^^^ I don't think it really matters. I'm pretty lazy so a lot of the time I'll just buy a canned of diced tomatoes and skip the crushing step

8/19/2008 11:29:10 AM

Does anyone here have a great Pesto that is simply awesome?

8/19/2008 11:57:02 AM

3 large garlic cloves
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano, coarsely grated (2/3 cup)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups loosely packed fresh basil
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

With food processor running, drop in garlic and finely chop. Stop motor and add nuts, cheese, salt, pepper, and basil, then process until finely chopped. With motor running, add oil, blending until incorporated.

8/19/2008 12:01:47 PM

marinara turned out beautifully. Exactly like I wanted it. I think restaurant in town uses a similar recipe. Thanks.

8/20/2008 10:02:21 AM

Butterflied pork chop - season on both sides with Cavender's Greek Seasoning, olive oil, and a couple dashes of onion powder, and put it on the George Foreman grill for about 4 to 5 minutes. Dee-lish.

Steamed broccoli - put fresh broccoli in a covered dish and microwave for 2 minutes, then add some butter and lemon juice. I like the taste of broccoli and don't smother it with cheese glop.

8/20/2008 10:09:13 AM

^^ Awesome It also makes a good pizza sauce if you decide to make homemade pizza.

8/20/2008 10:18:02 AM

we actually used it for a dipping sauce for my wife's homemade stromboli.

8/20/2008 10:21:55 AM

^^^What canned tomatoes did you use? i like san marzano tomatoes.

[Edited on August 20, 2008 at 10:23 AM. Reason : .]

8/20/2008 10:22:45 AM

umm, i cant remember the brand.. it was a yellow can and it said peeled italian style plum tomatoes.

8/20/2008 10:26:07 AM

last night made an awesome stew
got 2lb of cubed roast
can of tomato soup
can of peas
can of carrots
can of mushrooms
can of new potatoes
some diced onions bout 1 big handfull
some mrs dash(i used italian)
a 12 oz beer(i used smithwicks, that added some good flavor)

keep the peas and mushrooms off to the side for now. mix it all except for those 2 in a deep casserole dish. put in the oven at 325 for 1 hr, 45min. take out and put in the peas and mushrooms and stir and put in for another 20 min

made dinner for 4 people with seconds. cost about $10

[Edited on August 20, 2008 at 2:20 PM. Reason : dont forget to drain the veggies]

8/20/2008 2:19:03 PM

1 Box Tri-Colored Rotini
3 Medium Tomatoes
2 Cucumbers
1 small can of diced black olives
1/2 Bottle of Creamy Italian Dressing

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. Drain and rinse pasta in cold water, drain again put into large mixing bowl. Slice/Dice the tomatoes and add to the bowl. Peel and slice the cucumber before adding to the mix and add the olives. Add 1/2 Bottle of Creamy Italian Dressing or enough to coat the pasta. Combine all ingredients and chill for 1/2 before eating.

Made this tonight and it was fantastic! I even have leftovers for this week!

8/20/2008 8:10:21 PM

Whole wheat mac and cheese with broccoli

box of whole wheat pasta shells
half pound of extra sharp cheese (get the good stuff and shred it yourself)
one and a half cup of milk
about a fifth of a stick of butter
tablespoon of flour
broccoli that you chop up into florets
salt, pepper, nutmeg, and hot sauce to taste

Melt the butter then whisk in the flour, add the milk, add the cheese, mix until melted and set the burner on low. then add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, and hot sauce until it tastes how you like it. I like it with a pinch of nutmeg, a lot of pepper, some salt and some hot sauce.

At the same time work the shells and when they are about 2 and a half to 3 minutes away from being done add in the broccoli florets. Drain the water and then mix the cheese sauce and pasta together.

Real easy and real good. I saw it on Rachel Ray and I think that is the correct recipe, I just did it from memory and it turned out really well.

8/21/2008 12:00:54 PM

pan seared some chicken and caramelized some onions
pot of butter beans from four oaks
some mac-n cheese
some buttery noodles - packaged

quick and easy

8/21/2008 12:19:42 PM

ribeye
salt & pepper
grilled corn on the cob

quick and easy

8/21/2008 3:20:46 PM

bttt

11/24/2008 9:22:52 AM

thanks omar

most mashed sweet potato recipes call for orange juice and/or orange zest. the problem is, my mom is DEATHLY allergic to oranges, so instead of completely omitting the orange from the recipe i was wondering if anyone knew of an appropriate substitute?

11/24/2008 9:52:11 AM

Just leave it out - you won't screw up the flavor. If you need the orange juice for additional liquid, just add some half and half or heavy cream and a dash of lemon juice for some acidity.

11/24/2008 10:05:51 AM

yesterday, I tried something new that ended up tasting pretty good. I had some Italian Sausage that I got on sale, boiled it a little (to get rid of some of the fat), and then placed in the crockpot w/ some potatoes cut-up, some lima beans I had on hand (just wanted to see what they'd do), Five Brothers Spaghetti Sauce (I can't remember which flavor I used - it was some I just had), and some pepper and garlic in the crockpot and let it cook all day on low. I turned out really good we thought, though, and was really simple. I think it would be better on rice than w/ the potatoes, but I didn't have any rice on hand. I love using crockpots-it makes the house smell good, and I don't have to cook after work.

11/25/2008 9:59:28 AM

wait, sausage, spaggetti sauce, lima beans and potatoes??? wtf?

11/25/2008 10:53:46 PM

apologies... I just saw that last post just now. haha yeah, I know it sounds pretty wacky, but it was actually good though the lima beans didn't really add to it or take away...it made the lima beans taste kind of like a bean you would have in a chili recipe. The potatoes just kind of thickened it all up and added a starch. It actually was really good though.

11/28/2008 10:04:12 PM

bttt

3/6/2009 8:11:50 PM

Asparagus & Goat Cheese Pasta

1 pound asparagus
1/2 pound penne
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 (15oz) can chicken broth
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp tarragon
1/2 tsp basil
1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 cup grate Parmesan cheese
crushed red pepper, to taste

Steam asparagus 2-3 minutes, until just barely cooked. Immediately place in an ice bath. Once cool, drain, slice into 2 or three inch pieces and set aside. Over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Blend in the flour with a whisk and cook for 1 minute. Add the broth, garlic, and seasonings and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Blend in the goat cheese and the lemon peel and remove from heat. Add the pasta, asparagus, and half of the parmesan cheese to the pan and stir. Serve with the remaining Parmesan, a dash of crushed red pepper, and freshly ground black pepper.


I'm getting tired of this recipe. Definitely prefer to have a hot Italian sausage with it simply for contrast.

3/7/2009 3:06:39 AM