Spaghetti in a Rose Sauce with Grilled Chicken I love recipes that use previous recipes and come together as something completely different. Here the addition of a little Alfredo sauce transforms the Tomato Sauce into a Rose Sauce, yum! There is less pasta here and more grilled lean protein; this will help support any healthy New Year’s resolution ...
Pasta
Pasta al Forno with Chicken and Cremini Mushrooms
This pasta dish is so easy but by looking at it you’d expect it was so time consuming. You’d also expect this to be totally weighed down with cheese; it’s not! By adding a little bit of cream to the sauce you are adding some richness but by doing this you get away with not adding cheese to the actual pasta and sauce. The mushrooms and chicken add ...
Balsamic Chicken Pasta with Asparagus
Balsamic Chicken Pasta with Asparagus The flavours of this dish could be described as Italian sweet and sour but a lot milder and subtler then you’re probably imagining. The sauce is not at all tart, just lightly flavoured with the balsamic vinegar. Have I mentioned the best part? This dish comes together by the time the pasta is cooked! Serves ...
Blackened Chicken Penne with Shrimp
Blackened Chicken Penne with Shrimp In my very early 20’s, a whole lifetime ago, I used to go to little bar that had a full dinner menu before 10 p.m. Without a doubt, my favourite dish of theirs was the Blackened Chicken Penne. The waitress there was kind enough to share the recipe with me but really it was a classic example of ignorance being ...
Meatballs and Gravy with Noodles
Meatballs and Gravy with Noodles This recipe is inspired by one I saw by Rachael Ray. It looks daunting but really this comes together in under an hour and it could be considered a pantry dish. Every aspect of this dish has been lightened up so while you’ll be satisfied after eating this dish, you won’t feel gross. Serves 4 Meatballs: 3 ...
Pasta in a Fresh Dill-White Wine Cream Sauce
Pasta in a Fresh Dill-White Wine Cream Sauce Did I mention that I love my herb garden??? To be honest though, it was only the inspiration for this dish; alas this is store bought dill. I have only ever had dill in pasta once before, in my Springtime Herb Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and for the life of me I can’t figure out why I don’t have more ...
Chicken Chow Mein
Chicken Chow Mein I had an insane craving for some sort of Asian stir-fry and this is what I came up with. I must say I know less then nothing about Asian cooking but this is really good. We ordered take out the other night and I ordered “Shanghai Stir Fry”, Mike tasted it and said mine is better! Serves 4-6 Sauce: 4 tbsp hoisin ...
Roasted Vegetable Pasta
Roasted Vegetable Pasta This is the dinner i made for our Good Friday meal last year, i made it again the other night and wow is it good! The mushrooms in the pasta add a heartiness that leaves you feeling full and satisfied. Roasting the vegetables adds a depth of flavour that is really unbelievable. This is a lot of food but if you feel you ...
Pasta with Lemon, Garlic and Roasted Tomatoes
Pasta with Lemon, Garlic and Roasted Tomatoes This is another one of those ridiculously easy recipe that tastes like you ordered it in a restaurant. The thing about Italian cooking is that the simplicity of it allows you to enjoy the ingredients; everything is highlighted rather than muddled or muted. This is a great dish for ...
The Best Lasagna you will ever eat in your Life
The Best Lasagna you will ever eat in your life If I had to choose my 'signature' dish, I wouldn't be able to, but this recipe would definitely be a consideration. First thing I should point out, I don't put a béchamel sauce like traditional lasagna recipes. I personally find it makes the lasagna too heavy. Trust me this is healthy and with a ...
Aglio e Olio with Lemon
Aglio e Olio with Lemon I made this recipe for my family on my mother's 65th birthday. Everyone raved about how great it was and it honestly took like 10 minutes to prepare. The thing about cooking with fresh ingredients is that it doesn't have to be difficult or complicated. Serves 4 ¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil 3 Cloves garlic, ...
Bolognese (Meat) Sauce
Bolognese (Meat) Sauce In my family we always call it “meat sauce” but really I guess it's a Bolognese sauce. This sauce comes out best if you let it simmer for 2 hours. My mother taught me how to make this but I have switched it up and made it my own; hopefully you will do the same in your kitchen too. I don't know about where you live but in ...