Steak with Peppers & Tomatoes

This steak with homemade fries turned out delicious! I first cut up two potatoes, covered in olive oil, sprinkled with salt & threw them in the oven for about 35 minutes at 400 degrees. Then I seasoned the steaks & cooked in the frying pan in olive oil. When they were a little over half way done I tossed in the green & red bell pepper & garlic clove. Once the steaks were done I added 2 chopped up tomatoes & mixed together. I placed it all in a dish lined with foil & broiled for 5 minutes. It turned out very tasty! And Charlie enjoyed steak with leftover rice & his veg mixture. He loves steak!

Zucchini Boats

This recipe for zucchini boats is simple & fun. I mixed ground beef with mushrooms, red bell peppers, & onion & sauteed. I then cut the zucchini lengthwise, scooped out the center & filled with mixture. I sprinkled with grated cheese & baked for 25 min. Although I enjoyed this dish, I am not planning on making it again. It tasted a little too much like tacos, probably due to the red pepper. I like the idea of filling the zucchini with a mixture. I will probably try something more Italian tasting next time. I'll let you know how it turns out! Charlie enjoyed the ground beef with a little zucchini!

This week's favorites

I started the week with steak & stuffed mushrooms. To make the stuffing I simply mixed rustic bread, garlic cloves, fresh basil & olive oil in a food processor. I brushed the mushrooms with olive oil & topped them with a small slice of mozzarella cheese. The homemade pizza was very fresh tasting. I topped it with fresh mozzarella & basil, tomatoes & orange bell pepper from the Farmer's Market. The warm apple cider was for the rainy night. I simmered some 100% apple juice in a pot for about 15 min. I placed whole cloves, cinnamon sticks & a piece of fresh ginger in a strainer in the pot. I added a little honey & of course a little rum!

Wine & Curry?

So I finally made my first wine cork project. It's not much, but I like it...& I found out you CAN get seriously burned by a hot glue gun. Probably shouldn't drink & craft. Anyway, next project will be better, next curry too...I won't even share the recipe because it didn't taste good. I received a large amount of curry powder as a gift, and the first try was not great. I have many more recipe ideas to go, but any tips are encouraged! I'm writing this for anyone, but sadly I know only my family is reading. So guys, what do you think of my first attempt with a glue gun? Minus the burns...

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I don't know if the picture captured it's essence, but I promise it was delish! I used 1 chicken breast, 1/2 a carrot, 1/4 onion, 1 slice of ginger, 1 garlic clove, & 2 green onions. I used the other chicken breast for a yummy stir fry, but I will definitely double the recipe next time. So I diced all those ingredients & mixed them together, except the green onions. Then I cooked it in a large frying pan until chicken was cooked through. Then I added the green onions & sauces. The sauces I used were 2 tbs soy sauce, 3 tbs hoisin sauce, & 1 tsp sesame oil. I cooked it on med-high until all flavors were together. I served it on a bed of crispy wontons, with iceberg lettuce pieces.

Random Meals

Gazpacho for the 4th of July! Cucumber, red onion, tomato, green & yellow pepper w/olive oil, red wine vinegar, with a dash of salt & pepper! We enjoyed with pita or bagel chips!

Check out the size of this spinach! I guess I have only had "baby spinach."

Chicken & tomato pasta with onion, garlic, & olives.

Breakfast!

Veggie Fajita

Salmon w/rice veggies, for me & Charlie!

Indian style stir fry

Cooked in grapeseed oil

Usin' Them While They're Fresh!

I made salmon and veg fried rice for dinner. It was so tasty, but I managed to save a little for tomorrow. That piece of salmon was huge. I gave the other piece of salmon to Charlie, since his dad had to work unexpectedly. There was enough for three! So I tried a glaze made of soy sauce & brown sugar. So simple, yet flavorful. Of course it blackened a little because I don't know how to under cook anything! It was perfectly pink & delicious, the glaze just browned...really browned. Charlie's was lightly cooked with no sauces or spices. We also had brown rice, which I fried with veggies for me! And I made Charlie a pureed mix of spinach, egg w/shell, carrot, very little broccoli, little garlic, brewer's yeast, cottage cheese & a little apple cider vinegar. I got the ingredients from that book, Give Your Dog A Bone. I also made veggie fajitas for lunch and used that leftover cilantro pesto lime mix I made for the turkey bbq. I'm looking forward to using more fresh ingredients tomorrow, and as always I am open to ideas!

Farmer's Market Fresh!

