The Result: Creamy Italian Casserole

In a word...yuck. Not good at all. I am glad I doctored it up a little, because I think it would have been inedible otherwise. Laura gave it to me because she knew that it would not have been a hit at her house to even attempt it. I really did not have high hopes, but I thought it might be okay. I try to be open-minded sometimes! Man, she was right to get rid of that thing! It was an awful color too...a really weird shade of tan. Not appetizing at all. The most positive thing that I can muster to write about this dish is that it was "food". Sustenance and nothing more. I had a hard time finishing my portion. On the bright side, we are saving money on dog food tonight...our dogs will be having the rest of the casserole for dinner. I don't even want the leftovers in my fridge! Yeah...just bad.

The Result: Jen's Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup Surprise

FAN-FREAKIN'-TASTIC! This is probably one of the best soups I have ever made...and I am a lover of homemade soup. I have a very discriminating soup palate, and I can say with confidence...WOW! This was awesome. My husband used the word "delicious". I am literally blown away by how good this turned out. Frankly, I was not expecting such a good result. My son loved it, too. He kept saying, "um, um, um" as he ate it. I left the chicken in big bite-sized pieces, and the soup itself had body and substance. So, so, so good. I promised my husband that I would write the recipe down and make it part of our regular soup rotation. I guess I can omit the 'surprise' component of the recipe title, since it was such a hit. My dinner rolls (I used Rhodes brand frozen rolls) had risen and baked perfectly. They went really well with the soup,and were the perfect utensil for dunking. This meal was exactly what I was looking for to soothe my stuffy sinuses and sore throat. It had just the right amount of spices to help clear my head. I actually feel much better after eating it! I am not even going to mess with it or change anything about it. I am that happy with the results! If you like soup, I would recommend making this one.

One other note...this can easily be converted to a vegetarian soup if you were to use sliced crimini mushrooms in place of the chicken.

Also, I am going to post the written recipe next, for organizational purposes.

The Result: Chili Cheese Tortilla Wraps

Simple. Delicious. Filling. Yummy. Fabulous.

We topped these with a little fresh guacamole. That was it.

So, so good.

The Result: Tater Tot Casserole

We loved the Tater Tot Casserole! It was really good. Not fancy, by any means...but substantial, yummy food. Claire had mentioned that she liked hers with ketchup, so I thought I would try it. I totally agree that it ROCKS with ketchup on it! Both the husband and boy really dug it,as well. We all had seconds, and my husband is taking the rest for lunch tomorrow. Sadly, there are no leftovers. I think I was in the mood for exactly this type of food tonight...so it completely hit the spot!

The sour cream was a great addition, and I would not hesitate to put it in again. We served this dish with a side of green beans, and that was it. I liked that the protein and starch components were together, which made it really easy. Hooray for one dish meals!

Okay...so I went over to the dark side a little on this one. Especially considering my previous rants against all things condensed, cream, canned soup. I know, I know...it hurts me to tell you that I loved this recipe! But, in my defense, I made it in my Le Creuset au gratin dish. That made me feel a little less hypocritical. Also, I will profess my love for the tot over and over again.

This was a great idea (albeit a little humbling). We will totally make this again. Thanks Claire!

The Result: Jen's Crock Pot Whole Chicken Surprise

I would not recommend this method. The surprise was not good. The chicken ended up getting stewed, without much flavor at all. The chicken skin stayed rubbery...ew. Not good. There was just way too much liquid in the crock pot, and the breast meat was still stringy. Definitely not the texture I was hoping for. The chicken literally fell apart (bones and all) when I tried to take it out of the crock pot and put it on a platter. I had to fish the meat, bit by bit, out of the soup-like fluid. Double ew. After I got all the meat out, it ended up being just plain old chicken meat. All the flavor components stayed in the stew. Blaaeacchhhh! It was very unremarkable.

The only good thing about this dish was that it made the process of making chicken stock super-easy (recipe to follow). Usually, I have a big pot that I make stocks in, but this time, I just did it in the crock pot. So, no complaints about the stock and it was actually easier than usual..which is something to say...because homemade chicken stock is normally pretty easy. I guess my newly-made chicken stock is the silver lining in this rain cloud.

