Lemon Caper Cod

-with roasted broccoli and potatoes, parmesan cheese, and lemon vinaigrette

Time for that fish I was yammering about! I told you guys I finally got it right 😃

Fish is not something that's usually hard for me. Maybe it's because I usually cook it on the grill? Or deep fry it? I don't know what happened before that I usually never have it sticking to that pan, but for this dish, the fish kept sticking. I do have a tendency towards beginner's luck which could explain my past successes. And when you have to tend to be fortunate the first time, you don't learn the chemistry. So, for anyone having problems with sticky fish, here's my tips-

25 Seafood Recipes

Time for a round-up!

I haven't posted a round-up since September, so it's definitely time. And this has to be one of my favorites because seafood? I would eat it at EVERY meal if I could. Seriously! But there's another reason I'm posting a round-up today-

I've spent the last 2 days in the kitchen, up to my ears in potato parts and banging my head against the counter. What's going on? Gnocchi, that's what. I've been trying my hand at homemade gnocchi. You know, those little Italian potato dumplings that are like little clouds of dreaminess? It has not been going well. It turns out there are lots of mistakes to be made while attempting gnocchi. So far, I've had gnocchi that fell apart in the pot, I've had mushy little balls with a texture that can only be compared to snot, and finally, I had a dough that came apart at the seems. 

25 Rice Recipes

Rice. I love rice. It's a simple, affordable, and versatile grain product that's very familiar to most Americans. You can fry it, and come up with fried rice or even pan-fried rice cakes. You can bake it inside stuffed peppers, or casseroles loaded with veggies. You can serve it with a saucy stir fry with the sole intention of using it to soak up that sauce. One of my favorite ways to eat rice? In a bowl with a little soy sauce drizzled over it. Simple. Yet delicious. I credit rice with helping our budget when we first moved to Kentucky. Due to its low price, I added rice to a ton of dishes and served it often in our first years in the bluegrass state. We still eat a lot of it, even though things are much different these days. I wish I could get the hubby to enjoy brown rice, but you can't win all the battles :-)

Shrimp Pad Thai

It's the first recipe post of 2016! Yahoo!

You guys. Do you know how many Asian recipes I posted last year? 

This is embarrassing...

It was 2. Yep, you read that right. A Ginger-Soy Glazed Mahi Mahi in January of last year and a Shrimp and Broccoli Lo Mein in March. This is just crazy to me. When I was first learning to cook, Asian was my mainstay. But last year was a bonafide melee of Mexican and Italian. That just has to change. 

25 Pasta Recipes

Hey-o!

Happy Day-After Christmas folks! Did everyone have a great holiday with lots of friends and family? We sure did! Due to the holiday festivities yesterday, there was little time for blogging. The hubby and I have been go, go, GO! for the last couple of days. I'm definitely feeling it, and am ready for life to slow down just a bit. We've got our niece and nephew staying the night with us tonight, but come Monday, I should have some alone time. We aren't even planning anything for New Year's Eve, thank goodness. At the top of the list of my least favorite holidays you would have New Year's Eve. I'm always so-done with the holidays and usually 5 lbs overweight by the time it rolls around. This year, we are staying in. The more you progress into your 30's, the less you care about going out. Missing out on something. Not being in the pictures the next day. All the things that mattered so much in your 20's? Eh. I take em' or leave em' now.

Creamy Bacon Broccoli and Brie Pasta

This is really mac and cheese in disguise. A grown-up mac and cheese, if you will. Tender pasta tossed in a creamy cheese sauce flavored by brie, all mixed in with crispy bacon and bright green broccoli. The hubby and I went nuts over this, truly we ate more than we should have.  I couldn't believe when I discovered we (the two of us!) ate almost a whole skillet of that wonderful brie-coated pasta. 

Little piggies, I tell you.

Broccoli and Red Pepper Chicken Stir-fry

Happy Tuesday! 

I usually try to post on Mondays, however, yesterday was a tad cray-cray. I felt like I was going from the moment I woke up. I basically woke up, shotgunned 3 coffees, watered the garden, fed the birds, gathered all the house laundry to start, cleaned out the fridge, ran the dishwasher, headed out to the grocery store, and then the feed store. Came home, mowed the lawn, finished the laundry, took a shower, and...

Collapsed.

25 Deliciously Cheesy Recipes

You guys.

We are less than 24 hours away from the hubby and I hitting the road to go pick up our little man. To say I'm excited would be an understatement of mammoth proportions. I'm counting down the minutes till it's 8 am here, and I can call the puppy's foster mother to finalize our arrangements. Not that it will help. My brain is all like, "Puppy, puppy, puppy, puppy, puppy... Is it time to leave yet? No? Puppy, puppy, puppy, puppy..."

Shrimp and Broccoli Lo Mein

Oh, hello Monday. 

I can't believe we are at the start of another week. I can't believe it's the end of March already. 2015 is, in my opinion, flying by. I'm behind on my reading, my running, you name it, I'm behind on it. Between the avalanches of snow we've received in our area, the inexplicable customer service nightmare that was getting a new transmission for my car, and this unpleasant tweak to my back, I've never gotten back to my routine post-holidays. And by routine, I mean normal, consistent exercise. For the mind, as well as the body. Now that I know the vacuum is at least a trigger for my back injury, I'll be avoiding that this month. I'm hoping April will be all about getting back to normal. 

25 Easy Chicken Recipes

Happy Friday! Happy March Madness! 

The NCAA tournament has been going as planned for the hubby, with Kentucky chugging right along. My bracket is looking awfully precarious, though I do have Kentucky winning it all. As long as Kentucky can keep on winning, I'm still in it. But barely, and by the skin of my teeth. I'm in 4th place in the family pool. Out of 5. I guess you can't win em' all.

Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice Casserole

Time for a revamp on a classic recipe!

I'm pretty sure it's a requirement as a cook/chef to have your very own recipe for Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice Casserole. It's a classic for a reason. Those flavors that always seem to gel perfectly together. Crunchy, crisp broccoli. Creamy rice. Savory chicken. All married together with cheesy, savory sauce. Ooh child, it doesn't get much better than this. 

Broccoli Rigatoni

This dish is a lesson in simplicity folks.

There isn't much to this recipe. Olive oil, crushed red pepper, garlic, broccoli, pasta, and parmesan cheese. That's it. That's all you need. Somehow, someway this dish never fails to come together and send me into pasta overdrive.