Yep, it's Sunday again! Time for my local Farmer's Market! I have to get up early now because the last couple times I've been, my berry lady is out of berries! I told you she's becoming very popular, but the early bird gets the berries! I also got some lovely things call apriums. They're a cross between an apricot & I'm guessing a plum. They look like apricots & taste like really sweet, juicy apricots! Yum. I also got a cucumber & fresh dill, so I'm thinking salmon this week! I think I'll try some sort of fresh dill sauce or dip. I also bought garlic chives for the first time, so I'll have to figure something out for those. Any suggestions out there? I made a delicious marinade for bbq'd turkey breasts the other day. It was fresh cilantro, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, salt & pepper, & walnuts. I food processed it all together & let it sit overnight. Then we fired up the grill & brushed the turkey with the marinade, cooked & served with corn on the cob! It looked as good as it tasted, but I was so excited to eat it that I forgot to take a picture. To make up for it I took a picture of my treasures from the farmer's market. Charlie also had some plain turkey & corn. He will be enjoying some of those veggies too! That's all for now, gotta plan some recipes for us & Charlie! I would love to hear any ideas, thanks!

Givin MY Dog a Bone

Charlie had his first raw, meaty bone today! So I've been reading this book called, Give Your Dog A Bone by Dr. Ian Billinghurst, and he stresses the importance of feeding your dog raw meaty bones. He also says to mush up any vegetables in a blender or food processor so they can digest them So needless to say, Charlie's diet is in the process of a makeover. I made pork chops today with seasoned carrots & potatoes from the farmer's market. I seasoned & breaded the thin pork chops & fried them They were delicious. I cut the bone out first & after giving Charlie a few bites of raw meat, I handed him the bone & he chewed away! I'm so proud. I had to encourage him a little at first, but by the time he was done he was begging for more! I tried the same concept with chicken wings yesterday, but failed. I had to separate the meat from the bone & cook it a little so he would eat it. So, I'm not sure what new recipes lie in store, but I'll keep you updated on my progress!

Turkey Meat Tacos

Tonight I just made a simple but filling turkey meat soft tacos w/some homemade guacamole. I sauteed the meat w/a yellow onion, but threw in a little red onion & green pepper because it was leftover in my fridge. It tasted great! Charlie got a little slighty cooked turkey meat too, mixed with his leftover salmon, veggies, & rice. He loved it!

Salmon & Stir Fry

Charlie's dad is workin' tonight so he got some extra salmon. He also had fresh veggies & some buckwheat noodles. I sauteed mine w/garlic & ginger in some soy sauce, and marinated the salmon in spicy teriyaki sauce. Yum!

A Few Meals

I made this yummy app platter, and asian style short ribs before I went out of town. Since I got back I have been slackin' so I'm here to tell you all I'm back and sizzlin!

My New Fav

I know I've made this buckwheat noodle stir fry a lot, but it's so good! I change it up a little each time. This time I added mushrooms to my normal mix of carrots, sugar snap peas, meat, ginger, & garlic. Cook it in a little soy sauce & a few other random sauces I can find lurking in the fridge, & viola! Delicious & fast dinner.

Check out the size of those strawberries! I love going to the Farmer's Market! Even if I did have to wait in line for those berries today it was worth it, she's getting awfully popular. I may have to start getting up earlier...my smoothie was scrumptious. Strawberries, blueberries, a couple blackberries, a little vanilla yogurt, mango/mangosteen juice from Trader Joe's, one cutie orange & a small scoop of raspberry sorbet. Yum! Having leftover meat pasties for dinner, oh so good!

Crescent Roll Meat Pasties

I made a cornish pastie consisting of lean ground beef, onions, carrots, potatoes, & peas. I wrapped them in crescent rolls & baked according to the rolls directions, then served with some beef gravy. They turned out flakey and delicious! Charlie had the same thing, with no onions or pastry. Of course he loved it!

Charlie

Charlie just enjoyed some turkey w/carrots, brown rice & flaxseed. He ate it all, yay! BTW he's a picky eater, and doesn't eat much...You might think I'm just some crazy dog owner, but these are facts! Anyway, I didn't puree it, just chopped it up, especially those carrots! He'll swallow huge pieces of meat, but a slightly large piece of carrot? Forget it! Well, it's leftover pork for us humans, with roasted carrots & potatoes. They're in the oven right now with some fresh sprigs of rosemary. Smells delicious!

