Hopping on the Kale Bandwagon

Kale has been trending for two years now, maybe more. It's everywhere -- blogs, magazines, cooking shows, restaurants. And since this past winter, it's been in my kitchen as well.

Two winters ago I had the zuppa toscana at the Olive Garden. It may not be my favorite restaurant, bit I really enjoyed the soup. I enjoyed it so much that when the temps hit frigid this past winter I took to Pintrest and played around with a few recipes until I found a variation my family and I liked.

The recipe I made this past week is not exactly new. It's a Cooking Light standby that I have been playing around with for about two years. But last week I finally found the variation my family likes best. The change this time? Swapping out baby spinach for kale.

The kale brings a heartiness to the dish, and stands up well to the quiona I started substituting for the rice over a year ago. And unlike baby spinach, I add the kale to the pot earlier during the cooking process, giving the kale plenty of time to cook down and absorb the flavors of the sausage, onions, and garlic.

Yup, kale has been trending for quite a while. But with the help of this dish, it's now trending in my kitchen, too.

Sausage, Kale & Quiona Bowl
Recipe from Country Cooking

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. sausage -- hot, sweet, or a mix -- casings removed
• 1 bunch kale, removed from stems, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 cup uncooked quiona
• Olive oil

Directions:

1. Cook quiona according to package directions.
2. Heat oil in a dutch oven. Brown sausage, breaking into pieces. (You can use a wooden spoon, but a potato masher works great, too.)
3. Add onions and garlic. Sweat until onions become translucent.
4. Add kale to pot. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. You may need to add some more olive oil as the kale cooks down.
5. Deglaze pot with white wine and let reduce for a few minutes.
6. Add tomatoes, rosemary, thyme, and oregano. Simmer for 10 minutes.
7. Add cooked quiona and Parmesan and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.

A Note from the Cook: We like to serve slices of a multi-grain bread fresh from our farmer's market on the side for dipping and sopping up any extra juices.

Out of the Box

School is in session here. That means, homework, after-school activities, quicker dinners, and earlier bedtimes. The quicker dinners, for me, are the more difficult adjustment. Without those lazy summer days, I feel more pressure to get dinner on the table by a certain time. And if I end up working late, that means having to put dinner together fast.

Now, when I was first learning to cook, before I discovered 30-minute meals, most of the recipes I made came from either the back of a can, a soup mix envelope, or a 4- or 6-ingredient cookbook. These recipes have I have long since abandoned, scoffing at their simple ingredient list and turning to more complicated recipes that will challenge my skills in the kitchen.

But sometimes, you gotta go back to the basics.

And as I lamented while trying to come up with last week's menu, my husband suggested I go through some of my older recipes. They may be simple, but I can get them on the table much faster than what some of my usual dishes.

And he was right.

So with school now in session, if there are any busy weeknight ahead of you, you might want to bookmark this recipe. It's fast, easy, and tasty. What more could you want?

Chili Mac Skillet
Recipe from Del Monte

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. ground beef
• 1 15.25 oz. can corn
• 1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 1 15 oz. can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 4 oz. diced green chilies, drained
• 3/4 cup uncooked elbow macaroni, or other small, short-cut pasta
• 2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Cook beef in large skillet until brown; drain. Stir in corn, undrained tomatoes, beans, chilies, macaroni, chili powder, and water.
2. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, covered 12 to 15 minutes or until macaroni is tender.
3. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese, if desired. Cover and let stand 5 minutes until cheese is melted.

Note from the Kitchen: I made a corn bread and we stirred some into our individual servings. It was delicious, and I highly recommend it.

#BestSummerEver

Country Living magazine put out a list this year: 50 Ways to Have the Best Summer Ever. My family has been checking items off this list throughout the summer. We drank lemonade on our front porch, visited our farmer's market, made our own popsicles, and made something with fresh peaches.

Two items on the list are "make a dish with your backyard bounty" and "make a summer soup."

And we checked both of those off the list with this vegetable and polenta soup.

I got some push back from my husband when I told him I was making this. To say he is not a fan of polenta would an understatement. But this soup won him over. The polenta, despite the recipe title, is not a star ingredient. It sings background, thickening the soup, perfect harmony to the fresh vegetables up front and center.

So as summer days become fewer and fewer, make the most of what the days and your garden have to offer. Dive into a steaming bowl of this soup.

