Jenna Learns To Cook

I'm going to cook a meal tonight. I like fish, lets start with fish.

Broil for 30 Minutes.

.......Okay, they lost me at the word "broil." So I just closed my cookbook and got in my car. Although I mumbled some random excuse to my roommates and my dog about where I was going, I definitely went and got a sub, ate in my car, and called it good. (It is shocking how many times I eat in my car as a way to avoid cooking. It is really embarrassing.)

        So for the last two weeks, with the goal for this blog hanging over my head, I successfully avoided any real time in the kitchen. Sure, I eat pretty healthy.  I buy lots of cold veggies and hummus, snack on almonds, and keep sweets (for the most part) out of the house. The whole cooking scene kind of intimidates me. Every time I try to relax and scroll my favorite social media sites, I am confronted with numerous images of perfectly plated dinners with titles like "My wife is the best." or "My new recipe!" 

*rolls eyes*

I have convinced myself for awhile that this is pointless. I am actually out DOING stuff instead of just spending all day in the kitchen. But secretly, it is because I am frustrated with the fact that the directions "Broil for 30 minutes" is like speaking a different language to me. I can follow directions just fine....I mean...I have MASTERED the art of mac and cheese. It is all the little stuff

. What do you buy when you grocery shop.?  Because I do not happen to have flat leaf parsley just lying around my house.

Two weeks later, I was  determined to actually just GO for it. I wanted to make fish, but didn't want to broil it. (Because I had convinced myself this was too overwhelming of a task.) 

To cook this weeks meal, I enlisted the help of my friend Brittany, who is in a similar boat as me. The recipe was for "Pan seared tilapia with citrus vinaigrette." Nothing too difficult. With a copy of Cooking Light in my hand, we set out to get our list of ingredients. Good thing I avoided that word broil....but wait....what are,,,, shallots?  (I guess blogging is confusing to me as well because the font just randomly changed) As it turns out, they are just like a form of onion. Not some long skinny green plant like I had pictured in my head. With a long list of random ingredients in hand, I buckled down and made what seems like possibly the easiest fish recipe I could have made. It seems as though cooking may not be as hard as I think.....the trick is not to be afraid to ask questions. Even though it might be embarrassing...everyone has to start somewhere. Plus, asking a question is a whole lot less embarrassing then eating subs in your car. 

It was pretty yummy. 

Oh, and to broil something just means you turn the dial on your stove to broil. 

Yup....that is it.