Red Wine and new Monday night recipes

As I've mentioned, I've been getting the cooking itch over the past few weeks. I've become so sick and tired of the food I've been eating that I keep browsing through cookbooks to see if I can come up with anything interesting or exciting or, at least, make-able without spending $100 on ingredients I'll never use again. I'm only moderately creative in the kitchen, and although I rarely cook with a recipe, I don't typically like things like sauces from a can... too much blandness for me. So I'm trying to change that by endeavouring into the recipe books K has had stashed up in the cupboard since I've known her.

My first real foray into this new cooking adventure actually came long before my disdain for my typical dishes. While attending a family reunion in Alberta in August, I was lucky enough to try out some delicious Chicken Lasagna made by one of K's cousins. It was really wonderful. Gooey and creamy and delicious, and hands-down better than the beef lasagna that was there too. So, after a few weeks of being home, we finally hassled K's cousin J for the recipe, I made it the next night, and we made enough so that we actually still have some in the freezer, waiting for another delicious meal experience.

Since then, the itch has come and gone, but has returned with a vengeance over the past week or two. I've already talked about the delicious Whisky Squash Soup I made last week (let me know if you want the recipe), and today I dove into a bit of a soul-food classic: Hunter's Chicken.

I think part of the reason I chose this recipe was the fact that I'd have an excuse to open up and drink a bottle of red wine because the recipe called for it (and now that it's cold outside, my tastebuds have also been craving the glorious nectar of the gods, a.k.a., a luscious sampling of Cabernet Sauvignon). And I guess I'm just a fan of hearty dishes that fill you up and leave enough leftovers for the next two days. I do have to say... it was WONDERFUL! And it suited the robust Cab perfectly too.

So here I am, a few glasses into the night, full to the brim of pasta and chicken simmered in tomatos and peppers and garlic and spices and wine. Garlic and spices and wine, oh my! So, tomorrow's another adventure. I'll definitely have to do some extra cardio at the gym over the next few days... oh well... these are the sacrifices I'm willing to make!

If you're ever interested in the food I'm cooking, I'll send a recipe. But for now, my wine glass beckons...

T