The Chef is Back in the House!

For the first time in several months, I feel like I actually COOKED dinner last night! Why the fanfare you may ask? I cook at least once, sometimes twice a day, but I have stuck to a lot of comfort foods and very basic recipes for the last little bit. I am used to CREATING at least once per week and I just have not been up to that lately. Last night was different and made all the difference for me in really enjoying the meal.

Last night, we had herb and panko crusted tilapia, baked in the oven until crisp and golden brown, alongside which I served a quinoa "pilaf". The fish was good, but the "pilaf" (in quotations for lack of a better word) was where I really let my creativity shine. I started with a basic organic quinoa, which I rinsed (I am still not sure why you have to do that with this grain, but I did it anyway), and then simmered for about 25 minutes until all of the water I added was completely absorbed. While that pot was bubbling away, I put a pan with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil over low heat and added a large clove of garlic that I had minced. I let the garlic brown lightly and perfume the oil, then added one sliced shallot. I turned the heat up slightly and sort of oil braised both the shallots and the garlic together. When they were all soft and golden, I turned the heat off and set the pan aside. Earlier in the afternoon, I had picked our first red bell pepper (almost out of season, but my husband planted it late this year), which I roasted on our stove top until it was blackened and completely soft. I removed the skin and seeds, then chopped it finely and added it to the pan of oil, garlic and shallots. When the quinoa was ready, I added the roasted red bell pepper mixture, a splash of red wine vinegar, freshly ground black pepper and a mixture of sweet green and opal basil (also from our garden). I mixed the entire concoction together and ended up with a really delicious side dish (which also boosted our family's protein intake for the night. Don't know if you knew that about quinoa - it is an ancient grain with a high protein content and a delicious, nutty flavor.) I loved it, my husband loved it, my kids.....were not entirely crazy about it. Oh, well, sometimes you can't please everyone at the table and they did actually try it before declining to eat all of it. (This was mostly my little one; my older daughter was angling for more salad - shocker!- so she finished all that was on her plate.)

I also have big plans for this weekend: today or tomorrow, I am going to try my hand at making marshmallow fondant for a Halloween cake that I am planning for my kids. My older daughter offered to pay me to make a cake for her and, because I thought it was so cute and funny, I posted the conversation on Facebook. My mother saw it, of course, and informed me that, "[I] needed to make that baby a cake." So, that is my goal for tomorrow - a surprise Halloween cake, complete with fun, ghoulish decorations for my babies to enjoy. I am also hoping to try some more new recipes next week - I saw a cooking show yesterday with leek and mushroom turkey meatloaf that sounded really intriguing. (Sounds like it would go well with roasted garlic mashed potatoes, yes?) The weather is changing and with it, my outlook on cooking/creating in the kitchen, hopefully. I am ready for it! Bring on the experimentation!