Rustic Vegetable and Polenta Soup

Recipe slightly modified from Giada De Laurentiis
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 plum tomatoes, seeds removed, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 medium zucchini, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (substitute vegetable broth for a vegetarian dish)
• 1/3 cup instant polenta, such as Gia Russa
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
• Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions:

1. In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onions, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion begins to brown, about 6 minutes.
2. Add the basil, rosemary, garlic, tomatoes, and zucchini, and cook for 3 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a slow boil. Slowly stir in the polenta and cook until the soup thickens and the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.
3. Stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper.
4. Serve with Parmesan cheese and crusty bread.

From the Farmhouse

For me, nothing is more comforting and soothing than a big bowl of soup. It's the food equivalent of a great, big hug. It warms me, both figuratively and literally.

In the winter, I'll make a pot of soup at least once a week. I still make soup in the summer, but less frequently.

Except this summer.

While we didn't have many rainy days, we did have the cool, mountain summer I have been waiting 9 years for. And those cooler days provided me with a few extra opportunities to make soup for dinner.

I made this soup on what I knew would be a particularly busy day for me. This recipe was ideal because there wasn't a lot of prep work involved, and the slow cooker does all the work. The soup is light, yet comforting. And it was a great opportunity to use the zucchini I had picked from the garden.

So as autumn approaches, add this recipe to your arsenal. It'll warm your soul to walk in the house, the scent of the soup wafting through the air, and filling your belly after a day outside preparing for the winter ahead.

Creamy Farmhouse Chicken and Garden Soup

Recipe slightly modified from Crock-Pot: One-Pot Meals
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1/2 package (16 ounces) frozen pepper stir-fry vegetable mix
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced
• 2 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
• 1 14-ounce can chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 ounces uncooked egg noodles
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions:

1. Coat slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Place peppers, corn, zucchini in the bottom. Add chicken, broth, garlic, and thyme. Cover; cook on HIGH 3 to 4 hours or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Remove chicken and set aside to cool slightly.
2. Add noodles to slow cooker. Cover; cook on HIGH 20 minutes or until noodles are heated through.
3. Meanwhile, debone and chop chicken. Return to slow cooker. Stir in half-and-half, peas, basil, butter, salt, and pepper. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on servings, if desired.

Note: To make this a vegetarian dish, simply omit the chicken and substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.

BLD -- Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch or Dinner

It was a typical weekend, filled with errands, laundry, and my favorite Food Network shows. I inevitably see at least one recipe I would like to try and make, but it's rare that I feel the need to rush out and get the ingredients for that dish.

But this recipe is the exception to the rule.

I am not the biggest of quiche fans -- too much egg for me. But this recipe only has 3 eggs. I can manage that! So I tired my had at this recipe the following week.

Part of the reason it appealed to me so much is because it is so versatile. You could serve it for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. I served it for dinner, much to everyone's delight. It was a hit with me, my husband, and my 6-year-old son. I added the bell pepper for some sweetness and color. I traded the green onions for a shallot. You can easily substitute your favorite greens for the spinach. And you can up the ante on the savoriness by swapping out the sweet sausage for hot. You're limited only by your imagination!

But, regardless if you follow the recipe to a T, use the same modifications I did, or mix it up entirely, this dish will not disappoint.

So what are you waiting for? Get cookin'!

Sausage, Spinach, and Potato Tart

Recipe modified from Nancy Fuller
Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

• Frozen tart shell or pie crust
• 1 small Yukon gold potato, finely diced
• Kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 ounces bulk mild or sweet Italian pork sausage
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 shallot, diced
• 3 cups fresh baby spinach
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup grated smoked provolone

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Add the potatoes to a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Add a big pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook the potatoes until tender but still with a bit of resistance, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain and cool.
3. Lightly drizzle the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage, and cook, breaking up with the back of a wooden spoon until crumbly and browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the shallot and bell pepper, and saute until soft. Add the spinach by the handful and stir until it just wilts down. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Remove to a bowl to cool.
4. Crack the eggs into a medium bowl and stir in the milk. Whisk together until combined and then add some salt and pepper.
5. Remove the tart shell or pie crust from the freezer. Cover the top with parchment paper and add pie weights or dried beans. Place on a sheet tray and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pie weights and parchment paper and continue baking for 10 minutes more.
6. Turn the oven temperature down to 350 degrees.
7. Evenly sprinkle the par-baked crust with half of the grated cheese, then the cooked potatoes, and finally top with the sausage and spinach mixture. Pour the eggs over the top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 45 minutes. If the edges of the crust start to brown too quickly, cover the edges with a ring of aluminum foil.
8. Cool the tart for 10 minutes before serving. Can be served warm or at room temperature.

