#FoodForThought: The Adventures of Fanny and Olive (reach out and smell the banana peels.)

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Fanny. No really - that is her actual name. She is a massive massive massive foodie, and would like to share with you all the adventures on all of the things she puts in her mouth. Wait, no - not like that ... I mean ... well, you know what I mean. Aw shucks, just hit it already Fanny ... </editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @fannyslater

let's face it.
i'm funny.

i'm the kind of person that loves cracking a bad joke to break the tension in a room.  the kind of person that will stick straws up her nose just to get a laugh out of someone who seems a little too serious.  but my brain isn't just full of cheetos and homemade tzatziki sauce.  nope.  there's a real thinker up there.

that being said, i'd like to give you some words of wisdom today that aren't exactly food-related.  okay, that's a lie.  everything always comes back around to food in my world.  i'm a strong believer in the idea of putting things out into the universe.  and i don't mean throwing a banana peel out of your window.  littering is bad and everyone knows that banana peels are only used in cartoons.  my parents always told me that if you want something to happen, you're responsible for making it possible.  you can't just sit around and expect things to fall in your lap.  i sure wish a turkey sandwich would fall in my lap right now.

wait, who's writing this thing anyway...

sorry about that.  like i was saying...i believe that if you want things to happen, you have to do your part to help bring them into your life.  case and point: about three months ago, i was without a job and very unhappy.  although i was spending every day sending out resumes and doing things to get myself out of the house, i still felt very useless.  i sat down and reflected on the things i was passionate about.  and i don't mean unattainable dreams like opening my very own starbucks inside my living room.  i thought about things that i enjoyed doing everyday and how i could turn them into potential job opportunities for myself.  i think i've made it clear that i'm obsessed with food.  i decided to do some research on local caterers.  i wasn't looking for big time companies with huge staffs.  i was searching for individuals like myself who have a passion for food and have turned that into an independent business.  i came upon a company named belly bliss and emailed the chef/owner.  i told her that i wasn't necessarily looking for a job, but just looking to be in a kitchen and get some great experience because i was interested in someday starting a similar company.  surprisingly, i was greeted back with a warm response and even some compliments on the pictures of my food.  this kind stranger also mentioned that although she didn't have any room on her staff at the present time, she would keep me in mind for the future.  yesterday, i received an email from her saying that she had a big event coming up in december that she would like my help with.  

i. was. floored.  

first of all, please browse through some of her fantastic catering pictures and tell me that you wouldn't want to dig into this divine food.  second, i realize that this is only one tiny opportunity and on the surface may not seem like a big deal--but i can't explain to you enough how exciting this is for me.  the foodie part of my brain has been going crazy recently, hence the insane amount of randomly delicious creations i've been whipping up.  the more i cook, and the more i write about cooking, the more i'm uncovering this passion that has always been inside of me.  not only do i feel like i've started to truly find my voice, but my love for cooking and creating things in the kitchen is expanding every single day.  this opportunity is hardly a "job."  it's likely not even going to lead to anything further.  but in fanny world, getting the hands-on experience of two hours of prep work with a real caterer feels like hitting the jackpot right now.  i believe that not just by putting concrete things (like an email) out into the world, but putting positive energy and hope out there as well...anything is possible.

"with the possible exception of the equator, everything begins somewhere." ~ c.s. lewis

and now that i've filled your hungry brains with deep thoughts and words of wisdom...
let's talk about eggs.  

playing along with the theme of "anything is possible," i'd like to discuss why it's important to never be afraid of trying a new dish.  i'd like to consider myself an egg aficionado.  an eggnado, if you will.  i'll scramble you a pair of eggs that defy gravity and make you a frittata that could change your political views.  however, that doesn't mean that i'm schooled in every form of egg-making.  baked eggs is something i've seen on very few menus, but have always been intrigued by.  the dish originated in france, and is called oeufs en cocotte.  oeufs obviously means "eggs" and...well...cocotte translates to "casserole" or "prostitute."  

hey, if you like your eggs with prostitutes--that is nobody else's business but your own.

