Pasta e Ceci

 Well, it's only been 2 years since I've posted...whoops!  Anyhow, life happens and life got busy.  I feel as though I'll randomly post when I have the time and have something worthy of posting!

I'll keep it short and sweet today.  This recipe is based on Colu Henry's recipe using what I had.  It's so unbelievably simple and delicious.  It's also plant based if you leave off the cheese but I'm no vegan and I truly believe the Parmesan is necessary.  I mean, cheese is life, am I right?

*This is somewhere between a stew and a saucy pasta dish.  It will absorb a lot of liquid once it's done cooking but you can always add more water and season accordingly if you prefer it loosened up.  Enjoy!

Pasta e Ceci

Serves 4

2 tbsp Olive Oil

1 sweet onion, finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

2 tsp fresh Rosemary (do not use dried)

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Salt  & Pepper

1 28-oz can Tomatoes with juice

1 15-oz can Chickpeas, drained

1 cup Ditalini pasta

1 cup fresh flat leaf Parsley, roughly chopped (not curly)

Parmesan for serving

Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the onion, stirring occasionally for 3-4 min without getting any colour on it.  Add the garlic, rosemary and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute and season well with salt and pepper.

Stir in the tomatoes and chickpeas, breaking up the tomatoes with the back of a spoon and smashing about half of the chickpeas. 

Add 3 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat.  Add the pasta and simmer, stirring often so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot, for about 10 min, or until the pasta is cooked. *If it's too thick for your liking, add another 1/2 -1 cup water and season with salt and pepper taste.  

Add the parsley and stir in.  Taste and adjust the seasoning to taste.  Serve with and extra drizzle of olive oil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

 

Pasta Caprese

It's tomato season...can you tell?!  It's all I can think about posting at the moment.  This is absolutely the best time to eat them.  Bright in colour, juicy and sweet unlike the winter tomato that is pale and mealy.  Gag.

Anyhow, I had made this a few times this summer with rave reviews.  It's absolutely stupid simple and so unbelievably delish.  I add no Balsamic vinegar and I don't apologize for it.  It doesn't need it.  The acid from the tomatoes creates an amazing sauce in combination with the olive oil and garlic.  This celebrates the individual flavours in their true form....and well, if it's a celebration, you should crack open some wine!

Pasta Caprese

Serves 4

2 cups mixed tomatoes, sliced into bite size pieces (cherry and regular)

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp salt 

Pepper

3 tbsp good extra virgin Olive Oil

1 ball of fresh mozzarella or buffalo mozzarella

Handful fresh Basil*

Fresh thinly sliced red chili (optional)

1 lb of fresh pasta, store bought or homemade

In a bowl toss together the first 5 ingredients and let sit at room temp for at least 30 minutes, to make the sauce.  The juices will come out of the tomatoes and combine with the olive oil.

Meanwhile, boil plenty of salted water and cook pasta until done. 

Put the torn or sliced mozzarella and sliced basil into the sauce. Add chili if using.

Drain the pasta.  Add the hot pasta to the bowl of sauce and toss so it's well coated.

Check for seasoning (salt & pepper) and drizzle a little extra olive oil before serving.  

Voila.  

*Slice or tear the Basil just before adding.  If you slice it too soon, it will start to turn dark.  Even better, if you own a ceramic knife, use that.  It won't cause the Basil to turn black!

Butternut Squash and Sausage Lasagna

If there is a recipe I'm really proud to say is all mine, this is it.  I wanted something to reflect the fall weather and this is what I came up with.  It's sooooo good.  I will toot my own horn on this baby.  I'm going to make this over and over again without hesitation and serve it to those willing to nosh.
This lasagna is creamy, savory, earthy and humble.  Instead of the typical Bechamel or Ricotta layer, I created a sauce out of squash, chicken broth, sage and Parmesan....oh my good gracious.  I could have eaten this just on it's own, but I refrained, with hesitation.
I fed this to a couple of family members with rave reviews.  I'm fairly certain we all had seconds....
p.s. To make things easier, I used  Oven Ready Noodles....you could fresh pasta for an even more luxurious lasagna....I'll be doing that next time.

Crispy Sage Leaves on top...YUM!

DELISH!

