Tastes Like Chicken

All I can say is this: yum! Below is a picture of the remnants of my dinner - seasoned steak fries and "gator bites" from a local eatery called Bayou Hot Wings. I placed my order and received the golden crispy pieces of amazing within ten minutes time.

Delicious.

Now if only I had some more...  

*Headdesk*

As you all can tell, that plan to post something "in the near future" went very well, eh? I've been pretty busy with spring semester classes and also haven't been able to think of anything tasty (and practical) to make in a college dorm kitchen.

Any suggestions?

Furthermore, I miss my birds terribly. It was great getting to see and play with them for an entire month! Their personalities are basically unchanged: Bacci is still a glutton for food, and Ciri continues to harbor a great distain for humans. Gotta love them though. Oh! I completely forgot to clip Bacci's near dragon-like nails while I was home, so I MUST remember to do so when I go back for spring break! 

A late Merry Christmas

A belated "Merry Christmas" to all.


But oh wow, it really has been a while since I last posted!  I promise though, there will be something new up on the blog in the very near future. ;)

Potato Soup

I made this little concoction a few weeks ago.  What went into that bowl of deliciousness before you is a straight forward mixture of onions, garlic, celery, potatoes, chicken broth (or stock), bay leaf, salt & pepper, and olive oil.  Oh, and if you want, a splash of milk or cream! (I didn't use any).  I don't have the exact measurements of what I used - in fact, I never measure ingredients when I cook, but the process is fairly simple.

It's Been Awhile

Wow.  Nearly two months have gone by since I've posted anything.  I still cook regularly here at college - mostly tasty, but generally not picture worthy.  Perhaps in a day or two once I'm home I'll cook up something and put it up on the blog.

From Scratch

So I've officially made my first from-scratch dish while at college.  What did I make?

Hm... Let's see...

Well, it involved a whole-lotta tomatoes!

So what was it?  Soup?  Salsa?  Something else?

..................

Tomato sauce!

*doh* I just realized that I never took a picture of the finished product (as in arranged nicely on a plate).  There were also green beans in a lemon-butter sauce and a salad of micro greens (arugula and mustard greens) with a tomato/honey mustard dressing, neither of which I have pictures of.  Oh well.  All I can say is "please imagine some pictures of the aforementioned items."

Ingredients:

    (Sauce)

• 5 cups fresh (or canned) tomatoes
• 1/3 fresh basil (julienned)
• 1 tbsp. salt
• 1 1/2 tbsp. thyme
• 3-4 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 (or more/less to taste) red chili flakes
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 box pasta (any kind)

-----X-----

    (Beans)

• 1/2 lb. green beans 
• 2-3 tbsp. (or thereabouts) butter
• 2 tsp. thyme
• juice of 1 small-medium lemon
• salt to taste   

-----X-----

    (Salad)

• 2 1/2 cups assorted micro greens (any kind)
• 1/4 tomatoes (*fresh) - diced or minced
• dressing of choice

Directions:

    (Sauce)

1. Bring oil to temperature (high heat) in a good sized soup pot or sauce pan.
2. Cut tomatoes (if using fresh) into thin slices.  Add them to the hot oil.
3. Let tomatoes sauté on their own for about 10 minutes, or until it starts to look like the beginning of a chunky tomato soup - whichever comes first.
4. Add salt, red chili flakes, thyme, and basil.  Mix well.
5. Reduce heat to medium, and allow sauce to simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally (it usually takes me about 45 minutes).
6. After sauce has simmered, add cheese.
7. **Somewhere towards the end of step #5, begin to cook the pasta.

-----X-----

    (Beans)

1. Trim the ends off of your green beans, and boil them in salted water until they reach a vibrant green color.
2. Drain water (as much as possible) from beans, and return to pot.
3. Add butter, lemon juice, thyme, and salt to the green beans, and cook for approximately 2-3 minutes on medium heat.

-----X-----

    (Salad)

     ***self-explanatory :)

Moved In

*big sigh of relief*   I'm finally done moving into my dorm!  My roommate's pretty nice, and we get along well, so there really isn't much else to worry about aside from doing well in (and actually finding) my classes.  I had originally planned on doing some cooking - maybe once or twice a week - but after seeing the kitchen... HECK NO!  I'll don't have a picture, but it's well... interesting.  I can deal with old/outdated and somewhat malfunctioning equipment, but I do need some space.  So it goes without saying - I'll be doing a bunch of cooking from my microwave.