Spring Vegetable and Goat Cheese Lasagna

This was AMAZING. I would serve this for a brunch/light lunch or as a side dish with dinner for company. Even Chuck loved this, which is big because it A. contains lots of green vegetables and B. does not contain meat.

I subbed in four green onions for the leek.

Spring Vegetable and Goat Cheese Lasagna

Lo Mein with Pork

Quick and easy for a weeknight. I left out the mushrooms and used double the amount of snow peas. Definitely needs more soy sauce while serving.

Lo Mein with Pork

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

This was so, so, so good. A nicely breaded eggplant baked with sauce and cheese, and the best part about it is that EVERYthing is baked in the oven. No breading the eggplant and pan-frying it on the stove so that you are splattered with oil. It's a little time-consuming just based on the bake time, but it's totally worth it.

I halved the whole recipe to make dinner for Chuck and I and there were tons of leftovers. We each ate ONE of those stacks below as our whole dinner, plus a green salad. The only change I made from the original recipe from Bite This! besides the amounts was not to add the last layer of cheese after uncovering the dish. Since I was only making it for a weeknight dinner, I didn't feel that we needed MORE cheese; but if I was making this for a dinner party I think it would be delicious. I will definitely be making this again in the future, and can't wait to serve it to company!

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Grilled Balsamic Chicken and Vegetables

This was a great weeknight meal, especially because I could prep it and Chuck could grill it! The blog I took it from, C+C Marriage Factory, said they liked it as a healthy meal; but of course I had to add some au gratin potatoes on the side. :)

The marinade was delicious, but I would marinate both vegetables and chicken much longer than the suggested half hour to absorb more of the flavor. And maybe save some of the marinade before adding it to the chicken so that you can baste while grilling. The only other change I made to the original recipe was to eliminate the mushrooms because Chuck doesn't care for them. I also think this would be good for a crowd because it's so easy to prep and cook!

Grilled Balsamic Chicken and Vegetables

Baked Pasta with Turkey Meat Sauce

My father-in-law so nicely comes once a week to watch Abbie so that I can go to a late afternoon class at the gym. Since the class is so late in the day, by the time I get home, it's a rush to get dinner on the table. Baked pastas are perfect for these evenings because I can prep all the way up to the baking stage while Abbie naps earlier in the day, then I just pop it in the oven when I get home from the gym.

This recipe caught my eye because I had a lot of these ingredients already on hand. The original recipe calls for only 3/4 pound of ground turkey and I thought I would stretch the meal a little by using the regular package of 1.25 pounds turkey. Well, the outcome was a little dry, since I used the same amount of sauce and cheese to cover more meat. So I am going to recommend you follow all the amounts of the original recipe for a nice, quick weeknight dinner. :)

Baked Pasta with Turkey Meat Sauce

Slow-Cooked Asian-Style Pork

This was another simple, tasty weeknight dish; pretty much just browning the meat and then combining all of the ingredients in the slow cooker. It uses a jar of sweet and sour sauce, which I have talked about before as being very salty, but I feel like this recipe made a lot more food (and some for the freezer, of course!) so that made it ok in my mind.

Also, this recipe rightly called for adding the frozen vegetables about an hour before cooking time is finished, instead of at the beginning. That keeps them crisper and brighter, as you can see in the picture above. I served this over brown rice.

Slow-Cooked Asian-Style Pork

from Cook Once, Eat Twice Slow Cooker Recipes

Makes 6-8 servings

3 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca

1 (10-ounce) jar sweet and sour sauce

1 (16-ounce) package frozen broccoli stir-fry vegetables (broccoli, carrots, onions, red peppers, celery, water chestnuts, and mushrooms)

3 cups hot cooked rice or rice noodles

Light coat a large skillet with cooking spray (or vegetable oil); heat skillet over medium heat. Brown pork, half at a time, in a hot skillet. Do not crowd the pork in the skillet or it will steam, not brown. Drain off fat.

Place pork into 3 1/2-4 quart slow cooker. Sprinkle with tapioca; pour sweet and sour sauce over pork in cooker.