i had never attempted making baked eggs at home, but since it was as straightforward as making a casserole (throwing everything in one pan and putting it in the oven), i figured i could give it a shot.  i dissected the idea of a baked egg in my head.  it seemed as simple as a sunny side egg with whatever toppings i desire.  i had read in various recipes that it was supposed to include cream, and while that confused me--i went with it anyway.

when you're experimenting in your own kitchen, the only person there to judge you is your cat.  and seeing how her last snack was a ladybug--she's not all that picky.  

i knew that more than anything, i wanted my eggs en prostitute to be full of flavor.  so i REACHED out into the universe (see how i brought you back to our original theme there?) and pulled out some onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes.  by the way, in that last sentence: universe = fridge.  i roasted tomato slices in the oven with olive oil, salt, pepper, and balsamic for some sweetness.  *foodie note: not a tomato person?  try roasting them at a high temperature in the oven.  their flavor becomes sweet, and if you can't still stand the texture--stir them into a pasta sauce or mix with cream cheese for a yummy sandwich spread so you at least take advantage of their flavor.*  i sauteed shitake mushrooms with butter, thyme, and a little white wine.  while all of this was going on, in another pan i slowly caramelized red onions in butter and a squeeze of agave (a nectar that is sweet like honey, but less sticky).  when all of my elements were complete, i buttered my ramekin and layered the dish.  after some sprinkles of muenster cheese, parmesan, and dill--it was time for the eggs.  *foodie note: always crack your eggs in a separate bowl.  you never know if one will be bad, cracked, or have a baby chicken inside.*  i added a touch of milk, wished my breakfast good luck, and slid it underneath the broiler for 5-6 minutes.  everything else in your dish is already cooked, so you just need to keep an eye on the status of your melting cheese and the consistency of your eggs.  cook to your preferred doneness, serve alongside toasted rye bread, and enjoy.

and there you have it. my first attempt at baked eggs.  all because i reached out and tried something new.  i put myself out there, and look at what i got in return.  so go.  follow your dreams.  aim for the stars.  make breakfast with a prostitute.

you know, whatever.

#nerdsunite

click here to check out more from Fanny! (heheheeheh her name is Fanny)

and follow her on twitter over yonder!

#FoodForThought: The Adventures of Fanny and Olive (The Queen of England)

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Fanny. No really - that is her actual name. She is a massive massive massive foodie, and would like to share with you all the adventures on all of the things she puts in her mouth. Wait, no - not like that ... I mean ... well, you know what I mean. Aw shucks, just hit it already Fanny ... </editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's Fanny Slater

i'd like to say that olive and i are the kind of cooks who wear many hats.

olive, that's not exactly what i mea......nevermind.

what i mean by that, is that i don't always like to stick to one type of cuisine when preparing a dish.  i'm not saying that you should have crab rangoons on the side of your eggplant parmesan--i just mean that sometimes it's fun to combine two different flavor profiles of food in one meal.  in this case--we're talking mexican and greek.  or greexican, if you will.  i have a strange obsession with greek food.  where it came from, i have absolutely no idea.  it's not that my family doesn't like greek food--my parents will drive twenty five minutes out of the way for good hummus.  however, i have such an infatuation with this specific cuisine that i'm convinced i was bottle-fed tzatziki sauce as a child.  today's lesson is not just about mingling two different styles of food.  i'd also like to talk to you a little bit about flavor.

seriously. can we please...PLEASE stop the hate crimes against quesadillas?

can we please stop slapping american cheese between a folded tortilla, sticking it in the microwave, and trying to pass it off as a quesadilla?  seriously.  get that sh*t out of here.  to me, a quesadilla is simply different flavorful ingredients (along with cheese) stuffed between a flour tortilla, which is crisped on both sides, melted in the middle, cut into triangles, and dipped into some sort of sauce.  the same way that you can turn anything into a sandwich--this rule applies for quesadillas as well.  one of the things i love about getting quesadillas at a good quality mexican restaurant is that they know how to add depth and flavor.  the more i watch behind-the-scenes cooking at mexican restaurants on my favorite food network show "diners, drive ins, and dives" the more i learn how to mirror these same flavors at home.  if you want to re-create those big, bold, spicy dishes in your own kitchen--you need to follow this very important rule:  you don't produce mexican food by squeezing a lime over something or sprinkling it with chili powder.  

