Homemade Fettucini with Pesto, Sun-dried Tomatoes, and Balsamic Chicken

I had a day off from work last week and felt compelled to use my time towards culinary purposes. I had hoped to mimic a wonderful recipe from my friend Bobicus, which is deliciously entitled "Angel Hair with Grilled Chicken and Macadamia-Arugula Pesto" and which fails to mention that it also contains mango. But this is me we're talking about. There was no arugula in the grocery store, and when it came down to a tiny bottle of Macadamia nuts versus a large bag of walnuts for half the price, you know which I went for. I did try getting a mango. But apparently I don't know how to tell if a mango is ripe. Because when I sliced it open it was a hard, unappetizing white and I mourned the loss of such a wonderful fruit. Le sigh.

So I dug up this recipe for homemade pasta and this recipe for homemade pesto sans lemon juice and went to work. I tossed some chicken in a pan with a bit of salt, pepper, and brown sugar, then let it simmer in white balsamic vinegar. On a whim, I added sundried tomatoes at the end. And it was kind of all of alot of delicious.



Homemade Fettucini with Pesto, Sundried Tomatoes, and Balsamic Chicken
Serves 2

1/2 batch of fresh fettucini
1/2 batch of fresh pesto (or your favorite jarred pesto), about 1/4 of a cup
1 TBS olive oil
1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1" chunks
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp brown sugar
2 TBS white balsamic vinegar (red would work too)
1 1/2 TBS sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and minced.

1) Fill a large pot half way with water. Bring to a boil over high heat.
2) While water is coming to a boil, heat olive oil in a medium sized non-stick skillet over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add chicken, salt and pepper, and sprinkle brown sugar over top. Sauté chicken until starting to brown, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Add vinegar and turn heat down to low. Cook an additional 3-4 minutes, until liquid in pan has thickened and reduced.
3) Once water is boiling, add fettucini. Cook for 2-4 minutes, until tender. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Transfer fettucini back to warm pot.
4) Put pesto in a small bowl. Add 2 TBS of reserved cooking liquid and stir until creamy. Add more liquid if necessary. Add pesto to the pasta and stir until thoroughly coated. (I didn't add quite all the pesto, I had a couple TBS left over).
5) Add chicken and sun-dried tomatoes to the pasta and toss. Serve with crusty italian bread!

Mayo-free Tuna Salad

Again, no photo, but bear with me, it's tasty!

So I'm not big into mayonnaise. Occasionally I'll mix it with a little Dijon on a sandwich, or put it into a pasta salad, but when I can substitute something else, I try to. That's why, when I was craving a tuna melt, I considered my options. Tuna salad is one of the few foods I really don't mind mayo in, but I didn't feel like buying a big jar of the stuff just for the couple of tablespoons I would use for this one application.

So considering other options, I came up with the idea to use plain yogurt! Now I doubt I'm the first person to think of this, but I felt pretty proud of myself. I actually tried it with a Greek-style yogurt, since they now come in handy single serving containers, but regular yogurt would work just fine. For my tuna melt, I packed all my ingredients separately and assembled at the office, with a little help from the office toaster oven. Very tasty. The yogurt adds a certain tang which is really unique. Not for everyone, but I enjoyed it! Definitely something to experiment with.

Mayo-Free Tuna Salad
2-3 servings

1 can of tuna, drained
3 TBS plain regular or greek-style yogurt
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 TBS minced dill pickle or dill pickle relish
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp paprika
dash or two of ground red pepper

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and mash together with a fork, until fully incorporated. Add more yogurt and seasonings to desired consistency/flavor.


Tuna Melt
Serves 1

1 plain english muffin, split open into halves
4 TBS Mayo-Free Tuna Salad (see above)
4 thin slices of tomato
2 thin slices of cheese (Cheddar, American, Monterey Jack, you really can't go wrong)
a drizzle of balsamic vinegar (optional)

1) Top each english muffin half with 2 TBS tuna salad and two slices of tomato. If using, drizzle balsamic vinegar over tomatoes and tuna. Top with a slice of cheese for each half (make sure the cheese covers the enter half... use more slices if necessary).
2) Place on a toaster oven tray and toast in the toaster oven for about 3 minutes, until cheese is melting and starting to brown.