Cover and cook on low heat for 7 to 8 hours or high heat for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. At the end of 7 to 8 hours, turn to high heat setting and stir in frozen vegetables. Cover and cook for additional 30 to 60 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Nicoise Salad with Lemon Mustard Vinaigrette

Ok, so technically my salad was not a Nicoise salad since I didn't even use the olives. And the original recipe called for grilled salmon over top but we already had seafood (and olives) in the Mother's Day Dinner menu. It's a good example though of how you can adapt this recipe to your tastes and play off the other items on your menu.

This vinaigrette is very good, a nice garlicky, mustardy oil-based dressing that you could probably use on a lot of different salads. I chose to serve it on the side instead of drizzling over everything in case we had leftovers.

The recipe below is in it's entirety so you can pick and choose as you'd like.

(Salmon) Nicoise Salad with Lemon Mustard Vinaigrette

from Small Parties: More than 100 Recipes for Intimate Gatherings

Makes 12 servings

Salmon

2 pounds boneless, skinless salmon fillets

2 tablespoons olive oil

kosher salt and ground black pepper

Brush both sides of salmon with oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Heat an outdoor grill to medium or use a grill pan on a stove top. Grill fillets 4-5 minutes each side, until slightly pink in center. Remove from grill, cool to room temperature, and chill until ready to serve.

Salad

2 heads Romaine lettuce, cleaned and cored

2 pounds new potatoes (or red potatoes), cooked, chilled, and cut into bite-size pieces

8 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered

1 pound fresh green beans or asparagus spears, trimmed and blanched

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, washed and cut in half lengthwise

1 cup Nicoise olives

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

Place lettuce leaves on a large serving platter. Cut the salmon fillets into 1-inch-thick slices an place on lettuce. Arrange potatoes, eggs, and beans or asparagus in individual sections on platter. Sprinkle tomatoes, olives, and onion over entire dish. Serve vinaigrette on side or drizzle over entire salad. Serve immediately.

Vinaigrette

zest and juice of 2 large lemons

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup fresh tarragon (I omitted)

2 anchovy filets (I omitted)

1 tablespoon capers

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Whisk all ingredients except olive oil in small bowl. While still whisking, gradually add olive oil until incorporated. This can be made a day ahead.

Seared Scallops over Wilted Spinach

This recipe was the catalyst for the entire Duet Birthday Dinner. My mom really wanted us to make it, so Meg and I created the rest of the menu around it. It turned out really well and I loved the texture of the scallops over the wilted spinach. Special thanks to Carrie for taking charge of it!!

We left out a few things from the original recipe, namely finely ground walnuts since my dad is allergic, and mushrooms since they were going into the pasta. Everyone enjoyed this and I look forward to actually making this myself one day soon!

My apologies for the poor quality and the lack of pictures for the next couple of posts. Dinner needed to be served!

Seared Scallops over Wilted Spinach
adapted from Traditional Home, October 2009 issue
Makes 6-8 side dish servings

20 sea scallops (about 2 pounds)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup chopped shallots
1/2 cup dry white wine
8 ounces fresh baby spinach
shaved Parmesan cheese for garnish

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.

Pat scallops dry with paper towels, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place flour in a medium bowl and add scallops a few at a time; tossing to coat.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet. Add half the scallops and saute without moving them until browned, about 3 minutes. Turn scallops and cook about 2 minutes more. Remove from skillet and place on a a heat-proof platter, keep warm in oven. Repeat with the rest of the scallops, adding more oil if necessary. Bake for 5 to 8 more minutes, or until scallops are opaque.

Melt butter in same skillet. Add shallots and cook 4 to 5 minutes until tender, stirring. Remove skillet from heat. Add wine; return to heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat and boil gently for 2 minutes, stirring to loosen brown bits.

Gradually add spinach to skillet, tossing to wilt before adding more. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer spinach to a serving plate; top with scallops and garnish with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

300th Post and Brie-Stuffed Mushrooms

Well, it took me a little longer comparably to get to 300 posts than it did 100 and 200 but I made it! And this is the perfect little appetizer to celebrate it. I love stuffed mushrooms and am always looking for a different way to make them, so when I saw these in my friend Lauren's blog I thought, what's better than Brie?!

