Pasta!

Spaghetti anyone?

Seriously, spaghetti is like my go to meal. It is quick and easy and I am sure I have made it different just about every single time. I always use fresh herbs (or dried) when I run into the issue where I thought I had something in the fridge and didn't. I always keep dried herbs and seasoning in my cabinet.

This spaghetti tonight, I actually used a jar of spaghetti sauce, a can of tomato puree, fresh parsley (I always use italian flat leaf), dried oregano, onion and garlic.

Spaghetti with meat sauce

I use tomato puree as it is much thicker than tomato sauce. I like my sauce a little on the thicker side to nicely coat my pasta. Another rule of thumb, never add oil to pasta when boiling. You want the sauce to stick to your pasta, not slide off. I know you think I have to add it so my pasta will not stick while cooking. Well, I never add oil and my pasta does not stick together. You just have to make sure you stir it (I usually use a fork for spaghetti, angel hair, linguine pasta). Once I drain it, I add about a tablespoon of a non cooking olive oil. One that you would use for dressings/dipping as it is much thicker and taste great.

I use beef, just brown it up and once done, I add my garlic, onions and herbs and cook for another minute or two. I then add my sauce and just let it simmer. I add just a little salt and about a teaspoon of sugar just to cut the acid of the tomatoes, not too much sugar that the sauce it sweet, unless you prefer it that way.

Antipasto

Who doesn't love a great snack?

I love to snack and during the weekend what better way to unwind by watching some great movies or shows on hulu and having a great snack. That is where the antipasto platter comes into play. What a great snack in between meals. It may not be the healthiest snack but it is very tasty. 

Just choose a good bread, like a nice french baguette, variety of cheese, I used asiago for this one. Smoked provolone, buffalo mozzarella or smoked gouda will work. 

You can choose a couple different salami's, olives, good olive oil to drizzle over the bread, figs and even honey. 

 

Quesadilla

Quesadilla Kick

I have been on a quesadilla kick the last few days. It started by making them for my daughter for dinner. She loves anything with cheese on it. So, one day for lunch I decided to make one for myself and I almost forgot how good they are. Today was my, I don't feel like cooking, find what you can in the fridge day, I decided to make myself a quesadilla.

Thinking about what I should add to this and I wanted lots of flavor, I decided to take some of the roast that I fixed yesterday and shred it to add to my quesadilla. Sounded like a good idea to me. Next, I chopped some cilantro, tomatoes and onions...sounds like this is going in the right direction :-)
Started with a layer of Colby jack cheese, I heated the shredded roast in the microwave for a few seconds and added that on top. Then the cilantro, onions and tomatoes and the outcome was just delish!

I served it will some salsa verde and sour cream. My hubby kept saying he wasn't so sure about my combination but he couldn't stop looking in my direction. So, finally being the good wife that I am, decided to offer him a piece. Of course he enjoyed it and so being the giving person that I am, offered him a whole piece :-)  Happy quesadilla making!!

Salmon Teriyaki Style

Teriyaki Glazed Salmon

Seafood is a very easy food to prepare as long as you don't over cook it. This is so simple and easy to prepare. A quick weekday dinner sure to please.

All you need are salmon fillets seasoned with salt and pepper. I pan seared my salmon in coconut oil and prepared the teriyaki sauce. Once done searing, I put on a sheet pan and brushed with the sauce. There is actually no need to put in the oven but I wanted to glaze to sort of cook for a few minutes on the salmon. This turned out very delish and served with jasmine rice and roasted asparagus.

Leftovers anyone?

So, I made egg rolls the other day and had a little of the mixture left over but not enough egg roll wraps. So, my hubby decided to make some fried rice with it. Needless to say, it turned out pretty good. Just cook some white rice or brown rice if you prefer, sesame seed oil, and soy sauce. You can add an egg or two if you would like. What a great way to use leftovers. How do you use your leftovers?

Sandwiches

Did I ever mention how much I love sandwiches?! This is my go to lunch mostly all the time. I just love sandwiches, what can I say. So many variations and my hubby loves them for lunch as well. Pesto is a great add on to sandwiches, especially flat breads or wraps instead of mayo and mustard. Adding oregano or Italian seasoning is a plus. Also, sub spinach for lettuce. Fresh baked breads from the bakery and focaccia bread always makes a great sandwich! Happy sandwich making :-)

Chicken, broccoli and mushroom stir fry

Chicken, broccoli and mushroom stir fry, courtesy of Natasha's Kitchen a dish from a Pinterest post that I found and had to try it. http://natashaskitchen.com/2014/10/21/chicken-broccoli-and-mushroom-stir-fry/
It was very tasty! The grocery store was out of fresh mushrooms, can you believe that?  Well, here it is not hard to believe as they run out of items on a regular basis and I just used can mushrooms, which were not as bad as I thought they would be. I love trying new dishes and also coming up with my own recipes as well. Always fun to experiment and try new things with food. I actually forgot to take a pic of the finished dish....