Classy Vegetable Stir-Fry

No picture, my apologies. The hard drive with all our photos on it is not yet set-up, but will be shortly. Once it is I will include some super photos of us attempting to unpack the kitchen. Which I am sure you are all dying to see.

In the mean time, here's a dish we whipped up in honor of my sister coming to dinner for the first time in the new house! She is vegetarian and so I have made it my mission to find some tasty vegetarian dishes to make for her when she visits that she, as a college student, may not have time/money/facilities/motivation to. Alas, she is not big into pasta, so that eliminated about 90% of my initial ideas, but Mr. Heart suggested a vegetable stir-fry. So we took it up a notch by including a wide variety of vegetables, and made it simple by only adding the bare minimum of seasonings. It came out delicious. We served it up with couscous and a dark rye bread. And then we ate cookie dough and played cribbage like old people.

"I'm so proud of myself," Mr. Heart said, as we drove back from dropping off Sister Heart, "Before I met you I wouldn't have even touched a dish like that." And he liked it! Excellent. So I AM having a positive culinary influence. My main challenge with him? Legumes. Some day, some day...

Classy Vegetable Stir-Fry
Serves 2-3

1 Portabello mushroom cap, diced
1 bell pepper, diced (or half of a red and half of a yellow)
3-4 green onions, chopped
1/2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch crescents
1/2 cup sugar snap peas, cut in half
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 lb spinach, roughly chopped
1/4 cup cashews
1 - 2 TBS olive oil
a good squeeze of lemon juice
salt and pepper

(for omnivores: add a link or two of your favorite chicken sausage, sliced)

1) In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat until shimmering, but not smoking.
2) Add bell peppers and green onions. Sauté until peppers start to brown, stirring often.
3) Add zucchini, mushrooms, and garlic. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper to taste. Continue to sauté, stirring often, until vegetables are just tender.
4) Add spinach, snap peas, and lemon juice. Toss together, then cover for 1 -2 minutes, or until spinach is wilted and cooked down.
5) Add cashews toss to combine. Cook for 1 -2 more minutes, until cashews are heated through. Add more salt and pepper as desired.
(For omnivores: Transfer vegetables to a separate dish and cover to keep warm. Add sausage and a splash of oil. Sauté until lightly browned, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add vegetables back to pan and toss to combine. Cook an additional minute to heat through.)

Spinach and Artichoke Risotto

I love Spinach and Artichoke Dip and I love risotto, so what better combination? Really, that's all I have to say.

Spinach and Artichoke Risotto
Serves 2
9/10

2 - 3 cups stock (chicken or vegetable)
1 TBS olive oil
1/2 cup onions, chopped
1 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and chopped
1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed and chopped
2 oz cream cheese (you can buy single servings)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 TBS butter
1/4 tsp garlic salt (or more, to taste)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
black pepper to taste

1) Heat stock in a small sauce pan until hot, but not boiling. Keep warm.
2) Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan until shimmering. Add onions and sauté over med-high heat until translucent. Lower the heat to med-low. Add the arborio rice and stir until it is coated with oil.
3) Add white wine. Stir until the liquid has been mostly absorbed and the rice begins to stick to the pot.
4) Add warm stock to the rice 1/2 – 1 cup at a time and continue to stir the risotto until the liquid is mostly absorbed and the rice begins to stick before adding the next cup. The rice will being to absorb the liquid much slower.
5) After about 15 minutes, the rice will have puffed up, but still be a bit al dente (read: crunchy). Add artichokes, spinach, garlic salt, red pepper flakes, and pepper.
6) Cook for 5 - 10 more minutes, adding stock as it is absorbed. Th risotto should take on a creamy texture and will almost hardly be absorbing any liquid at all. The rice should be tender but slightly chewy. Remove from heat.
6) Add the butter, cream cheese, and parmesan, blending until creamy. Serve with chips or toasted pita bread.

Roasted Vegetable Sandwiches

Knowing that my parents and sister were straining in the heat to unload her things and unpack her dorm room, I knew I could only be a good daughter and sister if I brought them a picnic lunch. I lay in bed, trying to sleep in on a hot Saturday morning, but all I could think about was roasted vegetables and pasta salad, until I had to get up and get cooking.