Butternut Squash and Sausage Lasagna

Serves 6 to 8

Butternut Squash Sauce

1 large butternut squash, roasted (cut in half and roast at 400F for 45 min)
3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Swiss or mozzarella cheese, grated
1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)
5 Sage leaves sliced thinly + 8 more for topping lasagna
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Sausage Layer

1 tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 large sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
6 Italian sausage links, removed from casing
1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
5 oz baby spinach
1/2 tsp dried Thyme or 3 sprigs fresh
Chili Flakes (optional)

Lasagna

9-10 No cook Lasagna Noodles (or you could use fresh)
1/2 cup fresh Parmesan
1 1/2 cups Swiss or Mozzarella or a combination of both

Scoop the roasted squash into a food processor (blender would work in a pinch) and add the broth, cheeses, Sage, cream and pepper.  Puree until smooth.  Set aside. No need to add salt.
In a large skillet over medium high heat, add the oil, onion and garlic.  Sauté for 3 minutes.  Add the sausage breaking up with a spoon.  Cook until the sausage is no longer pink.  Add the broth, Thyme and spinach cooking for another 5 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Add a pinch of chili flakes if you're using.
In a 13x9 lasagna dish, spread a 1/4 of the squash out, just to cover.  Add the noodles, 1/4 squash, 1/2 of the meat and 1/3 of the grated cheeses.  Repeat that layer ending with a layer of noodles, squash and more cheese.
Bake in a 375F oven for about 30 minutes covered with foil.  After the 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let the lasagna rest for 10 minutes before cutting or serving.  Alternatively, you can assemble the lasagna earlier in the day, refrigerate and bake at a later time.

Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes Mozzarella and Basil

We complained that it wasn't warm out and apparently someone was listening....she's hot out.  Not just hot, humid and I'm the type that melts in this weather.  I don't just melt, I swell and turn a certain shade of red.  It's not pretty.  When the humidity strikes, we go into "lock-down".  All the windows get closed, blinds are down and don't you dare leave the door open for more than 3 seconds or this gal snaps.  We don't have Air Conditioning so there are some strict rules in this house.....that also means I forbid anyone to cook anything inside unless it's in the evening when it cools off and it requires the stove, not the oven.  Crazy... perhaps, but an overheated me get's a wee bit scary.
This recipe requires a minimal amount of cooking....just the pasta.  The rest is basically prepping raw ingredients and is heated through by the pasta that comes straight out of the water.  It's fresh, flavourful, beyond easy and screams summer. Can you hear it?! I love every aspect of this.  My husband couldn't get enough of it and he didn't seem to care there was no meat.  If you need something more substantial, some grilled shrimp would be gorgeous with this. 
*I highly recommend mixing the tomatoes ( I had beautiful gems from the farmer's market), olive oil, salt and pepper an hour or two before and leaving it at room temp.  The natural tomato juices will come out and create a mouth watering "sauce".  Do not skimp on the oil at all....it gives the sauce body and gives it a delish mouth feel.

Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes Mozzarella and Basil

Serves 4

1 lb dry pasta (your choice)
3 large ripe tomatoes, medium dice (remove some of the seeds)
1/4 cup good Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp salt
Fresh ground Pepper
150 grams fresh or Buffalo Mozzarella (or a 1 large ball)
Handful of Fresh Basil, torn
Olive Oil for drizzling (optional)
Chili Flakes (optional)
Fresh grated Parmesan (optional)

Cook the pasta in a large well salted pot of boiling water.  In the meantime, toss the tomatoes in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper.  This can be done an hour or two ahead and benefits from doing so (*see above).
Just before the pasta is done, tear up the mozzarella and basil and add to the tomatoes. Drain the pasta and immediately add it to the bowl of tomatoes.  Toss and allow it to sit for a minute or two to absorb the juices.  Check for salt and pepper.
Drizzle with a little extra olive oil, a sprinkle of chili flakes or a smattering of fresh Parmesan just before serving.

