winter pasta inspired by 101 cookbooks

Who would have known you can make green pasta sauce from blended kale and spinach. thanks to 101 cookbooks - Winter Pasta Recipe, I feel super healthy and inspired. I was so eager to prepare this dish, I forgot the follow the recipe. I glanced at the photo and got excited, using what i had. (kale and spinach, whole wheat spaghetti, ricotta instead of goat cheese, and slivered almonds for fun). I ate the pasta on day one, and then sauteed some mushrooms to change up the leftovers. mmmm. green winter pasta. (101 cookbooks recipe here)

chicken and pasta - two ways

use the chicken breast for curry and the chicken thigh and drumstick for homemade chicken noodle soup. kill two birds with one stone, make two meals at once.

eggs for breakfast and dinner, cont'd

the egg story continues. this time hardboiled and served on open faced toasted english muffins. and then baked, surrounded by tomato beans and chives. no matter how you make em, they taste good.

easy peasy pasta from scratch

eggs for breakfast and dinner, like a true bachelor

if you live alone, im sure you find yourself breaking the common rule of eating eggs for breakfast. it's simple and quick and always yummy. this sandwich incorporated fresh avocado, chives, tomato and a fried egg on toasted baguette. mmmm. the baked eggs were okay, but overcooked, make sure you take them out before they harden to medium, it will be better for dipping your toast. (here i baked avocado, cilantro, tomato sauce and eggs in a little oven proof dish)

meatballs and pasta. easy lazy meals for one

A'int no party like a mexican party; burritos for the boys

Im not sure if there's a significant difference between fajitas and burritos, but this "assemble-your-own" buffet incorporated beans instead of sautéed peppers.

whole wheat pizza with kale

store bought dough. rolled thin and topped with tomato sauce, onions, mushrooms, roasted sweet potato and kale. I think I may have sprinkled a few sesame seeds for decoration. yum.

you are what you eat; a personal iphone food collection

Just cause I haven't been an active food blogger lately, doesn't mean I stopped taking pictures of the plates I create. Here is a collection of iphone food pics from the past couple of months. imagine doing this for entire year? *please note, I don't always eat this colourful, for some reason I forgot to take pictures of the late night mcdonalds and few chocolate bars along the way. haha

here you go Stephy, the famous berry scones

These scones were a hit at the cottage, especially since they were fresh baked just before breakfast. There's nothing like walking into a room that smells like fresh baked goods. Unfortunately, this recipe didn't come from eatpretty's mind, but from here; (Tylers Ultimate)

beets and greens for lunch. a sandwich that makes your face glow with goodness

Hummus, spinach, cucumber, roasted chicken, honey mustard, sliced boiled beets & fresh dill. yum

1 giant breast of turkey plus veggies

Thanks giving in june...Marinated this giant turkey breast in olive oil, S&P, cumin, cayenne pepper, tandoori masala, and fresh thyme. Roasted it in the oven for about 1.5 hours. (it came out super juicy!!!) Accompanied by skewers of grilled zucchini, yellow pepper, sweet onion, and mushrooms.

chicken fajitas....why don't I make these more often?

BBQ'd three chicken breasts, sauteed some red pepper and onion, and shredded some cheese and lettuce.....EASY STUFF PEOPLE!!!!. I had enough material to eat fajitas for two days, What a great little meal that keeps super well overnight.

breakfast tart for dinner; chorizo/caramelized onions/mushrooms/spinach

Laid two sheets of puff pastry to cover a cookie tray. Spread caramelized onions and sauteed mushrooms, poured in beaten egg&milk mixture, and topped with chopped spinach & chorizo (quickly pan fried to crisp). Of course seasoning and herbs were added along the way (S&P, fresh dill and parsley)

eat pretty gets a makeover;

It's time I start paying a little more attention not only to the visible aesthetics of food, but to this blog. The first facelift is BIGGER PHOTOS; squint no more and enjoy more details and textures. My second goal is to create a more uniform look and mood, so lets hope I choose one soon. I must admit that a little part of me is tempted to go back and delete all previous posts, but my rummbling belly seems to think otherwise. Perhaps I will keep the archive for now.... but cut them out when no ones looking.

At the table with: Drew Bomhof

Three course brunch at the revolving restaurant/Space Needle, Seattle. The bright natural light up there made for great food photography. I had:the smoked salmon tart, stuffed chicken with roasted veggies, and huckleberry cheesecake He had:the clam chowder, prime rib and mashed potatoes, and strawberry rhubarb crumble.

slider party.... 6 different kinds, which one do you fancy?

Pardon the ridiculous mess i made, and the fact that i forgot to photograph the 6th slider, but I got hungry. Inspired by hungry boy Kevin, I decided to use his appetite as a tasting ground for 6 new burger creations. Here they are in order of deliciousness according to Kev.

1. All beef, green onion and old Cheddar. topped with classic cheese, lettuce, tomato, ketchup and mustard.

2. Thai hot sauce and garlic. topped with hoisen, honey, sesame seeds and lettuce.

3. breaded pork Burger. topped with lemon honey mustard, lettuce, and Havarti cheese

4. Pesto and three cheese blend (Havarti, old Cheddar, Parmesan) topped with pesto mayo.

5. Mediterranean beef and pork burger with red onion, red pepper, and Havarti. topped with Greek salad.

6. herbbed beef and pork burger (cilantro, parsley, lots of rosemary), topped with lettuce and honey mustard.

spring into salads...

