Marinated Portobella with kalamata olives, roasted red peppers & caper tapenade pesto.

This recipe hit me in the face, seriously. I watching 6 days & 7 nights on tv, with the fiancee when the idea hit me. I jumped off the couch, ran (okay fast walked) to the kitchen and in 15 minutes i had this delicious, protein rich meal fit for a socialite, or someone with really good taste. I was blown away by the flavor, and can’t wait for the next recipe to hit me.

Marinated Portobella w/ kalamata olives & caper tapenade pesto

1.) take out 2 portobella caps and scrape out the “gills” (see photo)

2.) take a pan/casserole dish and pour a soy-teriyaki mix into the bottom about 1/2 an inch and pour over the caps, toss in an oven at 400 degrees, you don’t need to preheat i didn’t plus it wastes energy. So just toss those Caps in there!.

*note for sauce i used trader-joes soyaki it’s really good and has sesame seeds (see photo)

3.) set your timer for 15 minutes. Once you smell them you know they are close to done.

4.) head over to your food processor/blender and ad in:

-1/2 cup of almonds

-1/4 cup of pine nuts

-1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

-whole box of basil (big box) about 2 cups.

-1/4 cups capers ( don’t drain the saltiness is nice, just pull out 1/4 cup but don’t bring the liquid.)

-1/2 jar of roasted red peppers (i used trader joes, again see photo)

-1/2 red tomato for garnish/freshness (and it’s tasty)

3.)Toss the above into the processor/blender (except tomato) until consistent. I did not leave mine long enough so i have a few chunks of almond but it was fine by me.

4.)At 15 minutes pull out caps, toss on plate (gently!) then smooth about 1/2 an inch of tapenaesto, add some diced tomatoes and enjoy! You can add a sprinkle of Parmesan, or your favorite cheese or chreese for an added creaminess. Personally i don’t think it needed it.

-See you soon

-A

P.S going to my graduation ceremony tomorrow SO excited

a look at me

Hello! You are looking at a graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. I am so excited!! I just took my last final of my undergraduate today. Graduation ceremony is Sunday and i am SO ecstatic! I NEVER thought i would get my bachelors. When i first started school i figured i would get an associates in radiology or denististry, i never ever thought that i would decide to pursue something i actually enjoyed, or what would spark that. Truth be told in my second semester at Washtenaw Community College i was taking an introductory psychology course, a lit class, a math course, and an art course. Who knew that that psychology course would peak my interest. The class was the hardest psychology course i have ever taken. Seriously. Psych 101 was the hardest. The teacher was crazy we had exams every week, quizzes every day, and 2 research papers that we had to actually dig through the library and use research articles to populate our papers with, we had presentations and so much to do. I ended up with an A- while most of my classmates got a C, i excelled and enjoyed every moment of that course. Sadly my later classes did not challenge me and while i feel that i have learned alot through my later classes, i wish i could have had that intensity all the way through. That being said i have always loved art, and a year ago i was sure i was going to go into art therapy for my graduate degree, but then i found out that its really hard to get insurance and thus my clientele becomes very small.

That aside yay to me! J has been a terrific help through all of this, i almost switched to an art degree several times, but he always pushed me forward. Math was painful i have never been good at math, but i got through it and here i stand a happy graduate!

So today instead of a recipe i give you a photo of this happy graduate.

J says i look “studious”

Today i threw away all of my school papers (well most of them) and reorganized my desk to be used casually, not all the time.

Now rather then frantically studying, and putting together projects….

i can run around frantically preparing for comic convention season with J (Into The Dust), and run even more frantically about preparing for our wedding and going to bridal showers.. *happy sigh* life is good.

Tomorrow for the 1st time in over a month i will be a substitute, instead of choosing the easier option and teaching “normal” kids i am teaching at a preschool for the developmentally challenged. =)

That’s all see you soon! Maybe i will bring some bridal shower recipes with me, i know that there will be plenty of delicious deserts.

-A

Quick, changeable, and tasty

Today’s dish i bring to you ravenous. I am at my mom’s work watching the office and  was hungry, broke and she had pretty much nothing in her cupboards. So it is 2 pm and i just made this.

Cheesy-Bean N- Salsa Dip

3 ingredients-

1 can of beans (i used chili beans)

1 jar of salsa (i used newman’s own peach salsa)

1-2 cups of cheese(i used a mexican blend)

microwave for about 2 minutes, until cheese melts & beans are hot.

Then turn into a burrito, taco, or in my case chips N Dip.

You can add rice, sour cream whatever but the salsa, beans and cheese are key.

I was just going for quick and filling.

Plenty of protein.

Huzzah, bear with me a tiny bit more….

