More is Better

Shrimp Fra Diavalo Dan was coming for dinner and requested something spicy --he had options of chicken or shrimp--he selected the shrimp --this is a new recipe for me from foodnetwork.com -Chef Giarda. Daniel liked it but would have preferred even more heat --next time I'll serve it with more red pepper flakes on the side to add to taste! This meal was last week on the night of Full Harvest moon that also fell on the equinox for the first time in almost 20 years! Check out the fun pasta we served it over Wegmans Italian Classics Barilotti --we liked it because it felt like fancy restaurant pasta and  held the sauce well with each bite! 1 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined 1 teaspoon salt, plus additional as needed 1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes (yes check out the Costco container!) 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons 1 medium onion, sliced 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes 1 cup dry white wine 3 garlic cloves, chopped 1/4 teaspoon dri...

Gnocchi with Shrimp, Asparagus, and Pesto from Cooking Light September 2010 --this was truly a quick easy meal to make and I added to extra ingreds I had on hand to the original recipe! Enjoy!! Give pasta a break and try gnocchi instead. The potato dumplings paired with fresh ingredients make for a healthy, comforting meal. **If you need to make pesto--ingreds and instructions are below final pic** 2 quarts plus 1 tablespoon water, divided 1 (16-ounce) package vacuum-packed gnocchi (such as Vigo) From Trader Joes and whole wheat!! 4 cups (1-inch) slices asparagus (about 1 pound) 1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp, coarsely chopped Pesto ( I had mine already made from a lemon lime basil and frozen -see earlier blog post) Surprise add on ingreds -- TJ's sliced sundried tomatoes and toasted pine nuts!! 1. Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a Dutch oven. Add gnocchi to pan; cook 4 minutes or until done (gnocchi will rise to surface). Remove with a slotted spoon; ...

Legend has it that this recipe was created as a tribute to the opera "Norma"; composed by Vincenzo Bellini, who was from Sicily, where this dish originated. This recipe came to me vial email Martha Stewart recipe of the day. Note: Crushed red pepper adds spice to this dish. Vary the amount according to taste. (when cooking for Daniel add plenty --cooking for Kate go sparingly!!) 1# penne rigate (check out the new Wegmans pasta --fun a little too large for this recipe- but still fun!) 4 T EVOO 1 medium onion. halved and thinly sliced 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced ***see cool slicing tool!*** 1/4 t crushed red pepper 1 large eggplant, cut into 3/4 inch chunks 1 1/2# plum tomatoes (that was about 7 romas for me) 2 T tomato paste (please note that my tomato paste was frozen -- I use what I need from a can then freeze individual 1 T portions for other recipes) 1/2 c torn fresh basil, plus more for garnish 3/4 c ricotta cheese Heat oil in large skillet over m...

This recipe was from October 2010 Cooking Light magazine in the budget cooking section and it is supposed to be about $2.49 per person and makes 4 servings. It was very good and a different take to always having pasta. 1 1/2 T EVOO, divided 8 ounces hot turkey italian sausage ( I used 5 links hot italian sausage -casings removed) 1/2 c chopped onion 1 # cremini mushrooms (used baby bellas) 2 large garlic cloves, minced 1/4 t salt, divided 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, do not drain 2 1/2 c chicken broth 1 1/2 c water 1c polenta (corn meal found in the spanish section of grocery store) 4 oz low fat cream cheese 1 T butter 1. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Remove sausage from casings. Add sausage to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Remove sausage from pan. (Love this mix n chop tool --so easy to make the meat crumble --use it when I micro-cook meat as well) Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan...

 ITALIAN SAUSAGE STUFFED BUTTERNUT SQUASH   3              small  squash, butternut -- HALVED LENGTHWISE   1              pound  italian sausage links   1              large  onion -- chopped   1              clove  garlic -- chopped   8             slices  bread -- cut 1" squares   2                     egg -- beaten   2        tablespoons  parsley In trying to speed up the cooking process I microwaved the whole squash in the microwave for about 20 minutes --...