Simple Dinner

I still haven't tried anything new, but I look forward to going to The Farmer's Market on Sunday and buying at least one or two items that I've never tried. I searched for fennel bulbs last week, but couldn't find any. Perhaps they're not in season. Anyway, I had a simple and easy dinner last night. We seasoned & sauteed some boneless pork fillets, steamed asparagus & made some mashed potatoes. I usually make mashed potatoes with butter & sour cream, but I had some plain nonfat yogurt I had to use, so I threw that in there. My fiance complimented them saying they were like his grandmother's! I didn't tell him there was yogurt in them...just wanted him to think they were full of fat so he'd enjoy them. So sneaky! Charlie also enjoyed some pork w/a little boiled potato & asparagus (not purreed) and ate the whole thing. He's got his appetite back!

Fajitas

Ole! We just had some simple fajitas w/red & green pepper, onion & meat. I season it with a little cayenne pepper. I also made some guacamole with avocado, tomato, lime juice, cilantro, and salt. Charlie hasn't been eating much because he's on antibiotics. He didn't even enjoy the salmon! He ate a little, but I don't think I'm going to mush it all together in the food processor anymore. He likes it better in whole pieces, live and learn! Also I may try a food dehydrator and see if he likes it crunchy. I'll work on something more exciting for next time!

Spinach Dip

Spinach dip was a success. It's very green, perhaps I used more spinach than most recipes, but had to use it up! I managed to not waste any of the bunch, between dinners, salads, Charlie's food, and this dip. Yay for me! So I mixed it in the food proccessor with light mayo, light sour cream, light cream cheese, one green onion & one clove of garlic (which was a little overpowering, I recommend only 1/2 a clove). I didn't find any recipes that used all those creams, or any garlic, but it sounded good to me!

Don't Feel Like Chicken Tonight

Charlie doesn't even want his delicious chicken mixture I made...time to make something new! So I'm making salmon tonight. I already chopped up some veggies (asparagus, broccoli, carrots, green onions, garlic & ginger). I'm thinkin saute w/a little sesame sauce, yum! Then cook salmon that I'll marinate in spicy teriyaki sauce, & serve on some fresh brown rice. I'll cook Charlie's salmon plain & mix with rice & veggies. He loves it! Now I'm going to attempt a fresh spinach dip because the Farmer's Market gives you enough spinach for a month & I have to use it! I've never made it before, wish me luck!

Leftover Medley!

I don't want all that farm fresh produce going to waste! So I pulled out my tupperware filled with veggies & cooked up a spaghetti sauce. From the farmer's market I had a slightly used onion...a whole big fat zucchini just dying to be cooked, some questionable tomatoes, & half eaten peppers. I also had a few left over mushrooms from my mushroom sauce. So I simmered all those things in olive oil with some fresh basil also from the farmer's market, and some super fresh rosemary from my future mother-in-law's garden (don't tell her). I served it with leftover salad, & some bread that we transformed into garlic bread. Ooh la la! Oh & I don't wanna forget Charlie! He had leftover chicken with fresh spinach & and whole wheat pasta. I blended with some flax seeds (he loves them) & some chicken broth leftover from our whole chicken. Overall it was a success! And even though Charlie ate leftover chicken, I managed to go the entire Earth Day without eating meat. I enjoyed fruit & toast with my tea this morning, a salad for lunch, and you know my dinner. That's all for now, happy cooking!

The pesto chicken was a success. I actually used the correct ratio of basil to other ingredients, which I didn't do last time...I also made a salad with mystery vinagrette! I mixed garlic, lemon zest & juice, a little rosemary, salt & pepper, olive oil, red wine vinegar & a little cooking white wine. I fully admit that I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to dressings, & I need A LOT of practice. At least it was edible, my fiance says it was good but what does he know! Really? I definitely used to much lemon, zingy! Anyway on to yummier stuff. I also made some mashed potatoes with some yukon & red potatoes I got at the Farmer's Market this morning. I served the chicken on some spinach, which was also mixed in my salad. Charlie got spinach, chicken, and potatoes blended with a bit of water & flax seeds. He ate it up so fast! So all the fam enjoyed!

Chicken Pesto

I'm about to attempt a homemade pesto, made from the fresh basil I got this morning at the Farmer's Market. I tried to make it once, but lets just say I'm nervous right now & stalling because the outcome may be less than presto pesto! I also want to make some kind of vinagrette for the salad, I'll fill you in later what's going in that & if it even tastes good... I also got loads of fresh fruit today & made a delicious smoothie this afternoon. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, mmm! OK, going to prep my ingredients!

Herb Garden

Charlie with my new herb garden. Growing some fresh basil & cilantro!