Huzzah! I am back sort of… Here is what is going on:

I went to upload my two recipes with photos, and got the memory stick stuck in the port and i can’t get it out and it won’t let me load the photos. *frusterating!* Since that fiasco on sunday, monday i caught a cold from someone using some wicked chemicals in the printmaking studio, and i since have been sneezing and coughing like a smoker/allergy ridden person. I am trying desperately to beat this cold by Sunday, for Easter. Not only that but my great uncle mike is dying from lung cancer and they only gave him 2 months to live. I have not seen him but he will be there for Easter. I really want to see him, but i also don’t want to speed up his… you know. I have not seen him in years, he’s early 60′s.. really sad. He wants to see me all grown up, he did not realize that i was old enough to be getting married and graduating college. (I’ll be 23 in june)

That aside i have 1 week left of actual classes, to turn in stuff and print stuff. Then the following week is finals… I have been slowly chiseling away at my tasks.. I have two online classes and one of them added a bunch of junk, that was not on the syllabus… Example of stuff before i started chiseling…

DOP=1 class

M&E-1 class

Printmaking- 1 class

H&S-1 class

S&P- 1 class

________________________________

Today-DOP-research paper due

Wednesday- M&E- Exam 4

Friday- Dop- final exam, M&E- Exam 5 (no kidding) & 60 question fill in the answer.

Then next week-

Monday- M&E- 5-10 pg paper due (just posted 2 days ago, from my entry), Printmaking all prints due, 6 matted prints & editions.

Tuesday- S&P- Exam due

Wednesday- H&S Final Exam & Paper due

So i have eliminated-

1. research paper due today, exam 4, & 60 question guide.

So i still have along way to go… As for upcoming things….

April 20th-24th finals week

April 26th- Graduation

May 1st- graduate school application 1 due

May 3rd- 1st bridal shower

May 10th- mothers day

Week of May 11th- Send out wedding invitations

May 15th- 2nd graduate school application due

May 15th-17th- Motorcity comic convention (i have to miss Saturday) (my fiancee sets up and sells his comics very cool- http://www.intothedust.net)

May 16th- 2nd bridal shower

May 31st- 3rd bridal shower

June 7th- Baby shower for a friend (thankfully not me!)

June 11th-15th- Tennessee Megacon Comic Convention

June 19th- my 23rd birthday

June 20th- my bachelorette party!

June 21st- Father’s Day

June 22nd- my fiancee’s birthday he will be 25 (any ideas for a fun night out?)

June 23rd- our anniversary- 4 years!

June 27th- our wedding <3

*Wow so sorry for my long calendar, it’s not too bad but there is alot going on… I still have alot of wedding stuff to do… and get!

Biggest 2 are:

1. wedding dress ( i know, i know…! )

2. the rings (this is up to him.. I know, i know!)

Then we have the rest of the silverware, table covers, etc etc…. we have a lot to do.. but we are trying to keep it relaxed  *ha i know i know!*

So bear with me guys, i SWEAR if i have to peel my laptop apart to get you guys a new recipe i will do so…. within reason

Sorry for no post!

I have a great sandwich to share with you but not today, i am writing to apologize. I am in my last semester of college i graduate in April, i am taking 16 credits, getting married in 3 months, and this Thursday i am taking the GRE. I keep feeling that i am going to fail miserably and waste my 140 dollars that i paid, but its the only way i can even apply to graduate school is by taking the GRE which apparantly only shows for the 1st year of rich white males. Yay…. *sarcasm*

So bear with me i will be back soon! Maybe with something crafty too!

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Balsamic Vinegarette Tofu Stirfry with avocado

Hello everyone!   This recipe has so many flavors and texture elements to it that i can’t think of a name for it!

Items needed for this recipe:

-1 block of tofu (surprisingly i used silken tofu and it fried up nicely!)

-olive oil to fry tofu

-1/2 cup of balsamic vinaigrette

-Assorted Vegetables in your fridge, for me it ended up being grape tomatoes, portabella mushrooms, sweet onions, yellow & orange bell peppers, & zucchini

-cabbage

-spinach fettuccine 1 package

-1 avocado

Now the recipe!

1.) put olive oil in your pan and let it heat up a bit.

2.) put marinated tofu chopped into cubes

3.) fry up until browned on all sides, set tofu aside once finished.

4.) In a second pan toss your cabbage in diced into a bath of water and leave for about 5-10 minutes, you want it still slightly crunchy. Remove cabbage and set aside, put pasta into the water and boil for about 3 minutes (depending on your brand)

5.) using same pan if possible, fry up all veggies except for mushrooms, cabbage & tomatoes, once the veggies are cooked add mushrooms and then about a minute later toss in the tomatoes. Toss in tofu and mix until tofu is heated. Then set aside.

6.)  Plate the cabbage first, followed by a bit of noodles, then the veggie stir fry and drizzle a bit of balsamic vinaigrette on your plate.

7.) cut up avocado  and lay on plate to add a creaminess to the dish.