main dishes – Page 5 – Cremona's Kitchen

Goat Cheese Guacamole

July 13, 2013 No Comments

Remember when I disappeared for a couple months. Well, I kept cooking but stopped taking pictures. In case it isn’t obvious, I’m not big on the staging portion of the photography part of this whole blogging thing. Eh. Instragram is about as good as it gets for me.

Instead of learning how to take killer photographs, I’ve been getting the most out of summer now that Minnesota weather is finally cooperative. Exhibit A: dancing on the boat on the way from dinner.

And I’ve had my fair share of meals made for me.

It’s been great. How can you not love Minnesota summers! With the fresh herbs growing in our garden, guacamole has been my go-to side dish. While I LOVE guac, I wanted to mix it up. After seeing a guacamole with goat cheese on a menu at a local restaurant, I had to try to recreate it.

This guacamole is far richer than traditional guacamole. The kind of guacamole you’d have at a fancy restaurant. A fun twist. The goat cheese makes it much thicker and not really cheesy. I really loved it, but I personally prefer traditional guac. Matt likes them both the same. Try it for yourself and let me know which you prefer!

main dishes, pork, recipes

Italian Sausage Stuffed Eggplant

April 15, 2013 No Comments

When it comes to holidays, I love the ones that aren’t hyper commercialized. So yes, that means I LOVE April Fools Day. Playing tricks on people is something I live for. And no, I do not need a holiday for that. But when our nation decides to celebrate it–yeah, sure. I’m in.

My co-worker Amber and I spent our April Fools Day playing tricks on our co-workers. Sure, it was fun switching our boss’s diet coke for lemon juice and creamer. But it only made my thirst for mayhem stronger. I needed more.

So, this year I decide that Matt would be the perfect target for a fake cake. I told Matt that I made him his favorite cake–a black forest cake.

black forest cake...or is it.... — black forest cake…or is it….

But in reality, I took a balloon–blew it up and covered it with homemade icing. Matt was psyched that I made him a cake out of the blue. I gave him a knife and asked him to cut us both a piece of cake. And then….bam! The “cake” exploded in his face and icing went everywhere. It was awesome. I laughed hysterically, and Matt looked at me and said, “So, there is no cake?” And that was the best part. He was all excited for cake. And there none. Bahahaa.

All and all, it was a good April Fools Day. Messing with our co-workers with Amber was fun. Messing with Matt only made the day better. And really, what is was was a reminder that there is no need to take life so seriously. Sure, I definitely get stressed. I have mini-panic attacks at work over nothing. I freak out over little things. But at the end of the day, I need to remind myself that I need to just laugh it all off. And that’s why I love April Fools Day.

Besides making an exploding cake, I made this delicious eggplant dish! I watched this Italian tv show with my father-in-law and memorized the ingredients as well as I could. This recipe is easy to make and delicious to eat. Try it. You will thank me.

main dishes, pork, recipes

Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup

March 25, 2013 1 Comment

Remember picture day back in high school? It was such a big ordeal. Picking out the perfect outfit, applying gobs of makeup, and finding a hair-style that’s just right. Yes, very similar to Goldilock’s adventure. Unfortunately for me, every year my pictures turned out the same. Eyes mid-blink. Uncomfortable smile. Messy hair.

Today, we had picture day at work. Well, kinda. See, our firm hired two new employees who needed photos for our website. Since the photographer was already going to be around taking their pictures, I thought, “hey, this is a great opportunity for me to get a better picture.” Maybe I can just sneak in and get a new pic. [no worries. I got the thumbs up from our marketing coordinator].

Why did I need a new picture you ask? Yeah–I’m not the most photographic of individuals. It wasn’t my best work. Meaning I’m that girl who has been complaining about her work picture ever since it was taken.

Today was the third time I’ve had my picture professionally taken for work. Move over, Beyonce. There’s a new diva running this town. But, channeling my inner celebrity paid off. I got to look at my new work pictures, and while I won’t be auditioning for America’s Next Top Model anytime soon, I no longer looked frazzled.