I started growing my own herbs, just basil & cilantro for now. I live in an apartment with no balcony so there's not much space...Anyway, they've sprouted & I'm looking forward to enjoying them. This week my fiance bought a piece of steak on sale & I didn't know what to do with it. So I slice up 1/2 of it very thin & cooked it in olive oil w/those colorful carrots I love so much! I added spring onions, ginger, garlic, water chestnuts, & a little soy sauce. Then I added some buckwheat noodles to make a chowmein. I had never tried buckwheat noodles, but I had read about them in a magazine & decided to try them. I really like them! Then last night I used the other 1/2 of the meat to make an indian style stir fry, which I cooked in grapeseed oil. I sliced it thin w/onions, a green pepper & some cumin & cayenne pepper. We ate it with hummus & pitas. Yum!

Hi everyone! Today was...well as far as dinner goes, not too exciting. We actually ate what Charlie's been enjoying all week, chicken, carrots & rice! I mean we made it fresh...there's something you need to know about me. I love chicken, and I LOVE carrots. If there's any meal that can incorporate carrots, I'll put 'em in. Steamed carrots, baked carrots, fried carrots, stir fry (extra carrots) spaghetti sauce yes carrots! I sneak them in by chopping them up real fine ;) Anyway, spring is here which means more fresh produce at the farmer's market! My berry lady is back w/succulent blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, & strawberries! Yay! Oh & at the Santa Monica farmer's market on Wed, there's a carrot stand with all different color carrots! You know I'm lovin that!

How boring I am, boca burger for breakfast, turkey sandwich for lunch. Pasta for dinner, with leftover turkey meat & onion. This blog suddenly got very boring. I'll have to spice it up tomorrow! I did buy a whole chicken, the possiblities are endless! Charlie will be thrilled I'm sure. Maybe I'll make something in the crockpot. Some words of advice, don't ball up foil & place the chicken on it in the crockpot, unless you want dry chicken! I read that on Allrecipes & it is NOT a good idea. Speakin of crockpots, my mother sent me her recipe for chilli & is very excited about this "new" thing she's discovered. Yes my parents are in their 50's & never had chilli before, now thet can't stop talking about it! Wild, I know.

The Morning After

I knew tequila wasn't my friend. I don't feel so bad, but I don't feel so good either! I have no idea what to eat. I have limited food, & very limited budget. I still have 1/2 the turkey meat & 1/2 an onion. That's for some pasta sauce later...Charlie's on his last day of chicken, so I need a new recipe for him. Any suggestions? The salmon is a hit, but Brandon (my fiance) doesn't want salmon again! Plus it's out of my price range at the moment. I really need to please the people before the dog, but once I get an idea in my head I can't be stopped! Or reasoned with....

I tried the turkey burgers, they worked out great. I served them on leftover iceburg lettuce ( wasn't splurgin' for a bun) with "fries" which consisted of 1 potato. I sliced it up in "fry" shapes & baked in the oven. It's so yum & easy to cover in olive oil & sprinkle w/salt & pepper. Charlie ate leftover chicken mix...oh yeah. So I have to go now, btw I made margaritas w/dinner. We're livin on a budget & you know I love wine....but I'm out. And beer is good...but I'm out. So guess what's on the menu...old tequilla & maragarita mix. It's gone now. Stay tuned for what's on the menu tomorrow! Livin on a budget...look forward to tomorrow. Goodnight!

First Day...What am I Doing?

I came up with this idea this morning in bed, 1/2 asleep & woken by some sort of drilling or jack hammering on the street. Why does everything seem like a better idea while coming out of dreamland? Anyway, I've been trying new recipes & trying to be resourceful while keeping the Fam (my fiance & myself) satisfied. I was recently inspired to start cooking for my dog, hence the "three." I don't really know what I'm doing, but I'll share with you what I have done so far. This week I have made salmon with vegetable fried rice. I cooked a small piece of salmon w/no seasoning or sauce first for Charlie (my dog, not fiance) Then I mixed it with the brown rice & a couple veggies & added flaxseed. Viola, gourmet dog food. Then I cooked our delicious meal. Everyone enjoyed my 1st selection for cooking for three. Yay for me! Yesterday we ate leftover fried rice w/a steak I had in the freezer. I cut it up, marinaded it in teriyaki, sauteed & added rice. Easy peazy. For Charlie however, I bought some chicken & baked it w/a couple of carrots, mixed that in a food processer w/left over brown rice & flaxseed.(my fiance didn't sign up for this, I hope he doesn't think I'm losin it) What's on the menu for today you ask? I have some ground turkey just waiting to be cooked. I'm thinking of using 1/2 the meat for turkey burgers, & the other 1/2 for a pasta sauce...but I'm open to ideas. And though I did buy that turkey w/Charlie in mind...he's got leftover chicken to eat!