food processor may be too cheap to blend anything very well. Anyway, this recipe is super easy.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb roasted peanuts

2 tsp vegetable oil

pinch of salt

You basically throw everything into a food processor and blend it to death.

It was soooo dry before I added the oil. But then it kinda got better.Idk I will try making it again and figure out what I did wrong.

It does make a great sandwich! and is delicious with apples and celery.

I made this a little while ago. I’m behind in my blogging as usual. But this was delicious. So much better than potato gratin. Now that I’ve made this, I want to experiment with other non potato gratin. Note: I do not remember exactly what I put in the white wine sauce. I will try to list the ingredients.

Zucchini Gratin and Chicken Thighs with White Wine Sauce

Ingredients:

2 chicken thighs

1 cup white wine

1/4 onion, chopped

1/4 onion, sliced

5 zucchini, sliced

4 oz Havarti cheese (or whatever kinds of cheese you want)

1/2 cup almond milk

1 egg

1/2 onion, sliced

freshly grated nutmeg

1 tsp fennel seeds

2 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

1 tbsp butter

Start by heating a saute pan with a little butter. Add the zucchini and cook for 4-6 minutes, turning until cooked on both sides. Season well and remove from pan.

Now take a round baking dish and line the bottom with zucchini slices. Place a layer of sliced onions over the zucchini, then sprinkle with both types of cheese and herbs. Repeat this step until all the zucchini and cheese is gone.

Mix the milk and eggs together. Season with the grated nutmeg, salt and pepper. Pour this liquid mix over the zucchini, then sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese.

Bake the gratin in a preheated oven, 350F for 35-45 minutes or until it is set in the center and golden brown. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

While the gratin is cooking the in oven, start working on the chicken thighs and sauce. In a small sauce pan, saute some garlic and onions. After a few minutes, pour in about a cup of white wine. Add the chopped tarragon and fennel seeds and let reduce for about 10 minutes.

In a flat, non stick grill pan, heat a little oil. Season your chicken thighs and place them skin side down in the pan. Cook on the skin side for about 5-7 minutes, until the skin is crispy. Turn the chicken over and sear on all sides. Then pop them into the oven for about 15-20 minutes. If timed correctly, they should be done at the same time as the gratin.

When the chicken and gratin are done cooking, plate them, serving the sauce over the chicken. AND ENJOY!

Gather all your ingredients.

Prep everything. then….start cooking!

Forgot to take a picture of the sauteing zucchini, SO saute your zucchini. Then start making the layers of your gratin. Starting with zucchini, then onions and herbs, then the cheese.

Add a couple more layers.

Then combine the milk and egg. Pour the mixture over the zucchini. Cover the gratin with the remaining cheese. And bake for 35-45 minutes at 350F.

While the gratin is baking, make your sauce. Saute chopped onions and garlic in a little butter. Add the white wine, along with fennel seeds, salt, pepper and chopped tarragon. Let simmer for around 10 minutes.

In a flat grill pan, cooked your chicken thighs skin side down(5-7 minutes). Get the skin nice and crispy then turn the chicken and sear on all sides.

Transfer to a baking sheet and pop in the oven for about 15-20 minutes.

When the gratin looks like this, its done! Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Boyfriend getting his dinner.

Serve and enjoy.

I almost forgot, Ben’s mom got me an AWESOME Christmas present

She got me all kinds of spices and herbs from a store called Lotsa Pasta.

strawbrryf:

Vegan Meyer Lemon Cake

Last week, my friend Emily generously gifted me 3 gorgeous Meyer lemons from her CSA box.  I was looking to procrastinate so I baked this cake. 

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 cup sugar 
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil 
• 1 cup Meyer lemon juice (or any citrus; if using orange or grapefruit, also add 1 Tbsp vinegar) 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350℉
2. Grease and flour an 8- or 9-in square or round cake pan.
3. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl.  
4. Make two holes in the dry ingredients.  Add vanilla to one and the oil to the other. 
5. Pour lemon juice all over everything.  
6. Mix quickly with a fork until there are no clumps.  
7. Pour into the cake pan.
8. Bake 35 to 40 minutes.  
9. Cool in the pan.
10. Enjoy!

Totally making this for my boyfriend’s mom when she visits this weekend!

(via livevegan)

Not sure why but I had the sudden urge to make meat pies. Well it wasn’t very sudden, it was planned, but I wanted them. I love mushrooms, and decided to make a mushroom pie. But then boyfriend found a pound of fresh chorizo on sale. like dirt cheap. So I figured I could through that in the pies too. I’ve made pies before and can say without a doubt that these were a million times better than my first ones.

Chorizo, Mushroom, and Sweet Potato Pies

Ingredients:

1 lb mushrooms, chopped (Whatever kind you like. I went with shitakii, oyster, and portobello mushrooms.)

1/2 lb chorizo

1/2 onion, chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 1/2 sweet potato, baked and chopped

1 sheet pie dough (this has been in my freezer for a long time! use fresh if you can.)

1 1/2 tbsp butter, melted

salt

black pepper

In a saute pan, brown your chorizo. When its lightly cooked, remove it from the pan and chop it into smaller bits. In the same pan, saute the onion and garlic. After a couple minutes, throw the cooked garlic and onion into a food processor with the chopped sweet potatoes. Pulse the mixture a couple times, until everything is minced. Add the minced mixture back into the saute pan. Add a little (LITTLE! 2 tsp) oil, and add the chopped chorizo. Let this all cook for a couple minutes, then add the chopped mushrooms. Saute until the mushrooms release their liquid and shrink down. Season the filling well and remove from heat.

On a floured surface, roll out your pie dough. Cut the dough into four equal squares.

