Fish (minus the chips)

From Alton Brown via FoodNetwork



Ingredients:
flour
baking powder
kosher salt
cayenne pepper
Old Bay Seasoning
beer
whitefish
Cornstarch

Comments:
For Ash Wednesday last week I made my second attempt at cooking fish that I wanted to eat. I used the unoffensive pollock as my whitefish choice. I don't even know what Old Bay Seasoning is so I left that out. I also went uber wussy on the cayenne area. The recipe itself is pretty easy. You mix the batter and let it hang out for a bit in the fridge while you cut the fish into portions. Then the fish is dipped in cornstarch, the batter, and dropped into the deep fryer. I had an experience with the first batch completely sticking the basket (at which point I abandoned the basket and just dropped them directly into the oil.) Other than that it went well. And I actually ate them too. Woo!

Chicken Parmesan Subs

From Everyday with Rachael Ray March 2007



Ingredients:
EVOO
garlic
chopped tomatoes
Salt & pepper
crushed red pepper
Oregano
Chicken cutlets
butter
hoagie rolls
mozzarella cheese

Comments:
I'm not sure why these are called "Chicken Parmesan Subs" since there is absolutely no parmesan involved, but whatever. I made a few alterations in the recipe (used diced tomatoes, regular old chicken breasts, butterflied) and managed to burn the edges of the bread while toasting it up. But they still tasted just fine. They're kind of messy to eat but I'd say it's worth it.

Oriental Beef & Broccoli

From Better Homes & Gardens Simple Slow Cooker Recipes



Ingredients:
round steak
carrots
onions
grated ginger
garlic
water
soy sauce
beef gravy mix
broccoli florets
cooked rice

Comments:
This is the first recipe I've tried out of this new cookbook I got. I actually bought this one from the store, not online. Wow. Anyway, it's as simple as crockpot recipes get. Chop veggies, throw them in the pot with meat, cook for 8 hours, the end. It was an interesting blend of flavors. Adam didn't dig it (reminded him of beef stew, which apparently he doesn't like) so I get all the leftovers. Reheated quite well for lunch today.

Strawberries & Cream Angel Food Cake

From my own (limited) imagination



Ingredients:
angel food cake mix
cool whip
strawberries

Comments:
The final piece of the V-Day spectacular. I made the angel food cake and then put it into mini-bundt pans to make individual servings rather than one big cake. I managed to majorly overfill the pans so I ended up with upside-down angel food cake muffin looking things. Oh well. I thawed some cool whip and strawberries, threw them all together in a big dish and voila, instant fancy dessert. Kind of. But really, what's sexier than whipped cream and strawberries?

Glazed Carrots

From Everyday with Rachael Ray March 2007



Ingredients:
baby carrots
white wine
butter
herbs
salt

Comments:
Another part of V-Day's meal. I substituted chicken stock for the wine (for two reasons really: 1) I didn't have any white wine (10 jillion bottles of red, but no white), 2) I don't like the taste a white wine takes on when it's cooked down.) Herb-wise I used some parsley and thyme. They were quite good. Nothing too fancy, but it was still an elegant dish.

Peppered Pineapple-Beef Kebabs

From Everyday with Rachael Ray March 2007



Ingredients:
sirloin steak
EVOO
black pepper
salt
pineapple
sugar
cooking spray

Comments:
I made this as part of the Valentine's Day spread for Adam. It was pretty simple. Just rub the meat the pineapple in an obscene amount of pepper, thread on skewers, and fill the house with smoke by cooking them on a grill pan indoors. They turned out quite well and Adam tells me they even reheat great. Next time I might cut back a bit on the pepper since neither Adam nor I are its greatest fan.

Sprecher's Beer Bread

From The Sprecher Brewery Company



Ingredients:
Sprecher Beer Bread mix
Sprecher beer

Comments:
This is what we're planning to put in a gift bag for our out of town guests at our wedding. It couldn't be easier. But the mix into a bowl, add a bottle of beer (I used their Amber for this batch), stir, put in a loaf pan, and bake for 45 minutes. Delicious. They also make a root beer bread mix that we have yet to try out.

Chicken Pasta

From Everyday with Rachael Ray March 2007



Ingredients:
EVOO
Shredded chicken
frozen peas
chicken broth
garlic
short cut pasta
cayenne pepper
parmesan cheese
salt
butter

Comments:
The name alone should indicate that this recipe was perfect for me. What do I love more in life than chicken or pasta? Together, even better! This recipe was totally simple and similar to something I make using rice rather than noodles. I even put in the cayenne and I did ok. The chicken broth made a nice background taste to the chicken and peas. I had to fight with the cheese since I was getting down to the end of the block (note to self: get more parmesan) but other than that it was relatively painless.