It's been a while since I've given the "gadget wall" at Bed Bath & Beyond a good once-over.
My friend Jessica and I wandered through the store Saturday looking for a laundry drying rack, a hair turban and something useful for housing my bathroom counter knick-knacks.
Showing posts with label kitchen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kitchen. Show all posts
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Zucchini with a hint of Rachael Ray
I tried a new recipe, one given to me by my friend Kickingitwithmycrohnies via text message.
It went like this:
Yum, indeed!
My friend is super smart with food and recipes. As evident by her text, she's kind of a ninja at winging it in the kitchen. And as evident by the title of her blog, she's kind of had to be. I can't imagine a Crohn's diagnosis and the kind of guts it takes to fight every day. Yeah, I made a Crohn's joke. She will laugh.
So armed with her best explanation, I winged it and came up with a dinner for one that was pretty great! I under-seasoned which was a rookie mistake. Lesson learned.
Dining solo isn't my favorite thing. In 2007 I moved (back) to Louisiana, my home state and ate alone often. I truly believe it does something to your spirit to eat alone too much. And I think other people can tell. In a completely unsolicited (I swear!) moment, a friend said to me, "You've eaten too many meals alone lately."
It's also never a good sign when the woman in the Whataburger drive-thru recognizes you and lauds you as one of her favorite customers. That's when you know it's time to find a dinner date.
I didn't grow up in a house where I was taught to cook, much less wing it. Whenever my dad prepared his amazing meals, I just sat on the counter and talked his ear off, too wrapped up in my own gossip to bother learning any of the things he was doing. I did learn that he does one heck of a Julia Child impression.
So in my 30's I can't even credit my own dad with teaching me how to cook. All my thanks goes to Rachael Ray and the gang over at Food Network, without whom I might have no idea how to hollow out zucchini.
Here's how I did it:
***Mine weren't browning as much as I'd like, so I kicked on the broiler and let that do the work for about two minutes. I also served with a tiny scoop of sour cream on the side for extra sass!
Bon Apetit!
Also, if you're a Rachael Ray fan like I am, check out this Wall Street Journal article for a look inside her actual kitchen! And PS, her cabinets are almost the same color as mine!
It went like this:
Yum, indeed!
My friend is super smart with food and recipes. As evident by her text, she's kind of a ninja at winging it in the kitchen. And as evident by the title of her blog, she's kind of had to be. I can't imagine a Crohn's diagnosis and the kind of guts it takes to fight every day. Yeah, I made a Crohn's joke. She will laugh.
So armed with her best explanation, I winged it and came up with a dinner for one that was pretty great! I under-seasoned which was a rookie mistake. Lesson learned.
Dining solo isn't my favorite thing. In 2007 I moved (back) to Louisiana, my home state and ate alone often. I truly believe it does something to your spirit to eat alone too much. And I think other people can tell. In a completely unsolicited (I swear!) moment, a friend said to me, "You've eaten too many meals alone lately."
It's also never a good sign when the woman in the Whataburger drive-thru recognizes you and lauds you as one of her favorite customers. That's when you know it's time to find a dinner date.
I didn't grow up in a house where I was taught to cook, much less wing it. Whenever my dad prepared his amazing meals, I just sat on the counter and talked his ear off, too wrapped up in my own gossip to bother learning any of the things he was doing. I did learn that he does one heck of a Julia Child impression.
So in my 30's I can't even credit my own dad with teaching me how to cook. All my thanks goes to Rachael Ray and the gang over at Food Network, without whom I might have no idea how to hollow out zucchini.
Here's how I did it:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- Saute half an onion and one clove of garlic until onions are translucent
- Add 3/4 lb of ground beef and brown (salt and pepper to taste)
- Remove from heat and drain
- While mixture cools enough to handle, slice two zucchini in half
- Hollow out with a spoon, removing the flesh and seeds
- Mix half a cup of sour cream and half a cup of shredded cheddar into the meat mixture until it is a consistency you like (test for seasoning!)
- Spoon into the zucchini and sprinkle with breadcrumbs (and extra cheese if you'd like)
- Bake filled zucchini for 20 minutes
***Mine weren't browning as much as I'd like, so I kicked on the broiler and let that do the work for about two minutes. I also served with a tiny scoop of sour cream on the side for extra sass!
Bon Apetit!
Also, if you're a Rachael Ray fan like I am, check out this Wall Street Journal article for a look inside her actual kitchen! And PS, her cabinets are almost the same color as mine!