Please excuse the photos in this post - they were taken as we were scrambling to put everything on the table at my parents' party. So they were taken in the wrong setting as well as not very pretty. Check out the photos in Lauren's post below instead!

*And special shout out again to my wonderful sister, Meghan, who helped me with this.*

I didn't change anything so I am linking you to the original recipe - the amount in my photos is double the amounts. Enjoy!

Brie-Stuffed Mushrooms

Eggplant Caviar

I have had this recipe from Good Things Catered bookmarked for quite awhile. I love using eggplant in appetizers, and decided my parents' annual holiday party was a good occasion for this one.

My sister and I made this together, and it was super easy. You don't even have to peel or chop the eggplant - just throw the whole thing in the oven to roast and the rest is done in the food processor!

Changes I made: I have an aversion to peeling whole tomatoes (it NEVER works for me) so I substitued a 14.5 ounce can of drained petit diced tomatoes for the two fresh ones in the recipe. We also served this on untoasted baguette slices, but if you like the toasty version, just follow the directions in Katie's original recipe.

Otherwise, everything else was the same as the original recipe found right here:

Eggplant Caviar

Greek Shrimp and Asparagus Risotto

As you may know, I love to make and eat risotto, but sometimes it's a little tough during the week to find the time to make what can sometimes be a labor-intensive dish. When I really think about it though, the time spent standing there stirring the rice and broth around pretty much equals any other sort of nice meal I would make anyway, so I should really make it more often (or at least until I have a crying infant needing my attention)!

This one did not disappoint. Even Chuck, who is not wild about feta, enjoyed this because there were a lot of other flavors in there - the shrimp, asparagus, dill, and lemon. Everything combined to make a satisfying meal.

I didn't change anything about the original recipe except to use all chicken broth instead of water for some of it. I halved the recipe for Chuck and I and we ate it all in one sitting!

Here's the link:

Greek Shrimp and Asparagus Risotto

Asparagus Salad with Roasted Peppers and Goat Cheese

I finally joined the local library over the summer (after living here for 3 years) and have rediscovered what I used to love about it. I go in empty-handed and leave with arms full of books that I read voraciously - I can't get enough! A few weeks ago I realized that there are stacks and stacks of cookbooks there. Perfect! I can find most recipes I need on the internet these days, so I hate to spend money on a whole cookbook. So I take a few out at a time, get some ideas, and return them for more!

This recipe comes from Anna Pump's cookbook, Summer on a Plate. The book caught my eye because I know that Ina Garten often refers to Anna's store, Loaves and Fishes, in her own cookbooks.

The dressing here is amazing - it is very simple, but Chuck and I both loved it and we were sad when it was gone! And once it's combined with all the delicious vegetables, salty olives, and the creamy goat cheese, this was an excellent salad!

Asparagus Salad with Roasted Peppers and Goat Cheese

slightly adapted from Summer on a Plate

Makes 3-4 side dish servings

4 ounces roasted red peppers, drained and chopped

1 pound medium asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1" pieces

4 ounces baby spinach, washed and dried

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup pitted black olives, cut in half (I used Kalamata)

3 ounces crumbled goat cheese

Dressing:

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

5 tablespoons good quality extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt and coarst ground black pepper, to taste

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add asparagus and cook until just tender but still green, 2-3 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.

Combine spinach, red onion, red pepper, and asparagus in large bowl.

Combine dressing ingredients in a jar that can be tightly sealed. Seal and shake well. Spoon half the dressing over salad. Mix gently to coat vegetables.

Before serving, sprinkle with olive and goat cheese. Serve extra dressing on the side.

Garlic-Marinated Chicken Cutlets with Grilled Potatoes and Asparagus

When I asked Chuck to look through my Everyday Food cookbook and pick something for dinner he selected this. Upon first glance it looked a little boring to me - I mean, essentially it's just grilled chicken and vegetables, something I make all the time. But each component has a little twist to it that makes the whole meal delicious.