you also don't become the queen of england by wearing a funny hat and sipping tea.

see what i'm saying?

you need to let all of your ingredients simmer together in a pool of mexican flavors.  imagine, if you will, a spicy, tomato-ey hot tub that turns your food from average to OLE! in no time.  for last night's quesadilla, i wanted everything to be entirely from scratch.  i started out by roasting a big juicy piece of chicken breast on the bone with olive oil, lemon, oregano, paprika, pepper, and smoky hawaiian sea salt.  while that was cooking, i began preparing my mexican hot tub. caramelized red onions, cremini mushrooms, charred yellow pepper, and garlic simmered together in a little marsala wine for some extra sweetness.  once the chicken was cooked and rested (you NEVER want to use sleepy chicken), i shredded it by hand and added it to the party on the stove.  at this point, all we had was chicken and veggies.

then, olive and i pulled out our maracas and took a turn for the southwest.

into the pan went: diced tomatoes, two kinds of hot sauce, chili powder, red pepper flakes, lime juice, lime zest, and a mexican fajita seasoning salt (cumin, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, sugar, etc).  as all of those ingredients simmered and bubbled down, the spicy ingredients clung onto the chicken and vegetables.  the aromas of chilies and tomatoes filled the air, and i swear a mariachi band nearby began to weep.  next i moved onto the cheese.  a lot of people just throw mozzarella in a quesadilla and call it a day.  well, i believe that the best rule of thumb is "use what you have on hand" so if that happens to be mozzarella, then go for it.  i just happened to have cheddar, muenster, parmesan, and a creamy sun-dried tomato mozzarella spread in my fridge.  i blame my mom for this--as her idea of a fun day is bringing home eleven different assorted cheeses from whole foods.  once everything was tucked away inside the whole wheat tortilla, i dropped it in a hot pan with oil, flipping it once to create a golden brown crust on both sides.  

now back to all that crazy talk about giving this meal a little greek-pick-me-up.  100% of the time, you see plain sour cream served with a quesadilla.  well, i happen to love tzatziki sauce--which is generally made with thick greek yogurt, but can also be created from scratch by using sour cream.  if you like strawberry jelly on your toast, then why would you buy orange marmalade? 

catch my drift?

no?

that's okay, it didn't really make sense.

what i'm saying is--why use a simple, boring old sour cream to dress up my quesadilla when my heart longs for garlicky, lemony tzatziki sauce?  i think that with the spicy, acidic homemade pico de gallo (see recipe below) you need something light and citrus-flavored to cut through it.  

*foodie note: homemade pico de gallo takes less than ten minutes to make. try it. i dare you.*  the ingredients are as follows: fresh diced tomatoes (i like roma tomatoes or tomatoes on the vine), diced jalapeno, diced red onion, lime juice, salt, pepper, chili powder, cilantro (i generally don't have cilantro in my fridge, but this recipe is JUST as good without it).  if you have a fajita seasoning packet--i got mine at the farmer's market for $1--sprinkle some of that in there as well.  you really just need a pinch of all the seasonings, but do it to your own taste preference.  homemade tzatziki sauce: plain greek yogurt OR sour cream (i like the non-fat because i eat this stuff by the spoonful), lemon juice, lemon zest, fresh dill, fresh minced garlic, diced cucumbers, salt. 

mix, serve alongside your fancy new quesadilla, take a bow.

OLE!  i mean...OPA!  i mean...whatever, just eat your quesadilla.

#nerdsunite

click here to check out more from Fanny! (heheheeheh her name is Fanny)

and follow her on twitter over yonder!



