found... and two fish

I made dinner for myself on Saturday night, but when I went to take the pictures I realized my camera was in the car.  I did not walk all the way out to the garage and risk my food getting cold. I used one of my new fun apps on my phone called hipstamatic to take the interesting looking pics at the end of the post. (Hopefully I'll improve my technique with this before I have to use it again!) While uploading those images from my phone, I found some pics of awesome Ina recipes I made before I started the blog.  Delicious memories (first 3)!

penne alla vecchia bettola 

This recipe comes from a chef on the Hamptons who comes over to Ina's house to make this with her.  It is amazing.  And rich. That's also her garlic ciabatta bread.  

profiteroles

These are from barefoot in paris and were surprisingly easy and look impressive.  They're good to serve to guests, because you can freeze the puffs to have on hand and then all you have to do is melt chocolate and whip some cream and you're set!   

grilled tuna rolls 

I made these during the summer and they were perfect for lunch.  They have some kick from the red onions and wasabi powder.  

parker's fish and chips

Mac told me he thought they tasted restaurant quality...victory! The batter for the cod has cayenne pepper and lemon zest which makes it very flavorful.  The chips were baked with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.  

panko crusted salmon

You have to try this one!  I like to have seafood at least twice a week, and this is an easy one to keep on file.  The salmon is brushed with dijon, which helps the breadcrumb mixture adhere.  It's seared in a pan and finished in the oven like they do in restaurants.

spaghetti aglio e olio

This is what you cook when you don't want to cook.  You probably have everything you need to make it, and it's done in fifteen minutes!  The simple pasta gets big flavor from the sauteed garlic, red pepper flakes, and olive oil.  You can make it more jazzy by adding shrimp.   

*panko crusted salmon and spaghetti are in how easy is that?

Keeping busy...

mexican chicken soup

It was my soup day at school, and I tried this one out at home on Sunday night before bringing it in.  It was really tasty!  And if you don't dump cheese and sour cream on top it's healthy...  I added black beans and corn to Ina's recipe.  It didn't really change the flavor, but I thought it would add some texture.  

baked fontina

This is homemade fondue cheese!  It's fun to make and eat.  

rosemary cashews

I love cashews.  This snack is cashews coated with a mixture of butter, cayenne pepper, rosemary, and brown sugar.  It was good and different, but there's still some cashews in the bowl today and I made them 3 days ago.  I'm pretty sure if they were just plain salted cashews they'd be goners by now.  The rosemary might be a little too strong...

chocolate hazelnut cookies

Nutella.  That's all you need to know!  There's also hazelnuts chopped up and mixed in the cookie dough. 

roasted shrimp with feta

This will stay on the dinner rotation for sure.  All of the ingredients are assembled in the pan and then you throw it in the oven.  Easy and delicious!

*Baked fontina and chocolate hazelnut cookie recipes can be found in the how easy is that? book.

2011

It's a new year, which means I'm right around the halfway point in my barefoot journey. I feel good about the progress that's been made, and I know we'll get them done by July 1! I'm also trying to throw in some recipes that I've made and loved before the blog began, just because they're so delightful.

sliders and sausage stuffed mushrooms

Both of these recipes came from Ina's new, how easy is that? book. For the sliders we used our csa ground beef mixed with dijon, garlic, olive oil, and thyme. Delicious! Make sure you get some sturdy mini buns, these burgers are juicy!

I was a little more nervous about the stuffed mushrooms, because I already have a very strong affinity for a particular stuffed mushroom recipe, and I was worried this one wouldn't stand up. However, I had some csa pork sausage to use, and we gave it a shot. They were tasty and fun, but I probably won't turn to this recipe over my original fave.

smoked salmon deviled eggs

Here's another treat from her how easy is that? book. The image in the book shows salmon roe on top of the eggs which looks amazing, but my appetite and wallet didn't think it was worth it. These deviled eggs are even better than the original, because the smoked salmon mixed in the center makes these finger treats even more decadent.

croque monsieur

Ever since I watched It's Complicated with Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin and Meryl Streep I have been romanticizing about this sandwich. French grilled cheese...comfort food!

roasted eggplant spread

Here's a snack you can eat while watching football without feeling too guilty! It's roasted eggplant, red pepper, onion, and garlic all blended together - healthy and tasty.

penne with five cheeses

I've been eyeing this recipe for a while, and I finally decided to make it to celebrate my 4 year anniversary of being cancer free! Woohoo! I think Mac was happy with my dinner choice. You have some flexibility in the cheeses you decide to use, but I went with what Ina suggested: pecorino romano (locatelli), fontina, gorgonzola, ricotta, and fresh mozzarella. You can imagine how it tasted, I'm sure.

chicken piccata

I thought I already wrote about this classic recipe, but it turns out this was one of those recipes that I cooked and ate before I remembered to take a picture of it. Oh well! I'm not too upset about making it again!

scallops provencal

This is one the recipes I love so much I just know it by heart. My best friend's mom used to make the best scallops, and even though these aren't the same, I feel like I'm paying homage to her every time I make them. You can make them with sea scallops too, you just cut them smaller. I really prefer the bay scallops, though. It's also great because the recipe serves 2 to 3!

winter squash soup

This was so tasty! It's made with onions, pumpkin puree, and butternut squash. It's even more delightful when you add just a little dollop of creme fraiche and some croutons.

* The smoked salmon deviled eggs recipe is not currently available online. It can be found in the how easy is that? book.

* Winter squash soup is also not currently available online. This recipe can be found in the barefoot in paris book.