Visual Inspiration

Ever since I started this blog I have gotten into the habit of taking pictures of almost everything I cook and/or eat. Unfortunately, I don't have enough time to write a blog about everything I cook. As I was looking through some pictures today, I realized I had photographed a lot of meals recently that might be worth sharing. (I also realized I desperately need a new camera!) So this became more of a visual post. All of these recipes are simple and require few ingredients. Maybe this will inspire you to cook something pretty (and inspire me to take better pictures??)

Grilled Citrus Chicken in lettuce wraps with avocado and mango salsa

Steamed salmon with Rosemary and a side salad made of spinach, beets, artichokes, goat cheese and balsamic vinegar. All of these foods are very good for your liver!! 

 Edamame lomein with carrots, red pepper and sesame seeds. So delicious, easy and inexpensive!

 

  

This meal was grilled BBQ chicken pizza with a blue cheese side salad. I got a little adventurous and mixed some hot sauce with some balsamic vinegar dressing to toss the lettuce in. It ended up being pretty good!

Cajun tilapia with okra and baby tomatoes from the farmers market!! So simple, yet so good!

Happy Eating!

Summer Pastas

It seems like the summer is just flying by! I love this time of year, but we always stay so busy it goes by too fast. Between the vacations, weddings, showers, cookouts and other parties, I like to go to the farmers markets and then make up a meal with whatever looks good that day. One easy thing to do is mix some fresh veggies with fresh herbs and pasta. Here are a few pastas I made this summer that I think are worth sharing:

Eggplant Ragu
- Eggplant, peeled and cut into cubes
- tomatoes, chopped
- black olives, sliced
- dried thyme or oregano
- salt and pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- fresh basil leaves torn
- about 8 oz. angel hair pasta
- cheese for topping
Begin by sauteing the garlic in 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the eggplant and cook for another two minutes.Add in tomatoes, olives, dried herbs, salt and pepper. Cook for another few minutes, until the eggplant is soft.  Meanwhile, cook the pasta to al dente. Just before serving, stir the torn basil leaves into the ragu. Place the ragu on top of the pasta and top with cheese if desired (I went with parmesan here).

Shrimp and white wine pasta
- 2 tbsp butter
- about a pound of peeled, deveined shrimp
- 2 colves garlic, minced
- green bell pepper, cut into chunks
- crimini mushrooms, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- about 8 oz cooked spaghetti (I used whole grain)
- fresh dill
- cheese for topping
Start by sauteing the garlic in the butter. After a minute, add in the bell pepper and mushrooms. Turn up the heat and pour about a 1/4 c white wine into the pan. Add the shrimp and cook for about 2 minutes per side or until pink. Stir in the salt and pepper and fresh dill. Top cooked noodles with shrimp and veggie mixture. Top with shredded cheese (I used romano for this dish).

Happy Eating!