#FoodForThought: The Adventures of Fanny and Olive (powdered sugar)

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Fanny. No really - that is her actual name. She is a massive massive massive foodie, and would like to share with you all the adventures on all of the things she puts in her mouth. Wait, no - not like that ... I mean ... well, you know what I mean. Aw shucks, just hit it already Fanny ... </editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's Fanny Slater

as i smoothed down olive's salt and pepper colored coat, hundreds of threads of excess fur floated around my apartment.  "damnit olive! why can't you be made of something that i wouldn't mind being scattered all over the place....like.....powdered sugar."  and then i got to thinking...

last week we talked about unexpected flavors  (insert shameless plug here for last week's post).  i wanted to continue along with a similar theme that is centered around the idea of doing something unpredictable. i'm not talking about break dancing in the middle of a busy street or quitting your job to become a full-time beekeeper. today i want to tickle your brains with the idea of rearranging. i don't mean the kind of rearranging my best friend does to her closet every two weeks. i'm talking about a kind of rearranging that is done entirely for the sake of a yummy meal.

with turkey day right around the corner, the typical conversation between los angeles implants has been invaded by one very specific question: "are you going home for thanksgiving?" seeing as 9 out of 10 people you meet in this city aren't actually from here, when the holidays come around--everybody is wondering who's traveling back to their mainland, and who's sticking it out on the west coast.  this november marks the second holiday season that i've lived away from home.  with my older sister sarah living even further west on the beautiful island of oahu, that leaves the thanksgiving responsibilities entirely up to my parents back in north carolina. it's not just that my dad doesn't have me there to be the twice baked potato scooper, or my sister there to clean (eat) the fallen pieces of stuffing on the cutting board. it's the fact that without sarah and fanny, our kitchen table will only be set with two place-mats. and my mom loves our place-mats, so it really wouldn't be fair for her to not get to use all four...

being the kind of family who is semi-food-obsessed, thanksgiving is like our version of a marathon.  each dinner during the year might as well lead up to this extravagant feast.  everyone enjoys thanksgiving and looks forward to it, but we might as well have a team name and headbands.  the idea of the four of us celebrating this wonderful holiday on all different coasts seemed absurd, so we decided to rearrange some things.  instead of thanksgiving falling on the fourth thursday of november, we decided to move it and have our very own thanksgiving in decemeber when the four of us are all in one place.  the tradition for us doesn't lie necessarily in the food--seeing as every year we try a few new twists--but in the fact that we are all there together as a family to enjoy it.

 ....all of us.

although i have a handful of my dad's thanksgiving recipes up my sleeve--from stuffing with prosecco marinated apricots to cranberry sauce with vanilla and fresh orange zest--the one i want to share with you today also falls into our "rearranging theme."  after mentioning chicken marsala in a blog post a few weeks ago, i couldn't seem to get the damn thing off of my mind.  so i went to the grocery store and bought all the essentials: chicken, mushrooms, shallots, marsala....  just as i was entering the self-checkout i realized i had forgotten something essential.  diet root beer.  what?  ew no, not for the marsala.  i just really like root beer.  

anyway.

on my way to the soda isle, i zig-zagged through the produce and something green caught my eye. it then occurred to me that i didn't have any sort of vegetable side-car for my chicken marsala.  i headed straight for the asparagus, but then stopped mid-grab when i saw the price.  if i was already making an extremely flavorful dish like chicken marsala, i just needed a simple side that could act as a supporting character. i didn't need the julia roberts of the produce section.  it was at that moment when a B-list vegetable entered my cart and changed the very way i looked at side dishes. i've never been a big green bean fan. there's been a few instances where they've been buttered perfectly to my liking, but for the most part--they're a vegetable that i tend to overlook. as i let my chicken marsala simmer away, i decided i wanted to give these green beans a chance. i'm not a southern cook--so i had no idea how to take them to the salty delicious level that my best friend's mom is a master of. i knew that the future and the flavor of these green beans was lying entirely in my hands.

well, i don't know how you spell flavor, but i do it like this: g-a-r-l-i-c.


