Lemon Meringue Pie

I really wanted to try making a lemon meringue pie for my mom when she came back from Italy this summer. It was an interesting endeavour to say the least. I had baked the pie crust but then I realized that it wouldn't be big enough to hold the lemon filling so I changed the pan, which lead to crust going into the filling (which was good at least). Once I poured in the filling, I realized that it wouldn't be big enough. I had to build up the sides of the pan to hold the meringue. After freaking out and hoping that everything didn't fall over while cooking, the pie came out of the oven looking lovely. There were a few things I have to change for the next time though. I need to add some more thickener to the filling because it was a little liquidy. I will also cut the sugar a little bit. Besides the horrible presentation, the pie was well accepted, which made it worth it.

Verdict: It was good, I need to make some changes, and definitely use the right size pan. 

Tomato Risotto

This was an interesting endeavor. It was an extremely last minute supper idea that came to me when I noticed I hadn't made any rice dishes in a while. I didn't use a recipe and I can't exactly remember what I put in it, but it tasted amazing! (Now if only I could remember what I put in it) I'm pretty sure I used rice, tomatoes, Tex-Mex cheese, green and red pepper, some pepper and maybe some paprika or chili pepper flakes. This dish is a prime example of why you should write down what you put into a recipe if you like how it tastes.

Verdict: I will somehow figure out how to remake this dish. Hopefully.

I Really Need to Stop Leaving!

So sorry about that. I've been up and about doing crazy things and I just haven't had a chance to post anything. The good news is there is tons to post! From a vegetarian dinner party to a failed lemon meringue pie, I have loads of pictures and recipes to show you guys!

Stay Tuned!

Green Smoothie

I got home after dance one day and I really wanted to make a smoothie since we just bought a Magic Bullet (if you don't have one of these, go get one. It's awesome and useful). I was looking around my recipe folder and I found one for a green smoothie. I didn't have all the ingredients I needed (when do I ever?) so I winged it. I added vanilla yogurt with spinach and prickly pears. Since I chose a fruit that doesn't have a super overpowering flavor, I really tasted the spinach. I love spinach, but tasting it in a smoothie is kind of weird. It was okay, but definitely can be improved. Next time I think I'll stick to the recipe.

Verdict: Only mix spinach in a smoothie with a fruit that has a lot of flavor.

Cottage Cheese and It's Preparations

When I was starting off almost 8 months ago (I know crazy right?), someone told me a great way to get protein in my diet was cottage cheese. Now your reaction is probably exactly the same as mine was then, "Cottage cheese?!? But it's lumpy and gross!" I gave it a try anyways. At first I couldn't have it just plain, so I would add some granola. Then one day I had this wonderful idea of putting cinnamon in it and fell in love (sorta). It was really good. That with blueberries on top, even better. I recently tried eating it plain and now that I'm used to the taste and texture I find that it goes well on it's own too! I topped it with strawberries and peaches and decided it was time to make a post about it (mind you not before taking a few bites).

Now I'm not trying to tell you that every single brand of cottage cheese is good. I've tried a bunch and Sealtest tends to always make the top of my list. It has bigger chucks and is far less liquidy than others.

Verdict: Great for adding some protein to your diet (15g of protein per 1/2 cup).

Oreo Cupcakes

What is better than cookies ... I mean cupcakes? (or do I?) The answer is cookie cupcakes!!!! That's right! Not only are these cupcakes, well cupcakes, but they are also cookies. Even the icing has cookies in it! 

I found this recipe awhile ago, but I didn't have anything to make it for. Tomorrow (technically today) I'm going to a picnic and thought I would bring along some of these awesome treats for people to enjoy. Basically it is a homemade chocolate cake with an Oreo cookie at the bottom, topped with a simple whipped cream icing with Oreo crumbs mixed in. 

The cake recipe called for strong coffee, but like the Italian I am I decided that strong coffee meant espresso, so the cake part tastes a little more like coffee than like chocolate. Yet I find it accents the chocolate cookie that is at the bottom and it balances the sweetness of the icing. Surprising, that was the only alteration to the recipe that I made. Next time though, I have to remember to crush the cookies that go into the icing more because they get stuck in the icing tip, which makes it impossible to make awesome designs (which I was really looking forward to making).

Verdict: I really liked the cake part, so I think I will try to adapt it so that the recipe yields two dozen cupcakes and make it more my own and use it as my main simple chocolate cupcake base. Next time I will crush the cookies in the icing more so that I will have a smoother icing.

Le Commensal

My friends from dance and I went to this vegetarian buffet called Le Commensal for lunch the other day. I really liked it. They have a good variety of things you can choose from. They have cold salads, warm meals, desserts (which are oh so yummy!) and a make your own salad bar. I tried a bunch of different things, and I enjoyed all of them. Some more than others, but that's why there are so many choices. My favourite was the walnut square (I know it's a dessert, but hey I love my sweets!) and I recently found out that they sell it in grocery stores. (hehe)

Verdict: Really good! Great for lunch since it costs less before 5.

Pina Colada

My friend Julia and I wanted to make some Pina Coladas for a girls night. I went to the store to get what we needed and there was a booth out to test the Pina Coalda mix by Mr & Mrs T. I tasted it and I liked it, so I bought the mix. We made them and I have to say they were really good for a pre-made drink mix. They were served with a box of brownies, which we may or may not have eaten in it's entirety.

Verdict: Perfect if you're in a rush, but very sugary.

Quinoa and Black Beans

This is a perfect example of how terrible I am at adapting recipes to a single serving. I made a mistake with changing the amount of quinoa I needed to use. I ended up adding a lot less then I was supposed to, so it ended up being more of a black bean dish with quinoa, but hey next time I'll know better. Anyways, I really enjoyed this meal. It was yummy, hearty and just so perfect! The recipe can be found here. I enjoyed it warm, but I prefer it cold. It's a protein packed meal with just the right amount of flavour.

Verdict: I loved this dish and I will definitely make it again, with more quinoa that is.

Spicy Peanut Sauce Tofu with Water Chestnuts on Quinoa

I am proud to say I invented this recipe! I was in the mood for a meal with water chestnuts, so I went to the store to pick some up as well as some tofu. I seasoned the tofu with Memories of Szechwan Spicy Peanut Satay Sauce and mixed it with some frozen vegetables and water chestnuts. I wanted to serve it with something, so I made some quinoa to go with it. I know this whole meal doesn't make any sense, but whatever. It tasted really good, but I found that it lacked a bit of colour so next time I will add some red pepper and change up the vegetables to make the dish more normal.

Verdict: Very good, I just need to iron out a few kinks in the recipe.