You Win Some, You Lose Some

In the kitchen, that is. This is actually a meal from a few weeks ago, but I'm just now getting around to blogging it (so punctual, right?) Since Darrell had to work over Christmas break and I didn't, I was tasked with creating and preparing the menu for the week. And wisely foolishly decided to try three new recipes in one night. Pair that with an affinity to grossly-underestimate the amount of time it takes me to prepare a recipe, and what results is a massive fail. Thankfully, my husband loves me no matter what and we both were able to laugh our way through the meal. 
I present to you: Salmon and Pasta with Sweet Potatoes (I promise, that's really what's in the picture. I know it's hard to believe)

The salmon was really the highlight of meal, and insanely easy to boot. All I did was sprinkle the raw fillets with a little bit of lemon pepper, melt a few tablespoons of butter and minced garlic together, pour it over the fish, and bake for about 15 minutes in our toaster oven. I think I was supposed to season it with the juice of one lemon or something, but I'm pretty sure I forgot that. Maybe next time. The potatoes would have been good, if it hadn't been for my negligence. The prep work was easy--peel, cube, toss with olive oil and some seasonings (I used paprika and garlic powder)--and then you just bake them until they are tender. Well, in the flurry of recipes I had going at the same time, I forgot to set the oven timer, so I subsequently forgot to monitor them to see if they were getting tender. The result was a mess of crunchy, but well-flavored, sweet potato cubes. We're definitely going to make them again (tonight actually!), but this time around I'll remember to keep a closer eye on them (in addition to spraying the tin foil that we lined the baking sheet with). I'd prefer to not even discuss the pasta, but since I'm not talented enough to photo-shop it out, I suppose since it's there I should explain. The recipe sounded great--pasta with lemon cream sauce--but the execution was terrible. I was supposed to put ricotta cheese in the food processor and process until it lost its graininess and resembled whipping cream. Well, either my food processor is not that capable (it's just a little guy!), or I just got too impatient, but I definitely stopped before it got "creamy". But, I figured that when I mixed the lemon juice and seasonings into it, and added it to the hot pasta, that it would soften it up a bit and make it creamier. Not. A. Chance. The end result was something that more closely resembled a pasta blob--dense, thick sauce that effectively made the entire mess cold and stick together, like some type of a lumpy, ill-flavored pasta salad. Being the good kids that we are (thanks mom!), we each ate our share, but not a bite more. 


I thought that I was doing so well, pairing the lemon in the salmon with the lemon in the pasta, and the garlic in the salmon with the garlic on the sweet potatoes, but sometimes even the most well-intentioned plans don't rise to their full potential. Maybe next time I won't bite off more than I can chew (ha!) and only try one new recipe. Or, at the very least, enlist Darrell's help to ensure I don't ruin 2/3 of a meal again. If only it weren't for that darn stubborn streak I have....