To top things off I ended up using the last bag of brussel sprouts for our veggie, and, as I mentioned before, a box of stuffing mix that I microwaved. Again, the ick factor was very high for me....considering my disdain for brussel sprouts.

My final analysis is that this whole dinner needs to be forgotten. I am not going to make whole chicken in the crock pot ever again. However, I would recommend making chicken stock in the crock pot.

The Result: Pioneer Woman's Favorite Enchiladas

These were really,really good. Involved & labor intensive, but good. My husband almost said he like them better than my normal enchiladas...until I shot him a death look.
My cooking was not up to my usual standards tonight, and I kept goofing up on minor things. For example, I accidentally opened a can of green enchilada sauce at the beginning of the recipe and I had to start over. The can I accidentally opened ended up being expired, so I tossed the green sauce. That did not make me happy. I started off on the wrong foot with this dish, but thankfully, the recipe still turned out awesome.
I had wee bit of a snafu with the tortillas, so we ended up having more of a casserole than actual enchiladas. Apparently, the corn tortillas I bought at the Mexican grocery store are a little more delicate than normal corn tortillas. They are sensitive...I am guessing because they were fresh and more like homemade???? Anyway, they now are a little crumbly. I started the softening/dunking process and they totally fell apart. I am talking 'in shreds'. So, I had to improvise. I ladled some sauce into the bottom of the casserole dish, and then I pieced together a layer of tortillas. I made sure the pieces were coated thoroughly in the sauce (I put a little extra on the top). Next I added the meat mixture. Then, I sprinkled my olives on top of the meat. After the olives, I sprinkled a generous amount of cheese in an even layer. I added a final layer of tortillas to cover the top, like a little roof. The I poured a bunch more sauce on top, so it really soaked down. I thought it was going to turn out too watery because of all the sauce I used, but in fact, the tortilla soaked up the sauce and it was perfect. Lastly, I sprinkled some more shredded cheese on top and baked as suggested. The result was awesome! My improvised casserole turned out great.

Next time I would make a couple of changes. For example, I used mild red sauce and it was way to mild for our tastes. We ended up breaking out the Chaloula hot sauce to spice it up. I may add a little more salt next time,too. It seemed a little under seasoned. Actually, that could be my fault, as well. The last time I bought salt, I purchased sea salt instead of my normal kosher salt. Sea salt has less sodium in it...which is great for you health...but could leave things a little under seasoned. Typically, I remember to add a little extra sea salt to make up the difference, but for some reason I did not think of it tonight.

Overall, this was very, very, very, very, very, good. I was just not at the top of my game tonight. I think if I made it properly, it would have been fantastic. This is definitely another hit, and I will make this version again.

The Result: Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread

Eh. This turned out okay. Kinda boring, but that may have something to do with the insufficient chocolate chunks/chips in my bread. I think it will be good for breakfast with a wee smidgen of butter and some cinnamon-sugar sprinkled on the top. Not bad, but not really noteworthy either. I did have an issue getting it out of the loaf pan in one piece, so I have to take away points for that. I am glad I am not taking it anywhere, because the bottom is kind of a mess. I smushed the corner that stuck in the pan back to the loaf, so I am hoping that it somehow magically adheres during the rest of the cooling process.

I probably will not make this version again. I have had greater success with other recipes that I have tried in the past, that were probably just as easy. This was perfect for a quick fix use of my bananas, but nothing more.

