Friday, February 12, 2016

What I've Been Cooking Lately

Happy Friday!  Today I'm linking up with Mar, Cynthia, and Courtney for the Friday Five!  Today's theme is food and drink, so I thought I'd share some of the things I've been cooking lately.  My parents gifted me with a new set of pots and pans and a cookbook for Christmas, so I've been more motivated in 2016 than usual to try out some recipes. 



1. Roasted vegetables.  Guys, I don't know how this has been off my radar for so long.  I'll admit that I often just toss some frozen vegetable steam fresh bags in the microwave, but these roasted vegetables are AWESOME.  I've done a couple batches of broccoli and some butternut squash.  Easy and delicious.  (I literally googled "roasted butternut squash" and "roasted broccoli" to find out how long to cook and the temperature.)

2. Runner's World Cookbook recipes.  This is probably my favorite cookbook I have ever owned.  The recipes are pretty simple for a non-chef like me and the ingredients are easy to come by.  One of my favorites is their lasagna.  It's so simple to throw together and incredibly good.  Every time I bring it to work for lunch my coworkers comment on how good it looks.  I usually throw in some zucchini in place of the mushrooms.  I also recently made the creamy potato and spinach soup.  I wasn't a huge fan of this (I just need to chew my food), but then I put it over some rice and it hit the spot. 



3. Mystery Writer's Cookbook recipes.  This was a fun gift I received for Christmas that features recipes from different mystery writers.  I really like this cookbook and the little stories that accompany the different author's recipes are fun to read.  I will admit though that at first I was nervous to make food by people with twisted minds (think Gillian Flynn!), but the chicken enchiladas and spicy crock pot pork are quick and easy to throw together and are well worth the effort of cooking. 



4. Mac and Cheese from Cook Yourself Thin.  I don't often use this cookbook because I find that the recipes generally take a long time to make and in my opinion aren't worth the effort.  I love this mac and cheese though.  I make it when I need a quick and easy week night meal.  While yes, it's still mac and cheese, it's better than a lot of other recipes out there for you, and it's definitely better than the boxed stuff I frequently ate in college.  Just a note--I always use normal cheese.  I don't believe in reduced fat cheese!



5. Recipes from Around the Web.  I make Kate's banana baked oatmeal at least once a month.  It's easy to make and feels a little more special than my typical bowl of oatmeal I eat during the week.  I also made Julie's frozen waffle breakfast strata with a few substitutions last weekend.  I had a different brand of waffles, and I substituted the sausage for bacon since it's what I had on hand.  I also added a little cheese, because what is bacon and eggs without some cheese? 

What have you been cooking lately? I'd love to hear some of your favorite cookbooks, too!  I like books with accessible ingredients that don't take a lot of pots and pans to make happen!

4 comments:

  1. I'm glad your new Christmas cookbook is getting so much use! Have you tried that mac & cheese recipe yet? ;)

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  2. I have that runners World cookbook. It's pretty good! I'd like to take a look through that "Cook yourself thin"! What a clever title!

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  3. Roasted anything is pretty much always amazing! :)

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