Life Changes

Today we have the pleasure of revealing something that Bo and I have been keeping secret for the past three months.

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Today he resigned from his  current job.  While this was a bittersweet decision due to the wonderful relationships and experiences he gained over the past three years, it’s now time to move on to new experiences. While Bo will begin at a new, larger firm in three short weeks this still means that there will be some adjustments in our life.

Until he starts, you can look forward to the nightly culinary creations as he plans to cook each night. His goal is to continue balancing flavor and health in each dish.

In addition, his marathon training will return to normal as he gets to start running again and he is looking forward sharing a few thoughts with readers regarding training smarter his second time around in hopes of staying injury free.  Who knows, there may even be a triathlon thrown into the mix if he can find a redemption race.

Beyond that, there won’t be much change that will affect y’all. Our travel together may be less frequent the first few months as he is starting a new position and expected to be available. But, I on the other hand will be traveling to many new destinations with my new job during August and September!

The cooking started immediately with tonight’s dinner, Cooking Light’s Open-Faced Blackened Catfish Sandwiches.

IMG_3359 (478x640) This dish made Bo retract every negative thing he’s ever said about Cooking Light. The recipe, while simple and ready in less than 30 minutes, resulted in a meal that was bursting with flavor and left us dreaming of New Orleans.

IMG_3354 (640x478) Ingredients:

  • 1 3/4 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 (6-ounce) catfish fillets
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1/3 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 cups packaged cabbage-carrot coleslaw
  • 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 4 (1-ounce) slices sourdough bread, toasted

He only made two alterations to the recipe which says a lot! Our local Whole Foods didn’t have catfish, so he substituted tilapia. He also reduced the ground red pepper as 3/4 teaspoon is actually quite a bit! I can’t handle a lot of heat in my dishes, especially red pepper, so he used 3/8 teaspoon.

IMG_3352 (640x478) Preparation:

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of fish with paprika mixture. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add fish; cook 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.

2. Combine yogurt, juice, and honey in a medium bowl. Add cabbage and cilantro; toss well to coat. Top each bread slice with about 1/2 cup slaw and 1 fillet. Top each fillet with remaining slaw.

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We were lucky enough to have homemade okra and tomatoes in our freezer which we defrosted for an easy side dish.

We both loved this meal and were stuffed afterwards. If you’re looking for an easy meal that will impress without leaving you stressed than this is a great option!

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Cooking Light Shrimp Cobb Salad

Bo and I have a tradition of cooking together on Sunday nights. Sometimes it’s a roasted chicken or a Greek salad, but regardless it is a great start to the week.

Tonight we gained inspiration for our meal from this month’s Cooking Light. As soon as we saw the vibrant, colorful cover we knew we had to try it.

The recipe was flavorful, simple, and in expensive! We had most of the ingredients which made this afternoon’s Whole Food shopping trip short and sweet. We altered the recipe a bit and used turkey bacon instead of the regular bacon they recommended and we used quartered roma tomatoes instead of grape tomatoes since we had these items on hand.

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My favorite part of this meal was that we were able to create it together! Bo cooked the shrimp and bacon while I chopped the vegetables and made the homemade dressing.

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The end result was a warm salad that left us satiated and looking forward to leftovers!

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I highly recommend adding this Shrimp Cobb Salad recipe to your lineup this week as it is a winner for both the men and ladies. The salty turkey bacon and crisp shrimp give a kick to the butter lettuce and tomatoes which could otherwise be quite boring on their own.

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Maine’s Goodbye Gift

No, it wasn’t these bad boys…DSC_0005

Instead, it was our last minute purchase at the Bangor Airport! We had been on the hunt for fresh Maine lobster during our whole weekend and could only find lobster rolls which DID NOT meet my desires! Luckily, when we were buying breakfast we saw that they had a tank full of fresh lobsters!

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These beautiful lobsters were only $12 per pound and that included the ice and Styrofoam cooler.

We had a nice early flight back to NYC and therefore arrived back to our apartment before lunch. We enjoyed the Big Apple BBQ for lunch but by 6pm we were consulting our favorite chef for her lobster suggestions.

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These guys were not excited about plunging into the boiling water.

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Oh yes, after a bit of boiling and a lot of cracking we had this plate of gorgeous lobster meat. IT WAS THE BEST LOBSTER I’VE EVER EATEN!

Yes, this is all we had for dinner Sunday night. Forget veggies and side dishes when my stomach is about to get lobster!

Thank you Maine for making up for your black flies with your delicious crustaceans!

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