Recipes...We Don't Need No Stinking Recipes...

I always tell myself that I'll follow the recipe the first time I make something.  Somehow that never happens.  It's not always intentional.  Sometimes, through lack of preparation and forethought, I don't have the right ingredients so I have to improvise.  Then sometimes I just don't like what the recipe says to do.  I'm a know-it-all like that.

I made beef stew yesterday.  The original recipe is here.  I read it.  Twice.  Somehow I ended up with no turnip/rutabega/potato and chicken broth instead of beef broth.  So I just added extra onions, peas, and carrots.  And the recipe didn't call for garlic.  Whazzupwitdat?  So I added garlic.  It was REALLY good.  Emily slept on my couch while I made it.  She tasted it and can vouch for the yumminess.  I had it for lunch today and it was just as good reheated.

I also am currently making granola. 

The original recipe is here.  The recipe I made is this: 

3 cups oats 

1/2 cup pecan pieces (I had almonds but the pecans were already open)

3 tablespoons whole flaxseeds (I actually had flax seeds...?)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon ground cardimum

1 packet vanilla Carnation Instant Breakfast 

2 tablespoons molasses 

3 tablespoons honey

1 cup water 

4 tablespoons dried cranberries  

3 tablespoons raisins 

Turns out Walmart doesn't carry wheat germ and I had to go there since I needed toilet paper and a trash can.

Then this recipe I made up all (mostly) on my own.   I like fish and I love lemons, but there has got to be another way to cook fish other than with lemons.  So, I baked sole filets seasoned with paprika and fresh ground black pepper.  Then I quartered tomatoes and put them around the filets, seasoned them with salt and pepper and drizzled the whole sheet with oilve oil.  Then I baked them at 375 for about 15 minutes.  

When the fish was done I pulled it off the sheet, smashed the tomatoes down, added some red pepper flakes (not enough to melt your face off, but just enough to add flavor) and put them back in for about another 7-10 minutes until the tomatoes were roasty, smushy, and delicious.

 

While this was going on I also made mashed cauliflower -- recipe here and I totally followed it!!  Mashed cauliflower is supposed to be a substitute for mashed potatoes, and if you didn't know you probably wouldn't know.  But I also am a huge fan of cauliflower in all forms so I just like it for tastiness!  

After that was all done I made a salad with olive oil, vinegar, and feta cheese (I had some in the fridge...?).  When all was said and done this is what I ended up with:

I'm not sure which was better, the fish, the tomatoes, or the cauliflower.  And the Blue Moon was pretty tasty too.  ;)  I came home and walked after work so I earned a beer.