Tuesday Strifry

This has got to be the easiest and most satisfying meal I can make. All it takes is garlic, onion, 3 different colored peppers and chicken. Mix it up with some teriyaki, soy sauce, and sesame seed oil and it's a meal (for 3 days or 4 people, depending on if you're eating solo or not). I usually start off with the onion and garlic solo, then add the chicken until it's halfway cooked, and then throw in the peppers until they're soft and voila!

Quick Hello

Hello blogworld. It's been awhile. I just wanted to say hello and apologize for being mia these past few weeks. Laissezfaire was kind of enough to add me to her "blogs to watch" section, and I really wish I had some new stuff to post about. In case you're wondering, my life has been fairly routine. So routine in fact, here is my latest meal, just about as boring as they come.I'd like to be back in to the blogging shortly. After my finals are over I will return!! I really do miss you all!
-Laura

Spicy Sweet Potatoes and Garlic Chicken

Sweet potatoes boiled, mashed, mixed with butter, jalapeños, and bananas is quite delicious!

I realize I've been talking about food a lot. It's mainly because here has been my schedule for the past week, and presumably for the next few months:
1. Wake up at 7.
2. Go to class an hour away
3. Stay on campus until 5pm
4. Get home by 6:30
5. Cook
6. Homework
7. Bed by 10:30I don't have as much time as I'd like to look for new clothes, or the art I'm trying to find for above my bed. I'm really looking forward to an office job at this point where I can have some computer time, how silly is that?!

What time is your bedtime?

Weekend Fun: Dinner, Dessert, and a Miniature War

My parents had a Mexican-themed party tonight. Steak tacos, rice, beans, and then blueberry sauce on vanilla ice cream for dessert. Yum! A friend's little boy likes to play with my sister and my old toys. Tonight's game was "war". He had it set up pretty well I thought, which was kind of sad seeing as he's 6 and can imagine war so well, but also a little humorous.

Holiday Leftovers

It's not the norm to have leftovers to take home from a Yom Kippur break the fast family dinner, but my Aunt makes the BEST kugle (koogle?). It's a Jewish noodle, egg, cheese, cinnamon, buttery, casserole with crunchy flakes and noodles on top. The best for brunch the next day.Also, I've been practicing my "food photography" and really trying to see what other people do with their dishes in magazines, blogs etc. It's an interesting aspect of photography that no one really talks about.

Stuffed Peppers

The first thing I ever really cooked were these stuffed peppers and I think I've got it down now. Ground beef, onions, cooked and then combined with white rice and enchilada sauce. Then you boil the peppers with their tops cut off, stuff, cheese em' and bake for 5 minutes. Voila!

Please wish me luck on my calculus/algebra placement exam which will last me from 9am-12pm tomorrow :( My brain is so tired and sick of numbers! Have a good Monday everyone.

Curry Chicken

So the one good thing about being new to a town and single is my cooking has certainly improved. I made a Thai curry chicken, sort of like panang curry tonight, and it was really good. It was so easy to make, with a can of crushed tomatoes, a can of coconut milk, curry paste, and curry powder. And voila! (or poof! I should say) I added a little saffron to white rice for color too.Can you tell I'm enjoying having my camera back? :)

Mexican Meal Monday

I think I'm up to cooking once a week. That's pretty bad huh, it should be more often. I made some dinner on Monday and the leftovers lasted until today. Here's my version of a Mexican meal, with chili-chicken, home-made guacamole, diced tomatoes, and yellow rice. After making it I realized my kitchen and my meal are quite similar. (That's the top of my stove)

Iced Coffee Gone Wild

I finally bought a coffee maker today thinking I could save money and plastic by making my own iced coffee every morning. Even bought those little sugar packets so I could put my two sugars in just like I like. I was picturing something like this...
But no.
Nerms (my cat) alerted me to the hazard taking place in my kitchen by hissing at the machine as the coffee pot cracked, bubbled, and spat out coffee grinds. Maybe it wasn't meant to be.

Versatile Meal Idea for Lunch or Dinner

I made a really tasty easy meal earlier this week and had the leftovers for my lunch. Helps me save a little money during the week to make a light meal for dinner when I have the time, and pack the rest for lunch for a day or two. That way if I end up wanting to go out to dinner at some point, it's no big deal and I'm not wasting any food.
A woman I met in the pasta aisle turned me on to Healthy Choice wheat pasta, which is really good. I put some store bought pesto sauce on the pasta. My salad is bagged lettuce, sun dried tomatoes, a few olives, and Parmesan cheese. Olive oil and balsamic vinegar, mixed with salt and pepper are an easy dressing.

Pesto and Scallops

So I've been trying to cook more often, whipped this one up last night. Pesto sauce on scallops, with haricot verts and diced tomatoes and pine nuts on the side.

The before: I can never seem to keep it clean while I'm cooking, can you tell I have no counter space? Gotta love NYC kitchens.And my meal...

Scallops are really easy to make, who knew. You pan sear them for about 3 minutes on each side until they are golden-brown. If you're interested in my pesto recipe, just ask! It's great with pasta too, obviously.

Chocolate French Toast

Finally! Found something really fun and easy to make. (Did I mention it's really cheap too?) In Jane Magazine this month there was an article about what to cook for men if they end up spending the night at your place. Well, nothing exciting to tell there, I cooked this meal for my roommate and I because there was a monsoon in New York and delivery was going to take hours.

A loaf of Italian bread dipped both sides in egg, fried, and slathered in Nutella topped with maple syrup, and sliced bananas on the side. Wash it down with some peach nectar, and you've made the perfect breakfast/dessert/dinner, whatever.

Salad Anyone?

Every now and then I put together a meal spur of the moment that makes me feel like I actually know what I'm doing in the kitchen. Sure, tonight's dinner happened to be a salad, but I still feel like I deserve some credit. Here's a simple honey mustard dressing recipe I just figured out:

2tbs of dijon mustard mixed with 2 tbs of honey
whisk in 2 tbs of olive oil (slowly like they do in cooking shows)
add a little water if it's too thick for your liking