Pork Tenderloin and Mushroom Cream over Tagliatelle

If you're counting calories, stop reading this ASAP.  If you're not, make this ASAP.  This is a company worthy type meal that is decadent, creamy and really easy to make!  I whipped this up for some friends of ours that popped by for dinner.  To say the least, it was inhaled. 
If you don't do mushrooms, leave them out.  Green peas tossed in at the very end would be nice.  If you don't have Tagliatelle, use any other pasta but I will say, the texture of the Tagliatelle is awesome.  I also recommend not substituting any other cream as it will curdle.  This isn't something you make all the time and heavy cream in moderation, won't kill you.  Everyday and it might.  Oh, and serve this with the wine you use in the sauce....mmmmm gooooood.
p.s. Sorry for the bad photo....I had a table full of hungry people that I had to serve before things got rowdy.

 



Pork Tenderloin and Mushroom Cream over Tagliatelle

Serves 6

2 tsp Olive Oil
2 Pork Tenderloins, cut in slices and pounded out to a 1/4 inch thickness
2 shallots, diced or 1/2 sweet onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 tsp of fresh thyme
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups whipping cream 35%
2 tbsp Dijon
Salt & Pepper
Parsley (optional)
12 Tagliatelle nests, or 1 1/2 lbs linguine, cooked

Heat a large pan over medium high heat.  Season the pork with a little salt and pepper.  Add 2 tsp of oil to the pan and cook pork on each side for about 1 1/2 minutes each in batches so you don't over crowd the pan, adding a little more oil if necessary.  Set the cooked pork aside and keep warm.
Add the shallots and garlic, cooking for 1 minute.  Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes.  Deglaze with the white wine.  Pour in the cream and bring to a simmer for about 5-7 minutes until slightly thickened and reduced*.  Add the Dijon and season with salt and lot's of fresh black pepper to your taste.  Add the pork to the sauce to coat.  Pour over the pasta and toss gently.  Sprinkle with parsley if using.
*If you find you need a little more sauce, add a little pasta water at the end when tossing to coat.  Start with a few tablespoon if necessary.

Pasta with Roasted Butternut Squash and Sausage

I've had a squash sitting on my counter for a week and a half with every intention of making soup ....didn't happen.  Kind of lost my craving for it.  Lost my groove if you will.  Anyhow, I was faced with daily dinner dilemma and how to use the squash that had been staring at me, begging for me to cook it.  Behold my latest recipe.  It's a simple yet tasty dish.
I had to roast the squash because it just makes things tastier, prettier and texturally appealing.  **While the oven was pre-heating, I threw the baking sheet in for a few minutes to heat. I then removed it and proceeded as usual with the squash. Don't forget the sheet is hot! This helps the squash from sticking when you go to toss them half way through cooking.  

See, it's just a simple dish with nice flavours....an Autumn pasta if you will....and you will.

Pasta with Roasted Butternut Squash and Sausage

Serves 4

3 cups Butternut Squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 tbsp olive oil
4-5 Italian sausages
1 lb pasta
2-3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup either white wine or chicken broth
Pecorino Cheese
*Fried Sage Leaves (optional)
*Chili Flakes

Pre-heat the oven to 450 F.  **Follow the tip above.  Toss the squash with 1 tbsp of the olive oil and some salt and pepper.  Roast for about 20-25 minutes, tossing halfway through.  Meanwhile, cook the pasta until el dente, reserving a cup of pasta water.  Heat a skillet to med high.  Add the other tbsp of olive oil to the skillet.  Remove the sausage from the casing and cook breaking up into small pieces, about 5-6 minutes.  When the sausage is almost done, throw in the garlic, cooking for another 3 minutes or until the sausage gets some golden colour.  Pour in the wine or broth to deglaze.  Add the squash to the sausage to combine and add to the pasta.  Toss with a little of the pasta water to loosen it up. Add a little grated cheese and toss. Check the seasoning and serve with more cheese and fried Sage leaves and chili if using.  Serve immediately.
* If you like Sage, heat  a little olive oil in a pan and toss in a few whole leaves.  Fry until the sage is crispy.  Crumble over the pasta.  Likewise, the addition of  a few chili flakes, assuming you didn't use spicy sausage, is also nice as a garnish.