Photographing soup has always been a bit of a challenge for me. If it isn’t full of chunky ingredients, a creamy soup looks bland. What I should do is buy some cute, unique bowls from Goodwill to jazz it up. But its so easy to get lazy when it comes laying out colorful and eye-catching backdrops for my website. Thankfully, this recipe is full of delicious chunky ingredients, so my fiestaware bowls sufficed. This spicy soup was delicious, easy to make, and can be ready in twenty minutes. The perfect meal after a long day of work!

main dishes, recipes, vegetarian

Caprese Soup

March 18, 2013 No Comments

It only took six months, but I finally feel like I have a real handle on my job. Instead of being perpetually on defense, I finally feel like I am on offense. Now, I can anticipate what needs to be done, understand where I am in a file, and no longer feel like I am constantly asking my boss questions (although, he may not agree. haha). It’s a good feeling. Unfortunately, I am not infallible. So I am not in the clear yet. I still spend a good amount of time reading statutes and learning something new about banking law. But, that’s the whole reason why I went into law. Everyday, there is something new to learn. (wow, yes. that is correct. i am that nerdy. gross). So, I’m in a good place.

In that some vein, I am getting far more comfortable with my cooking skills. I no longer stay clear of recipes that require multiple tools, crazy ingredients, and complicated steps. This recipe is not hella complicated but it is amazing delicious. It is a bit time consuming, but it is worth the extra time and effort. After making this, I felt on top of the world. Trust me, it’s a recipe you do not want to miss.

main dishes, recipes, vegetarian

Tomato Pesto Soup

March 9, 2013 1 Comment

It’s that time of the year where everyone is either sick, getting over a sickness, or is about to be sick. No gusta. This sickness cloud sat over our house for a couple days last week. Matt couldn’t get out of bed. I went home from work early (a true sign of sickness–I’ve never called in sick or went home early from work since I was 16). Now that we can stomach food again, I had the urge to make some comfort food.

With my health back, I was ready for a challenge. I’ve been wanting to make homemade tomato pesto soup for quite some time after having a delicious tomato pesto at Crave, a local restaurant. And this recipe not only met my expectations, it surpassed it. To my surprise, this recipe isn’t as challenging as I thought it was going to be. Sure, there are multiple steps. You need a hand blender. And lots of tomatoes. But most of the work involving waiting rather than mincing and chopping.

Honestly, this soup may be the best thing I’ve made thus far. It tasted like Italy. So natural, fresh, and basily. Perfect. I couldn’t stop bragging about it. I texted pictures to family and friends. Blabbed about it at work. But it was so fucking good.

Ok, enough of my shameless face shoving. Go make your own batch so you can do the same!

appetizers, recipes, side dishes, vegetarian

Olive Pesto

February 24, 2013 No Comments

Matt is a big snacker. This snacking habit has only been encouraged by my particular “house rules” when it comes to dishes in the wood shop. No glass, no fiestaware, and no silverware near the power tools. So Matt made his own wood bowls that he fills with chips (that later become full of wood chips. somehow that doesn’t deter him from eating his potato chips).

Periodically, I like to surprise Matt with new dips for his chip addiction. Last week was Matt’s half-birthday so I decided to try this olive pesto. I know, I know. Who celebrates half-birthdays? But it all started several years ago when Matt went out to his friends for a couple beers. It just so happened to be his actual half-birthday. Somehow, the guys started saying it was Matt’s actual birthday and despite the reality that bartenders look at your ID–the bartenders bought it. He had a night of free drinks, dancing on the bar, and running around ringing the birthday bell. Ever since, we celebrate Matt’s half-birthday. Complete with a half-cake and special dips.

This olive pesto was a fun twist on the traditional pesto that I love so much. It was quick and easy to make, and it would probably taste delicious mixed with pasta.

appetizers, main dishes, recipes, turkey

Buffalo Meatballs

February 4, 2013 No Comments

Wow. Has it really been that long? Since my last post, we celebrated a new years, a birthday, and a month of working far over 200 hours. To say the least, it’s been busy. And yet, despite early mornings, late nights, and not enough sleep, I have no complaints. January kicked ass.