The Result: Seared Salmon with Spinach and Creamy Peppers

Oh MAN! This was fantastic! A little involved, but totally worth it. I am talking high-end resturant quality. I was not sure what to expect with the sauce, so I was a little nervous. I just could not imagine what the flavor combination would taste like in reality, especially paired with the salmon. I am glad that I stuck with it, because it was a totally unexpected flavor, in the best possible way. I usually can imagine what things taste like, just by reading the recipe...but not on this one. I was very pleasently surprised!!!
Aside from the sauce, the pan-seared salmon itself was awesome. The texture was amazing. The fish preparation part was truly a simple method. Just salt, pepper, and a little oil, in a hot skillet. The outside of the fish got a nice brown, slightly crispy (but not overdone) crust to it, and the inside was perfectly flaky. My husband said that if all fish was prepared like this, he would be a 'bigger fish fan'. Trust me, that is a ringing endorsement. My husband does not like a whole lot of fish, so it is always a bit difficult to get him on board with new fish recipe. My son also loved it. Yes, a 2 & 1/2 year old will eat salmon...if you call it "pink meat". I was a little nervous that he was not going to go for fish for dinner,especially since we watched Finding Nemo after nap time today. I really kinda skirted around calling it by it's proper name tonight, for the benefit of peace at the table. Afterall, "fish are friends, not food".

I made a couple of changes to the sauce, just because I had some things that needed to be used up. I added a pinch of cayenne pepper, because the chiles I got were not all that spicy. I also added 1 whole green onion, a pinch of salt and pepper directly to the sauce, and about 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro. Seriously, I went back for seconds on the sauce. I used frozen spinach that I just thawed and squeezed out the excess water. Right before serving, I combined the spinach and sauce as the directions indicated. It thickened and behaved exactly as it was supposed to, and I was a happy girl.

I am going to stick to my modified version of the sauce when I make this dish again. It was perfectly suited to our tastes.

I plated this meal, as shown in the cookbook, by making a bed of sauce and placing the fish on top of it. The presentation was very appealing...again, I think it was resturant quality. It was very pretty, with nice contrasting colors. I served it with my baked/microwaved potatoes and the leftover green beans, which both went very nicely with the main event. Everything turned out so, so good.

I give this dish high marks. I would recommend trying it if you are a fan of both salmon and Mexican food flavors.

The Result: Green Chile Chicken Soft Tacos

Bienvendidos! After several thorough hand-washings, I am feeling a little more level this evening. I am still reeling from the assault on my senses that was the Mexican grocery store experience. I am almost back to normal, but for some reason I now have a strange desire to keep a fighting rooster as a pet/roommate. Huh.

So, we thought the Green Chile Chicken Soft Tacos were awesome! Everyone here could not get enough of them. I did not think they were all that spicy, but my perception of what is spicy and what is not spicy is very skewed. My husband thinks that there is something wrong with me...especially when I drink hot sauce straight from the bottle. I have issues. Anyway, I will definitely make these again since they were a huge hit at our house.

The Result: Torta Rustica

Good. Really good...for glorified quiche. The flavors were solid, maybe a little boring, since I have a frittata recipe that is similar (without the chicken), and I have a better spinach quiche recipe (again, without the chicken). Considering the amount of work that went into this dish, I don't necessarily think it was worth the effort. It was tasty...but not 'over-the-top-pee-your-pants-in-ecstasy-despite-all-the-hard-work' fantastic. Overall, we agreed that we would eat it again, but felt that it took way too much time to prepare, cook, and cool. All in all, I would say a little underwhelming...but not bad by any means.

I thought the puff pastry was going to give me a greater effect...more bang for the buck, so to speak. However, all it did was add more time to the cooking process; without much of an improved flavor/texture. Regular quiche crust would have been about the same, in less time.
Seriously, we did not eat dinner until after we put the boy to bed. Don't worry, my son ate at his regularly scheduled dinner time...but he just had dino nuggets, Elmo crackers, and applesauce instead of Torta Rustica.

I really tried not to deviate too much from the suggested recipe. I did throw in some sharp cheddar cheese (with the other recommended cheeses) just for kicks. I used jarred roasted red pepper, which is not all that noteworthy. I almost added onion, but I controlled myself. Although, some caramelized onion would have worked in this recipe.

I was happy that is was very filling and familiar; but it certainly was not anything new or different. It was fairly labor intensive, especially since my two similar recipes are just as good...with way less work involved. I could just add chicken to either one of those meals and have it be just as satisfying. I think it was too much trouble for the end result being glorified quiche. Needless to say, I probably will not make this dish again.

