Clean Eating: Linguine w/ Orange Saffron Salmon

Tonight's dinner was the Linguine with Orange Saffron Salmon from the September/October 2010 issue of Clean Eating magazine. I've never used saffron before, mostly because it's very expensive, but I have been feeling very much in a rut lately and just needed to do something different. And I found some saffron on sale for around $15.00!

Salmon2 
This was a very easy dinner to make - I was able to work on the Simple Saffron Broth while preparing the linguine and salmon for the rest of the dinner. I added some baguette slices and a side salad to make a very satisfying and delicious. Definitely a WIN, which made me very happy after last night's disaster!

Salmon3 


Clean Eating: Butternut Squash Ravioli

Tonight I tried a new vegetarian recipe from the latest Clean Eating magazine: butternut squash ravioli with mushroom sauce.Butternut squashI've never made my own raviolis before, but I had a coupon for wonton wrappers, so thought I'd give it a shot. The recipe itself is pretty simple (especially if you get the squash already peeled and chopped!) though filling 30 or so raviolis is quite a chore, and the mushroom sauce is super fast and easy, too (again when you get the onions already chopped and the mushrooms already sliced!).

Butternut squash2 I wish I could say this was a delicious succesful meal, but, alas, it was not. The whole thing was bland and just not very good. I added a side salad with the dish, and that was about the only tasty part of the whole thing. Maybe if I'd done one of the other two suaces (a tomato and a ginger soy) there might've been more flavour. I don't know. All I know is it was a FAIL and I will likely not make this one again.


New Beginnings #19

New-beginnings21

To remind you of the way this works, here’s how to play:

First — post your list of New Years’ Resolutions in a post at your blog (or in the comments here, if you don’t have a blog).

Second — every week, on Wednesday, write a new post about how you’re doing with each of your goals … you’ll have to list them, again, each week, as people won’t remember what you’re working towards, otherwise. Be brief in your updates, as there may be several blogs to visit! ((come give a quick update here at Should Be Reading, if you don’t have a blog)).

Third — after you’ve written your update, come back to Should Be Reading, and share your link so that we –the other New Beginnings participants– can stop by your blog and encourage you!

Important! … It would be absolutely great if you could visit at least ONE other participant’s blog  on Wednesdays and leave a comment on their post to share some encouragement for their efforts! Show your support! That’s what this event is all about — standing by each other to finally reach our goals!

NOTE:It's the middle of the year already and I was inspired by a recent post from our New Beginnings hostess MizB to reevaluate my 2010 goals/resolutions. So, I've made a newish list. It's slightly less complicated and will hopefully be easier for me to follow.


1. Health and Fitness
o   Get down to size 14. Still at a comfortable size 16. 
o   Try three new recipes per month (one of which will be vegetarian). I didn't cook anything new this week, but I did make a couple recipes from the new Clean Eating magazine last week. I posted a picture of one of them, but I forgot to post the Chicken Almondine, so I'm doing it now.

Cleaneatingchickenalmondine

  
o   Hit the gym four days per week. I made all my trainer appointments last week - despite feeling sick two of the days - and plan to make them all this week as well.  

2. Writing (removed the poetry section since I probably won't be writing any poetry at all this year, and I'd rather not stress out over it)
o   Write 1st draft of a novel. This is one of the goals I've changed. I was having too much trouble figuring Falcon's Gate out, so I'm going to set it aside and work on something else; I just don't know what yet.
o   Write a(nother) complete novel during NaNoWriMo. Begins November 1st and continues through November 30th. 

3. Photography
o   Take more artistic photos. Not done yet, but maybe soon ... see below!
o   Spend more time composing photos rather than just “point and shoot”. I haven't done much on this lately, but I signed up for a new sh1ft.org photo project: 31 Photos in 31 Days which runs the month of August, so I'm hoping to become inspired to do some really nice, artistic photos during this month.
o   Go "old school": take some pictures using film with manual 35mm camera. Not done recently.
 
4. Homefront
o   Organize stuff. My stuff is pretty well organized right now, but who knows how long that will last.  
o   Reduce clutter. I've still got some items for sale on eBay, but I'm going to wait until after my Vegas trip to do another closet/drawer/cd purge.  

5. Fun Stuff
o   Go to the beach. Not done this weekend, but my mom and I are planning a weekend trip to either Pismo Beach or Avila Beach in September! 
o   Get new ink. Still contemplating a design for the Vegas tattoo. 

   


Clean Eating: Whole Wheat Oricchiette w/ Steak & Vegetables

Dinner2

This recipe from the July/August issue of Clean Eating magazine is super fast and easy to make and is really delicious! It worked out perfectly, too, as I had two zucchinis from last week I never had the chance to use, and got a huge summer squash from a generous gardener at work. This dish is one I will definitely cook again!


Cajun Jambalaya

This is the second easy and delicious recipe I tried from the latest Clean Eating magazine last weekend. I love that all the ingredients are cooked in a foil packet - super easy clean up! This issue had a whole section on cooking in foil packets and I'm looking forward to trying some of the other ones. However, I wish they'd included cooking times/instructions for cooking these over the grill instead of just the oven. It's getting way too hot to be heating that oven up to 400°!

Cajun jambalya



In the Kitchen: Last Week & This Week

Last weekend I cooked a delicious Thai Coconut Shrimp dish from the latest Clean Eating magazine:

Cleaneatingthaishrimp

It was supposed to be quick - 20 minutes from start to finish according to the magazine - but they lied! With all the cleaning, chopping and cooking of the veggies, whipping up the sauce, the cooking the shrimp, it took me almost an hour! It was delicious, though, and I'll probably make it again, although I think I'll get cooked shrimp instead of raw.

Anyway, I ended up with an almost full can of tomato paste and half a can of coconut milk left over. Since I hate wasting food, I am using them up this weekend. The tomato paste I used with the Bear Creek "Darn Good" chili, which is perfect for today since it's cold and blustery and is supposed to rain ...

Chili

 ... and used the rest of the coconut milk in a vegetarian curry tofu & veggie recipe. Unfortunetly when I was grocery shopping on Friday, I bought extra firm tofu instead of the baked teriyaki tofu the recipe calls for. At first I thought all was lost, and I would have to dump the coconut milk after all, then I did a quick web search for "baked teriyaki tofu" and found this great easy recipe! Yay! I have the extra firm tofu, teriyaki and soy sauce, so I'm good to go again!

Curry



This will make enough for a couple quick dinners this week, AND I didn't have to throw out any food!  Yay for using leftovers!!!


Clean Eating: Zucchini Lasagna FAIL

Well, this is my first major FAIL in Clean Eating cooking. I had to substitute eggplant for the zucchini and while it still tasted okay, the eggplant skin was tough and nearly impossible to cut. It turned out being less a lasagna and more of a stewy mess:

Cedinner2 

Cedinner1 

I would like to try this recipe again with zucchini, or, if I have to substitute with eggplant again, I'll peel the skin off first!