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{speaking of eggs – jammy eggs are my jam!}

it’s hard for me to believe that there was a period of time in my life when i simply did not like eggs. like, what?!

but thankfully that has changed and now i love love love them. i think it’s so interesting how they can be prepared so many different ways. fried, baked, poached, boiled, in a salad, on toast, in baking… the egg is for sure “eggcelent” (pun intended).

i think i am still trying to perfect the “jammy egg.” it’s always been my favourite way to enjoy eggs… that creamy custardy center, that’s the key. recently, i was experimenting with the jammy eggs that typically accompany a good bowl of authentic ramen, which i have been fully craving lately. so, i did a bunch of research and tried to make them in the food and foto kitchen.

i cooked them in boiling water for 6 minutes, then transferred them to an ice bath until fully cooled, then peeled and stored in the fridge in a mixture of coconut aminos, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and sesame oil for about 24 hours. when serving, i sprinkled with sesame seeds.

for a first time try, i think they turned out pretty good! I devoured three of them this morning!

#nomnom

what’s your favourite way to enjoy eggs?!

Tags: 100 mile diet, cooking, eating, eggs, farm fresh eggs, farm to table, food and foto, food blogger, food blogging, food photography, foodie, foodnfoto, foodography, jammy eggs, ramen eggs, yum

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Categories Farmers Market, food, food blog, food blogger, food photography, food stories, iphoneography, the food, the foodie

{homemade classic chicken cutlets}

3 Mar

how silly is it that i had never made chicken cutlets before yesterday?! haha. my best friend and i were talking about this the other day and was asking how i should prepare them. i did a lot of research and took his advice, but ultimately added my own little flair to it 😉

and basically it doesn’t matter that i had never made them before or that i was making it up as i went along… because when i finally made them, they were AHH-mazing!

after pounding out some already-thinly-sliced chicken breasts…

i created a seasoned flour/egg mixture/parmesan breadcrumb dredging station…

fried in some coconut oil… then i finished them in the air fryer for a perfect crisp… and dusted with parmigiano reggiano…

finally, dressed the cutlets with an arugula salad doused in meyer lemon and olive oil…

OH MY WORD! so good!!!

#nomnom!

this has quickly become one of my new favourite staples in the food and foto kitchen! what is your favourite way to enjoy chicken cutlets?!?!

Tags: chicken, chicken cutlets, clean cooking, cooking, easy cooking, easy recipes, eating, food, food and foto, food blog, food blogging, food photographer, foodie, foodnfoto, foodographer, foodography, fotography, keep it seriously simple, kiss, nomnom, yum

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Categories blogging, cooking, eating, food, food blog, food blogger, food photography, healthy eating, the food, the foodie

{first pad thai – ever!}

9 Feb

this is another first…

first time i ever tried making this dish from scratch. and possibly the first time i have ever eaten this dish.

a friend of mine came to visit last year and i asked him what his favourite meal was so that i could cook it for him.. and he was quick to respond :

“pad thai”

and i was just a wee-bit nervous because i had never made anything like that before. but – i sought out a recipe through the magic of the internet, and then i gathered the ingredients and followed the recipe and it ended up being pretty delicious! i love the loads of flavour from this well-known dish. AND – it’s actually pretty healthy!

Tags: asian cuisine, chef audrey, cooking, DIY, eating, flavour, food, food blog, food blogger, food blogging, food photography, foodie, foodography, healthy eating, home chef, home cook, pad thai, recipes, sharing food, simple, simple eating, yum, yummy

Comments 1 Comment
Categories eat the rainbow, food blog, food blogger, food photography, healthy eating, the food

{first pancakes of 2024}

31 Jan

possibly my first pancakes… ever?!

i am feeling pretty proud of these {cute} little {yummy} pancakes that i made on the morning of new years day… particularly because it was my first time in my adult life that i’ve made them from scratch. i always felt so intimidated, so i just never tried. {silly, yes.}

i know that it may seem so simple, but this is a big accomplishment for me – haha! ironcially, making pancakes is a very simple process and i can’t believe i took so long to do it. these were rather delicious. and simple ingredients of course…

the basics :

flour
sugar
baking powder
pinch of salt
melted butter
egg
milk

mix dry and wet ingredients separately…

heat in a cast iron skillet with a little butter until bubbly… then flip…

serve with softened butter and maple syrup… and nom nom!

they were rather fluffy and delish, if i may say so myself. 😉

Tags: cooking, DIY, easy, eating, first of the year, food, food and foto, food blogger, food blogging, food from scratch, food photography, foodandfoto, foodie, foodies, foodnfoto, foodography, homemade, new years day, pancakes, quick recipes, recipes, simple, yum, yummy