The Result: Limon Chicken

Well, it did not stink. In fact, it was pretty okay. Not fantastic...but decent. There are a couple caveats that I need to explain. First, it was lemony. The original recipe called for 1 cup of lemon juice, and I cut it down to 1/2 cup. Even reduced by half, I think that it could be cut down further to 1/3 cup with maybe another 1/3 cup of chicken broth. When I first tried it, I thought that the lemon flavor was a bit too sharp, but then as I got further into the meal, I revised my opinion. It seemed that as the dish cooled, the lemon got less and less stringent. By the time we were finished eating, I actually really liked the flavor. That brings me to my second point...I would let this dish rest at least 5 minutes before serving. Letting it cool, definitely mellowed the whole thing out some. My last bite was sooooo much better than my first bite. I did not use 2 pounds of onions, either. I used 2 whole, sliced onions instead. Two pounds of onions seemed excessive. Maybe there was some correlation between having a large amount of onions and less of a lemony flavor????? I don't know. I did not have two pounds of onions, and even if I did...I would not have risked them is such an experimental dish. Also, I added a pinch of sugar to help counteract the acidity and caramelize the onions. I did use 3 tablespoons of green chiles, which was good...no complaints there.

I served this meal with steamed green beans, and baked potatoes. Overall, I think I will try this dish again...but I still need to tweak it some. It certainly is a long way from fabulous, but it has potential. I think I will at least try it one more time, with some more changes.

The Result: Korean Sesame Beef Lettuce Wraps

The Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps were good. Not fantastic, but good....a solid choice. I am definitely going to make these again, with a couple of minor changes. First, I think I used the wrong type of lettuce. The butter lettuce did not give a satisfying crunch, and the leaves themselves were a bit small. I think that plain, old, iceberg lettuce would have been much better. The kimchi was very, very good. I have never had it before, and I was not sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised. It has a very unique flavor that was not overpowering. It paired well with the beef. From my understanding kimchi can be quite spicy hot. The type that we found was fairly mild, but had a nice bite to it. I actually would have enjoyed more spice to this dish. I think next time I will put red pepper flakes in with the beef mixture. The beef was very tasty, and I especially enjoyed the addition of the toasted sesame seeds. I ended up using a white medium grained rice that was just okay. It was stickier than long grain, but got a little too mushy. I think next time I will stick to a long grain rice because the texture is so much better.

This recipe is worthy of having again. I love that this meal was healthy, but still filling. I really did not have to serve side dishes, because the wraps themselves were pretty nutritionally balanced. The husband really liked it a lot, but agreed it needed some minor tweaking. The kimchi we bought has an expiration date of 11/08, and we have half the jar left. Based on that info, I predict that you will see this dish posted again soon.

The Result: Artichoke Scrambled Eggs Benedict

This dish was exactly what I was looking for! It was just right. Not too heavy and the flavors were perfect. The preparation was pretty easy, and the result was totally satisfying.

I made some significant changes to the recipe, so you could say that I ended up using the original recipe as just a template. I am glad that I only had one jar of artichoke hearts, because if there were any more it would have overpowered the dish. Although, mine were marinated in spices and olive oil so that could account for the stronger flavor. I did rinse them to compensate for the pre-seasoning, and that did help. I used my toaster oven to bake the artichoke hearts, as directed in the recipe. I did not want to heat up the whole house, and the quantity I used was just the right size. I coated them with cooking spray and added a little extra dried oregano, then baked at 425 degrees for about 10 minutes. When they were done, I scooped them into a bowl and set them aside.
Then, in a skillet I put a tablespoon of olive oil and I did a quick saute on onions and mushrooms with some thyme, salt, and pepper. When everything was starting to brown, I put about a 1/2 cup of dry white wine and reduced it down until it was evaporated. This gave the mushrooms and onions a little extra flavor boost. I put the onion/mushroom mix into the same bowl with the artichoke hearts, and set it aside again.
Next, I mixed the yogurt sauce in a separate bowl. The only change I made to the sauce was the addition of 1 minced clove of garlic, and a little salt and pepper thrown in for good measure.
For the eggs, I did end up changing the quantity. I used 3 whole eggs, 3-1/4 cups of egg substitute, and 3 egg whites. I cooked the eggs over medium low heat in the same skillet that I cooked the onions/mushrooms. There was still enough residual olive oil in the pan, so I did not have to use any other spray or oil for the eggs. Plus, the leftover fond gave the eggs an extra flavor component. I slowly cooked the scrambled eggs, and added the low fat cream cheese as indicated in the recipe.