Now to fill the pies. Place about 1 1/2 - 2 tbsp of filling in the center of each square. Fold in the sides, then with a wet spoon, wet the folds and seal the pie. Repeat this with the remaining dough and filling.

Place the pies on a greases baking sheet. Take your melted butter and spread a little over eat pie.

Bake the pies at 350F for about 10-15 minutes.

ENJOY!

Pile of mushrooms.

Cook the chorizo

Then cook the onions and garlic.

Add the chopped potatoes to the saute pan and cook for a few minutes. Then throw the contents of the pan into a food processor. pulse a few times.

Add the mix back into the saute pan, let it heat up, then add the cooked chorizo.

Next throw in the mushrooms. Cook them for about 4-5 minutes.

Once everything is cooked, remove from heat and let cool a little.

Roll out the pie dough and cut into four equal pieces.

Now form the pies. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on top, then bake them at 350F for 10-15 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

My boyfriend bought a giant eggplant a little while ago. He was like ‘I got an eggplant, you should make something with it.” Hes lucky I love him and love cooking. Anyway, I decided to make eggplant fritters. I’ve made them a few times, and they are AWESOME. I also bought some tandoori seasoning, so I wanted to make something with that. I threw this together pretty fast, and it turned out wonderfully. The recipe isn’t as exact as I’d like it to be, but its an idea.

Eggplant Sammys and Stir Fried Shrimp with Veggies

Ingredients

1 eggplant, sliced

4 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced

Spinach (not sure how much, it goes between the eggplant and cheese slices)

1 cup flour, seasoned

1 egg, beaten

1 cup canola oil, or whatever you like

1/2 lb raw shrimp

1/4 cup broccoli, chopped

1/4 cup carrot, chopped

1/4 cup bell pepper, chopped

1/4 cup zucchini, sliced

1/4 cup coconut milk

Tandoori seasoning

salt & pepper

Heat oil in a saute pan and add the chopped vegetables. Cook on medium to low for 5-8 minutes. Then turn up the heat and add the tandoori and coconut milk. Simmer for a few minutes then cover.

Meanwhile, you should make your eggplant sammys. Place a slice of cheese and a little spinach between the two eggplant slices. Then lightly flour each sandwich, then dip them in the beaten egg, and then back into the flour.

When all the sandwiches are formed and floured, heat between a cup and 1/2 cup of oil in a deep pan (the amount of oil really depends on the pan) When the oil begins to smoke a little, start frying the sandwiches. Fry for about 1.5 to 2 minutes per side. When they’re golden brown, take them out and let rest on a paper towel.

Last step, throw the raw shrimp into the tandoori pan. Cover and let cook for about 3 minutes.

Serve everything and ENJOY!

Chop your veggies and make the sandwiches.

Tandoori vegetables are cooking, eggplant sandwiches are floured and ready to fry and I look AWESOME.

Start frying the sandwiches.

Fry all the eggplants!

Add the shrimp to the tandoori pan. Cover and let cook, until it looks like this.

Boyfriend was excited.

Serve and eat it up.

So my adorable little family has always made kolachky for Christmas. They are delicious little polish pastry cookies. Seriously for as long as I can remember, we’ve spent an entire day, making them. Since I spent most of the holiday break at school, I decided to make them here. Or at least that was the plan. I made the dough at school, and then ended up making the cookies at home before our Christmas party.

Kolachky

Ingredients:

8 oz unsalted butter, softened

8 oz cream cheese, softened

2 tsp sugar and salt

1 egg, slightly beaten

2 cups flour

Canned pie filling (I used Cherry, Plum and Apricot)

In a bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese, and sugar until well blended. Add the egg and mix until combined. Add the flour and mix until combined.

Wrap in plastic wrap and chill overnight.

Heat the oven to 375F.

On a floured work surface, divide the dough into 4 parts. Roll the dough out, to about 1/4 inch thick. Using a glass, or circle cookie cutter, cut out small rounds and transfer to wax paper.

Press your thumb into the center of the circle and add a little spoonful of pie filling. Then take two of the sides and bring them together and pinch in the center.

Bake for 15 to 17 minutes.

Let them cook on rack for about 10 minutes, then dush with powdered sugar and serve or store.

Dough, chilled overnight.

Plum kolachky. I made mini little guys along with the traditional pinched ones.

Cherry, plum, and apricot kolachky baking in the oven.

Cooling.

And dusted with powdered sugar.

Classes started again. I’ve been trying to get back into the swing of things. Which means figuring out when I can eat and what I need to bring to school with me. I wanted to make a protein cookie, that I can bring to school, for a between meal, mini meal. I decided on these awesome peanut butter oat cookies. They were awesome. A little weird, but I will fix them when I make them again.

I don’t have a picture of the finished cookies. So on with the recipe.

Vegan Peanut Butter Protein Cookies

2 ripe bananas, mashed

2 tbsp almond milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp flax seed

1/4 cup flour

1 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp peanut butter

2 cups whole rolled oats

4 tbsp hemp protein powder

preheat the oven to 350F

Mash the bananas in a bowl, then add the almond milk, flax seeds, brown sugar, peanut butter, vanilla, and protein powder. Mix it all together. Then add the flour and oats. Stir everything together.

On a greased baking sheet, put about a tablespoon full of cookie mix. Bake the cookies for about 12-15 minutes.

Let cool. And eat them up!

Mashed bananas, flax seed, protein powder, almond milk, brown sugar, vanilla, AND peanut butter.

Mix it up. Looks like mushy mud.

Mix in the oats and flour.

Form the cookies. and bake then for 12-15 minutes.

My roommate Bryan loved these. I had to hide them or they would have been gone in a second. Then I gave one to boyfriend and he was like ohh they taste healthy. AND they are. yummm o!