spicy roasted garlic green beans with lemon zest:
1. cut off ends of green beans
2. roast at 375 with olive oil, salt, and pepper until lightly browned and caramelized
3. roast garlic cloves in olive oil and salt until tender--mash roasted garlic on cutting board and then mix in a bowl with butter and roasted red pepper flakes
4. in a sautee pan, toss green beans with spicy roasted garlic butter
5. top with lemon zest
6. call me and thank me

as for the chicken marsala, it was a very basic recipe: dredge chicken breasts (i like bone-in for more flavor) in flour with salt and pepper.  sear chicken in a pan with olive oil/butter 2-3 minutes per side.  remove chicken.  add more butter and olive oil, sautee shallots and mushrooms (i used cremini and oyster mushrooms) *foodie note: cremini mushrooms are simply baby portobellos*.  add thyme, de-glaze the pan with equal parts chicken stock and dry marsala wine.  add chicken, simmer covered for 10-15 minutes (depending on the thickness of your chicken).  remove chicken, stir in a pad of butter to your sauce and pour over chicken.  call me again and thank me.

now remember, the whole point behind today's story was about rearranging.  if i had never decided to rearrange my asparagus with a less expensive ingredient--i never would have stumbled upon green beans that can only be described as "the side dish that clearly fell from heaven."  similarly, had my family never decided to rearrange thanksgiving, i wouldn't get to enjoy this beautiful plate of food every year.

don't be afraid of changing things up.  you never know what you might be missing.  okay olive, now let's make you that powdered sugar coat.  

...olive?

........olive?

#nerdsunite

click here to check out more from Fanny! (heheheeheh her name is Fanny)

#FoodForThought: The Adventures of Fanny and Olive (Thriller)

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Fanny. No really - that is her actual name. She is a massive massive massive foodie, and would like to share with you all the adventures on all of the things she puts in her mouth. Wait, no - not like that ... I mean ... well, you know what I mean. Aw shucks, just hit it already Fanny ... </editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's Fanny Slater

there is nothing more exciting in the cooking world than stumbling onto something unexpected. sometimes in the regular world, this is not always the case. the unexpected discovery of gum on the bottom of your flip flop is not always a welcome surprise. although i'm a big fan of traditional flavors, sometimes it can be fun to change it up once in a while. i once had this dish at a los angeles restaurant that completely blew my mind. i've lived in california for about 425 days now, so you can imagine how many meals i've consumed on the west coast. this one, however, stood out from all the others. a guy who knew that eating was my passion thought it would be impressive to take me out on a date to a restaurant owned by a food network star. this restaurant is called "street" and the owner and chef is the delightfully quirky TV personality susan feniger. the idea behind street is that every dish is based on street foods that chef feniger has experienced all over the world. it is also served tapas style--which is spanish for small appetizers to share. my date had eaten here once before and he wouldn't stop raving about their signature dish: "kaya toast." before our asses hit the chairs, he had put in an order for one. ten minutes later when this beautiful plate was slid under my nose--i immediately regretting going to a restaurant where i was expected to share.

on the menu, kaya toast is described as toasted bread spread thick with coconut jam; served with a soft fried egg drizzled in dark soy and white pepper." it may sound like the strangest list of ingredients, and it may look like a grilled cheese paired with an egg--but it was one of the most interesting and unique flavor combinations i've ever experienced in my life. what appeared to be a grilled cheese tasted more like crusty white bread with a soft, creamy and sweet spread in the middle. this coconut essence is your sweet factor. using the corner of your toasty bread, you break the egg yolk and drag your sandwich through the dark soy sauce river. as the yolk spills onto the soy, the velvety richness combines with the salty soy sauce. this is your salty factor. when you first see the dish, your brain says, "what in the hell do i do with all of this?" but when you combine all of those flavors together in one single bite, your entire mouth immediately explodes with flavors. sometimes boring or bland dishes can be described as one-note. this is the opposite of one-note. in fact, it's a freakin' orchestra. not only are the flavors complex and interesting as they blend together harmoniously in your mouth, but they are constantly changing and growing in depth as you continue to chew. like i said--i love a simple, traditional dish. but when you're looking for something different, something surprising, something that stimulates every taste bud sensor on your palate--ones that you didn't even know you had--unexpected flavors are the way to go.

as for the date, let's just say the only thing that came home with me was another order of the kaya toast.

speaking of the unexpected, i happen to live with a food critic who surprises me every so often with her taste buds. olive loves the standard cat favorites--chicken, turkey, fish--but every now and then i catch her attempting to chow down on something completely out of the ordinary.