You will notice that the recipe calls for a tablespoon of homemade vinaigrette to spoon over the asparagus. I was not about to make an entire recipe of it to use one tablespoon so I just used our current favorite storebought dressing, Ken's Creamy Balsamic, and it was delicious.

I used about 2/3 of each ingredient amount, since it was just the two of us; and didn't buy the new potatoes because they are expensive. Using regular red potatoes and cutting them into chunks works just fine. And since I didn't make any other changes I will just link you to the original recipe here:

Garlic-Marinated Chicken Cutlets with Grilled Potatoes and Asparagus

Tip: Have everything prepped before you start cooking!

Green Beans and Tomatoes with Shallot Vinaigrette

In keeping with what appears to be my theme so far this summer - salads - I was looking for a green bean dish I could serve room temperature or even cold. This ended up being served a little warm, only because I didn't make it far enough in advance of dinnertime, but next time I make this I will make the veggies in advance, add the dressing, then chill before serving and bring to room temperature. The original recipe calls for a warm vinaigrette but I think it's more important to serve everything at the same temperature.

My advice - only cook the green beans for 2-3 minutes in the boiling water, even if it looks like they aren't finished as they will still continue cooking a little bit, and it's very important that these remain fresh, crisp, GREEN beans (as you can see, mine turned a little drab green).

Green Beans and Tomatoes with Warm Shallot Vinaigrette
adapted from allrecipes.com
Makes 6-8 side dish servings

1 1/2 pounds green beans, ends trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped shallots (about 2 large)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper, to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add green beans and cook for 2-3 minutes until crisp-tender and bright green. Drain and plunge green beans into a bowl of ice water, drain and set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots, saute until golden and translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in vinegar, cook 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add green beans, tomatoes, salt and pepper to pan, saute 2 minutes more.

Chill for 1-4 hours. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Salad

My friend Jenny makes this wonderful salad and as soon as I had some at her house, I needed the recipe! I really like it because you can use any kind of corn you would like. I used frozen, since I was making it quickly, but you can also boil or grill some fresh ears of corn and use the kernels from that. Canned corn will work also.

I love the lime taste in the dressing and I used olive oil instead of the vegetable oil that Jenny suggested since I prefer that taste in a dressing. If you are making this ahead of time, add the avocado right before serving or else it may turn brown. Enjoy this summer salad!

Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Salad
from Jenny :)
Makes about 4 side dish servings

10 ounces frozen corn, thawed completely
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 avocado, diced
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon good quality olive oil
kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper, to taste

Combine corn, tomatoes, scallions in large bowl. Whisk together lime juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour over vegetables. Chill for 1-4 hours.

When ready to serve, add gently fold in avocado and allow salad to come to room temperature. Season again with salt and pepper if needed.

Spinach Salad with Bacon, Mushrooms, and Warm Shallot Vinaigrette

I really don't like to give recipes for salads because, really, all they consist of are a bunch of ingredients that you like thrown in a bowl together. But this dressing is REALLY good. It has the creamy texture from the mustard and the tang from the vinegar. I am not sure where I originally got it from, but I know that I have tweaked it according to our tastes. When I want to cheat with the bacon, I just buy a box of that already-cooked bacon; but of course the real stuff is better! Amounts of ingredients are flexible - add as much or as little of something as you like!

Spinach Salad with Bacon, Mushrooms, and Warm Shallot Vinaigrette

from Colleen's Kitchen

Makes about 8 servings

1 bag baby spinach, washed and dried

8 ounces sliced mushrooms

about 10 ounces bacon, cooked and chopped

1 medium shallot, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar

2/3 cups good quality extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper

Combine spinach, bacon, and mushrooms in large salad bowl.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and cooked until slightly tender, 3-5 minutes.

Combine mustard, vinegar, and shallots in small bowl. Slowly whisk in 2/3 cup olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Heat dressing in microwave 20-30 seconds. Either toss dressing with spinach mixture or serve dressing alongside.

Eggplant, Tomato, and Zucchini Stacks

This dish is very impressive to serve to company because each person gets their own little individual stack of vegetables. Each vegetable really pops out at you, so you have to like all three in order to enjoy this! But the layers of vegetables in addition to the herbs and cheeses make a very nice accompaniment to any meal.