I decided to forego the pasta salad (instead I brought leftover salad from the night before). But the roasted vegetables persisted. We still had a zucchini from my uncle's garden, tomatoes from my great aunt, an extra loaf of bread from the fondu, feta from salad making, and balsamic vinegrette from the boy's experiments with a medditerranean tortellini dish. With these powers combined, huzzah! Roasted summer vegetable sandwiches. Somehow I managed to divy the bread into six sandwiches, but I would say a safer bet would be four (the sandwiches were quite skinny a hard to eat, though tasty). Also, any summer veggies would do--eggplant, summer squash, onions--this is just what we had on hand. They could also be good with cheese, olives, and a variety of other toppings/condiments.

The rest of the picnic consisted of: salad, cheese (cheddar and fontina) and crackers, iced tea, and pound cake with cool whip.

Roasted Vegetable Sandwiches
Serves 4 - 6
8/10

olive oil
1 large zucchini, cut into thin, diagonal rounds
1 large tomato, cut into thin slices
3/4 cup frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1/2 jarred roasted red pepper, drained and cut into thin strips
1/2 cup balsamic vinegrette (2 parts olive oil, 1 part balsamic vinegar)
1/2 teaspoon oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 large loaf of crusty italian bread
1/4 cup feta, crumbled
2 - 3 TBS sour cream

1) Brush the zucchini with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
2) On a grill or grill pan, grill the zucchini until seared, about 4 minutes each side, adding more oil as necessary. Remove and transfer to a large plate or platter, laying the slices in a single layer.
3) Grill tomato slices and artichoke hearts until just seared (only about 1- 2 minutes per side). Transfer to the plate and layer on top of the zucchini slices.
4) Add roasted red pepper strips to the vegetable platter. Pour balsamic vinegrette over the vegetables. Season with oregano, and salt&pepper to taste. Cover and refridgerate for at least 20 minutes to allow the vegetables to cool and the flavors to mingle.
5) Combine the feta and sour cream to form a spread. Cut the loaf of bread length wise. Spread the feta spread evenly across the top half.
6) Remove vegetables from the fridge and drain. Apply the vegetables in an even layer across the bottom half of the bread. Put the top half back on and cut into equal portions for sandwiches.
*If picnicking, wrap each sandwich individually in foil or wait until you arrive at your picnic destination and divy up the sandwich there.

Fondue Party

My parents, sister, and uncle came over last night for dinner since my sister is moving back into school for the fall. So I wracked my brain for something fun and easy to serve to a crowd that I could mostly prep ahead of time. Inspired by the latest specials at The Melting Pot (one of our favorite fancy restaurants) I decided to try my hand at a cheddar fondue.

First, let me say, it came out fine. However, like last time when I made an Italian Cheeses fondue (the recipe of which I will include another time) I ran into the same problem: the fondue was too liquidy. I still attribute this to too much wine and/or not letting some of the wine cook off first. So be aware of this, if you try said recipes. I'm going to include half as much wine next time and see if that helps.

Anyway, cheddar/fontina fondue, a make-your-own-salad bar, and chocolate/marshmallow fondue was what was served up. Enjoy!

Cheddar Fontina Fondue
Serves 5
8/10

1/2 cup of dry white wine (could also use beer or hard cider)
2 - 2 1/2 cups of grated sharp cheddar
2 cups grated fontina
1 TBS flour
1 1/2 TBS spicy brown mustard
dash of Worcestershire sauce
dash of red pepper flakes or hot sauce

30 mini smoked franks
3 granny smith apples, cut into cubes
1 loaf of crusty french bread, cut into cubes

1) Heat wine in heavy bottomed pot until simmering over med-high heat. Allow to simmer for 2 minutes.
2) Lower the heat to medium. Toss the grated cheeses together with the flour until coated. Add the cheese in handfuls to the wine, stirring constantly in a figure eight pattern until smooth and incorporated.
3) Add mustard, Worcestershire, and red pepper and stir until blended.
4) Transfer cheese to a warmed fondue pot (I would recommend allowing the water in the fondue pot to heat up to a simmer before transferring).
5) Serve with dippers!

Make Your Own Salad

Romaine lettuce
Red bell pepper, diced
Carrots, diced
Cucumbers, sliced
Red Onion, diced
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Hard boiled eggs, sliced
Sun flower seeds
Walnuts
Feta
Salad dressings of your choice!

