Food!

Dishes that I've made recently and enjoyed:

Ravioli Lasagna
(This is a dish I've been making for a while.  It's essentially the same thing as lasagna except using ravioli instead of lasagna noodles.  Doing this allows you to eliminate the ricotta cheese between the layers and just use mozzarella (and in this case, parmesan too).  It's just as gooey and delicious as a traditional lasagna.  You can use frozen or cooked ravioli; it takes about 50 minutes to cook if the pasta was frozen, and about 20 if it was cooked first- just long enough for the cheese to melt and start to brown.)

Peaches and Bananas in Cinnamon Chocolate Sauce
(Intended as a dessert; also works as a side dish.  This one was a big experiment on my part, since I just added things to the pot until it tasted good.  A little corn starch thickens the sauce, but the main ingredients in it are cocoa powder, confectioner's sugar, and cinnamon.  You can use whatever fruits you want- I just happened to have peaches and bananas handy when I made it.)

Meatloaf on Garlic Bread w/ Red Sauce
(This one I even got my cousin to eat, and she ate nearly half of the dish before my aunt got to try some. That never happens when she tries new foods!  The meat used here is just ground beef, which I seasoned and added BBQ sauce, ketchup, mustard, and a few other secret ingredients.  I added some bacon to the meatloaf, too, which adds an extra level of flavor to the dish.  Another secret to making this dish taste good is using regular garlic bread and topping it with your own shredded cheese instead of buying cheesy garlic bread- it's much gooier if you do it yourself!)

Tangy BBQ Sloppy Joes

(These started out as Tangy BBQ Sliders, but progressed in idea to Sloppy Joes by the end of Memorial Day Weekend.  A spicy BBQ sauce is the key component to this dish, as are grilled onions and sharp cheddar cheese.  Make sure to drain the meat and then add some extra BBQ sauce before plating.)

She dreamed, too.

She, too, had hopes and dreams once, too...once, a long time ago, when things like that were allowed.  Then she grew up, and hopes and dreams of a wonderful future became hopes and dreams for a future at all.  Then that ended too, the day that everything of hers ended; when she rested forever yet dreamed no more.

Whoops!...and food.

I flat out missed May in updating blog posts...oops.


Now for the real purpose of this post:


One food...how many days?


Recently, I saw a blog about a woman who wore the same little black dress for 365 days just by accessorizing it differently each day.


It got me thinking- why not do the same thing with food?  I'm not saying that I would like to eat one food for an entire year, but just to think about how many ways there are to "accessorize" food.  I want to come up with lots of different recipes that feature one main ingredient, yet are all unique.


First off, ground beef is such a versatile ingredient, but a lot of people don't seem to know what to do with it.  Because it can be used in so many different ways, you can really season it with whatever you want and it should still taste good.


1.  Tangy BBQ Sliders- with Texas-style BBQ sauce, bacon, and grilled onions
2.  Open-faced Italian Meatloaf Sandwiches- on garlic bread with mozzarella cheese and red sauce


These are the two ground beef recipes I've made recently and both were delicious!  (I did have people other than myself try them, so it is an unbiased opinion.)  The next recipe is an adaptation; I originally made it with ground chicken, and my little sister- who is one of the pickiest eaters I know- actually enjoyed it!


3.  Ranch Burgers- seasoned and with ranch dressing and fresh veggies on a crusty roll


I am going to come up with more recipes featuring ground beef, and then hopefully move on to some other versatile ingredients and do the same thing.


Ideas:


4.  roasted tomatoes and italian-seasoned ground beef with olive oil on romaine lettuce
5.  asian-style beef pockets with soy sauce and garlic in crescent dough


Bon appétit!


PS:  Pictures coming soon!  Just as soon as I find my memory card adapter...