So, this last post is not exactly chronological, but I felt it should come last because these were just the most deliciously spectacular meals I’ve had, maybe ever, if not just since becoming pescatarian.

First up was actually Brad’s creation. I had nothing to do with the creation or implementation of this incredible dinner. But I was very involved in eating it.

Now, normally, Brad and I cook pretty much all of our meals together. It’s basically one of our favorite things to do together. And I never really knew how to cook until we started cooking together. I could follow a recipe just fine, but I was never someone that could throw things together to make something yummy. That was not the case here:

mahi mahi, polenta cakes and rosted fennel and tomato, all drizzled with a roasted tomato vinaigrette

So, let me tell you, this here? This is love. Brad’s not really a fan of fish, but he made this incredible dish for me [and he loved it as much as I did] This meal was totally out of his element, too. Although it’s a pretty fancy looking meal, it’s actually a very simple preparation.

mahi mahi

Just a little salt and pepper on each side, and he fried it up in a little bit of olive oil. This piece of fish is actually really funny to me. It was two frozen filets for like $7.99, so we weren’t really expecting too much. Boy, were we wrong. This fish doesn’t need a fancy preparation. We topped it with parmigiano reggiano shavings.

polenta cakes

Polenta is another food we don’t really eat a lot. So, out of experimentation, we just decided to fry them up. Not THE healthiest preparation, we learned, since polenta really soaks up the oil. But it was good either way. Crispy on the outside, soft and warm on the inside.

roasted vegetables

Now, we’ve NEVER even cooked with fennel before. So, come to think of it, I really have no idea where the inspiration for this meal came from. But Brad roasted the tomato an fennel bulb halves with thyme, rosemary and olive oil. Then he took one of the roasted tomatoes and blended it with some red wine vinegar, and s&p to make the vinaigrette.

the salad i had been thinking about for a week

I went to the store and bought a bunch of yummy ingredients for salads, but then I got home and realized I forgot one important thing: lettuce. So after daydreaming about my salad, I finally got to realize my dream:

spinach, avocado, goat cheese and sunflower seeds

no wait, the best part

Doniree was talking last week about how she makes her own salad dressings, and it made me all kinds of happy and I just HAD to tell you guys all about my current favorite kitchen toy:

the herb 'n serve!

I totally got this at our company Christmas party during the gift exchange and I luurve it. It’s just a tiny little battery-operated blender, for making dressings, marinades and sauces and it’s so much fun. It doesn’t really chop anything bigger than say, a small clove of garlic, but that’s enough for making delicious dressings. For this salad, used some store bought pesto sauce, red wine vinegar and a little bit of fat-free sour cream to make a deliciously tangy and creamy vinaigrette for my creative salad.

So, in conclusion? The herb ‘n serve: get it. Mahi Mahi: eat it.