Real Simple Recipe: Blackened Salmon with Broccoli Rabe

This was easier than I thought it would be. It’s so easy even a fifth grader can do it. Indeed pictures can be deceiving. Vons didn’t have any broccoli rabe so I had to settle for regular broccoli. (Or maybe they had it but I didn’t know what it looked like.) Haha. They also ran out of golden raisins so I substituted it with Sun Maid’s mixed jumbo raisins instead. Until today I didn’t realize how complementary raisins can be to salmon flavor-wise. I think I’ll have to turn down the heat next time to prevent the sides from turning black too quickly. It may look like it’s overcooked but it still came out fine. If there’s a certain technique to this I need to know.

Blackened Salmon with Broccoli Rabe

Real Simple Recipe: Spaghetti with Quick Meat Sauce

For some strange reason I was suddenly craving spaghetti. The tomato sauce…the busog na busog feeling it gives you after eating…the spices…

I’m not exactly gifted in the cooking department and because my boyfriend cooks often for both us I’m usually very dependent on him in the kitchen. But since he’s not around, I forced myself to be brave and tried to figure it out on my own. I think that when it comes to cooking I learn best when I’m alone. I can think better because I feel like no one is going to judge me. Are you like that too?

I had originally picked out a recipe from Food.com, but when I shared it with my Dad he said that it looked too complicated and advised me to start with something simpler since I’m just learning. Then I remember the recipe app on my phone from RealSimple.com and found an easy spaghetti recipe that they claimed would only take 30 minutes to prepare. Well because I was watching American Idol in the middle of it all it took me about two hours. Haha. I drove to Vons to buy all the ingredients and then made a mess on the kitchen counter (which I still have to clean up by the way). Here’s how it turned out. The only variation I did was to add some Italian Seasoning. It’s not the best I’ve ever tasted but it’s the closest I’ve ever been to actually ‘cooking.’ Translation: nothing was raw or bland.

Spaghetti with Quick Meat Sauce