FREE FOOD!

I have a confession to make: there is no free food, though food is the topic of this post. But I have your attention now, don't I? Works every time :).

Before I dive into my vastly more interesting main topic of cooking, let me give you a quick update on my health. Besides developing bizarre bruise-like patches all over my body literally overnight and being admitted to the hospital for pain management and a fever on Friday, I’ve been feeling quite well recently! I realize that statement was somewhat of an oxymoron, but that’s pretty much how my life is at the moment, so I’m having to get used to these weekly ups and downs. The good news is that since being admitted and starting IV antibiotics and pain medicine, my pain has lessened dramatically and my fever and sore throat are gone, so I’m hoping to get discharged quickly, hopefully tomorrow evening or Tuesday morning (unfortunately 48 hours is the minimum hospital stay for a fever).

Now on to cooking :). Many of you know that I’ve developed a passion for cooking over the past couple years, trying new recipes and beginning to experiment with different flavors that Zack and I enjoy. I adapt almost every recipe I try now, adding or adjusting the types and amounts of meat, vegetables, and spices, and frequently reducing or eliminating the dairy to spare my stomach the woes of lactose-intolerance. I was cooking like crazy pre-transplant but obviously had to take a short sabbatical once admitted to the hospital, during which my cooking was restricted to such gourmet methods as microwaving Easy Mac and frozen burritos :(.

Over the past several months, however, I’ve slowly been easing back into cooking when I’ve felt well enough, which has been most days for the past couple weeks. I figured I’d share some of the recent dishes I’ve made and, thanks to Zack’s mad photographing skills and our Food Network-inspired appreciation for food presentation, pictures to go along with several of them! If you’d like the recipe for any of the following dishes, post a comment letting me know and I’ll post the recipe. However, I must warn you that if you request the recipe, you better make it, because it will take a while for me to type it out! Plus I want to know what you think :).

Asian Chicken and Green Bean Stir Fry* **
Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas**
Chicken Bacon Spinach Bake* **
Chicken Makhani (Indian Butter Chicken)
Chicken Piccata* ** (pictured above)
Chicken Tikka Masala (long prep time)
Easy Chicken Enchiladas (pictured above)
Edamame Pesto Pasta** (pictured above)
Grilled Chicken Avocado Sandwich* **(pictured above)
Mini Bacon Tomato Quiche**
Pesto Pasta with Green Beans and Potatoes**
Pesto Polenta Lasagna** (pictured above)
Pigs in a Blanket**
Pork Chops (or Chicken) with Mustard Cream Sauce (pictured above)
Roasted Broccoli and Tomatoes* **
Shrimp Scampi*
South Pacific Shrimp* (long prep time)
Southern Chicken and Rice Bake*
Tomato Bisque*
Tomato-Shrimp Risotto*
Turkey and Veggie Casserole**

*GFCF: gluten-free, casein (dairy)-free, or can easily be adapted to be so (e.g. swap butter for Earth Balance)
**Very easy and/or quick