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Categories blogging, food blog, food blogger, food photography, food stories, the food, the foodie

{deconstructed sushi}

30 Sep

this is the time of year when my diet always starts to change a bit… the transition between summer into autumn, the temps cooling off (although – we are expecting temps close to the 80’s again this week!) so i find myself craving different types of foods… on the precipice of being ready for soups and squashes, but also wanting less “light” dishes like salads, etc. (although – i still eat a salad every day!)

this is one of my favourite in-between meals. i’m calling it “deconstructed sushi” 😀

i love sushi in general… but i had also been trying to find ways to satisfy the craving at home without breaking the bank. i saw something like this on a social media platform and i decided to try it. it’s basically all of the ingredients in sushi, but without the rolling mat. 😉

simply mix all the ingredients together – rice (cooking hack : buy the par-cooked bags so you can heat them up with ease!), imitation crab meat, avocado, cucumber, spicy mayo, sesame seeds… nom nom!

serve with nori sheets like a little sushi taco!

furthermore – i sometimes eat nori or seaweed by the handfuls, just on its own… it’s kind of a (not-so) guilty pleasure 🙂 also, maybe it’s because i’m basically a mermaid?! i could eat seafood of any kind every day!

what’s your favourite kind of sushi?!

Tags: cook at home, crab roll, DIY, eat at home, eat the rainbow, eating, food, food blog, food blogger, food blogging, food photography, foodandfoto, foodnfoto, foodography, healthy eating, photography, seasonal eating, sushi

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Categories DIY, eat the rainbow, food blog, food blogger, food photography, healthy eating, photography, the food, the foodie

{my mid-week meal : seared scallops with braised broccoli rabe}

25 May

what can i say?! – i just love alliteration. 😉

i also love anything seafood related… especially scallops! they are one of my all-time favourites! when i lived in NYC, i would make scallops about once a month for my lovely roommate and myself. we always looked forward to it, and she always appreciated it! sharing good food with good people is just one of THE BEST things in life!

i feel like i can confidently say that i have pretty much perfected the method in which scallops should be cooked… particularly fresh scallops. it’s best to treat them almost like a steak in the sense that you want them to be very dry to start, seasoned with good salt, and seared in a hot dry pan {cast iron is my choice.} they are delicate and tender, much like a good steak. i purchased these scallops from my favourite local market and they are locally-sourced and so so fresh! i patted them down with a clean paper towel and added them to a super hot pan for about 2-3 minutes on one side, until they were ready to flip… which is the key step in the process… they should gently and easily remove from the pan when ready to turn. then, the next key step is to add some yummy grass-fed butter {my choice} and baste, baste, baste… for another 2-3 minutes on high heat.

finally, remove from heat and allow to rest for about a minute or so… then use a fork to slice into that buttery sweet goodness with ease and oh my – enjoy every bite!

i served mine with braised broccoli rabe (aka “rapini”) for a complimentary savory/bitter component.

this meal was so divine and delicious!

nom nom!!

p.s. – if you don’t already, please follow me on instagram – @foodnfoto – to further the experience with all things food and foto related! 🙂

Tags: 100 mile diet, buy local, cooking, eat local, eat with the seasons, food, food and foto, food blogger, food blogging, food is good, food photographer, food photography, foodnfoto, foodography, fotography, fresh, local, maryland, nom nom, scallops, seasonal eating, yum

Comments 7 Comments
Categories blogging, food, food blog, food blogger, food photography, healthy eating, maryland, photography, the food, the foodie

{savory split-pea soup}

19 Jan

this is a dish that i find myself craving during cold winter months. it is full of healthy protein and fiber, it is super comforting, and it is loaded with flavour. this can be made vegetarian or even vegan, but i added some ham to mine and simmered in my home-made chicken bone broth. it is so simply delicious!

savory split-pea soup…

i used a dried soup mix that i had in the pantry with split green and yellow peas, red lentils, dehydrated veggies, and a spice blend. i also used about equal parts homemade broth/water and seasoned to taste. i didn’t use a lot of extra spices in this soup because i honestly just love the flavour of the peas after they’ve been simmering in the broth and with the ham and hints from the bacon fat permeating throughout. although i did add in some dried parsley and of course S&P.

you could easily just use dried split peas for this recipe, and add in whatever veggies you want, chopped or frozen… typically a mirepoix mix provides the most aromatics, and that is my go-to.