Chocolate Marshmallow Fondue
Serves 6 - 8
10/10!

1 bag (~2 cups) Ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup light cream
1 toasted marshmallow

Marshmallows dusted in graham cracker crumbs
Strawberries, halved
Pound cake, cubed
Bananas, sliced

1) Heat cream in a sauce pan over medium heat until simmering around the edges.
2) Add chocolate chips and allow to sit for 1 -2 minutes until softened. Whisk together until smooth and creamy!
3) Transfer chocolate to warm fondue pot.
3) Toast a marshmallow over your sterno or gas stove (or heat one in the microwave until gooey, about 20 seconds). Plop onto the chocolate fondue.
4) Serve with dippers and dig in to deliciousness!

Totally Bodacious Chili!

So I made chili for the first time ever and my only complaint was that it came out a little too spicy. Otherwise, it looked and tasted exactly as it should! I love my chili served "chili mac" style over spaghetti with shredded cheese on top. You can add beans to this recipe (sadly, the boy does not like beans) and I would just toss them in when you put in the tomatoe-y ingredients. Give it a whirl! We also served this up with buttermilk biscuits (the recipe for which can be found on your local bisquick box) and TALL glasses of ice water :)

Totally Bodacious Chili (Mac)
inspired by The New Best Recipe and Alton Brown
Serves 4-5
8/10

1 TBS olive oil
1 lb ground sirloin or ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped fine
1 green bell pepper cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 TBS chili powder (decrease to lessen heat)
1/2 TBS cumin
1 tsp. ground red pepper
1/2 tsp. oregano
2 cups crushed tomato (16 oz.)
2 TBS fresh salsa
2 chipotle peppers canned in adobo sauce, chopped (decrease to 1 to lessen heat)
1 TBS adobo sauce (from canned chipotles) (decrease to lessen heat)
1/2 tsp salt

1 lb linguini or spaghetti
grated cheddar or monteray jack
crumbled tortilla chips

1) Heat oil in a large dutch oven (or skillet if, like me, you don't yet have a dutch oven) until shimmery. Add onions, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, ground red pepper, and oregano. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften and begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Increase heat to med-high and add half the beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the beef and repeat until the beef is no longer pink (about another 5 min).
2) If you are using a skillet instead of a dutch oven, move contents of skillet into a deep pot (otherwise, continue adding to dutch oven). Add crushed tomatoes, 1/2 tsp salt, chipotles, adobo sauce, and salsa and stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour. Remove cover and simmer for 1 hour longer, stirring occasionally (add water if the chili sticks to the bottom/sides of pan).
3) While chili is cooking, set 2 qt of water on to boil. Add spaghetti/linguini and cook according to package directions. Try to time it so it is finished around the same time as the chili. Drain and transfer to four pasta bowls
4) Serve chili over spaghetti. Top with grated cheese and crumbled chips (other good toppings: chopped raw onion, sour cream, fresh salsa...)

Steak and Penne Stir-fry

So originally I was planning on doing a more Asian type stir-fry, but since we had rice last night, we decided to use pasta with tonight's dinner, and I felt inclined to shy away from typical Asian flavors. I still used all the same kinds of veggies, but the base of the very light sauce was beef broth rather than soy or teriakyi sauce (though I did use soy to marinate the beef... so sue me :) ). This is a nice, simple, light meal, and it's pretty quick (took me maybe 30 minutes) as long as you prep things in advance to cooking. Things go so much quicker if everything is already chopped to just toss in the pan when the time comes.

Steak and Penne Stir-Fry
Serves 2-3
8/10

1 lb. top-sirloin steak, sliced and cut into pieces about the size of a postage stamp
3 TBS soy sauce
2 TBS olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 TBS scallions, chopped
hamburger seasonings

1/2 red pepper, coarsely chopped
1/2 green pepper, coarsely chopped
1/2 onion, coarsely chopped
1 cup broccoli florets
1/2 cup snap peas, trimmed
2 TBS beef broth
2 TBS beef broth plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch, mixed to a paste
2 1/2 cups dry penne
2 TBS olive oil

