0
0
0
I know it’s been a while 😉 SO we are 30 days and counting… Santa Barbara here we come! And our wedding diet has shifted from basic chicken and (my favorite) cauliflower, to things that are still healthy but might include a little carbs (! I know… haha), like gumbo!
Jamie went to New Orleans for his Bachelor Party (and I asked no questions), except about the food! Which I heard was amazing, and I am super jealous. Continue reading
00
0
After cooking stock for the first time, I will never use store bought stock again 
It was amazing… even though it took 4 hours to cook. Check out my recipe for Shrimp & Andouille Sausage – you’ll love it!
000
Now you may think that jicama is high in carbs, which it is, however half of those are dietary fiber which are good for you, so cut that in half. I guess I would like to think that it is a healthier option than fast food french fries. I was very excited to try this recipe out because I absolutely love french fries and since we started our “wedding diet” I have not been able to enjoy them as often as I would like.
000
The first time I made cauliflower mash for Jamie I tried to fool him into thinking it was mashed potatoes… I put it in front of him and he ate it. Then he looked up at me and said, “Is there something wrong with these potatoes? They taste strange.” Of course, I giggled and explained how they weren’t potatoes, they were cauliflower. Now that we are on our “wedding diet” of no carbs – it’s rather difficult to find sides that are only green vegetables. Cauliflower Mash has become a staple item in our diet. We have a protein and two sides, something green and either cauliflower or lentils (in my case pinto beans).
The first time I made the mash I followed a recipe – and Continue reading
000
If you haven’t cooked with spaghetti squash – you are seriously missing out! It is such a simple process, I was amazed. To cook the squash, all you have to do is cut it in half and drizzle olive oil over each half, and sprinkle salt and pepper. Then place face down onto a baking sheet and cook for about 45 minutes, at 350 degrees. After it has cooked, to check if it is done you can stick a fork in the top of it. If the fork goes through the skin you can remove it from the oven. Then flip it over (put a paper towel in your hand to help with the heat) and use a fork to get the middle out. If cooked correctly it should come out in perfect strands, just like noodles! (see photo below) Continue reading
000
I have always been a salmon lover, Jamie not so much. So when we started dating there wasn’t a lot of salmon cooked. He does like teriyaki sauce – I was determined to make him like salmon. I assumed he had a bad experience with not good salmon, so I was ready to change his mind about one of my favorites. I decided it to pair it with something enticing like teriyaki sauce and throw in an extra bonus – homemade teriyaki sauce. To make a long story short – he loved it! Definitely going to try out another salmon recipe to keep his mind in a positive place about the wonderful pink fish. Continue reading
000
Jamie and I love to watch the cooking competition shows (like Top Chef, Hell’s Kitchen, Chopped, Master Chef) and on one episode of Top Chef, Emeril (a judge at the time) cooked a whole chicken and he rubbed the herbs under the skin. I thought this was so cool and told Jamie that I was going to try it. Then a couple weeks later I was at working thinking about what I was going to cook for dinner and all of a sudden – I knew I had to try it.
I researched different ways that people were stuffing they’re chicken and chicken skin – Beer Can Chicken looked awesome, but that’s a story for another day. I didn’t use a specific recipe – I ended up pulling different things from a couple recipes and making my own version. (always turns out better) On my way home from work I went to the store and bought my first 5lb. chicken and assorted veggies (leeks, potatoes, carrots) to lay in the bottom of the pan. My fiance and I are the only ones in the house, but luckily his business partner was over. I told them I was going to cook a whole chicken and I needed them to eat it. Of course, no problem.
000
It finally came time for me to cook for Jamie. He had cooked for me a couple times and I figured I could return the favor. I wanted to find the most delicious thing to cook and totally knock his socks off.
For Christmas I asked for a 5 quart Dutch Oven (You might know them as the Le Crueset, really expensive ones). Anyways, my mom did a little research and found an even better one at World Market…and its even red! When I finally got it down to LA with me I could not figure out what to do with it other than make soup. I asked my boss, Kate, who you will hear about a lot in this blog, as she is an absolutely fantastic cook and has lots of recipes and tips. She gave me a recipe for Braised Short Ribs and told me it was so easy. I could put it in the oven, go to bed, and 8 hours later I would have the most delicious meal. Well, leave it to me to make it more difficult.