Monday, April 11, 2011

Crockpot seafood stew


  • 2 table spoons oil
  • 1 large white onion
  •  2/3 cup dry white wine
  • 1 can 28oz stewed tomatoes 
  • 2 table spoon garlic
  • 1 8-oz bottle clam juice
  • 2 table spoons tomato paste
  • 1 table spoons Italian herbs 
  • Crushed red pepper (to your liking)
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 small bag of fingerling potatoes (we bought a microwavable bag from Trader Joes)
    • 2 fillets halibut cooked and cut into one inch pieces.
    • 1 pkg Lobster (I buy lobster that is frozen from whole foods, just rinse under cold water and its ready to go)
    • 1 bag of frozen cooked shrimp with tail off and deveined
In a saucepan, cook the onion and garlic in oil on medium heat until the onion is tender and translucent. Add the wine and bring to a simmer. Scrape mixture into the slow cooker. While the onion and garlic are cooking microwave the bag of potatoes and let cool, then chop as big as you like. Chop carrots into bite size pieces.  Then add the tomato paste,tomatoes, clam juice, and italian herbs to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 3 hrs.

In the meantime cook the halibut to your liking (I used old bay seasoning). Put frozen shrimp and lobster in strainer and rinse under cold water until defrosted. Then add fish and crushed red pepper to the slow cooker, mix and cook for another 30-45 min or until fish is cooked. Add salt and pepper...

Serve with garlic bread! 






Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Dijon Salmon with panko crust, spinach and brown rice

Tonight I was feeling a little fishy and decided to make salmon. 
This is a simple recipe and I cheat a bit. I use microwavable brown rice. You can by at Whole Foods or Trader Joes. 


Preheat oven to 450 deg


Two large salmon fillets 
Dijon mustard, eye ball it
Panko crumbs, eye ball it 


Line your baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Place your salmon skin side down. Take your dijon mustard and cover the top of the salmon to your liking. 


(Tip- taste test mustard, some brands are more potent then others). 


Then sprinkle the panko crumbs on top of the dijon mustard to cover the top or as much as you like. I spray the top slightly with cooking spray to avoid burning and so that it will turn golden in the oven. 


Place in oven and cook for 15 min or until salmon flakes easily with a fork. 


For your spinach, I use frozen spinach, about 16oz bag but you can use fresh.  Then put a table spoon butter in your pan along with a little chicken stock. I eye ball the stalk as well, just don't put in TOO much. Let it cook 5-10 min. In the meantime I sprinkle spinach with Herbs de Provence. 


Microwave my brown rice and there you have it! Quick and simple!


Monday, April 4, 2011

Pork stir-fry with brown rice

This was a quick and easy meal. I cheat often. I pulled out my trusty old wok and got to work.

I heated up 2 table spoons canola oil in my wok
I bought a 1lb pork tenderloin and cut it into small slices. Put pork in the wok on high heat.
1 table spoon lemon pepper seasoning
1 table spoon curry powder
1/3 of a cup stir fry sauce
1 table spoon soy sauce
throw all in pan with the pork and cook until cooked through.
16oz bag frozen stir fry vegetables

The veggies come from the frozen section of the grocery store and are called "stir fry vegetables" they have two types with different mixed vegetables. You choose what looks good to you!

I microwave the 16oz bag of veggies prior to throwing in the wok for 3 min (while the pork cooks)  because you want the excess water to drain from the veggies before throwing them in the wok or else you will have a stir fry soup.

When the veggies are done in the microwave throw them in the wok with the pork and cook for 3-5 min and serve with brown rice.

Ta-da! My version of stir fry!!

Hello! Let me introduce myself ~

My name is Michele. I am 31 years old. I was born with a rare lung condition called Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia, also called Kartagener Syndrome. I live with my husband Rob and we were married Nov 7th 2010. 


We have a garden in the back yard and I like to grow food. I also LOVE to cook. I sadly have an abundance of cook books and cooking magazines to reference to. Although, to some it might look like an obsession with all of these books but, I love to cook!  


I plan on using this site to post my gardening and cooking adventures to share with everyone. 


I hope you enjoy!


Here are my books and mags. Also a picture of our one dog Keely, you might see her often. =)