Orzo Salad with Pesto and Tomatoes

My cousin Robin and her husband Scott have just moved up to our neck of the woods and I'm super excited to know I can see them more often.  These people make me smile and laugh...laugh hard.
Moving day rolled around and instead of offering my muscles, I offered up food for everyone helping out.  Hard work deserves more than take out pizza and beer.  It deserves a bunch of homemade food and beer.  I came up with this salad to accompany Lemon Garlic Roasted Chicken and I think I chose right.  It was simple and delicious.
I used a pint of cherry tomatoes and roasted half of them and left the others raw for texture and interest.  Do what you need to do but I do recommend oven roasting some or all of them....deliciously sweet.  This could also be served warm if you wanted to but I thought it made an awesome salad.
p.s. I made my pesto (recipe is on the blog) and I highly recommend that.  Store bought just doesn't have the same effect and you'll come up short in the flavour department....just sayin'...

Orzo Salad with Pesto and Tomatoes
Serves 6-8 (as a side)

1 recipe for Pesto http://delishdishcooks.blogspot.ca/2011/09/pesto.html
2 cups dry Orzo, cooked (should yield about 4 cups cooked)
1 pint Cherry Tomatoes, halved (oven roast all or half)
salt & pepper to taste
Pine Nuts for garnish

Make Pesto. Add pesto to cooked Orzo and toss in tomatoes. Check salad for seasoning - you will need to add some salt.  Refrigerate.  Garnish with extra pine nuts before serving.

Summer Pasta

We don't tend to eat a lot of pasta in the summer but when I get a hankering, I need it.  I mean, what's not to like.  It's a vehicle for flavour....and I love it....truly.  This particular evening I wanted something fresh, simple and bursting with summer love.  Corn, tomatoes and basil.  Awesomeness.  Yup, sheer deliciousness.  The husband and little people inhaled it.  Solid gold.
I insist you use fresh corn, as in cut the kernels off yourself.  Frozen corn just won't have the same effect and you'll lose the brightness of the dish.
If you're a veggie, leave out the shrimp but we here in this house, aren't veggies and we all like shrimp.

Ummmm, yeah you're looking at the same thing I am....IT'S SO PRETTY!

Summer Pasta

Serves 4

3/4 lb Fettuccine, or pasta of choice
4 tbsp olive oil
1 lb of shrimp, shells and tails removed
1 pint cherry tomatoes, half of them sliced in half and the others kept whole
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
4 ears of corn, kernels sliced off and set aside
1/4 cup white wine or chicken broth
Salt and pepper
Fresh basil
Chili Flakes (optional)
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (optional)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt well and cook pasta until done, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. 
Heat a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add 3 tbsp of olive oil and slide in tomatoes, cooking for about 3-4 minutes.  Add the garlic and the fresh corn and cook for 3 more minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Push the veggies to the outside of the pan and add in the shrimp.  Cook a couple of minutes until they're just pink and add in the wine, stirring to get any bits from the bottom of the pan.  Throw the pasta on the veggie mixture and toss, adding pasta water to loosen if necessary.  Drizzle the last tbsp of olive oil over the pasta.  Check for seasoning.  Add fresh basil, chili flakes and Parmesan if using.

Roasted Asparagus, Cherry Tomatoes and Black Olives

The lovely and talented cook and cookbook author of Healthy Cooking, Jocelyn Smith, taught me how to make this simple and unbelievably delicious side at one of her cooking classes.  I was floored after one bite.  It is so totally easy and so dang tasty .  Amazing flavour combo.

I started whipping the easy peasy ingredients together when I realized I was making nothing else to go with it.  I had to think fast because my little people were moaning about being hungry.  I've said it before...when kids are hungry, time is of the essence.  I decided once the veg were roasted I'd cut up the asparagus and toss it with pasta and a heavy handed dusting of Parmesan cheese.  Holy moly, was it ever scrumptious.  My kids inhaled it....so did my husband and myself.  Inhaled. 

So here's the thing.  When everything was finished roasting, I went looking for my camera only to realize the old man had it...at work.  Sooooo, I had to use my phone to photograph the finished roasted product then once he got home, the finished roasted product and the pasta with my camera.  I will re-post a much better picture when I make it again, which will be very soon.

If you should choose the pasta route, in the time you set the oven to pre-heat, you put your pasta water on.  Once you toss the veg in the oven, you stick the pasta in the pot.  Pasta is done and a few minutes later so is the veg.  How easy is that?!  Below the recipe is how I put the pasta together.


Super delicous and awesome.

Seriously yummy pasta as an alternative....