I plated my dish by putting a big spoonful of artichoke, onion, mushroom mixture on the bottom of our dinner plates. Then, I heaped on a generous scoop of eggs and drizzled a little of the yogurt sauce on top. I served up some slice tomatoes and crusty french bread as side items. It was very light and totally yummy. Also, I think it ended up being a little healthier then the original recipe, since I omitted the bacon and used 3 less whole eggs.

The verdict: I will definitely make this dish again!

The Result: Chipotle Copycat Lime Rice

The fajitas were good, as always, so there are no surprises there. However, I wanted to review the rice since we have not tried it before. The verdict???? Fan-freakin'-tastic. So, so easy and so, so good. It did taste just like the restaurant version! It was not very hard to put together, and I actually cheated a little. I was running short on time last night, so I made 2 cups of plain, old instant rice. Then, when that was finished cooking I added butter, minced garlic, lime juice, salt, pepper, cumin, coriander. I just stirred it all together...and poof...instant copy cat rice. It was really good! It would have been awesome if I used the correct long grain rice, since that is so much better than instant rice. With the correct ingredients this recipe can only get better! Overall, I am very happy with the result. I would not hesitate to make this rice dish again.

The Result: Mustard Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin

The Mustard Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin was really good. It is very similar to another recipe that I have for Herb Crusted Pork Loin (the difference being a Pork Loin is a larger, different cut of meat...not the same thing as a tenderloin). I liked the addition of the mustard mixture, but I would have to say that a little fennel seed goes a long way. It has a strong licorice or anise type of flavor, and can be overpowering if you use too much. If the fennel quantity indicated in the recipe was any more than 1/2 teaspoon, it would have totally ruined the dish. I would probably recommend a little less than 1/2 of a teaspoon, just to be on the safe side. With that said, I do think that the fennel added a more complex dimension to this dish and I would not subtract it all together. Just be careful!
The cooking time was perfect, the meat came out tender and juicy and just tinged with a pinkish hue in the center...perfectly cooked! With carry-over cooking during the resting period, it was just right. Another important point, don't skip the 10 minutes of rest time before cutting. During that period,the juices have a chance to redistribute and make the meat absolutely succulent. So yummy!
The store bought breadcrumbs and Parmesan worked out just fine. I don't think the other ingredients could have made this recipe any better, and I saved a step in the process. Also, I would recommend my idea of using a rack in a roasting pan. The bottom crust would have gotten really soggy from sitting in the pan drippings; if the meat was not elevated on that rack.

For the veggies, I chose brussel sprouts which are not my favorite. The husband loves them. I choke them down because I know they are good for me. I have noticed that the large brussel sprouts seem much more bitter to me. Sometimes, I actually don't mind them (the small ones) and I think "hey, these are okay". Then, on nights like tonight, I just wanted to spit them out (the large ones). Ugh. I seriously think that there is a direct correlation between the size of the brussel sprout and the bitterness quotient. It is very scientific! The husband thinks I am crazy...he doesn't think that they are bitter at all. I guess we just have different palates. He hates feta cheese and coconut...I love feta cheese and coconut. I do not like brussel sprouts...brussel sprouts are his favorite vegetable (my favorite is asparagus, in case you were wondering).

Overall, this is a keeper. It was much easier than my other recipe, and the additional components of mustard and fennel totally enhance the flavor of the pork. I love that this dish was so satisfying and still considered healthy. My other pork loin recipe has a lot more fat and calories. I think this is a great substitute, without any sacrifice. This is another great Cooking Light recipe, for sure!