Fanny's cat Olivea few days ago, i set down my plate of roasted vegetables to walk into the other room. i came back in minutes later to find that olive had eaten every parsnip off of my plate. last night, as my eyes were glued the country music awards premiering live on TV, i left my totino's pizza unguarded for about thirty to seconds only to look down and see olive licking tomato sauce and pepperoni off of her paw.

the point is--in the foodie world, sometimes unexpected things can make for the best stories. that being said, don't think i'm going to let you leave today without a recipe that falls into that very category. because i've already rambled on for quite some time, i'll just keep this part short by starting off with one simple word:  bruschetta. bruschetta is traditionally tomatoes, basil, olive oil, and garlic on a crusty piece of toasted bread. i will offer you this piece of advice: next time you make a meal for someone and include brushchetta on your menu--go outside of the box a little bit. bruschetta just means some form of toppings on top of some form of a crostini. the crostini, or toasted baguette, or crispy cracker is simply just a vehicle for your toppings. the toppings are the star. ladies--when you're driving down the street and see a good looking guy in a nice car--how often do you shout, "nice ride! what year?" never, because the car isn't what you're interested in. you instead pull out something much smoother like, "what kind of conditioner do you use?"

...i completely forgot what we were talking about.

oh right, bruschetta. my recipe for you today is an interesting twist on a classic that will absolutely knock your socks off. the bottom for the bruschetta can be any form of crostini. i found a dark honey oat french loaf in the bakery section of a grocery store and thought that the brown color would be a nice contrast to the bright shades on top. after toasting your crostini pieces (sliced into circles and drizzled with a little olive oil or butter), spread on a layer of room temperature goat cheese. then top with fresh sliced strawberries, basil, cracked black pepper, candied walnuts or pecans, and a drizzle of reduced balsamic syrup.

if i had a nickel for every time i've made these and heard someone say to the person next to them, "what the hell is that?"...well, then i probably would be living a bigger apartment. but let's face it--michael jackson's "thriller" didn't become a huge success because anyone had a clue what the hell he was doing at first. like i explained to you in my last post, the whole idea behind easy, impressive, inexpensive, fun cooking is all about a unique blend of fresh ingredients. the strawberries and basil are your sweetness and make the dish bright. the sweet, syrupy flavor from the reduced balsamic and the sugary crunch from the candied nuts pair up perfectly with the goat cheese--your creamy factor. now here comes the most unexpected twist of all: the cracked black pepper...are you ready for this? is actually what brings the dish together as a whole. with sweetness, creaminess, and a lot of fresh bright flavors already present--you need some kind of spice that holds up as a contrast to everything else. it's all about balance!

now throw on some MJ and get cooking.

*foodie note: to make reduced balsamic--boil down half a cup of balsamic vinegar with a tablespoon of honey (or agave) until it's thickened up like a syrup. then pour over EVERYTHING. trust me.*

#nerdsunite

click here to check out more from Fanny! (heheheeheh her name is Fanny)

#FoodForThought: The Adventures of Fanny and Olive

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Fanny. No really - that is her actual name. She is a massive massive massive foodie, and would like to share with you all the adventures on all of the things she puts in her mouth. Wait, no - not like that ... I mean ... well, you know what I mean. Aw shucks, just hit it already Fanny ... </editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's Fanny Slater

olive garden.