Note from the cook: I used a frozen pie crust, but if you have a favorite crust or tart shell recipe, you can certainly make it from scratch.

Not Your Average Nachos

Last year in the early summer I challenged our family: go one week with meatless dinners. After that, I challenged us to go another week with meatless dinners. After that second week the boys started to whine -- they missed meat. So I brought it back into the fold, but only about 2 times per week.

This was a fairly easy task at that time of year. Produce is in abundance in the summer. It got bit more challenging during the winter months, but I loved that it called upon my creativity. I took some of our usual meals and either omitted the meat or cut the amount down by half. And I took every opportunity to add extra veggies where I could. Because over time we found that we didn't miss the meat that much and didn't mind going days without. But if our veggie intake went down, even for a day, our body could feel it and we missed the servings.

One of our favorite fun meals is nachos. In the winter when we have leftover chili from the previous night's dinner, we make nachos for lunch next day or for dinner on leftover night. But a healthier version of nachos? Can it be done? Yes it can!

My husband's cousin sent me something she pinned on pintrest. It was nachos, but the corn chips were replaced with the mini sweet peppers. The version on pintrest was vegetarian, too. The halved sweet peppers were topped with corn, black beans, and shredded cheese. But one of the things I love about nachos is how versatile they are, and I knew immediately I could alter this recipe to suit my family's tastes.

Success!

These chip-less nachos were a hit, and I will definitely be making them again. You can swap out any of the ingredients for something else your family enjoys, or omit it altogether. And if you have little hand that like to help out, this meal is a perfect reason for them to roll up their sleeves and get in the kitchen.

Sweet Pepper Nachos

Ingredients:

• 1 bag mini sweet peppers (about 24 peppers), halved
• 1 lb. ground beef (or turkey or chicken)
• 1 envelope taco seasoning
• 1 15 oz. can refried beans
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• salsa
• Your favorite nacho toppings such as diced tomatoes, avocado, scallions, sour cream

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line cookie sheet with foil. Spread peppers out on sheet, cut side up.
3. In a large skillet, brown beef season with taco seasoning. Stir in refried beans and mix until warmed through.
4. Dollop beef and bean mixture onto peppers. Top with salsa, if desired, and shredded cheese.
5. Bake until cheese melts and serve with your favorite nacho toppings.

Kid Cooks Saturdays: Week #5

Deciding what to make for this week's Kid Cooks Saturday was easy. My son saw a commercial for Pillsbury crescent rolls, and they made pizza pockets from them. "Mommy, can we make those?" he asked. "Sure thing!" I told him. And Saturday's meail was decided.

One of the great things about these Saturdays has been discovering how much fun meals can be. I'm not talking about the "fun" associated with finding and making a new recipe. I'm talking about childlike fun. Eating with your fingers and childhood favorites. Good, old-fashioned fun. And sharing it with my son has made it that much sweeter.

And if you're tired of the usual meatless options during Lent, give this twist on pizza a try.

Pizza Pockets

A Country Cooking Original Recipe
Makes 8 pizza pockets

Ingredients:

• 1 can of Pillsbury Grands Buttermilk Biscuits
• pizza sauce
• shredded mozzarella
• grated parmesan cheese
• favorite pizza toppings, such as pepperoni and black olives
• ricotta cheese, for a calzone option
• 1 egg, beaten
• Cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.
2. Flour your board and roll out each biscuit to 6 inches in diameter.
3. Spread sauce on biscuit, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Top with cheese and your favorite toppings, if desired.
4. Fold in half and crimp edges with the tines of a fork. Cut a slit in the top for steam to escape and lightly brush with egg wash.
5. To make a mini calzone, swap out the pizza sauce for ricotta cheese. Add mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, and any of your favorite toppings.
6. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with remaining, heated pizza sauce.

The pizza pockets were a hit with my son!