The Result: Jen's Mexican Chicken Casserole Surprise

YUM! My invention turned out great. It will definitely be something I make again. I loosely based it off of Claire's enchiladas and another recipe she introduced me to, Taco Crescent Bake. I was very pleased with this hybrid.
Surprisingly,I started this blog after I tried the Taco Crescent Bake recipe, therefore it is not posted on here. However, Claire does have it posted on her blog so you can see what it is all about. I am telling you, I copy her recipes way too much. I recipe-stalk her! That is why I had to be creative on this one. I needed to try and go out on my own...be my own person...make my own meals...I can cook something original, on my own. Now, I can confidently return to my stalking without guilt or shame; at least for a little while. Really, it was all about clearing my conscience. Without further ado, here is my ORIGINAL recipe.

Jen’s Mexican Chicken Casserole Surprise

Ingredients:
1 can of crescent rolls
2-3 small corn tortillas, torn into bite sized pieces
1 diced onion, divided
1 cup canned Pinto beans (or leftover Jen’s Pinto Beans)
2 cooked chicken breast, diced into bite sized cubes
1 cup of frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup Monterrey jack cheese, divided
1 cup of crushed tortilla chips, divided
Cooking spray
Fresh diced tomatoes for garnish

For white sauce:
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
½ teaspoon Ancho chile powder
1 chipotle pepper, seeded and diced finely
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lime juice
½ cup sour cream
2 Tablespoons milk
8 ozs cream cheese, softened
½ cup of plain yogurt
1 4 oz can of green chiles
Salt and pepper to taste


Directions:
1) In a bowl, mix together the following items to make the white sauce: ½ the amount of the diced onions, minced garlic, chipotle pepper, green chiles, sour cream, milk, yogurt, lemon juice, lime juice, cream cheese, cumin, coriander, chile powder, salt and pepper. Whisk until well combined. Set aside.
2) Coat 9 x 13 glass casserole dish with cooking spray. Unroll unseparated crescent dough sheet and press into bottom of greased casserole dish, making sure to press perforated holes closed.
3) Sprinkle a handful of crushed tortilla chips over the crescent roll sheet bottom (this will prevent the crust from getting soggy during cooking).
4) Spread pinto beans into an even layer over the chips and crescent dough bottom.
5) Sprinkle ½ cup of shredded cheese and the other ½ of the diced onions over the beans.
6) Tear corn tortilla into bite sized pieces and place evenly over cheese layer.
7) Spread spinach over tortilla bites into even layer
8) Place the cubed chicken on top of the spinach, covering evenly.
9) Pour white sauce over the chicken, spreading with a spatula, in an even coating.
10) Sprinkle remaining shredded cheese (or more if you prefer) over top
11) Sprinkle more crushed tortilla chips over cheese layer.
12) Bake uncovered for 30 minutes @ 350 degrees.
13) Let cool for 10-15 minutes before cutting. Garnish with fresh diced tomatoes and enjoy!

The Result: Blackened Fish Tacos

My version of blackened fish tacos were really yummy. The husband and the boy both loved them. I used catfish and blackening spice in a cast iron skillet. I used two catfish fillets that I cut into 4 pieces. I coated the catfish pieces with the spice, then pan fried the fish until black on both sides. It turned out flaky and perfectly cooked. Pretty easy. I really just had to season the fish, flip it once, and let it cook for a few minutes on each side. When the fish was done, I let it rest for a bit, then I cut into strips so they would be easier to eat in the taco.

I did make my own slaw concoction which turned out really good, and complimented the tacos well. It tasted slightly more onion-y than a normal cole slaw, with less dressing. I don't know how it would be to eat straight (like you would with a regular cole slaw)...but, man alive, it was perfect with this blackened fish. I will put my slaw recipe in a separate post; just in case anyone is curious to try my version.

Rick's tortillas were great. They were still hot when I served them. Yum. There is nothing like a fresh, warm, soft tortillas. Double yum. The pinto beans and mashed avocado balanced the whole menu out. This is definitely a keeper of a meal. My fish taco craving is totally satisfied!

