1 - Life in London

Yesterday, my baby blog turned a year old (despite my month-long absence). Things have been very hectic lately, and mostly because I have relocated to London (the Canadian one) to pursue further education. In celebration of my blog's anniversary and my big move, I am introducing a new in cognito segment entitled, "Life in London" where I will post about my culinary and dining adventures here in the western East! (You can follow these posts by the label.)

I have a segment from before that was called "Cardio and Cooking" which I hope to have back up and running once I start running again too. I will tentatively say that this will commence next week...tentatively. I feel the need to refurbish my blog and organize it a bit better, and will try to do so before my workload increases! We shall see what happens :)

I was actually planning to do this blog entry last night since it was my first homemade meal in my new residence, but unfortunately, I didn't have time because I had a late Skype dinner date with P.
So. Here it is!

Things I learned over the past few days about how to be overly frugal:
- Be on the lookout for free stuff, coupons, and sales ALL THE TIME.
- Compare prices between stores and find out which is the better deal. Any savings are still savings!
- Know that forks are good for whisking, mashing, and forking, so you don't need a whisk or masher if you already have a fork.
- You can cook a decent dinner for yourself with less sodium, fat, and no MSG within 30-45 minutes, so it's probably a good idea. It is also less expensive than eating outside.
- Buying packages of more rather than less is usually a better idea. Consider whether or not you can freeze the rest. If you can, it's probably a more worthwhile investment :D

My first homemade meal in my residence that wasn't leftover pizza! Yay! (I also learned that Prego tomato sauce might actually be better than Classico.)

Simple Chicken Pasta with Tomato Sauce for One (Plus toast because there was too much garlic)
1/2 chicken breast
Salt and pepper
Rosemary leaves
Canola oil
3 white mushrooms (You can actually use less if you want. I just really like mushrooms...)
1 1/2 cups Prego tomato sauce (Because I was too lazy to make my own :/)
1 cup dry penne pasta (Barilla pasta boxes are on sale at Metro for 99 cents!)
3 cloves garlic
2 slices French bread (97 cents at Superstore for a whole loaf! Freeze the rest!)

1. Bring a medium pot filled 1/3 of the way with water to a boil. Add a few drops of oil and a sprinkle of salt. Once the water is boiling, bring down to medium heat, and add your pasta. Cook for about 12 minutes or until "al dente" with the lid off.
2. Chop 3 cloves of garlic and set aside. If you don't want garlic toast, you can probably just use 1 or maybe 2.
3. Slice the mushrooms into bite-sized pieces and set aside. (Now) I usually slice the mushroom in half vertically, and then flip the halves so that one side is flat on the cutting board. From there, I cut the half mushrooms into slices.
4. Cut the chicken breast into bite-sized pieces. Add to a small bowl, and mix in a sprinkle of salt and pepper to your liking, along with a light drizzle of oil, and set aside.
5. In a medium pan on medium-low heat, add about 1/2 tsp of oil and swivel the pan so that it spreads. Add about a tsp of chopped garlic to the pan and stir fry until fragrant, then add chicken.
6. Stir fry the chicken until almost cooked. Add the sliced mushrooms, and cook slightly. Sprinkle some rosemary, and continue to stir fry until the chicken is cooked through.
7. After the pasta has finished cooking, transfer the pasta to a colander, and use the same pot to heat up your sauce on medium-low heat until ready.
8. Turn on your broiler. Line a small baking pan (like a pie plate) with parchment paper. Butter 2 slices of bread and place them face up on the parchment paper. Use the remaining garlic and sprinkle it evenly over the slices of bread. Place under broiler until browned and crispy on the edges, remove from the oven, and serve!
9. Assemble your dinner! Pasta, then chicken and mushrooms, then sauce. Add some Parmesan cheese on top if you prefer (and if you can afford). Parmesan cheese was not a worthwhile purchase for me since I rarely use it. :(
10. Enjoy!

With whatever time I have to myself in my lonely dorm, I will try to update and finish my draft entries from this summer! Until then, look for more updates from London!!

-M