I was on the internet, as I usually am, and was wasting time playing some point and click games until the fiance´got home. One of my favorite type of webgames to play is cooking games. I like them because they are often geared toward young girls and because of such the terms and steps are put in a way that is easy to understand. This makes me feel like I am actually learning something and that one day I too might be able to cook Lobster Thermidor like a six year old.
Or something like that.
In any case, it's a fun way to waste time and potentially soak up a little bit of knowledge.
Today I was playing a game that walked the player through making deviled eggs. With each step I became a little more confident. The dancing little eggs on screen seemed to say "C'mon, Cheyanne. Cook me!"
Well, if you insist.
Besides, it looked easy enough. I can boil water. How hard could this be?
Answer: Actually, not that hard.
Admittedly, I am a worrier. I worry about everything. Telling me to worry is like telling me not to breath. (In other words, not going to happen.)
I was nervous going into it because although it seemed stupid-levels of easy, the fiance´(who has four years of culinary school under his belt and knows his food, damnit) was not home to monitor me and give me helpful little tips to keep the house from exploding.
But what's life without a little risk?
Deviled Eggs
It's just the fiance´ and I in our little home, so I only used three eggs. I started with cold eggs (fresh from the refrigerator) and cold water, for no particular reason other than Google told me to. After filling the pot up to the point where the water was covering the eggs completely, I put the stove on high and waited for the point to reach boiling temperature.
When the water started to boil, I covered the pot and lowered the heat to somewhere in between low and medium. I let the eggs cook for ten minutes before removing them from the heat and letting them stand five minutes.
Once the eggs were done, I filled a bowl with cold water and transfered the eggs there for peeling.
After I had the eggs completely peeled, I cut each egg in half and used a spoon to scoop out the yokes which I then placed them in a separate bowl.
Time to make the filling. I didn't really use exact measurements, but I added:
- A little bit of Mayo
- 6-8 drops of Tabasco Sauce
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Pepper
- Ms.'s Dash Original Blend Seasoning
After trying the finished product the fiance´ suggested that a good addition would have been chopped pickles, relish, or chopped onions. The recipe I was following called for vinegar, but I thought that sounded a bit odd so I didn't add any. Season your filling so it tastes good to you.
With the filling done, I sprinkled the eggs with paprika and spooned the yoke mixture in.
I have to say, internet, for being on my own for this one, they turned out really, really good. They were a big hit with the fiance´. I agree with him about the pickle, but they were still pretty delicious. I have to say, with as limited cooking knowledge I have, I'm pretty proud of myself.
After seeing that I did not only not set the house on fire, but that I also made a yummy appetizer, I felt confident enough to cook a fresh dinner for the both of us. (We normally eat out. Or frozen.) After talking with the fiance´, we decided that I could attempt to make Wheat Pasta with Alfredo and Vegetable Sauce with minimal chance of failure.
Wheat Pasta with Alfredo and Vegetable Sauce
We buy our vegetables frozen because it's cheaper. For this dish, I used brocoli and spinach. I needed to get them to thaw a bit and become green and vibrant again, so I put them in a pot with just enough water in the bottom to create some steam. As a last-minute addition, I tossed some pre-cooked bacon (Bacon, by the way, lasts an really long time just hanging out in your fridge when bought pre-cooked) on top of the veggies in the hopes they would soak up some of it's flavor. Then I covered that pot with a lid, set it to medium high heat, and left it to steam.
While the veggies were doing their thing with the bacon, I filled a larger pot up with water and put it on the stove on high heat.
The veggies really don't take long to defrost at all, and it was maybe about five minutes before it was time to pull them off the heat. I removed the bacon from the mix and set it aside for later chopping.
Once the water in the larger pot began to boil, I salted the water and added whole wheat pasta. I had the fiance´set a timer for eight minutes, but it only took about five for the pasta to get to the point where we like it. (Note: Fiance´and I like our pasta a little less-done than most. Test for tenderness before pulling.)
I strained the pasta, but did not rinse it. Fiance´says it is very important I do not rinse the pasta.
Then it was time to finish the sauce.
I used a jar of Alfredo Sauce because I am nowhere near the point of making my own yet. I just added the contents of the jar to the pot with the brocoli and spinach in it. Then, I chopped the bacon from earlier and added that to the sauce.
I gave the sauce a quick mix before adding the sauce to the pasta.
And then it was done!
Fiance´ really loved this. He ate his plate and then half of mine when I couldn't finish it all. He said I could have improved upon the dish with the addition of shredded parmesan cheese on top, but I'm not the biggest fan of cheese and so I think that would have been a bit much for me.
I really enjoyed it. It is definitely something I will make in the future.
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