This meal gets the rainbow badge. colourful and bright, this spread had all food groups covered, curbed all cravings, and left a light bright shinny feeling inside my belly! Plus, the salad was so big there was enough for lunch the next day!!! loving spring and the encouragement to eat healthy that it brings..

so healthy, but still hungry.....

poached fresh wild sole in water. steamed spinach. and freshly made avocado/tomato salsa with cilantro and green onion. No fat added, this dish was bright and light, but had us eating peanut butter sandwiches shortly after. hahahaha. a lovely dish, but would have been more complete with some sort of rice or starch. next time perhaps some mashed sweet potatoes? yum.

longest name in the world muffins

oatmeal, banana, zucchini, cranberry, and chocolate chip mini muffins. All I did was add some ingredients to boring standard oatmeal muffin mix... you may have to alter the mix:water combination to get a good batter consistency if you're going to add your own ingredients. but...bake/experiment and enjoy. They came out supper moist and created new inspiration for alternate combinations.....orange juice, poppy seed and carrot? oh yes!!!! coming soon.

she said she can't cook, but guest chef and fresh obbsessed Julia teaches eat pretty something new.

In a bowl, Mix canned pacific salmon with 2tbs Olive oil. Add green onion and dill. , Toast your favourite bread
Lay down fresh spinach and thin slices of perfectly ripened avocado
enjoy. clean, crisp, and fresh... Julia has earned her spot on eat pretty

guest chef; stovetop soko

Oh boy, look out. Chris has found a new domain to conquer. loosely trained by chef mom and foodster sister, Chris is the new up and comming star. today he served up fresh panko breaded hallibut, skillet seared and finished perfectly in the oven.....yum

boil, scoop, mash, refill, top, and double bake.

Don't attempt these unless you have patience and time. I can see why no one makes double baked potatoes on a regular basis. Next time I am going to try this with sweet potatoes, check back soon.

boring but delicious; tuna on mixed greens garnished with yummy little sesamee seeds and cherry tomatoes.

Can of tuna mixed up with 1 tbs. olive oil, juice of a lemon, S&P, toss into mixed greens and halved cherry tomatoes, sprinkle with sesame seeds for extra nuttiness. enjoy.

eat pretty; colourful (but messy) taco party!!!!

Plenty of preparing and chopping, but a heck of a good time; create your own taco plate and make a big Mexican Mess.

eat pretty; guest chef; Chris Sokolowski

if this is not a picture perfect wrap i don't know what is. He spent his time sizzling that bacon slowly and balanced its "bad for you" stigma with crisp greens, lean turkey breast, and not to mention a flaxseed filled whole grain wrap. everyone needs to live a little right? well done brother.

more iphone food love

tuna on salad with balsamic

pretty perfect grill marks; dinner by Chris

pretty little picnic for two. very easy to put together. cuccumber and tomato slices, grapes, olives, turkey, salami, crakers, cheese and some sparkling water. YUM.

sunday brunch. eggs, turkey, tomato, fresh bread, butter, jam, cottage cheese, & blueberries.

Classic breaky; eggs, bacon, toast, orange juice,tomatoes and cheese.

an iphone approach....

For the past two months I have moved twice and traveled back home to Toronto, to Dominican, and back to Vancouver.... So lets just say my food photography and cooking experiments have taken a hit. BUT....my lovely iphone has captured a few good mornings and quick soups...which makes me feel like that's all im eating these days...I can't remember the last time I made a seriously delicious dish. HELP!!!

2 minute simple snack

smash up a ripe avocado in a bowl, add S&P and freshly squeezed lemon juice. top with diced tomatoes and serve with crackers. done. mmmmm.

beautiful breakfasts

start your day off as colourfully as possible.

2 egg omelet topped with sauteed spinach, mushrooms, and boiled beets. serve with buttered toast of course. enjoy

leftover veggies and curried rice

I ordered a huge veggie burger platter from Naam the other day, and was left with so much shredded beets, carrots, romaine, guacamole, and sprouts but I couldn't dream of throwing them away. So i boiled up some brown rice, threw in some padaks' curry paste and yogurt and enjoyed my leftover veggies with curried brown rice. very veggie, very simple, but very yum. one of those dishes you feel good eating. I know hot rice with salad veggies is not a normal pairing, but sometimes you have to work with what you got.

sweet pot pie

Work with what you got! When you don't have Yukon gold, reach for the orangey sweet things instead. The dish turns out sweeter than your traditional Sheppard's pie and the texture of mashed sweet potatoes is much softer than your regular starchy white kind, so play things up with Delicious spices and herbs. enjoy

1. saute onions, garlic, ginger, and chillies

2. add lean ground beef and herbs. brown.

3. boil sweet potatoes, mash with fresh ginger and butter

4. layer in baking dish

5. top with panko bread crumbs for added texture/crunch