Peach-Pear Crisp

Just when I thought I was done cooking or baking this month, I realized I had all the ingredients for making a crisp.  I didn't have fresh fruit, but canned fruit always tastes just as good.  I was just going to use peach, but one can wasn't enough, so I added the pear to go with it just for extra flavor.  Fruit crisp has always been a favorite of mine & so super easy to make.  Mel & I both give this a big 10!  I added our new favorite ice cream (since we still had a little left) - "Blue Bunny" coconut mango - and it made this a 20!!  Yum!!!  I will definitely make this again!! 

Sausage & Beans

Another Chef Ramsay recipe success!  This seemed like such a simple recipe that I was afraid it would be boring, but Mel & I both love this dish!  (I made mine with vegetarian sausage, of course!)  So super easy to make with very few ingredients, and yet so very full of flavor and so tasty!!  The only thing I changed was that the recipe called for "mixed beans" which I couldn't find, so Mel picked out the beans you see in the photo.  Also, I used the juice from the beans and didn't drain or rinse them as the recipe suggested since I figured it would add more flavor.  Also, since the pack of herbs I bought had sage & rosemary with the thyme, I used all 3 and not just the thyme.  Super yummy, and, at Mel's request, I will make this often!! 

Pan-Roasted Eggplant With Sunflower Seed Dressing

This dish is actually titled: "Grilled Eggplant With Sesame Seed Dressing," but I again changed the title based on the way I made it.  I don't have a grill, so I sautéed the eggplant in the pan first, brushed with just olive oil, salt, & lemon pepper grinder, then added the oil w/ lemon juice and herbs in the pan and cooked them again to get the flavor of the herbs.  I couldn't find any tahini  (sesame seed paste) so I decided to make my own.  Of course, I then couldn't find sesame seeds, so I grabbed sunflower seeds instead.  I followed the rest of the recipe as the same.  I drizzled the top sauce w/ extra sunflower seeds & honey.  Mel doesn't like egg plant & therefore didn't care for this dish - luckily it wasn't part of the anniversary celebration!  It turned out better than I expected, and I really like the sunflower paste.  I would give this dish an 8 1/2-9, and would probably make it again.

Spiced Pan-Roasted Apples & Pears

Tonight was part 2 to our pre-anniversary celebration.  I made roast beef & veggie sausage hash http://animalsfaithmiddleearth.blogspot.com/2014/05/beef-hash-veggie-sausage-hash.html for our dinner & this for dessert.  Now this is a dish worth making for an anniversary celebration!  Mel & I give this a huge 10!  Seems so simple, and yet is so very yummy!  I omitted the alcohol, but it only called for a "splash."  And I couldn't find anise & the cloves were too expensive, so I just used ground allspice which I would do again.  Also, I added 2 extra TBS of butter after it all melted, and I didn't actually measure the apple juice, I just poured it in.  I will absolutely make this again.  In fact, I would make this instead of a cake any day!  There's nothing like fresh fruit!  Also, I think I would love to add a cobbler-like crumble topping to it.  Once again, Chef Ramsay's cookbook is responsible for another success!   

Lemon Custard Cake

This was our anniversary dessert!  I should change the title of this one as well.  I would change it to "Lemon-Coconut Cake With Fresh Fruit & Coconut Custard Filling, Topped With Coconut Whipped Cream & Fresh Fruit," but that's a bit of a ridiculous title!!  I kept the cake & custard recipe the same with the exception of adding coconut extract to both & a little cinnamon to the cake.  I decided to add strawberries & blueberries to the filling.  Also, neither Mel nor I like chocolate so I changed the topping to homemade whipped cream w/ the same fruits. I got the topping recipe from the back of the vanilla extract box - the only thing I changed was adding coconut extract.   I had intended on using more blueberries but managed to dump half the container on the floor!! 

The custard & the topping I give a 10, but the cake only gets an 8.  I  wish now I had used the white cake  recipe from the Betty Crocker Cookbook (I made it for Mel's b-day 2 years ago w/ a lemon filling & coconut topping.).  That was a much better cake.  This one was moist, but the flavor was not as good & for an anniversary cake, I really wanted to make a 10!  Live & learn!  I have some fun filling & topping ideas for Mel's b-day next month, & I will definitely stick with the Betty Crocker white cake recipe!!

Baked Steak / Veggie Steak With Tomato, Pepper, & Onion Sauce

The actual title of this recipe is "Baked Pork Chops With a Piquant Sauce."  Since I obviously changed the meat source, and average people like me don't even know what a piquant sauce is, I changed the name of the recipe. 

I made this for our anniversary dinner.  Our actual anniversary is not until the 10th, but we will be busy that day, so I made it last night.  Mel much prefers steak so he picked out his meat for his dish, & I used vegetarian "steak" for mine.  I didn't use mushrooms the recipe called for because Mel hates them!  Everything else I did the same, except my dish didn't have red chili pepper as Mel's did.  This was so good, as with all Chef Ramsay's recipes.  Mel said it's his new favorite and already requested it for his birthday next month!  He gave it a 12 out of 10! I also really loved it and give it a 9 1/2! 

New Menu Board

I haven’t made a menu board in a while, but here’s the one I made today.  I am very happily planning our anniversary menu for the next few weeks!  Our 2^nd anniversary will be June 10!  The white boards are a little over-used and stained, but they still work!!