let's be serious here.  i'm no mario batali.  i'm a jewish girl from the south who was born in the north and cooks like my dad.  what exactly is my cooking style, you ask?  to tell you the truth, i guess i don't really have one.  i love the kind of cooking that i grew up with.  just because i'm from the south doesn't mean i'm a "southern girl."  i'm proud as hell to be from north carolina, but seeing as my parents don't have country roots--i didn't grow up on delicious southern favorites like shrimp and grits or chicken fried steak.  the food that i grew up with can best be described by one word: made-from-scratch.  or is that three words?  not the point.  my parents always taught me that everything was better when you started from the very beginning.  the sauce for chicken marsala doesn't appear out of thin air.  well i guess it does if you buy it in a jar or order it at olive garden, but that's not how the foodie gods intended it to be.  it's made with onions, and mushrooms, and fresh thyme, and marsala wine.  don't make me say "love"--we all know that's the most important ingredient of cooking without me dropping that cliché bomb on you.

speaking of italian cooking, our story today is centered around the most italian ingredient of them all: PASTA!  i decided to mix it up a little bit last night and cook with some shrimp. i found them already peeled and de-veined at the grocery store, which saved me time and the delightful job of touching shrimp poop.  *foodie note: if you can only find shrimp de-veined, but not peeled, it takes about four seconds to pop their shells off.  don't be lazy people.* since the portion was just for me, a handful only ran me three dollars!  i marinated the shrimp in lemon juice, a splash of orange juice, cholula hot sauce, shallots, garlic, parsley, basil, salt, pepper, and lemon zest.  a quick ride in the oven and they were done.  and i mean QUICK.  you know when you're in a tanning bed and you see that you're starting to get too much color?  when your shrimp start to turn that beautiful white and pink, get them the hell out of the tanning bed.  i mean oven.  there is nothing worse than an overcooked shrimp.  *foodie tip that will blow your mind: shrimp are done when they curl into a C shape.  shrimp are overcooked when they curl so much that they form an O shape.  O = overcooked.  thank you shrimp, for making my life so easy.  i'm sorry i ate you.  wait.  no, i'm not.*

pasta + shrimp + sauce = boring.  therefore, i wanted to make sure that my pasta had lots to it.
...i never liked the kind of math where you had to use numbers. for my filler ingredients to poof up the consistency of the pasta, i sautéed leeks, mushrooms, yellow bell peppers, and sun-dried tomatoes. 

let's just take a quick second to talk about leeks.  i love leeks.  i would wear them as earrings if people wouldn't judge me.  every time i use them i realize that i don't use them as often as i'd like.  did that make sense?  they've got such a mild onion flavor without being as assertive as onions or shallots.  *foodie note: only use the white/light green part of the leeks for sautéing.  the green stalky parts can be bitter, so only use those in something like a homemade stock.*  next time you want to add a little extra flavor to anything--scrambled eggs, a tuna melt, a quesadilla--sauté some leeks in butter with salt and pepper.  i think they're fantastic. i'm surprised i didn't name olive "leeks".

great, i think she just got a middle game.

you can use any kind of pasta that you like, but i'm partial to angel hair with shrimp.  once my pasta was cooked, i tossed the shrimp and veggies with the tomato sauce.  i'm a big fan of making your own homemade marinara and and keeping it in the freezer, but i certainly don't hate on a good store-bought brand (especially when your pasta already has a lot of other flavors going on).  okay, here it goes.  are you ready for my secret?  by all means, you can use it in your own kitchen.  but if your cat asks you where you learned this--at least give me a shout out.  i don't want my street credit in the feline world going downhill.  how do i make my pasta sauces deliciously creamy yet light and not full of calories, you ask?  save some of that leftover light garden veggie cream cheese from breakfast, and start throwing a scoop in your sauces.  trust me.  there is no better consistency for a yummy pasta dish, then light and creamy.  to finish the dish off--i topped it with goat cheese, more fresh parsley and basil, and lemon zest.

okay, so i didn't make the pasta from scratch.  and the sauce came out of a jar this time.  but that's not the idea.  it's not pulling every single ingredient out of the earth.  it's about having the right blend of flavors, and textures, and fresh ingredients in your dishes.  well look at that.  an inexpensive, homemade, beautiful italian meal that i got to prepare and enjoy in my pajamas.  i may not have gotten unlimited salad and breadsticks--but i also didn't have to tip the waiter.

boy i'm stuffed.  olive, put on the espresso.

#nerdsunite

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