Kid Cooks Saturdays: Week #4

We've hit a snag with Kid Cooks Saturdays: The remaining recipes in my son's cookbook don't entice him. What's a mom to do?

So I started looking over my own cookbook collection, to see if there were any books with recipes simple enough for my son to make. I hit pay dirt when I came across The Four Ingredient Cookbook.

With only four ingredients per recipe, all are simple enough for young hands. It was just a matter of finding the right one.

Breaded pork chops was just the ticket. He was able to do the prep, and the oven took care of the rest. Served with wild rice and roasted green beans, and we had a satisfying meal.

All in all, this is a meal I would recommend making with young chefs, and for older ones, too.

Onion-Baked Pork Chops

Ingredients:

• 1 envelope onion soup mix
• 1/3 cup bread crumbs
• 4 pork chops, 1 inch thick
• 1 egg, well beaten

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, combine soup mix and bread crumbs. Dip chops in egg, then bread crumb mixture, until evenly coated.
2. In a lightly greased 13x9-inch baking or roasting pan, arrange chops.
3. Bake, uncovered, 20 minutes or until done, turning once.

A True Crowd Pleaser

Feeding a crowd. It can be stressful, but it can also be fun. It's a great time to experiment with new recipes. But if the gathering is last-minute, it's great to have fool-proof, crowd-pleasing recipes in your back pocket.

This recipe is the one of those.

Now, in the interest of complete honesty, the first time I made this it wasn't quite crowd-pleasing. I had soaked the red pepper flakes in the vodka for too long, and it was too spicy for some members of my family to eat. Since then, I've omitted the red pepper flakes entirely, and I now have a winner on my hands.

I've learned that everyone has a different tolerance when it comes to heat, so it's better to err on the side of caution. And there is so much flavor in this recipe, the missing flakes don't hurt the dish at all.

So the next time you need to feed a crowd, give this recipe a try.

Vodka Sauce
Makes enough sauce for 1 lb. of pasta

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup vodka
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 slices prosciutto, chopped
• 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups light cream
• 4 tablespoons butter

Directions:

1. Sauté onion and prosciutto in olive oil for 8 minutes.
2. Add tomatoes and vodka. Cook on low for 30 minutes.
3. Add cream, cheese, and butter. Cook on low for another 20 minutes.
4. Serve over your favorite pasta.

Notes from my country kitchen:

• To add some heat to the dish, soak 1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes in the vodka for 10 minutes. Then discard the flakes.
• Do not use pre-packaged Parmesan cheese, such as Kraft. These cheese isn't grated fine enough, and it will give the sauce a grainy taste. Use grated cheese from the deli department of your market.
• To stretch this dish a little further, use 1 lb. of mini penne or some other short-cut pasta.
• For that restaurant feel, add 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed, at the end and stir until heated through.

No "Helper" Needed

Back before I was married, when my husband and I were first living together, I didn't do much of the cooking. I cooked once, maybe twice, a week. The other days either my husband cooked, or we ate out. My repertoiré was nothing to write home about either. Most of what I cooked came from recipes on canned goods, soup mix packages, or were boxed all together. (Everyone has to start somewhere, right?)

One of my favorite recipes came from a can of Del Monte stewed tomatoes. Looking back now, I'm not sure if it was favorite because it was that good, or because it was that easy. No matter though. It was a more homemade approach to cheeseburger macaroni, and the more fresh ingredients (read: less from a box with a glove with only 4 fingers), the better the meal.

Slowly my confidence in the kitchen became to grow. With emphasis on the word "slowly." I bought a 4-ingredient cookbook. Then a 6-ingredient one. And finally I bought a special issue of Cooking Light. They were -- and still are -- a great resource of easy and tasty weeknight meals. And that's where I found this recipe for cheeseburger macaroni. It has more flavor than the Del Monte version, and I quickly switched to this new version of the dish.

And as my confidence in the kitchen grew even more, along with my desire to experiment, this recipe fell to the wayside. But just recently I pulled it out again. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed it. As an added bonus, it was quick and easy to make. And the taste brought me back to all those years ago, first making this dish with my husband in our apartment in New Jersey. It tasted like new beginnings, youth, and love.

The epitome of comfort food.

