Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Copy Catting: A friend inspired return to the blog

It's been a while since my last post. And to be frank, it's for good reason. I have been cooking still, but on a slightly more regular basis (and not at the small hours of the night). So, to counteract my absence, I am going to post several things at once.

First, a brief discussion about my absence. On April 5th, I met Joshua Larson. And since then, I have been in a very happy relationship with this wonderful man. That really doesn't explain my absence (I know you are wondering, what were you doing before April 5th, 2012, seeing as your last post was May 5th of 2011?)  Well, I'll tell you briefly. During the summer of 2011, I was in class. During the fall, I was also in class, and I also began seeing clients. In the spring of 2012, I was ... never mind, lets just leave it as unhappy until April. :) 

Now, onto the food. 

One of the better things about being in a relationship, is your cooking time seems to be regularized. I won't give you every single meal I cooked for the past year, because frankly, that would be boring. I am, however, going to highlight some great ones... as soon as my pictures are uploaded.

We start with a Lemon Roasted Chicken. 

This is a recipe from my eldest sister, Stephanie. And, to be quite honest, it is simply AMAZING, and wonderfully simple to prepare. Essentially, it is a whole chicken, salt and pepper, 2 lemons and an herb blend which you can pick up in your local grocery store. I'm not going to post the recipe, but if you are interested, let me know. 

The highlight of this meal, is the fresh, tender, and yet a slight crisp on the chicken's skin which is lemony, and succulent. I added a side of couscous, and a fresh salad to the meal, along with a gravy made from the drippings, and a couple tablespoons of white wine. I was able to do this meal for under $20.00 (including the wine), and Josh and I both agree it is a keeper.  Plus, the left overs make great sandwiches, or can be used in other recipes which require chicken. 

Next up: a Ghiradelli Chocolate Mousse 

Ok, this is pretty simple to describe. Can you picture the most tasty dessert in the world? This is it. If you like chocolate. The mousse has a wonderful texture, and the extra couple dollars for the Ghiradelli chocolate morsels is totally worth it. I spent about $15.00 for ingredients, but made it last, by cutting the recipe down from 8 to 4. I made it twice over the next two weeks, once for Josh's birthday, and then again for a special couple's treat the next week. You can find this recipe at AllRecipes.com. (I hope you're going there NOW.)


Finally, Avocado Eggs in a Basket ... 

Josh and I were inspired by The Next Iron Chef and decided to try our own version of one of their meals.  This picture is a little difficult to decipher, but the only thing you need to know is, it was worth it. Since I feel I have changed a good 30% of this recipe from Food Network's version, and since I didn't really use a recipe, I will give you one of my own. 

This is for 2 people:

2 avocados, pitted, and sliced horizontally so that the pit hole is visible (the "basket")
4 eggs
Seasonings to taste (I put lots of garlic on Josh's, and I seasoned my own with some cayenne). 
Cheese of choice (optional) 

Heat the oven to 325. Drizzle an oven safe pan with about a tablespoon of olive oil.  Place avocado slices in a large, oven safe pan. Delicately, crack the eggs into the pan, so that the yoke sits in the avocado pit's hole (the "basket"). Season eggs. If desired, add cheese. Place in oven until eggs are to desired setness (ours were in for about 10-15 minutes). 

Well, that just about brings you up-to-date, and has showcased a small amount of my adventures in cooking. 

Until later, 
The Small Hour Cook

3 comments:

  1. Is it horrifying to crave lemony chicken and chocolate at the same time? Because HOLY COW. These things look amazing. Keep blogging, boy! Maybe you'll inspire me to cook:)

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  2. No, not horrible! Hopefully you wouldn't EAT them at the same time... Maybe you could prepare a nice dinner for yourself and the little one. Although, just beware, that the Mousse has an extra kick I forgot to mention: Coffee.

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  3. So glad you've been inspired to recount your(/our) culinary tales once again!

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