1) Set a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Plan to put the pasta in at about the same time you start cooking.
2) Combine steak, soy sauce, oil, garlic, scallions, and seasonings in a bowl or plastic bag. Marinate for at least 15 minutes.
3) Add pasta to boiling water. Set the timer for 3 minutes less than the suggested cooking time.
4) Heat 1 TBS oil in frying pan or wok until hot. Add steak, but discard marinade. Cook over medium to high heat until no longer pink. Remove meat and any remaining liquid from pan. Set aside.
5) Add second TBS oil to pan and heat. Add onions and peppers and cook until tender and the onions begin to brown (turn down the heat if the vegetables are cooking too quickly)
6) When timer goes off, add broccoli florets to the pasta and water for the remaining 3 minutes. When finished, drain pasta and set aside. Add broccoli to pepper/onion mixture.
7) Add steak and snap peas to the pan and toss. Add broth and cornstarch/broth mixture and stir until thickened and heated through.
8) Add pasta to pan and toss to coat.
9) Serve immediately!

Cream Cheese Chicken Roll-Ups

This is an old favorite of ours, but I've always run into the problem of not being able too cook the chicken all the way through, because the rolled up chicken makes it hard to cook the center. I was also afraid of using toothpicks because they might burn in the oven...and hence never cooked these stove top because they would come un-rolled. But I faced my fear! I used those toothpicks. By soaking them in water, I believe I prevented any major charring and the roll-ups stayed perfectly, well, rolled up.

Cooking them in the fry-pan first made ALL the difference. It helped to partially cook the chicken AND get the cornflake crumbs a nice, crispy golden brown. I also spread the cream cheese out over the whole chicken breast, rather than just rolling the chicken around one big lump of cream cheese, which I think may have helped with the cooking processes. You can by these super thin-cut breasts at your local grocery store (I used Perdue), but if you can't find them, pound out two regular chicken breasts to about a 1/4 inch thickness (or thinner if you can!) or slice the chicken thinly, length wise. The thinner the chicken, the more evenly it will cook. If you have some roll-ups that are smaller than others, take those out at the 10 minute mark, and leave the big boys to bake for a few minutes more.

This is a super easy recipe to size down for one, or size up for four. It does take a little while because of the breading, but is well worth the trouble.

Cream Cheese Chicken Roll-Ups
Serves 2
9/10

4 thinly sliced boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (can be bought pre-cut from store)
3-4 oz. cream cheese
1 TBS italian seasonings
2 tsp. garlic salt (to taste)
1 cup cornflake crumbs or breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp. water
2 TBS butter
toothpicks

1) Preheat oven to 350ºF. Soak 4 toothpicks in water for about 10 min. (this is to prevent them from burning).
2) Mix together cream cheese, seasonings, and garlic salt until blended (this is easier if the cream cheese is at room temperature).
3) Spread cream cheese thickly on each slice of chicken. Fold over sides and roll up tightly, securing the end with one of the soaked toothpicks.
4) Dip chicken roll-ups in eggwash then coat in crumbs.
5) Heat butter in a pan or skillet over med. heat until frothy. Add chicken roll-ups. Cook 2-3 min. or until bottom is golden brown. Rotate and cook 2-3 more minutes. Continue until the entire outside of the roll-up is a golden brown and the chicken has begun to cook through.
6) Transfer chicken to a baking dish (or, if your pan can go in the oven, simply put it straight in). Cook for 10-12 minutes more, depending on thickness of the roll up. Transfer to plates and remove toothpicks.

**For a neat little finishing sauce, after removing chicken from skillet, add some white wine to deglaze the pan. Add about 1/4 cup chicken broth, 1/4 cup milk, salt, pepper, and 1 TBS of flour. Whisk together and cook over med. heat until thickened. If it comes out lumpy (this happened to me, because I forgot to use a whisk with the flour) pour through a mesh strainer. Drizzle over finished chicken roll-ups.

Tacos

So my attempts at taco meat in the past have been mediocre at best. Tonight I discovered why... I was making things too complicated! Go simple! This came out AMAZING. The boy said it was even better than his mother's and he's not a big fan of tacos! The amounts for the seasonings are estimated because I don't remember exactly. Definitely use salt and pepper, and as much chili powder/red pepper as you like for heat.

Quick, easy, and hardly dirtied any dishes.

