Pasta and Pizza

Vegetarian Lasagna: Spinach, Artichoke Hearts & Roasted Red Peppers

December 31, 2009 by Ellen · 1 Comment 

This lasagna is full of spinach, chopped mushrooms, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers and cheese. It has a great flavor and body. My sister made it for Christmas and I made it last night for some friends. It’s great for entertaining, as you make it ahead a bit and then pop into the oven about [...]

Chicken Parmesan with Spaghetti

January 28, 2009 by Ellen · Leave a Comment 

This served 2 of us for dinner and several lunches as well. This is a bit of a blend between a Rachel Ray recipe from Classic 30-Minute Meals: The All-Occasion Cookbook and how I normally make chicken cutlets. I used chicken tenders this time, rather than boneless skinless chicken breasts, but either would work fine. [...]

Review: Macaroni Grill Creamy Basil Chicken and Pasta in a Box

November 7, 2008 by Ellen · Leave a Comment 

I don’t normally buy these “dinner kit” type meals but because of the blog I was offered a box for free to try out. The box contained pasta, seasonings, sauce, sun dried tomatoes, and cheese. I supplied a pound of chicken, a bit of butter, and 3/4 cup milk. The box said it served 4. [...]

Pasta with Tuna, Tomatoes, Capers and Olives

October 26, 2008 by Ellen · Leave a Comment 

Dinner last night was in a rush and I haven’t felt up to snuff in quite a few days so wanted something easy as well as quick. I remembered this pasta recipe from Desperation Dinners and went into the garden for some fresh tomatoes and parsley after I put a large pot of water on [...]

Pasta with Chicken and Artichoke Sauce

June 16, 2007 by Ellen · Leave a Comment 

My neighbors returned from Italy with a package of pasta and some good olive oil for me. What a treat! I used them both in this recipe. 2 Tbs olive oil 1 pound chicken breasts or tenders, cut in bite sized pieces 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 cup white wine salt and pepper to taste [...]

Shrimp and Pasta with Red Peppers and Peas

June 11, 2007 by Ellen · Leave a Comment 

Last night was one of those nights where I started with one idea and for various reasons it morphed into something else entirely. First, I was going to make shrimp kebobs with mushrooms and peppers and a mango dipping sauce that I saw in an old Cooking Light book. I had the shrimp out to [...]

Summer Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes, Onion, and Basil

September 5, 2006 by Ellen · Leave a Comment 

This is one of my favorite dinners in the summer, when I can walk out in the garden and pick the tomatoes just before dinner. My girls won’t eat it with the onions so I only put them in when they’re gone. I’m not sure about measurements since I just chop enough tomatoes and cook [...]

My Favorite Meat Sauce

August 12, 2006 by Ellen · Leave a Comment 

I play around a bit with various meat sauces, browned ground beef then cooked with tomato sauce and herbs. I have to admit I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad recipe. Maybe that’s because I taste and adjust as I go if the recipe starts out wrong. In a generic recipe, I’ll often add [...]

Quick and Dirty Meat Sauce

April 27, 2006 by Ellen · Leave a Comment 

Sometimes I make meatballs. Sometimes I buy those frozen meatballs. They periodically go on sale for a price that rivals the cost per pound for ground beef. But sometimes I also just make a meat sauce with loose browned ground beef. I vary the canned tomato products depending on what I have around. There’s almost [...]

Favorite Dinner: Chicken Cutlets, Pasta, Green Beans

January 3, 2006 by Ellen · Leave a Comment 

I have very few menus I repeat intact. I have various recipes that I repeat, but it’s not often I repeat whole menus. This, however, goes so well together that I’ve repeated it countless times. Still, for new blog readers, I’ll share it here again! This served 1 adult and 2 hungry teenagers. Chicken Cutlets [...]

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