Roasted Asparagus, Cherry Tomatoes and Black Olives

Serves 4-6

1 lb of asparagus
1 pint cherry tomatoes
20 black olives (kalamata), pitted
3 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced (use 2 if you're making the pasta)
handful of fresh basil, torn or chiffonade
Salt and Pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 435 F. Toss all the ingredients together on a baking sheet. Roast for 12-15 minutes, turning a few times.

*If you're making pasta, cook 3/4lb pasta of your choice in salted water.  Make sure to save a 1/2 cup of the pasta water.  Cut asparagus into 1 inch pieces and toss everything, including accumulated juices with pasta.  Add another tbsp of olive oil and enough pasta water, 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup, to loosen things up.  Grate a good ol' dusting of fresh Parmesan into pasta and on top.  Add  extra fresh basil if so desired.

Pasta with Shrimp and Spinach Pesto

Shrimp is one of those things we always have in the freezer.  It's versatile and it's cooks up quickly.  I was cooking for my awesome mother in law and I needed something with very few ingredients but big flavour that was going to deliver.  I was taking dinner to her house and this is what came to mind...Shrimp, pesto and some kind and pasta.  How can you go wrong? Easy right?!  Totally!!! 
I chose to do a Spinach Pesto which was glorious, if I do say so myself. (This is similar to my Basil Pesto recipe but with a couple of tweaks). I whirled it up in my mini food processor (you could use a blender). Wicked flavour.  I LOVE spinach and needed to incorporate all of it's green goodness into my meal.  I also tossed some asparagus into the pasta for good measure.  This was a wickedly simple meal to whip up with awesome flavour. You can taste the ingredients....all of them.
Make the pesto up to 2 days in advance.  You could also use this on crostini with ricotta, on chicken, fish or in an omlette....ohhhh, saute mushrooms and throw some in....perhaps drizzled on tomatoes...You feelin' me?!  Good.

It's soooo pretty....

Pasta with Shrimp and Spinach Pesto

Serves 4-6

Pesto
2 cups Spinach
1/4 cup fresh Basil
3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup Parmesan, freshly grated
1/4 Pine Nuts, lightly toasted
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon rind
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Pasta
1 lb pasta
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped (optional)
1 lb shrimp, raw with shells removed
1 1/2 cups asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces

For the Pesto: Toss all of the pesto ingredients in a mini food processor and whiz away.  If using a blender you'll probably have to scrape down the sides a couple of times and add the olive oil in 2 batches to ensure everything blends well. Check the seasoning. Refrigerate until ready to use or up to 2 days.

Pasta: Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to directions.  Throw the asparagus in with the pasta in the last minute of cooking. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over med heat.  Add the garlic and shrimp.  Saute until the shrimp are pink and curled, about 3 minutes.  Season with a little salt and pepper.  Drain the pasta and asparagus and toss with the pesto and shrimp.  Check for seasoning.

Pasta with Garlic and Broccoli

My beautiful cousin Lynne, who loves good food, gave me this recipe and now it's one I frequently crave.  It's so simple and actually really good for you.  Clean and yummy and so satisfying.  It pulls together in the time it takes to boil the pasta.  I made it for my husband and he moaned, nothing new but always a good sign.
For those that cringe at the thought of anchovies, stop.  You don't have to use the actual little fish in the can.  Get the paste and as I've said before, you'll use it.  I have now given you two recipes to use it in and there will be more to come.  It doesn't taste like fish, it adds depth and saltiness....so very necessary.
The recipe calls for 1 tsp of anchovy paste but I used 2 tsp.  I also added 3 cloves of garlic because I have an unnatural love of the stuff.   Just the pasta I want with an olive oil sauce....see, I'm craving it again!

Pasta with Garlic and Broccoli


Serves 4

Head of broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1 lb pasta
4 tbsp Olive Oil
2-3 cloves of Garlic
1 - 2 tsp Anchovy Paste
Chili Flakes, to taste
Salt & Pepper to taste.
4 tbsp Parmesan (or more if you feel frisky)

In a large pot, cook pasta in salted water according to the directions.  2 minutes before the pasta is done, throw in the broccoli to cook.  Drain reserving 1 cup of pasta water.  Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over med heat.  Add the garlic and anchovy paste and cook for about 1 minute.  Add the chili flakes.  Add the pasta and toss to coat.  Salt and pepper to taste but don't forget the parm and anchovies are salty so go lightly on the salt to start.  If the pasta seems dry, add some pasta water.  Toss the pasta with the parmesan.  Check for seasoning.  Serve with more parmesan if you're so inclined.

