Yes, I really have been cooking since January. In fact, I've been keeping a log of what I've eaten. Here a two of my new faves: Chicken with Mustard Tarragon Sauce
http://www.rachaelraymag.com/search/chicken%20mustard%20tarragon%20sauce?searchSource=hdrbox-Recipes
My notes: I used bone-in, skin on chicken breasts. After they had rested (after cooking) I used my boning knife to carve the meat off the bone and to slice it diagonally before adding it into the finished sauce. For the sauce, I used only one tablespoon of the mustard and substituted fat free half and half. I also used a scant 1/2 teaspoon of dried tarragon instead. What a flavorful dish - loved the side salad with it.
For dessert, from the April Food Network magazine: Monster Marshmallow Cookies.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/monster-marshmallow-cookies-recipe/index.html
My notes: These are wonderful, chewy, crunchy cookies. I did reduce the sugar to 3/4 cups of each kind and used regular oats instead of quick oats. For the next batch - I'll add a bit of cinnamon and use bittersweet chocolate chips. For the glaze, I added extra fat free half and half to thin it enough to drizzle. Next time, I would double the glaze recipe and just sprinkle the finely chopped nuts on top afterward.
Another fave I revised to make into a veggie dish:
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dynaction=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000000701077
While this is awesome on its own, for a potluck, I substituted fresh asparagus for the shrimp. It was so good!
Other foodie news: We just spent a week up in Breckenridge. We did some skiing, some shopping and a lot of eating at favorite restaurants. First up was Ember (used to be Alpine). We missed Happy Hour, so still sat at the bar, but ordered off the regular dinner menu. I had the Lamb Osso Buco with preserved lemon risotto, chocolate chai sauce and an apricot chutney. Wow! Gary had the Chorizo Stuffed Chicken served with steamed broccolini and parsnip and tomato puree. It was both beautiful and tasty - easily the best chicken I have had in a very long time. For dessert we had a dessert that included Grand Mariner Creme Brulee with a side of Apple and Cherry Cobbler, garnished with White Chocolate Sticks. Oh My! And, since we were at the bar, we had a Blueberry Crush (blueberry vodka, blueberries, mint, lemon) as well as a taste of a Sexy Lady (jalepeno infused vodka, passion fruit juice, lime). Yes, we did walk home the six blocks to walk off some of this dinner.
Another night we went to Happy Hour at Relish (my very favorite) and had the most interesting Pork Belly Sliders with a jalapeno relish. The house wines were delightful and Gary's custom Margarita was the best I've tasted in awhile.
For our other dinner we went to Salt Creek Steakhouse. I know, I know - a steakhouse! But, the Pan-Seared Scallops in jalapeno-citrus sauce were outstanding as was their Mixed Greens Salad with Goat Cheese, which also included sun dried cherries and tomatoes, toasted almonds and a red wine vinaigrette. Gary happily shared his entree special of the evening, a grilled bison steak with a peppercorn sauce. And yes, we walked the ten blocks home from dinner that night!
