Has it been that long since I've cooked? Well, no. Has it been that long since I cooked a decent meal? Has it been that long since I've had a night where I didn't cook so badly that I end up curled in bed crying over spilt...well, spilt and burnt everything? Um, yes. (Chew on that sentence, English major!)
Where is my kitchen mojo? Work has been crazy lately, plus I've started working out again after work (that's a lot of the word "work," not sure how I feel about this development once I see it in writing), so that really cuts into the amount of time I have in the evenings to whip up something spectacular (or at least edible).
Last night I made quesadillas again (AN EXCUSE FOR SALSA) and I was in such a rush to get the supplies at the grocery store (was supposed to be at the post office, err) that I picked up GIGANTIC TORTILLAS MADE FOR GIANTS. Have you ever tried to flip over a gigantic tortilla made for giants? Basically, we had like...I don't know, quesadilla salad? In a bowl? To be eaten with a fork? Perhaps a SOFT SHELLED CHICKEN TACO SALAD? Whatever, there was salsa on it. I ate while I CRIED (not recommended - way too much salt) in the office, and Will ate at the table while watching a Martin Lawrence movie.
1. I didn't want to watch my sweet husband gallantly eat the tasty but hideous meal I fixed. I was that depressed about ripped tortillas. I actually SAID "I am going in the office. I have no desire to watch you eat that. I'm that depressed."
2. I REALLY didn't want to watch a Martin Lawrence movie while I sobbed around a mouthful of sloppy quesadillas. Awkward.
Also, I get my period in a couple of days!
But I will tell you, real quick like, what I put on my quesadillas (whether they work out or not, the same thing goes on them):
CHICKEN QUESADILLAS or KRISTA'S UNFORTUNATE CHICKEN SOFT TACO SALAD OF PAIN AND REGRET
chicken, in tiny pieces.
lettuce (yes, in the tortillas, yes, it will go in a hot pan later)
SALSA (and if your salsa is OUR SALSA, don't use cilantro on your quesadillas, pls)
sharp cheddar cheese, shredded some much smaller quesadillas than those that were previously mentioned. (woodland fairy quesadillas, if you will.)
Like you couldn't figure that out. I use olive oil spray to cook them (the six boxes of butter in my fridge is for baking, not for everyday consumption). You know what? Fuck this, I know you know how to make quesadillas. I mean, I have no idea why you couldn't wrap your brain around homemade sloppy joes, but I FEEL DOWN IN MY TOES that you don't need me to tell you how to not fuck up some Mexican food. It's that whole "I can feel that Kendra hates tuna" vibe going on.
Let's see, what else have I cooked in these past weeks that I have not blogged about. OOOOOOH, one Saturday I made dinner and brought it over to mom's house - beef tips and gravy, cornbread muffins, glazed carrots, and Jack Daniels apples. That was a really good night, a really good meal. Do you have the glazed carrots or Jack Daniels apples recipes? If not, let me know. They are awesome. I did make your breakfast quiche one Saturday morning. That was amazing. Oh and I redid the shrimp pasta with regular tomatoes. I thought it was a lot better, Will was still kind of on the fence about it.
THIS WEEKEND I should finally be able to get my veggie plants in the ground, SO. I'm excited about that, bringing all that good stuff into the kitchen. Mostly the tomatoes and jalapenos, but I'm sure you can't imagine why.
Hey, is cilantro hard to grow?
awww. you know, i've been on a roll lately, so i know i'm due for one of those stretches soon. where i don't do anything but heat up kraft cheesy mac and cry? yeah. those times happen.
ReplyDeleteman, you are psychic or something. i do know how to make quesadillas, because I MADE SOME LAST NIGHT, TOO.
*twilight zone music*
i only made cheese ones, because i didn't care about the quesadillas so much as i wanted a nice sturdy platform to serve some salsa on. but i know exactly what you're talking about with the big-ass tortillas. i buy the whole wheat ones for breakfast burritos (will blog them someday), and i see no reason to buy smaller ones for quesadillas. i made the exact same mistake you did the first time i tried it, but i have since learn to cut them in half, put one half in the pan at a time, and fold it over itself. then they fit in the pan, are easy to flip, and you get nice big triangular wedge-shaped quesadillas.
and honey, no quesadilla is bad. ugly is not the same as bad. ugly food is often delicious food, please see: any fucked up egg disaster that still tastes pretty great plopped in a bowl.
another trick i learned to get them crispier (so you don't get the soft taco thing happening) is broil them a little in the oven before serving. flip 'em out of the pan and onto a cookie sheet, and do about 2-3 minutes on both sides.
aaaah, i totally have your jack recipes but i haven't tried them yet. that cornbread casserole you gave me around that same time has been on my list of things to make FOREVER, and the jack apples. and the carrots. and all of it.
i just talked to mom about herb gardening this week! she said she will have to see about planting us some cilantro (cause you know i can't even grow mold on last month's bread)...apparently she hardly touches her giant, beautiful herb garden, so i think you and me? need to raid that thing this summer.
i just want to say that last night, shayne made quesadillas. because he said i needed a night off - awww. and you know what? his quesadillas were like, ten times better than mine. oh, man. i said, "what is the secret?? you have to tell me." and he said, "you need to use butter, and leave them in long enough for them to get crispy. you just have to wait a little while. the secret is patience."
ReplyDelete"oh," i said. "well, never mind."
Dear Awesome Sisters, thank you for letting me see your super secret sister cooking blog which puts me to SHAME ON A DAILY BASIS.
ReplyDeleteMAINLY, I am astounded that ya'll cook SO MUCH. Krista, how can you get upset about not cooking that much during the week when I hardly ever cook anything more serious than a bologna sandwich. TRUE STORY.
I am seriously proud of myself because I managed to do over roasted squash and new potatoes Saturday and NOT MESS IT UP. SUCCESS. I also made RICE yesterday and didn't mess it up. BABY STEPS.
BTW: this MIND-BLOWINGLY difficult recipe: slice up about 3-4 new potatoes, and, well, I used to hate squash and only recently started liking it so I take it easy and only do about a half, but ya'll can do a whole -- all of it thin sliced, then drizzle olive oil on tin foil on a baking sheet -- I usually mess this up by either not putting enough (food gets stuck to foil and rips off ugly) or too much (food doesnt' crisp). SO HAPPY MEDIUM.
Lots of salt and pepper over the top of the veggies on top of the oil. If you want, you can use German salt from a Salt Mine in Bergdesgaden but only if you're out of normal people salt.
UNDER THE BROILER for 10-15. 15 if you put too much olive oil and the little buggers are drowining and need a little bit longer to broil.
THERE YOU GO.
Are ya'll offended that I explained something THAT EASY to you? But, give me a break, that's the most exciting thing I've cooked in a long time.
<3
hi, there emmy. :) i for one am glad for instruction on how to do something - anything - with squash, because it's a total mystery to me. i kind of like it, but i WANT to love it. it's so nutritious and comes in such pretty colors, it's ridiculous that i've never tried to cook it.
ReplyDeletei ate some at a restaurant not long ago, and spent the whole meal poking at it with my fork thinking, "how did they do this? what went on here??" so thank you for giving me a jumping off place to explore the mysteries of squash!
(my husband and son, though, will not be thanking you. FYI.)
emmmmmy! thank you for the recipe for reals, i have zero idea how to come up with things on my own, that's why i'm here. i LOVE LOVE LOVE squash but get pretty tired of boiling it down with brown sugar, or just steaming it. AND I have some growing, so this is going in my recipe box.
ReplyDelete