August 2013 – Page 2 – Loving Food, Fashion, & Life

Pirate Pasta

Posted on August 23, 2013 by LFFL

Made with penne rigate pasta, olive oil, fresh cremini mushrooms, garlic cloves, tuna, capers, olives, chicken broth, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, fresh basil, Pecorino Romano cheese, and salt & pepper.

This was a good tuna pasta, but I have no idea why it’s called Pirate Pasta. I can only assume it’s something pirates might eat, but what do I know? It’s been a while since I’ve been pirating on the high seas.

Recipe for—Pirate Pasta

So, if you have nothing else to do today, make this lovely pasta dish and share it with the pirates you know in your area.

Take-Away Life Lesson: If you don’t want the tuna to get lost amongst all the pasta and other ingredients, add yourself an extra can or two for your liking so you can really get down with that tuna flavor.

Halibut With Artichoke & Olive Caponata

Posted on August 22, 2013 by LFFL

Artichoke & Olive Caponata made with red onion, celery, artichokes, capers, kalamata olives, tomatoes, raisins, red wine vinegar, olive oil, sugar, and salt & pepper.

This was new and different. I can’t say there was anything fascinating about it, but it was good. It gave the fish a little kick. It doesn’t have a home in my recipe book though so I probably won’t be making it again.

Halibut fillet seasoned with olive oil, salt & pepper; topped with artichoke & olive caponata and parsley; served with corn and spinach.

Recipe for—Halibut with Artichoke & Olive Caponata

So, if you have nothing else to do today, try making a fancy topping for your fish fillet.

Take-Away Life Lesson: Anything with fish is better than eating a plain fish.

Goat Cheese, Lentil & Brown Rice Rolls

Posted on August 21, 2013 by LFFL

I have never bought or used Swiss chard leaves in my life—so this was a first. THAT alone was an experiment for me in and of itself.

Have you ever tasted chard?! Blech!

Made with Swiss chard leaves, cooked lentils, short grain brown rice, goat cheese, fresh chopped garlic, baby arugula, fresh chopped mint, olive oil, and salt & pepper; topped with marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese.

Once the product was actually finished, it was surprisingly edible. The sauce and cheese really helped GREATLY with the Swiss chard taste that’s for sure! I’d definitely make this again and it’s great for vegetarians.

Recipe for—Goat Cheese, Lentil & Brown Rice Rolls

So, if you have nothing else to do today, get to know a Swiss chard leaf. They’re definitely healthy and good for you, but—BLECH!

Take-Away Life Lesson: Make sure to doctor up your Swiss chard leaves so it leaves you with pleasant tastes and after thoughts.

Agave BBQ Chicken

Posted on August 20, 2013 by LFFL

Sauce made with olive oil, onions, fresh garlic, tomato sauce, agave syrup, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and salt & pepper.

I have to say this was my first time making my very own sauce. The reason I probably had so much fun making it is because it was so interesting to me that I wasn’t using an actual BOTTLE of sauce from the store for the first time ever.

Skinless, boneless chicken breasts covered in sauce.

I used a recipe from the Dr. Oz show but I only made the chicken part of it—not the ribs. It was one of the simplest things I could have made.

Recipe for—Agave BBQ Chicken & Ribs

So, if you have nothing else to do today, try making your own sauces from scratch. Give it a whirl.

Take-Away Life Lesson: Some homemade sauces actually taste much better than store-bought.

Fusilli With Pecorino Romano & Black Pepper

Posted on August 18, 2013 by LFFL

Made with organic durum wheat fusilli pasta, chopped baby spinach, mascarpone cheese, Pecorino Romano cheese, olive oil, fresh chopped garlic, salt & pepper, and seasoned baked chicken breast.

After I read this recipe, I decide I was going to add some seasoned diced chicken to it. I really felt like it was missing something—and I was right!

This was a perfect meal with the chicken added to it.

Recipe for—Fusilli with Pecorino Romano & Black Pepper

So, if you have nothing else to do today, try making yourself a great pasta dish such as this.

Take-Away Life Lesson: If you feel a recipe could benefit from another ingredient, don’t be afraid to experiment with it. Life is a fabulous journey to learning new things!

Mascarpone & Lemon Gnocchi

Posted on August 17, 2013 by LFFL

Made with mascarpone cheese, eggs, lemon zest, Parmesan cheese, flour, nutmeg, and salt; cooked in olive oil, salt, and fresh chopped basil; topped with Parmesan cheese.

The only thing I can say about this dish is NO HOW, NO WAY! I was thoroughly disappointed.

Even though I followed the directions to the letter, this tasted AWFUL! I ate half of one of these and threw the rest in the trash.

You’re more than welcome to try making this yourself—maybe you’ll actually like it. But I, personally, threw the recipe away never to be made again.

Recipe for—Mascarpone & Lemon Gnocchi

So, if you have nothing else to do today, make a GREAT effort NOT to make this recipe. Just save yourself already. Find something else to make, for Pete’s sake.

Take-Away Life Lesson: It’s always fun experimenting with different recipes, but some things are just not made to have a permanent home in your recipe book.

Well, I Lost My Appetite This Morning

Posted on August 11, 2013 by LFFL

Well, my day’s off to a fine start……….look at that delicious, delectable Belgium waffle I got at my hometown diner! I mean, I couldn’t ask for anything more—melted whipped butter and hot maple syrup all on a golden brown Belgium Waffle. Mmmmmmmm.

Well, NOT SO FAST! Apparently, AFTER I had already taken this waffle home (since I got it to-go), microwaved it, and eaten half of it—Herman, the waffle bug, made an appearance in my face and had apparently been cooked into it on the backside at the diner before it was even given to me!!

At this rate, I’m going to lose even more weight—which I can’t afford to do.

Yeah, now that I think about it, I do distinctly remember asking for a ‘side of BUG’ with my waffle. HOW DOES THIS EVEN HAPPEN!!!!!! Gross! Yeah, just click on that picture there so you can get a much better shot of it IN YOUR FACE like I did—legs and all!!!

Thank GOODNESS, as I cut the next bite, I had turned the fork over because that sucker was headed right for my mouth. I initially thought it was a crispy burnt piece and was going to eat it anyway.

But something told me to do some further investigating. So I took my fork out of the waffle and proceeded to move the ‘black spot’ with my fork. Oh, my—EWWWWWW!!!

Upon further inspection, there were obvious legs protruding from a rock hard body that had been cooked to death. This was clearly a homicide. Now my waffle has become a murder scene.

WHY CAN’T I HAVE A SIMPLE MORNING EATING A WAFFLE IN PEACE?!!

So, if you have nothing else to do today, inspect every black spot you see in your food before eating it. Never assume it’s just pepper, a black bean, or a crispy burnt piece of the food. Better to assume it’s a crispy, burnt bug and save yourself!

Take-Away Life Lesson: Never assume there’s NOT a herd of dead bugs on the backside of your waffle just because the front of it is bugless.