Red-Wine Spaghetti with Broccoli

Sometimes you just have to try it...

This recipe first crossed my eyes as "purple pasta." Once I read the ingredients, I was definitely skeptical. Who soaks pasta in wine? I quickly dismissed the recipe as a joke. But as the days passed I thought, "You've never tried something like this [and no one I spoke to had either]. Who knows?" Curiosity started to do its thing. The tipping point finally occurred when one of my roommates proclaimed "This Thursday is Thirsty Thursday. We should eat and drink lots of wine!" Little did she know that we really were going to "eat" lots of wine.

French Onion Soup

I love French Onion Soup. It is one of those little comforts that hits the spot on those days when you need something to warm you up. While the weather has not been conducive to hot soup lately, I was still craving this stuff and so I cooked up a batch.

What's interesting about French Onion Soup is that it has quite a history. Originating back to ancient Rome, onion soups were plentiful because onions are cheap and easy to grow. The modern form of the soup emerged in 18th century France and was widely seen as a food for poor people (take notice college kids). Finally, the soup was revitalized in the 1960's in the United States due to an increased interest in French cooking.

Chicken Po'Boy on Garlic Bread

This is one of my favorite go-to dishes for an easy and tasty meal. It is a take on Emeril's Shrimp Scampi Po-Boy on Garlic Bread. I was given this recipe by Natalie for my Super Bowl Party menu. At the Super Bowl Party, I followed the recipe with shrimp and it was a hit.

I wanted to make it again for someone that missed out the first time but they are not a huge fan of shellfish. This is what led me to try a different protein: chicken. I modified the recipe slightly for chicken and out came a sandwich that is just amazing. This is the type of food that goes quickly amongst leftovers in the fridge...that is if it makes it to leftover status.

Pan-Fried Tilapia with Sautéed Red Onions

While I do enjoy fish, I do not cook them often. No specific reason why, maybe I just love beef so much? But when I do, I always try to do something different with the seasoning. Sometimes successfully, sometimes not. Let's just say this is definitely one of those recipes I am keeping for next time.

The inspiration for this came from two things: Panko and mustard. 

First, some time ago I saw on some cooking show that mustard worked really well in bringing out other flavors in fish. I never really tried it before so I figured I'd give it a shot. Second, I bought Panko by accident when looking for bread crumbs and needed to use it in something.

Simple as that, just like the recipe.