The other day, I planned to make Spicy Tilapia with Pineapple Salsa. I asked Tim what he wanted to go with it, and he said rice. I didn’t want to use a preflavored box of rice because it’s so easy to make your own, and that way you can control the ingredients and flavor, so […]
Author: The Cocina Monologues
Clean, Green, and Herbacious
During the summer time, I grow a small herb garden that usually includes a combination of the following: parsley, cilantro, chives, thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano, and basil. As my basil starts to really grow and go crazy, I think, “What am I going to do with all of this basil?” And then I remember – […]
Raspberry Filled Vanilla Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing
I have been baking a lot lately. A lot, you guys. I made these and another batch of cupcakes for work one week, and people started hiring me to bake stuff. Like, I made 600 mini cupcakes last week. You read that right – 600 (thanks, Kristy and Tim for your help!). And a couple […]
Spicy Tilapia with Pineapple Salsa
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m obsessed with recipes. I’m always discovering new recipes I want to try, either on Rachael Ray or some other show, they show up in my inbox, I read them in a magazine, etc. Then I save them in various places – on Pinterest, save them in a […]
Bourbon Steak Marinade, Hold the Bourbon
It’s officially grilling season. Tim and I love to grill out this time of year. I like to play around with different marinades to add excitement to whatever meat we are grilling. Tim requested steaks, so I thought it would be fun to try to make a bourbon marinade. I went to the kitchen and […]
Whole Grain Cous Cous with Spring Vegetables
I love cous cous as a side dish. It’s something different from rice or potatoes, and it’s super easy to make. It’s also very versatile. You can flavor it many different ways by adding in different herbs, spices, and veggies. I like to buy plain cous cous, whole grain or wheat if available, cook it in […]
Roasted Red Pepper and Gouda Baked Chicken
So, I saw this recipe on Rachael Ray’s website. I didn’t actually see her cook it, and the name didn’t really appeal to me (Hungarian Roasted Pepper and Paprika Chicken), but curiosity got the best of me, and I clicked on the link for the recipe. I liked the ingredients – chicken, paprika, roasted red peppers, and […]
Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
These muffins are amazing. In fact, they are so delicious, I think you could almost call them cupcakes. I know muffins are for breakfast, but I have no shame in admitting I’ve eaten them for dessert. The bananas and chocolate go so well together and the cinnamon and nutmeg add a bit of warmth. My […]
Happy Cinco de Mayo!
I fully intended to make a Mexican dish this week to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, and it just didn’t happen. I hope you can forgive me, but coming on the heels of my National Grilled Cheese Month transgressions, I know it will be hard. I have actually been very busy baking, so I hope you’re prepared […]
Roasted Spaghetti Squash
The other day, I came up with the (brilliant) idea to make mozzarella stuffed turkey meatballs. To go along with them, I decided to make spaghetti squash, because, you know, I try to be healthy and squash is healthier than pasta, even whole wheat pasta. I had never had spaghetti squash before, and I had […]