Very Basic Mac and Cheese

Ok, so I didn't use macaroni, but does it really matter?  It's tastes the same.  It's tastes delicious.  It's warm, creamy, soothing, cheesy...need I say more.
I had a couple of extra little people at my house the other day and wasn't quite sure what to feed them.  The boxed mac would have been easy but I don't always do easy.  Too many ingredients in the boxed stuff I can't pronounce that can't be good for little people.  So I took the extra 10 minutes and whipped up a very basic mac and cheese (or pasta and cheese for those that may give me grief for not using macaroni - get over it) a couple of hours before and tossed it in the oven just before dinner.  When I make an adult friendly version, I like to add sauteed mushrooms and truffle oil and top it with panko and parm for crunch.  You can keep it simple or mix it up.  I usually throw in frozen peas for my kids but I wasn't sure if the other little people would like it so I kept it simple.   I will be blogging about another, more adult mac and cheese in the future.  It's easy fun food, so why not?!
Basic rules: Before you add the cheese, take the white sauce, or bechamel, off the heat or the cheese will split.  If you think you have too much sauce or it's not super thick, don't worry, you're baking it and some of the pasta with absorb it and make the sauce thick.  And, if you undercook your pasta by a minute or so, it will be perfect after you bake it.
p.s. you could eat this right out of the pan and not bake it but the little crunch you get from baking rocks.

Basic Mac and Cheese


Serves 4

2 cups macaroni (or pasta), uncooked
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 1/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups cheddar cheese (preferably old), grated + more for topping of pasta

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Cook the macaroni until about a minute before it's done.  Just al dente.  Drain and set aside.  Heat a saucepan over med heat and add butter.  Once the butter is melted, add the flour and whisk it in cooking for about 2 minutes (watch it doesn't burn).  Add the milk slowly while whisking to ensure you don't get lumps.  Cook the white sauce until it thickens, about 5 minutes stirring occasionally.  Turn down the heat if you think it's burning.  Take the sauce off the heat and add in the cheese, stirring until it's melted.  Combine the macaroni and the cheese sauce and pour into a baking dish.  Top with extra cheese if you'd like.  Pop in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.  Yum!

Nana's Spaghetti Sauce

Well, I apologize for not posting anything for the last 2 weeks but I was enjoying a 'staycation' on Mary Lake.  My parents live 15 minutes from our house and have a small but fully functional in-law suite on their house that they use for company.  Myself, my 2 kids and my husband moved in.  We originally said we'd stay for 5 days, which turned into 7 days, then 10.  It's hard to leave such a beautiful spot.  Easily my favorite place on earth.  Anyhow, I had very little access to my computer, therefore no posting.

When my husband and I started camping, we always brought along my Nana's Spaghetti Sauce.  I can still remember calling her for the recipe 7 years ago.  When she passed away, I decided that would always become a staple on our camping trips.  I knew it froze really well and actually tasted even better after the freeze, so I decided that's what we'd take.  It's now become a tradition.  In a couple of weeks we have a 'mother/daughter' camping weekend.  We started this last year and we young mommas take our wee girls and our own enthusiastic momma's with us.  I'm on spaghetti sauce again with no complaints.  

This sauce isn't your typical spaghetti sauce.  I always found this recipe to be so far from what I had always made.  I don't really know what makes it so tasty, but it is.  Like I said, the flavors always seem better after it's been frozen.  It calls for canned mushrooms which I shudder to think about but when Nana made it, that's what was in it and it was good!  I have in the past sauteed my own and added them in but for camping, I'm going all out with the canned mushrooms.  We're a classy bunch on this trip.  Instead of a photo, I have added Nana's original recipe.  I can barely read it these days but I've made it so many times that I know what's in it.  It makes a big batch.  Here's the recipe word for word.

