Scallops with spaghetti pan-sauce

A few Friday nights ago, Mitcher and I were planning to go out to dinner after work to kind of celebrate the end of the week. But sometimes after a long week, the thought of going out got less and less appealing.

So, we decided to stay in, and I let myself imagine my most comforting meal, and I knew instantly that it would involve pasta and a homemade buttery pan sauce. Then, the entire picture came together once I imagined seared scallops on top. So I got started on creating my impromptu meal. I decided to write down the recipe as I went so I could share! Read on to see my recipe.

Honey Garlic Pork Chops and Papas Fritas with Paprika Garlic Sauce

Phew, is it just me, or is there a lot going on in that recipe title?

I know, I might have gone a bit overboard, but all of the elements in the meal are so delicious, I wanted you to know about each individual one!

So, with so many elements, where should I start?

Ep. 12 – Belgium – Black Russian + Moules Frites

The timing of me publishing this blog post about Belgium food is a bit funny, because I was actually supposed to BE in Belgium today. I had a big Europe trip planned during May and June this year, but as you imagine, I had to cancel it due to COVID-19. Me cancelling that trip and being stuck at home is why I started this series in the first place: to still get that feeling of travel while being stuck at home.

In choosing what to cook each week, I kind of randomly chose different countries based on what my week is like, what I feel like cooking, what ingredients I have on hand, and how much research I’ve done. So it’s a complete coincidence that this week I’m posting my recipes for Belgium, and it’s the same week I would’ve been in Belgium on my trip. Que sera, sera, I suppose.

Ep. 8 – England – Gimlet + Fish & Chips

Without further adieu, for Episode 8 of Cocktails Under Quarantine, we’re traveling to England.

It’s about time I’ve made it across the pond, no? There are quite a few classic cocktails that originated in England, but the gimlet is one of the most well-known. I really love making classic cocktails; these cocktails are classics for a reason, and the gimlet is no exception.

To go with the gimlet, I knew immediately that I would have to do beer-battered fish & chips, because it was the most English thing I could think of (and it also just sounded mouth-wateringly delicious).

Strawberry bacon blue cheese salad

We all need a few go-to dinner-worthy salads in our arsenal, and this one has both chicken AND bacon, so it’ll definitely be one to fill you up. Plus the blue cheese and strawberries make it so decadent.

Ep. 5 – Spain – Sangria + Potato Omelette

For Episode 5 of Cocktails Under Quarantine, we’re traveling to Spain!

For me, it was a no-brainer when I was picking my Spanish cocktail. It had to be sangria! The food was a bit harder. With Spanish tapas, I could go pretty much any direction with it! But one favorite tapa of mine is the tortilla española, or the Spanish potato omelette, and it seemed like a very classic choice for a Spanish pairing.

Almond-crusted redfish with lemon garlic butter

I try to cook fish at least once per week (gotta get those Omega-3s), so I was on the lookout recently for a new recipe to try and I stumbled across this recipe for an almond-crusted fish with a lemon garlic butter. Sounded delicious, so I gave it a try.

Easy mini lemon tarts

I hosted a small get-together at my house recently, and I was thinking about what to make. I’ve always followed Ina Garten’s rule of thumb for entertaining. Her philosphy is that, your guests don’t have more fun just because you worked harder. So she suggests cooking only a few things, and assembling/buying the rest, rather than cooking everything from scratch.

So when I had friends over, I was already making one dessert, and decided I wanted a second, but very easy dessert, and decided on these lemon tarts.

Ep. 1 – France: French 75 + Blue Cheese Tart

For Episode 1 of Cocktails Under Quarantine, we’re traveling to France!

If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, go back to this post to read more about my Cocktails Under Quarantine series.

St. Patrick’s Day Corned Beef and Cabbage

St. Patrick’s Day in the year 2020 is — let’s face it — not going to go down in the books as our favorite holiday. With canceled parades, pubs with boarded-up windows, and all the scary uncertainty of COVID-19, in a way, it might feel easier to just not celebrate at all.

But I think, if we’re going to get through this pandemic, we need to think about ourselves and our happiness too. So I think we should celebrate holidays when we can.

Today is St. Patrick’s Day so I have a great go-to St. Patty’s Day meal for you: Corned Beef and Cabbage.