Tag Archives: Pasta

End of the Summer Picnic Dish—Kicked Up Pasta Salad

This evening I was reminded by our local TV meteorologist that we are losing more than two minutes of sunlight per day. So much for summer, right? Wrong. After hearing that the big ball of fire, which has fueled so many incredible summer memories for my family over the past few months, was slowly weaning us from its warmth and light I decided to take action. I called my playgroup moms and we set a date for an end of the summer picnic in the park. Next week we will round up the kids, make our favorite potluck dishes and … Continue reading →

Back to the Basics: Lemon Artichoke Chicken

The long holiday weekend is coming to a close, which means most families will be closing up the grill for a few days and the clan’s designated cook will be whipping up meals from the kitchen rather than the backyard. It’s back to the daily grind around here. In my state most schools are still in session for another two weeks so we aren’t quite in summer mode just yet. (Though we got a nice taste of it this past weekend.) For our family that means sticking with our traditional weekly menu, which includes at least three nights of chicken … Continue reading →

All About Asparagus

I just got an email from a local farm that we frequent informing me, “It’s that time of year again… Asparagus season.” I love fresh asparagus and this particular farm grows some of the best asparagus I have ever happily devoured. Each year a few weeks prior to the start of strawberry picking season the owner notifies his best customers that his asparagus crop is ready for harvest and we pre-order our supply. For those of you who don’t purchase produce directly from a farm you will soon notice that the price of fresh asparagus will be decreasing at the … Continue reading →

Another Easy Mother’s Day Meal—Perfectly Simple Pasta

Dads you can do this! Mother’s Day is May 11th and all this week I have been guest blogging in FOOD sharing simple recipes that even the most culinary-challenged dad can whip up for that special woman who bore his children. This next recipe is just as easy as the others and it comes with an added bonus: it’s very affordable. There’s no arguing that mom is worth all the money in the world, but if you are battling high gas prices, rising food costs and a shrinking household budget then you might consider cutting back on excessive Mother’s Day … Continue reading →

Pasta Salads with Punch

When I need to whip together a quick party dish or I’m in a hurry to get dinner on the table I often turn to my clutch recipe—-pasta salad. Luckily for my family I have a variety of pasta salad recipes. Of course, that’s the beauty of the dish. Not only is it versatile, but you can also dress it up or down depending on the ingredients you have on hand. The following are pasta salad recipes that I make at least once a month. The first includes fruit, which catches most people off-guard. However, after the first bite most … Continue reading →

Seeing Red on Valentine’s Day

If you are not expecting to be treated to a five-course gourmet meal on Valentine’s Day—-join the club. There are many families (mine included) that will be dining at home Thursday night. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate Love Day with a festive meal. I’m not talking about an extravagant, expensive dinner featuring steak and lobster (though, that would be nice… it would be even nicer if you weren’t the one having to prepare it). Nor am I suggesting you bypass the main dish and head straight for a delectable Valentine’s Day dessert. Rather, I’m merely suggesting that you … Continue reading →

My Family’s Favorite All-in-One Meal

Yesterday I told you about a rare event in my home—having extra ground beef in the refrigerator. It came in very handy in preparing a number of easy and affordable all-in-one meals. Not only did I have enough meat to make the Beef and Asparagus Pasta Toss and the Sloppy Joes on Wheels I also had a pound leftover to make one of my family’s favorite Sunday night dinners—-Easy Meatballs, Vegetables and Pasta. (Don’t let the name fool you—-they are more like meat squares than balls.) Only this week our favorite Sunday meal will be served on Monday, as we … Continue reading →

Is Pasta Really Healthy?

This Sunday more than 35,000 runners will take to the streets of the Big Apple for the 2007 New York City Marathon. Prior to making their way along the 26.2-mile route runners have the opportunity to participate in the traditional night-before pasta dinner. Carb loading before a big race is part of the training process. At least it was for me. I pigged out on pasta before I ran the Chicago Marathon. I gorged on ziti at the Olive Garden before I ran the Madison Marathon and I had two plates of spaghetti plus four pieces of garlic bread the … Continue reading →

Week Night Menu: Pasta Pomodoro, and Stuffed Garlic Bread

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It’s been awhile since my last menu, admittedly because I’ve been so busy, I haven’t had a chance to cook! So here is my most recent delish dish, to be completed with a Ceasar salad. If you’re new to the menu series in the food blog, the goal is to give one complete menu, that can be fixed during a week night. If you do the prep work the night before, putting the meal together shouldn’t take longer than 30 minutes! Pasta Pomodoro is a perfect summer dish because it is made with fresh ingredients and is intended to be … Continue reading →

Pasta Primavera with Shrimp

Recipes using shrimp, while definitely not the healthiest of meals, are one of our favorite types of dishes. Shrimp does have a lot of calcium, and protein but is low in food energy and is a significant source of cholesterol. However, if you want to indulge anyways, here is a pasta and shrimp recipe that is worth doubling because you’ll want the leftovers! You will need: 1 pound of linguine 1 pound uncooked shrimp (peeled and deveined) 2 cups fresh broccoli, chopped 1 cup sliced fresh carrots 1 cup fresh green beans; cut into 2 inch pieces 1 medium zuchini … Continue reading →