New Frontiers . . .

First & foremost, HAPPY NEW YEAR!  2009 was some rough shit, but hey we made it! My overarching resolution for this year is to keep evolving through exploration. And this of course extends to my kitchen creativity. The new ish{es} for tonight were fish sauce & red chili paste. I am usually quite absurdly opposed to pre-blended concoctions but, hey they were on sale at Whole Foods. Sweet Jesus, I've been such a fool. My salmon turned out so delicious. I had to be a bit stubborn/non-conformist so I didn't exactly follow the recipe on the package. Drool & start exploring!

Mmmhmmm, edamame steamed over basmati rice.

I pan fried the salmon in a little olive oil, removed the fish, made the sauce in the same pan, then put the pieces back in to soak up the flavor.

Awww shit, look at all that garlic. . .

Edamame out of it's shell & garnished with chopped peanuts.

Frozen Memories.

When I was a youngin', me & my Mom would bundle up on snow days and walk around town. I guess today's snowfall brought out the kid in me. I couldn't resist the urge to stay in and I headed out around Harlem. My neighborhood never seemed so still. It was a wonderful trip down memory lane.

Snow Day Supper . . .

Today was by far the most snow I've seen since I left Jersey 5+ years ago. Luckily, I bought my groceries yesterday and prepared a lovely salmon dinner. The long of the short of it is: I cooked Basmati rice, and steamed the beans a few minutes before it was ready. Then I lightly seasoned the salmon & let it pan fry until it got some color. Lastly, I tossed the beans with some chopped garlic in the pan I made the salmon in. Saved time, added flavor. It was a perfect meal.

Bombass Brunch!

I usually keep it light in the early hours, but I woke up ferociously hungry this morning with potatoes & eggs on the brain. So I sliced two Yukon Gold Potatoes and fried them in a pan with onions & chopped garlic. I seasoned them with kosher salt {Happy Hanukkah by the way} & oregano. Then I chopped up about 1/5 of a green pepper & two grape tomatoes for the eggs. It was oh so good and hit the spot!

Sim, Simma . . .

This was plenty for 3 eggs

I like them with a tan

Don't forget to go green on the side

The garlic adds a hint of sweetness

Incredible Edible!

Sweat the Small Stuff . . .

It goes a little something like this: boil some angel hair pasta, then sauteed some chopped garlic, yellow & green beans in some lovely butter or soy margarine. Sprinkle with kosher salt & Chinese 5 spice. Add freshly chopped tomatoes then shrimp. Finally swirl the cooked pasta in all the veggie goodness. Serve & savor.

A Fond Trip Down Memory Lane . . .

Like many recent newcomers, I was about 2 bucks shy of brokeness when I moved into the city. I was still determined to eat well and I created delicious meal which I ate for about 6 weeks straight. It consisted of chickpeas, fresh broccoli,  carrots, garlic, curry powder, salt, coconut milk, & chopped tomatoes. I swapped out the chickpeas for some tilapia since I'm no longer vegan and also since I can actually afford fish now. It's tasty over pasta or rice.

Fresh carrots sauteing with chopped garlic.

Add some fresh broccoli & spices.

Bathe the veggies in coconut milk, then add chopped tomatoes.

I lightly fried the tilapia fillets before adding it to the vegs for extra crunch & texture.

Over basmati rice & topped with cashews.

Food's Comforting . . .

Ooo child, November was a roller coaster. Not too much going on in the kitchen unless you count boiling mounds of brussel sprouts. {I do love them!} Luckily the month is over and I'm excited about food again. Cooking often pulls me out of a slump. The meal gives me something to look forward to. This afternoon I prepared garlic shrimp & broccoli over angel hair pasta. it was a nice simple meal that hit the spot. Peep photos.

Don't boil the f out of them, keep some vitamins!

Sauteed the shrimp with chopped or fresh garlic

Mash-up!

I served it over angel hair pasta and garnished with parmesan & cayenne pepper. C'est bon!