The Result: Pioneer Woman's Crispy Yogurt Chicken

PW's Crispy Yogurt Chicken....in a word, SUPERGOOD! The boy ate one whole piece by himself, and the husband and I had seconds. We could not get enough of it. So, fantastically, fantabulously, excruciatingly good. I added onion and garlic powder into both the bread crumb mixture and the yogurt mixture (and my paprika). So, so, so good. Try it. You will not be sorry.

The Result: Emeril's Mood Beef

Oh man, did Emeril's dish deliver! It was so good!!!! It took a long time to cook, but the process was very easy to follow. It was delicious. The husband and I both had seconds, and the boy gobbled it up. The consistency was like a thick tomato sauce, chock full of flavor. The meat was fork tender, and the dried pasta cooked in the sauce to a perfect al dente texture. It was so satisfying! This dish conjures up images of an Italian (or rather a Portuguese) household with a big pot of rich sauce simmering on the stove, all day long. Absolutely fantastic.

It is probably worth mentioning that this dish would be better suited for a winter meal. The overall feeling of the recipe screams "cold weather food". It was very hearty, and it seems to warm you from the inside out. Maybe not as much fun in the middle of summer, but still great nonetheless. I am definitely going to make this recipe again during cooler temperatures. Emeril rocks!

The Result: Pasta & Co. Black Bean Lasagna

It took me 4 hours to make this dish. 4 hours. 4 hours!!!!! It was so labor intensive! I really don't think that the flavor was enough of a reward for the 4 hours of prep and cooking. The overall taste was decent; actually, a bit on the bland side. The thing that horks me off is that I frittered away precious toddler napping time! I only have a small window of time by myself during the day, while my son is taking a nap. It is a wonderful time of the day. I don't have to parent during nap time. It's total "ME" time. That nap time is gold! When that precious little interlude is interrupted, I get a little perturbed. Today, I spent my "me" time making this recipe, when I could have been doing more worthwhile things...like sitting on the couch reading my new copy of Cooking Light magazine! Do you see the problem??? Ugh.

Back to the boring, and somewhat bland, time-suck of a lasagna....

The funny thing was that the ingredients list has some pretty flavorful items on it, but in small quantities. I guess the amount of spices are so small, the result ends up being a not-that-great type of experience. Especially with 4 hours worth of effort! Did I mention the wasted 4 hours of my day???? I just want to make certain everyone understands that I am annoyed.
Also, the black bean sauce made the whole thing soupy. The texture was not like a true lasagna should be. We have 1/2 a pan leftover, so I am hoping that the flavors get stronger and the texture gets firmer with a little time in the fridge. Cross your fingers. Otherwise, if it does not improve, I think the dogs are going to have a feast within the next couple days.

In light of my fiasco last night, I made sure to follow the ingredients list and measurements exactly (hence the 4 hours of my life that I can never recover). What I am trying to say, is that any negative outcome is totally not my fault...and I played by the rules by following the recipe. Which brings me to another thought that I had while cooking...and cooking....and cooking....and cooking. I really do not like to follow recipes word for word. I am impatient. I don't like measuring. I don't like a lot of fussy little steps.
When I find a new recipe, I typically read it over and make sure I have everything for it. I get a mental game plan of how everything is going to be prepared and in which order. I think about the method, rather than the individual steps. Then, I do all my prep work. Once everything is set up, I just cook from my game plan. I will refer to the recipe, but not follow it word for word. Ninety eight percent of the time this process works out to my advantage.
Today, I actually followed the recipe step by step. I found it tedious, and the result was just okay....not great. I can now understand why people find cooking to be a chore. Cooking is usually relaxing for me, but it was not today (or yesterday, for that matter). Strictly following the recipe made me uptight, and stole the pleasure out of the whole process.
I think I learned that I should just stick with how I normally do things. The fun part of cooking, for me at least, is the creative part. Apparently, I get a little cranky when I don't get the freedom to improvise. I think it is the whole "I don't like to follow the rules all the time" attitude I sometimes have. Recipes are for squares! Okay, just kidding....maybe I am getting a little carried away. Anyway, no more exact recipes.

Oh, and I won't be wasting another 4 hours on this dish any time soon.