I changed a few things from the original recipe, namely the amount of onions. The original recipe calls for 4 onions, with only 8 servings, so that means each person is eating half of an onion! I knew that wouldn't fly with my family, so I brought it all the way down to one and it still had a nice onion flavor. Additionally, I felt that the "stack" as a whole was a little dry, so I am adding some more cheese to this version of the recipe (can't hurt, right?!).

Onions and herbs

Eggplant, Tomato, and Zucchini Stacks

adapted from Williams-Sonoma

Makes 8 servings

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 yellow onion, diced
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 garlic cloves, minced
10 fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or 2 teaspoons dried
1 medium eggplant, sliced into 16 slices
4 medium tomatoes, sliced into 16 slices
4 small zucchini, sliced into 48 slices

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat an oven to 425°F.

In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the onions, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, basil, oregano and parsley and cook for 2 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat.

Drizzle one tablespoon olive oil over the bottom of a 13 x 9 baking dish. Place 8 eggplant slices in a single layer in the pan and season with salt. Top each with 1/2 tsp. onions and 1 tomato slice and season with salt. Top each with 3 slices of zucchini, then 1 tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese.

Repeat layers: eggplant, salt, onions, tomatoes, salt, zucchini, mozzarella cheese.

Drizzle each vegetable stack with olive oil. Bake until the vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes.

Sprinkle each stack with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese and bake for 7 to 10 minutes more. Let the vegetables rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Eggplant ready to be stacked:

First layer complete (without mozzarella):

And ready to eat!

Guest Blogger: Chuck

When I asked Chuck whether or not he wanted to make dinner one night this week he responded with a resounding "Yes!" and gave me a list of things to make sure that we had on hand. I have to say that Chuck continues to impress me with his skills in the kitchen. He doesn't follow any recipes and always comes up with delicious meals. And here is where I will turn it over to him to explain everything:

Chicken Cordon Chaz:

Ok, first thing first -- Colleen must have had too much Pinot Grigio early this week because she certainly wasn't thinking clearly when she allowed me to post on this blog. Right now I feel like the bizzaro "Sports Gal" to her Bill Simmons (if anyone in the cooking-blog-world knows who that is).

Secondly, the one thing you are NOT going to get from me is any reference to measurements or words like "blanch". As far as I'm concerned, Blanch was just the promiscuous red-head on Golden Girls.

That said - here's what I made tonight and how I did it... at least what I can remember because my normal process is to pretty much wing it as I go.

1) I took some chicken breasts and split them in half width-wise. It's a little awkward to cut it like that, but if you don't the chicken is too fat and often it won't cook all the way through. On the flip side, you could just buy the thinner chicken breasts.

2) Crack a few eggs in a bowl and beat the yolks a little to make it uniform. Then get another bowl filled with bread crumbs. Then you basically just "tar-and-feather" the chicken breast -- 1st- egg batter, 2nd- bread crumbs. (side note: One time in college we did this to my friend Eugene with Miller Lites and a can of grated parmesan cheese at 3am after a LOT of beers... but that really has no relevance here....)

And... we're back...

3) Put a skillet on medium-high heat with some EVOO (yeah, I know the "Rachael" lingo) and then pre-heat the oven to 400 or 425. Then you sprinkle a bunch of salt/pepper on the chicken (red pepper too, if you want) and then once the skillet is hot, drop them in. Flip over after about 5-6 minutes once they are golden brown. Cook the other side about the same. You may need to periodically add a little EVOO after flipping so it won't burn. Once they are done, take them out of the skillet and rest them on some paper towels. Lightly press the paper towel on both sides of the chicken to try and sop up the oil as best you can. Otherwise, be prepared to face a cholesterol level similar to mine.

4) Get out a baking sheet and drop the chicken breast on there. Cover each chicken breast with some roasted peppers. Cover that (or wrap the whole thing) with prosciutto. Then take some provolone cheese (or mozz) and drop it over the top of each chicken breast. Stick it in the oven for another 4-5 minutes.....

and that... is how "Chicken Cordon Chaz" is done.