Nana's Spaghetti Sauce


1 lb ground lean beef
1 lb ground lean pork
2 onions, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1-680ml  spaghetti sauce
2-398ml  tomato sauce
8 peppercorns (optional)
1 tsp dried oregano, or to taste
dried parsley, to taste (I use fresh)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1-680ml tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 can mushrooms, drained

Brown meat in 1 or 2 tbsp of oil.  Add onions, lower heat and cook until onions are tender.  Add remaining ingredients and simmer gently 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until desired thickness.

p.s. it goes on to say that it should be served with a lovely greek or caesar salad and garlic bread.  I would have to agree.

Summer Shrimp and Bows

Ok, so normally I wouldn't think of doing two recipes with shrimp and pasta back to back, but I was inspired by a recipe I came across last night and I couldn't resist.  Ina Garten aka The Barefoot Contessa, has some fantastic recipes and I own 3 of her cookbooks, which are all very good.  She has a recipe called Lobster and Shells which looked and sounded amazing.  I am making dinner for my parents tonight and I just had to make my own rendition of her recipe.  I had shrimp in the freezer to replace the lobster, little bows instead of shells and asparagus along with a few other ingredients I tweaked and fresh herbs to make it my own.  You could completely take out the shrimp and make it vegetarian and it would still be delish or leave out the pasta and serve it on baby greens.  This would make a great lunch or a light dinner with nice cold glass of bubbly or white wine.....I'm getting thirsty....and hungry.  I might have already taken a bite, to make sure it was seasoned properly of course ;-)

Summer Shrimp and Bows

Serves 8

1/2 lb small bows (any small pasta will do)
Kernels from 4 ears of corn (off the cob makes all the difference but frozen would do in a pinch)
1/2 bunch asparagus, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 red or orange pepper, cut in a small dice
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 lb cooked shrimp, cut in half
3/4 cup mayo (I used Hellman's light - it's a preference but stay away from Miracle Whip for this)
1/2 sour cream
juice from 1 large lemon and zest from half
1/4 cup fresh dill, minced or 1 tsp dried
2 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh black pepper
Fresh Parsley & Basil chopped (optional)

Bring a pot of water to a boil (salt the water).  Add pasta and cook until just al dente.  Add the fresh corn to the pasta and cook for 1 minute then add the asparagus and cook 1 minute longer.  Drain and add to a large bowl along with the green onions, peppers, tomatoes and shrimp.  Let cool slightly.
In another bowl, mix together the mayo, sour cream, lemon juice and rind, dill and salt and pepper.  Pour over pasta and mix all ingredients.  Add parsley and basil and mix lightly.  Cover and chill.  Check seasoning and serve cold or at room temp.
Note: If it looks like a lot of dressing it's not.  The pasta will absorb some of the dressing while it's chilling and mingling in the fridge.  Let it mingle.  The flavors will develop even more.  Mingling is good.

Shrimp with Tomatoes Feta and Orzo

This is one of the tastiest, easiest dishes I know how to make sans recipe.  I've done a couple of different versions but this is the one I go back to constantly because of it's simplicity.  It's fresh, filling, slightly spicy and goes with any season.  You can add spinach or red peppers, fresh parm or chorizo.  Again, the whole point of the recipes I'm sharing are to make them your own....keep it simple, keep it fresh, make it yours.

p.s. my mom and her friends (you know who you are) were always a big influence on me....they love good food and good wine!

Shrimp with Tomatoes Feta and Orzo

Serves 4

1 Cup Orzo uncooked
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2-3 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 med onion chopped
1/4 cup white wine (chicken broth will do in a pinch)
28 oz can of tomatoes
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1-2 Tbsp Capers (optional)
small handful chopped parsley
salt & pepper to taste
pinch of hot pepper flakes
1 lb Shrimp peeled
1/2 - 3/4 cup feta crumbled
Fresh Basil

Cook Orzo according to directions. Heat olive oil over med heat in skillet and add onion and garlic - season with salt and pepper.  Saute about a minute and add wine to deglaze.  Add tomatoes (break up if using whole) and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add dried basil, dried oregano, chili flakes, capers (if using), and half of the parsley. Cook another 3 minutes.  Add shrimp to skillet and cook 3-4 minutes until just cooked.  Add cooked and drained orzo to pan.  Throw in Feta and toss to heat through.  Check seasoning.  Garnish with additional Feta (if you've saved some) and fresh parsley and torn Basil.
Again, the addition of any of the above mentioned would also be super delish.

Hey look, I posted pictures!!!  Still trying to figure this whole thing out.