i sautéed a diced onion in some bacon fat {i know!} until tender, then i deglazed with a little white wine vinegar… {typically i would use a dry white wine but i didn’t have any at the time.}

to the stock pan, i added the liquid mixture of about 2 quarts chicken broth and 2 quarts water and brought to a boil, then added in about 2 cups of the split pea mixture. i cooked the peas down for about 15 minutes on high heat, tossed in some ham, then simmered on low-medium heat until i found the consistency i wanted…about another 30 minutes.

i added in some diced ham at the last minute, because it was already cooked and thinly sliced… then simmered again on low for an additional 5-10 minutes. this made about 3-4 quarts of soup in total. i shared some with a friend and also canned a couple of pints for the future.

it totally hit the spot! i have been eating it for 2 days and will probably have some more tonight! it’s also one of those soups that gets better the next day! 🙂

before and after 🙂

nom nom, slurp slurp.

Tags: batch-cooking, eat with the seasons, eating, food, food and foto, food blogger, food blogging, food photography, foodnfoto, foodography, fotography, healthy eating, homemade, I love soup, seasonal eating, simple recipes, soup, winter eating

Comments 4 Comments
Categories blogging, eat the rainbow, food, food blog, food blogger, food photography, food stories, healthy eating, nutrition, the food, the foodie

{homemade gummy bears}

9 Oct

i have been making my own homemade gummy bears for a while now, and i have been meaning to write a post about it…

i have always loved fruit snacks, gummy bears, et al. however, the ingredient list always detoured me – even the natural ones are full of mostly sugar.

so, i did some research and realized that i could be making my own gummy fruit snacks! and not only that, but i could make them GOOD for me!

my curiosity was piqued when i started looking for a clean source of gelatin to help with collagen production and joint support.

…which i don’t have pictured here because i typically transfer everything i buy into a glass jar… {no shame in my game}…

anyway, i wanted to incorporate gelatin into my diet and that’s when i got super stoked about the idea of making my own gummies! so i found these silicon molds on amazon {along with the gelatin} and looked up a few recipes to get me started.

as usual, i like to keep things as simple as possible. some recipes call for honey or a sweetener, but i like to avoid added sugar where i can {so i can guiltlessly enjoy a candy bar from time-to-time}.

so – here is my very simple {2-ingredient!} homemade gummy fruit snack recipe – which yields about 200 gummies and the ratio can be adjusted accordingly :

1 cup fruit juice {i usually opt for concord grape}
3 tablespoons gelatin powder

you could add in some honey or agave for sweetness, but i find the concord grape juice to be sweet enough on its own.

sometimes i’ll add in some elderberry syrup for additional health benefits during the cold-season months. Continue reading →

Tags: blogging, DIY, diy gummies, easy, food, food blogger, food blogging, food blogs, food photography, foodography, fotography, fruit snacks, gummy bears, healthy, healthy eating, healthy gummy bears, healthy recipes, healthy snacks, homemade, in the kitchen, keep it seriously simple, kiss, photography, recipes, simple, snacks, squish, squishie, squishy

Comments 2 Comments
Categories audrey michelle, blogging, food, food facts, food photography, food stories, fun, health, healthy eating, nutrition, recipes, the food, the foodie, the foto

{meatless monday : a flavourful riced cauliflower dish}

9 Jul

i made this delicious riced cauliflower one-pot make-ahead meal for lunch last week and it was so yummy, i just had to share the recipe! i love experimenting with random things in the fridge!

i’ve been really into using riced cauliflower as a replacement for grains and it does a wonderful job as an understudy. 😉

riced cauliflower has a great texture and maintains it well during the cooking process. i’ve purchased it both fresh and frozen and they both seem to hold up just fine.

i made this dish as i was trying to use up some leftover ingredients such as frozen asparagus from another recipe. i also had some frozen jalapeños that i grew last year and wanted to use.

so this is what i came up with {amounts are “ish”} :

16 oz. fresh riced cauliflower
1/2 cup black beans
1/2 cup sweet corn
1/2 cup diced asparagus {mine was frozen}
1 medium size jalapeño, diced {ribs and seeds removed}
2 tbsp hot sauce
1 tbsp cumin
salt & pepper to taste

heat some butter or oil of choice on medium heat and toss in riced cauiflower. cook slowly until al dente. add in asparagus and jalapeño, cook until slightly tender then throw in black beans and corn and cook for another minute or so. sprinkle in hot sauce and spices and toss together. keeps well in the fridge for a few days. can be frozen for future consumption.

organic chicken or grass-fed ground beef makes a nice addition to this recipe. i made this one vegan because i like to eat vegan at least once a week… not for any particular reason other than keeping things in balance 😉