First, January is my birthday month. I never say no to a reason for a themed-party so this year my birthday party was Prom. Complete with a cheesy background and spiked punch, we slow danced, played beer pong, and slammed shots. One of the greatest parts was my actual prom date from my junior prom came–so I was wearing the same dress, the same jewelry, same shoes, same tiara, and the same date. We had to reenactment our prom photo. That and a bunch of friends that were willing to dress up with me in prom dresses, suits, and tuxes and just let loose, get drunk, and play some beer pong until 4 in the morning. It was the perfect birthday celebration.

And well, with working and planning a prom, not much time was left for cooking. So we survived on salads, pasta, and cereal. No new recipes. No grocery shopping–seriously–we didn’t go grocery shopping for a month! But now it’s February. And while work hasn’t slowed down, my party planning has so I finally have some time to try out some new recipes. And I have missed it!

Since this weekend was the Superbowl, I decided to make a healthier version of buffalo wings–buffalo meatballs made with ground turkey. It was delicious, easy to make, and no where near as messy as wings. Hopefully you all will enjoy it as much as we did!

main dishes, recipes, turkey

Taco Flatbread Pizza

December 30, 2012 No Comments

I am starting my second round of p90x. And this time my focus is on nutrition. Which is particularly challenging during this holiday season. But so far so good! Especially with delicious meals like this taco flatbread pizza!

For me, the hardest part of eating healthy is not living alone. When I lived by myself in law school, healthy eating was never an issue. I controlled what food was in my fridge and what cluttered my cupboards. Now as husband and wife, grocery shopping is a team sport. Since Matt is a woodworker, he is all about the snack food that’s easy and fast to eat–which basically means unhealthy (but delicious) food that is rather hard to resist.

So finding meals that are healthy but still have that snack-like taste can be difficult. This taco flatbread pizza was an excellent compromise–full of protein, little bit of veggies, and still falls into the pizza family so both Matt and I were happy. This has definitely made it into our recipe rotation.

beef, main dishes, recipes, slow cooker

Chinese Take-Out Beef and Broccoli

December 30, 2012 No Comments

I grew up in a small town with a Kozy Kitchen and two American fast food burger joints. Any food that isn’t served in a diner is not served in my hometown. So when I got my driver’s license, my best friend and I drove to the “big town” a half hour away and ate at a Chinese restaurant. It tasted of freedom. Salty freedom followed by a fortune cookie. After three plates of chow mein, chicken, beef, and veggie dishes, we shoved 10 crab ragoons in our purses and munched on them on our parentless drive home. Ever since, Chinese food has always had a special meaning to me.

This beef and broccoli dish is easy to make and easy to prep in your crockpot to enjoy after a long day of work. The joy of a warm dinner with the freedom of no cooking.

chicken, main dishes, recipes

Stuffed Buffalo Chicken Breasts

December 4, 2012 No Comments

Christmas time is here! Wow, that was fast. Wasn’t I just picking out costumes for Halloween and picking fresh veggies from our garden? Gah, life has a way of catching up with me! So I spent the past weekend going to Kohl’s and stocking up on new Christmas decorations. My living room, kitchen, and tv room are slowly becoming decked with jiggle bells and mistletoe.

And in that spirit of giving, my husband bought me a new purse, wallet, and clutch for winter. I’m a big believer in having a summer purse, a fall purse, a spring purse, and a winter purse. I blame my mother. Her purses were always inspired by the weather.

I wanted to show my gratitude by making something special for Matt. Matt loves wings. Whenever I find a recipe that has some spin on buffalo wings, I bookmark it. Of course, I also have a wing tooth–I love the salty, spicy flavor of a good batch of wings. Unfortunately, so do my thighs. Hence, looking for the same tasty flavors minus the hefty calories. This stuffed chicken is exactly that! A low-calorie option to deep fried wings.