Friday night we treated ourselves to a night out in one of the nearby small towns (although everything is a "small town" around here). Our night out was really just dinner, with drinks at Abbott's Grill where Eric ordered the Frog Leg and Jambalaya special, and I had a delicious roasted pork with butternut squash and bacon roasted Brussels sprouts. I had never had butternut squash or Brussels sprouts before and they were both quite tasty. I also tried Eric's frog legs (they were new for him too) and I have to say it wasn't horrible. I don't know that I would ever order it on my own, but it was pretty good. I won't say it tasted like chicken, but it wasn't that far off. Then to really treat ourselves we got dessert (we never get dessert). Dessert was new for both of us since we ordered a toasted coconut flan. It was SO good. I wish I had taken my camera for pictures, but... live and learn.
After a nice dinner out, we decided on Saturday to have a nice dinner in the apartment so we made clam chowder (recipe provided by my Taste of Home cookbook). It was so much fun to spend time in the kitchen together cooking, and then enjoying our yummy results. I love lazy Saturdays with Eric, they are very enjoyable.
One thing we are working on is getting better at eating leftovers. I have really found a passion and love for cooking and so I enjoy making new dishes every night. The problem is, with only two of us (for now) we always have leftovers. Eric doesn't ever take leftovers into work for lunch the next day (he wouldn't want to deviate from his PB&J with a granny smith apple), and I can only take so many leftovers with me for lunch. But we did spend a couple of days eating leftovers and have almost gotten rid of everything!
Tuesday was Veterans Day (thanks to all the former and current military and their families!) and since I had the day off from work, I made one of Eric's new favorite dishes: Roasted Pork with Sweet Potatoes. I love getting the Food Network Magazine, and I love when we try recipes that are super successful. This was one of those times! It sounds so simple, and it is so simple to make, but it is SOOOO yummy. The pork is tender and juicy and it just melts in your mouth. I have included a picture from the Food Network site here (we ate it too quickly for me to get a quality photo).
The only "change" to the recipe that Eric and I make is that instead of cutting up sweet potatoes into wedges, we buy a bag of sweet potato french fries (thanks Ore Ida). They work great, and are much easier to use than having to worry about chopping up big sweet potatoes.
Tonight I have andouille sausage Jambalaya planned. Don't worry, it's nothing fancy (I would go crazy being fancy every night), I just use Zatarain's rice and spice mixture. We do doctor the recipe though by searing the sausage in butter first, and then replacing one cup of the water with a cup of spaghetti sauce. Typically I use Classico Italian Sausage sauce, Eric says it just adds another layer of flavor.
This weekend I will be working on my lists to prep for my first hosting gig for Thanksgiving! It is an exciting time in my household. If you have any tips, tricks, or suggestions on how to make my Thanksgiving more of a success, let me know!
Until my next food adventure!
~C
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