Back At It

It has been a busy the last few weeks since I posted the fish dish.  I have been cooking up some stuff but have not had the chance to post them.  Before we get into the food I wanted to throw out encouraging words for those who find themselves lost in the kitchen.  Cooking is an art in which you make mistakes to learn and grow.  The rhythm of cooking great food comes with time and practice.  The more you practice the better the dish will be.  Do not get discouraged when something heads down the drain.  If you ruined dinner make notes and move on.  Go back to the dish at a later time, redo it using  your notes from before, and  you will find that the second execution is closer to perfection.  Have fun with the ingredients in front of you and try to relax.  If you start to tense up and get anxious, turn the burners on low, and walk away for a moment.  Clear your mind and return to the laboratory.  Do not worry if you feel a little insanity while in the kitchen.  You have to be a little mad in order to create.  Food is life.  Have fun with it!


Carrot and mixed green salad with red wine vinaigrette, toasted almonds, apple slices, and baked goat cheese.

Simple, delicious, and healthy!

This dish is simple to make, easy on the wallet, and deliciously healthy.
1.  You can either cut the carrots yourself or buy then precut.  Rinse all the produce before you use them.  Lightly toss the mixed greens in the vinaigrette.  It does not have to be the one we used nor does it have to be homemade.
2.  Lightly toast almond slivers on 350F  until slightly golden.
3.  Take a chunk of cold goat cheese and roll it into a ball.  Cover it with some herb bread crumbs and place under the broiler until golden.  Flip and do the same for the other side.
4.  Slice your favorite apples and serve immediately.


The next scrumptious creation was devoured by teenage kids so I am glad we got a snap shot before the destruction.

This is not my creation.  The delicious morsel you see was made by
 my beautiful wife who still is teaching me patients through baking!
She will have to explain this one.

  

I was a bit sad that my Asian flare has been absent from the menu.  This style of food will always be my first love.  This dish was fiery, packed full of flavor, and hit all the right taste buds.  

Leek flower stir fried noodles

I had fun doing these recipes at work.  The first creation was curried chicken salad in mini philo cups topped with dried apricot.  The second was a fresh tomato, basil bruschetta on crostinis.
  

The next dish is dear to our hearts as it is our version of a dutch classic hutspot that Mandi's grandmother use to make her when she was a kid.  We garnished this with some fresh leek flower to contrast the yellow and orange of the hutspot.