So yeah, life...

Step 1: Do a whole bunch of job interviews in Detroit (just ignore Spock!)

Step 2: Get offered a job in pediatric genetics.

Step 3: Buy a house in Windsor for the first time over the course of five days.

Step 4: Get a great big convoy and move HOME.

Step 5: Make a baby (oven timer's almost up on this one; should be done cooking in 25 days!)

Step 6: Remember that, once upon a time, I had a food blog...

Lots of changes! Including a new-to-me but rather dated kitchen that makes for lackluster food pics. Ah well. Let's just pick right back up!!

I had a long day of gathering up the last few things that my & Hub's little "Dude" is going to need. Along the way, I was hit with a craving for Vietnamese noodle bowls (probably because my last stop, the grocery store, is next to a place called Pho Mango...)

My cousin introduced me to this deliciousness during a trip to visit him many years ago in Austin, TX. I've craved them ever since. Finally I worked up the gumption to make them myself. How hard could it be, really?? It's not much more than rice noodles, julienne veggies, a tart, salty sauce and some protein. I could do that!

I used this Allrecipes site for the basics, but got a little fancy tonight. FreshCo had four little rock lobster tails on for $10, so I thought I'd treat my crustacean-loving Hubs to something special (he's been such a champ through the hot mess that is me + pregnancy!)

The package suggested a lemon butter recipe, but I improvised a bit given the flavors in your typical noodle bowl. I melted 1/4 cup of butter with a healthy dollop of sriracha, the juice of 1/4 lime, lime zest, and grated fresh ginger (maybe a 1/4 tsp each; I didn't measure). That got brushed on the tails before being broiled in the oven for about 10 minutes (until the tail meat was flaky and opaque).

I got together my other ingredients (I like using baby spinach instead of lettuce, and left out the mint and daikon). The end result (along with some store-bought spring rolls) looked pretty delish, if I do say so myself:

Hubs was rather thrilled with the whole thing, and it was honestly so easy to throw together (even after a long day on my elephant-swollen feet). Ease of preparation is most definitely something I need to keep in mind in days ahead! It's led me to a whole new world of freezer +/- crockpot cooking... But more on that another time.

Thoroughly enjoying life with a full belly,

-Honeybee

Sunday Dinner Series Part V: You'll Roux the Day...

I might be French, but I'm nowhere near Creole or Cajun.  Regardless, when I saw the recipe for gumbo in my new favourite cookbook, I knew I had to give it a try.  Sausage?  Shrimp?  Those are two food things that Hubs loves!  Done!

I knew we were in for a long day of cooking with this one, so I used a lazy Sunday as an excuse to make it.  I was VERY SCARED of the whole dark roux situation, but I managed to make it happen without burning the apartment down.  Pictures for proof!

Gettin' ready.  Is it sad that I didn't know you could buy plain ol' clam juice?

The roux.  I've never made one with oil and flour in the Cajun style... I was kind of surprised at how dark it got!  In retrospect, I think I could've let it go a bit longer for a darker colour, but I was getting nervous.  They don't call it Cajun Napalm for nothing!!

Finished product, with some basmati rice.  Again, I was trying to emulate the picture seen here; I think I succeeded for the most part, but you can see how the roux COULD have been darker.

So, normally I'd post the recipe for my delicious creation... but in all honesty, I followed the book's instructions exactly.  To a T.  And with all the nonsense about SOPA and the Canadian bill C-11 going around these days, I'm feeling a little gun-shy.  Not that I'm expecting the RCMP to come knocking on my door and demand that I shut my blog down... but still, I don't want anyone to think that I'm claiming ownership of someone else's copyrighted intellectual property!!  Instead, I'll direct you to this website, where two of the chefs from America's Test Kitchen demonstrate their version of gumbo via a free video.  It's a bit different from the recipe I followed, but from the same great team.  Worth trying!!

Wondering if she'll ever get to see N'awlins (maybe during Mardi Gras??),
-Honeybee