Accompaniments:

• Stove Top Stuffing - Sure, it doesn't have a cool nickname like "the San Francisco Treat" but from Thanskgiving to Flag Day or anywhere in between, does it ever disappoint?. Plus, all it takes is 5 minutes and a 4th grade education of basic measuring skills. You just read the box. I think I made this stuff with every other meal during bachelorhood, and if I didn't eat like a king every night courtesy of Colleen; I'd still be doing it.
  


• Sauteed Asparagus - I threw some asparagus in a skillet with sliced garlic, EVOO, white wine, and salt/pepper. I just let it simmer for 8-9 minutes depending on how soft/crunchy you like 'em.
  

Well... hopefully I didn't just make a mockery of Colleen's blog. If I did, please forgive her. If I didn't, maybe she'll let me post again sometime in 2009 -- especially if my fans express their support in the comments section!

Spicy Eggplant and Red Pepper Pasta

This is a very tasty pasta dish that makes you feel good after you eat it! With all the heavy foods we have been eating lately, I wanted to make a hearty pasta dish that was still healthy. I have made this before and loved it and it certainly delivered the second time as well.

This sauce makes a LOT, and the eggplant and red pepper add even more to the mix. I always end up freezing at least half of this (without the pasta). You can leave this as a meatless meal, or an option that I like it to add some already-cooked slices of chicken sausage to the final simmer. Thanks again to the fabulous Katie for a sweet, spicy, and delicious meal!

Spicy Eggplant and Red Pepper Pasta

from Good Things Catered

Makes about 6 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium eggplant (about 8-10 inches in length), chopped into 1/2 inch cubes

2 large red peppers, sliced into 1 1/2 - 2 inch pieces

1 pound penne (8 ounces if you are freezing half of the sauce)

One batch Spicy Red Pepper sauce, prepared ahead (recipe below)

2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

Parmesan cheese shavings, if desired

In large stock pot with salted water, cook pasta according to manufacturers directions to just al dente.

In large non-stick pan (important with the eggplant) heat oil over medium high heat. Add eggplant and cook, stirring constantly, until beginning to become tender, about 10 minutes. Add red pepper and continue sauteing until peppers become crisp tender, about 3-5 minutes.

Add prepared pasta sauce and stir to combine, bringing to a slight simmer. Add pasta, stir to combine, add parsley and Parmesan cheese as garnish and serve immediately.

If you want to freeze half, divide right after you add the sauce to the eggplant/red pepper mixture:

Spicy Red Pepper Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

2 large red peppers, roasted (24-ounce jar of roasted red peppers)

1 large (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, lightly drained and coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon crushed chili peppers

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Pulse roasted red peppers in food processor until relatively smooth and set aside.

In large stock pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add diced onion and cook until translucent and just beginning to brown. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add pureed red peppers and chopped tomatoes and heat until starting to bubble.

Turn heat to a simmer and add remaining ingredients, stirring to combine. Simmer until begins to bubble and serve.

Sauteed Green Beans with Diced Tomatoes

Before I start these next few posts I have to give a big "Thank You" to my friend Courtney for taking these pictures. Between getting dinner on the table for the eight of us at our party and my camera taking less-than-desirable photos, Courtney was there to save the day with her nice, new camera. Then she had to deal with me stalking her for a week to get the photos from her - so thanks, Court!

These beans are one of my favorite side dishes to serve for company, because they are very tasty but don't take a lot of prep (other than trimming the beans, which you would do beforehand) OR the use of the oven, which is always nice when you are cooking a big dinner. Adjust the garlic and seasonings to your own taste - you can't go wrong!

Sauteed Green Beans with Diced Tomatoes
from Colleen's Kitchen
Makes about 8 servings

2 pounds (more or less) green beans, ends trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
kosher salt and coarse ground pepper, to taste

Place a steamer basket in a large saucepan, fill bottom with water until just covering the bottom of the basket. Place washed green beans into saucepan and cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until beans are a vibrant green.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large saute pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add steamed green beans directly to saute pan; add drained tomatoes. Cook until heated through. Season with salt and pepper.