Tacos
inspired by "Mexican Taco Salad" from Preventions Ultimate Quick & Healthy Cookbooks
Serves 2
9.5/10

4-6 flour tortillas or hard taco shells
8 oz. ground beef
1/2 tsp. olive oil
2 TBS beef broth
1/4 cup tomato, diced
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/2 jalapeño, minced
1 TBS ketchup
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/2- 1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

shredded cheddar cheese
shredded lettuce
chopped tomatoes
sour cream
salsa

1) In medium skillet, heat oil over med. heat until hot. Crumble in beef, add broth and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until meat is no loner pink. Add tomatoes, onions, and jalapeño and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add ketchup and seasonings to taste and sauté for another 2 minutes or until flavors are mingled.
2) Heat tortillas a/o taco shells according to package directions**. Fill with meat, cheese, and veggies as desired.

**Wait, are those homemade tortillas in that photo? Why yes they are!

French Bread Personal Pizzas

A delicious meal made of leftover ingredients! I discovered the small bakery near our house that makes wonderful rustic breads (The Breadsong Bakery, for those in Boston 'burbs). I was able to use my experience working at an italian pizzeria to my advantage.

For the bread, I bought a round, french bread, something with a good solid crust. This was good in that I could simply slice it in half length wise and have to round "crusts." But it made very large pizzas and the boy said that there was a little too much bread in proportion to the other ingredients. So I would also suggest a good crusty wide baguette. Something that you can cut length wise rather than slices. That way the crust of the bread will make sure the sauce doesn't seep through, like it might if you just used bread slices. You could also convert this recipe to use on bagels (mmm).

French Bread Personal Pizzas
Serves 2-4
8/10

1 round of French bread or a wide, french baguette.
14 oz. diced tomatoes
6 oz. tomato paste mixed with equal parts water
italian seasonings
**Note: I just used what I had leftover from the lasagna recipe. You can easily replace this with any tomato sauce or pizza sauce you like
1 cup mozzerella cheese, grated
2-3 slices provolone (or 1-1 1/2 cup grated)
margarine or butter
1 link of hot italian sausage, boiled and sliced thin
4 TBS ricotta cheese

1) Preheat oven to 375ºF. Slice the french bread length wise, leaving a thickness of no more than 1 inch. If using a round, slice a thin amount off the top slice so that it will sit evenly in the pan. Set aside.
2) Combine diced tomatoes and tomato paste/water in a food processor. Purée until smooth. Pour into sauce pan and heat thoroughly over med-low heat. Add italian seasonings to taste.
3) Clean out food processor and put in sliced provolone. Pulse until chopped. Add mozzerella and pulse gently until blended.
4) Assemble pizzas: spread a thin layer or margarine or butter on the top of french bread,( to prevent the sauce from making the bread really soggy). Cover each top with an even layer of sauce, to preference. Top with an even coating of cheese. Place sausage slices and ricotta cheese on top as desired.
5) Bake for approx. 25 min or until cheese is starting to brown.

Individual Lasagnas

I started out with high hopes for this recipe (the individualization being my own genius idea) and they were dashed when I tried to go the no-boil pasta route. Even by buying the smaller no-boil lasagna noodles, I had to pain-stakingly break the noodles to fit into the miniture loaf pans. In the future, though it takes a little extra effort, PLEASE go for boiled noodles. Sure it adds a little extra time, but lasagna is sort of a long process anyway, so whats a few extra minutes?

The neat things about this though is that you are making individual servings. So you can easily double or triple this for the freezer. To freeze, the recipe says "The assembled, unbaked lasagna, if wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and then in foil, will keep in the freezer for up to two months. To bake, defrost in the refridgerator for a day or tow and bake as directed, extending the baking time by about 5 minutes." Because these are much smaller, I doubt they would take long to defrost and I don't think it would hurt anything to leave them on the counter for a short while or defrost them in the microwave.

This would go great with some garlic bread. I think I also served it with asparagus and snow peas.

