Being a quarter Italian--although, if you ask my Grandma, I'm all Italian--homemade dishes like pasta, meatballs, and the Italian Easter Pie were staples I grew up with. While I had pasta with meat or marina sauce down, I had yet to attempt meatballs.
I figured meatballs would be on the simpler side of my culinary adventure and with a little help from my mother, I finally dove in--hands first. I didn't use an actual recipe; I just went by what my mom told me to put in them.
After mixing the meat, I formed my meatballs using a dough scoop and arranged them on my industrial-sized baking sheet. I popped them in the oven and then started on my homemade sauce.
In the past, I'd always used a packaged spice mixture. My grandfather always used it when I was growing up and I love the flavor it gives. However, I have been out of it for a while and haven't ordered more--as you must order it online now because it's no longer available in the store. So, I've learned to make my own marinara sauce with a unique blend of Italian spices. I'm still perfecting it, but it's getting there.
Once the meatballs were baked, I added them to my pot of sauce and then cooked them for about an hour to infuse the flavors.
I served them on hoagie rolls with some potato chips and it was a family favorite--as 35 or so meatballs were gone in one sitting!!!
Citrus Chicken and Vegetables was the first new recipe I decided to try. It came from The Pillsbury Cookbook, which belongs to my mother and has been in my family since the 1980s--although I think I'm the first one in our family to use it for something other than baking.
The recipe calls for fresh green beans--or haricot vert--julienne-cut carrots, zucchini, flour ,sesame seeds, salt, pepper, chicken breast, butter, orange juice, lemon juice, rosemary and fresh parsley. The julienne-cut carrots gave me a little moment of panic, as I had no idea what that meant. Thanks to today's technology, I simply looked up how to julienne carrots on YouTube--see below.
Once I had a general idea of what I was doing, I went to the grocery store and got my ingredients. I'm going to do a little plug here for my local grocery store Weis Markets. Living in a rural town, I don't have access to a Whole Foods or a lot of exotic produce, but Weis tends to carry fresh fruits and vegetables of good quality, fresh fish and meats and a good selection of other products. I love the staff who work there and make my shopping experience enjoyable. I also love my guys in the meat department who not only get me what I need, but help me learn what cuts will be good for what I'm attempting to make. Okay, enough about my great grocery store...
I am not a fan of how recipes are laid out in cookbooks because a lot of times it's misleading as to what you should do first. So, I take the advice of many chefs on television and get everything prepared ahead of time. I started with the julienne-cut carrots and then the haricot vert, and then the zucchini. One they were all cut, I then cleaned and cut the chicken--I cannot stand fat or those thin veins that run through chicken breast, so I typically "clean" them up when I get them. I'd also like to make a note that I chose to use chicken tenderloins instead of a full breast. Knowing I had to cut them into bite-sized pieces, it was much easier using the tenderloins and they cooked much quicker.
Once all of my ingredients were prepared, I began the process of cooking. I started a cup of white rice in medium size saucepan. In another saucepan, I boiled my carrots and haricot vert and added the zucchini after about 15 minutes. After coating the chicken with flour and sesame seeds, I placed it in a skilled with butter and cooked until done and lightly brown.
At this point, the recipe directs me to "cool down the skillet" and then add the orange and lemon juices and bring to a boil. I'm not sure if I used too large of a skillet or if it was too high on heat, but the moment I put the juice in the pan it began to sizzle. So, instead, I quickly added the vegetables and the chicken and added more orange juice. I sprinkled with rosemary, covered and simmered for a good 15-20 minutes making sure the juice cooked down into a glaze.
I plated my rice first and then topped that with my chicken and vegetables. I sprinkled the fresh parsley on top. I served with a glass of red wine--okay, I don't drink alcohol, so it's grape juice, which still has the same health benefits of wine.
Overall, I'd say the recipe was easy enough for a beginner, but challenging enough to feel accomplished after making it. It was also very tasty and I had enough left over for dinner the next day. It kept well in the refrigerator and the vegetables didn't get too soggy. I've actually made this recipe twice because it's so quick and easy and full of healthy yumminess.
Throughout my childhood and adolescence, learning to cook was never a top priority to me. As a youngster, I didn't care much for my grandmother's Italian cooking and as a teen and young adult, I preferred fast food, take out and dining in restaurants to cooking and doing dishes. However, after an unexplained gastrointestinal issue (which I'm still figuring out), I was put on a bland diet--which meant lean meats, vegetables and fruits, white bread and pasta. It also meant no more fried foods, no cheese, no dairy, no desserts, and no more eating out--at least for a while. And that's when cooking became a necessity and eventually a new passion.
Hand-decorated cookies for Christmas.
Over the holidays, I had rekindled my love for baking. When I was younger, I used to bake a lot. I love sweets and I loved decorating cakes. However, as I got older, I avoided the kitchen as much as possible with the excuse that it was too much work or that it was easier to just buy it. This year was different. I made sugar cookie cut-outs, hand decorated with paint brushes and royal icing. I made peanut butter blossoms and chocolate chip cookies--with and without espresso. My coworkers loved my cookies, asking me weekly if I brought any more in.
So, while the fire was lit in the kitchen, it still hadn't converged into meal preparation. Then I went out to dinner one night with my mom and woke up the next day feeling awful with no appetite. I didn't eat for four days and eventually went to a doctor. He thought it was acid reflux or my gallbladder. It was neither. Instead of going through numerous tests, I decided to try some self-diagnosis and treatment and started taking a pro-biotic each morning, continuing on a blander diet, and cutting out many of the foods I used to eat. So, far, things have been going well--except when I eat something that my digestive system doesn't like.
Having only a few skills in the kitchen, I realized I needed to expand my culinary expertise and learn to prepare new foods and meals. With my Pillsbury Cookbook in hand, I started looking through the recipes. Many seemed simple and easy and I decided to try them. I learned new skills including julienne cuts, using a hand-held lemon squeezer, and how to use salt--I have a horrible pallet and often under-salt, under-season my food.
I decided after taking photos of my culinary adventures to turn it into a blog. I figured there are more people out there like me who are new to cooking and who are looking for simple, yet challenging, recipes for delicious foods that are healthy and tasteful. While I do cook with butter and oil, I do not overuse either. I have lost 26 lbs. in two months (I lost 11 in the four days I didn't eat) and I am feeling great. I'm no longer sluggish and tired, I no longer get headaches from lack of sugar or caffeine, and I know exactly what is in the foods I eat. I do go out to dinner with friends and family once in a while, but not like I used to. My friends and family are also great about choosing restaurants where I can get foods that won't upset my stomach--although I wish more restaurants carried grape juice, as I drink it with my meals to help in the digestion process.
So, I hope you enjoy my blog and please, feel free to comment or email if you have any questions or would like any recipes.
In the past, I'd always used a packaged spice mixture. My grandfather always used it when I was growing up and I love the flavor it gives. However, I have been out of it for a while and haven't ordered more--as you must order it online now because it's no longer available in the store. So, I've learned to make my own marinara sauce with a unique blend of Italian spices. I'm still perfecting it, but it's getting there.