Individual Lasagnas
from The New Best Recipe with modifications and individualization
Serves 2.5
8/10

Sauce
1/2 TBS olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped fine
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 lb ground chuck
1/4 lb italian sausage (removed from casings)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream
14 oz. diced tomatoes
6 oz. tomato paste mixed with equal parts water

Cheese and Pasta layers
8 oz ricotta cheese
1 1/4 oz parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 egg, lightly beaten
salt
pepper
lasagna noodles
1/2 lb shredded mozzerella

3 mini loaf pans

1) Preheat oven to 375º
2) Prepare lasagna noodles according to box directions (if you are making a large lasagna, feel free to go the no-boil route).
3) Heat oil in sauce pan over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, about 2 min. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
4) Increase heat to medium high and add ground meat, salt and pepper, breaking th meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon until meat loses it's raw color., about 4 min. Add cream and simmer, stirring occasioanlly, until liquid ecaporates and only fat remains, about 4 minutes. Add tomatoes and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer slowly until flacores are bleneded, about 3 min. Set sauce aside.
**If you find the sauce is too acidic or "tomato-y" try adding some sugar. That will cut back on the sharp taste.
5) Mix ricotta, half of the parmesan, basil, egg, salt, and pepper in medium bowl with a fork until well combined. Set aside.
6) Spray mini-loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray. Coat the bottom of each pan with sauce, avoiding large chunks of meat. Place a noodle on top to create the first layer. Drop 2-3 TBS ricotta mixture on to the noodle and spread evenly. Sprinkle evenly with mozzerella cheese. Spoon 1/2-3/4 cup of the meat sauce evenly over the cheese. Repeat layering until you reach the top of the pan. Place a noodle ontop and coat with sauce. Sprinkle with mozzerella and remaining parmesan. Lightly spray a sheet of foil with cooking spray and cover lasagnas.
7) Bake for 5 minutes, then remove foil. Reutrn the lasagna to the oven and continue to bake until the cheese is spotty brown and the sauce is bubbling, abotu 25 minutes longer. Cool the lasagna about 10 minutes.
8) To serve, carefully flip the lasagna out of the pan and onto a serving plate. If you have any left, top with sauce and cheese or simply serve as is.

Stove-top Barbecue

So we invited the boy's friend over for dinner. Having just recieved a portable Weber grill as a housewarming gift, I was eager to try it out. Alas, there were copious amounts of rain so we resorted to cooking the burgers stove-top and roasting corn in the oven. Here was the menu and recipes! We washed it all down with a pitcher of Minute Maid frozen lemonade.

Basic Hamburgers
Serves 3-4

1/2 lb ground sirloin
1/2 lb ground beef (chuck if you can get it)
salt
pepper or hamburger seasonings

1) Combine ingredients without squeezing the meat too much. Form into patties about 1/2 inch thick (should make about 4)
2) Heat a cast iron pan or flat skillet until drops of water sizzle on the surface. Place two patties towards the center. Allow to cook for 3 minutes. Flip and repeat, for medium rare.
3) For medium well/well done, continue cooking for an additional 2 minutes or so on each side. Don't press down on the meat. Test by piercing with a fork. If the meat feels solid and the juices run clear, the meat is done.
4) Serve on toasted buns with a platter of cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and various condiments.

Melon Salad
Serves 4

1/3 cantelope
1/3 watermelon

Cube, toss, chill, then serve!

Traditional Pasta Salad
from The New Best Recipe's "Macaroni Salad"
Serves 4-6

1/2 lb gemelli pasta, cooked, drained and dry
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 TBS chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon mustard
1 TBS mayonaise
2-3 TBS lemon juice (to taste)
2 TBS chopped dill pickles (or sweet, depending on your preference)

1) Combine all ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Add as much mayo as pleases your tastes.

Roasted Corn on the Cob
Serves 3

3 cobs of corn
2-3 TBS olive oil spread, butter, or margarine
salt
pepper
tin foil!

1) Preheat the oven to 350º. Husk and wash the corn.
2) Spread butter liberally over corn and season with salt and pepper. Wrap tightly in tin foil, twisting the ends so butter doesn't drip out.
3) Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooking corn smells delicious. Unwrap carefully and serve.

Strawberry Shortcake
courtesy of my dear fiancé
Serves 3

1 pint fresh strawberries
~1/2 cup sugar
bisquick
butter
whipped cream

1) Wash and slice strawberries, placing them in a medium sized bowl. Add sugar and mix. Taste to make sure it's sweet enough! If not, add more sugar :) Cover and refridgerate for at least 1 hour, or until juice has gathered at the bottom of the bowl.
2) Prepare biscuits according to Bisquick box. Should take about 10-15 to bake.
3) Place two biscuits in each bowl and butter. Top with strawberries and whipped cream!