Cheeseburger Macaroni

Recipe from Cooking Light
Makes 9 1-cup servings

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces uncooked small elbow macaroni
• 3/4 lb. ground sirloin
• 1 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 15-oz. cans Italian-style diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups reduced fat shredded cheddar, divided

Directions:

1. Cook the elbow macaroni according to package directions.
2. Cook beef, onion, and garlic in a skillet over medium-high heat until beef is browned, stirring to crumble. Drain well and return to pan.
3. Add tomatoes and next 3 ingredients; cook 3 minutes. Add macaroni and 3/4 cup cheese, and cook 2 minutes or until cheese melts and macaroni is thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally.
4. Remove from heat; sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese.

Grandma Would Be So Proud!

Growing up, nothing was better than "Grandma's Pizza." She would buy the dough from her favorite pizzaria, top with her homemade sauce, cheese, and any other toppings our hearts desired, and we would devour it like we hadn't eaten in years.

Her pizza was so popular, the kids on the cul-de-sac would come over for pizza as well. I remember one summer, hot as anything, and while we were swimming my grandmother was it the kitchen, no A/C, making pie after pie for us. Now that's love -- of food and kids.

So it seemed only natural after I had my son that I make homemade pizza for him, just like my grandmother did for me. We started out with store-bought dough, like my grandmother did. But we weren't particularly impressed. We tried different brands, but it just didn't seem to measure up to us. So we decided it was time to finally bite the bullet and make our own dough.

We started with The Pioneer Woman's basic pizza dough recipe. It was good, better than the store-bought dough, but we wanted to make it special. Remembering a pizza we had a friend's house, we decided to try making an herbed dough.

Jackpot!

The addition of some herbs was just the ticket. It elevated the dough to the next level, making it special, making it our own.

Grandma would be so proud.

Herbed Pizza Dough

Based on a recipe from The Pioneer Woman
Makes one crust

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon (scant) Active Dry Yeast
• 3/4 cups Warm Water
• 2 cups All-purpose Flour
• 3/4 teaspoons Kosher Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

It doesn't look like much now, but in an hour it's going to be delicious!

Directions:

1. Sprinkle yeast over 3/4 cups warm (not lukewarm) water. Let stand for a few minutes.
2. In a mixer, combine flour, salt, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. With the mixer running on low speed (with paddle attachment), drizzle in olive oil until combined with flour. Next, pour in yeast/water mixture and mix until just combined, and the dough comes together in a sticky mass.
3. Coat a separate mixing bowl with a light drizzle of olive oil, and form the dough into a ball. Toss to coat dough in olive oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set it aside for 1 to 2 hours, or store in the fridge until you need it.

Note: it’s best to make the dough at least 24 hours in advance.

Ta-da! The finished product!

Kid Cook Saturdays: Week #2

Last week, my son picked spaghetti and meatballs as the meal to make from his cookbook. The meatball recipe was for turkey meatballs. I tried to steer my son towards the meatballs I had growing up: pork, veal and beef. But my son wasn't having it, so turkey meatballs we made.

turkey meatballs, rolled by my son

My son liked the meatballs, and was very proud of himself. My husband and I were proud of him, too, but turkey meatballs aren't our thing. I found them to be a bit on the bland side, so I'm not going to bother sharing the recipe for them with you.

However, if you do have a young one in the kitchen with you, I highly suggest making meatballs together. It's one of the few things where your hands are the best tools for the job. Just roll up your sleeves and dig in. Perfect for little and big hands alike. And then there's the quality family time, making a meal together.

Priceless.

Quick Tomato Sauce

A Country Cooking Original Recipe
Enough for 1 lb. of spaghetti

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 15-oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 6-oz. can tomato paste

Directions:

1. If serving pasta with meatballs, brown meatballs in a 6-qt. Dutch oven. Once browned remove to a plate lined with paper towels.
2. Add onion and garlic to drippings from meatballs. Saut&eaute; until translucent. Add red wine to deglaze pot. Reduce liquid.
3. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste. Bring to a low simmer. Return meatballs to pan, if you have them
4. Simmer sauce for 20 minutes.
5. Serve with your favorite cut of pasta.

No-Stir Risotto

It started out innocently enough. In fact, it started with stuffed peppers.

I was trying a recipe I had found on a blog. While it wasn't hard, it was more labor-intesive than other stuffed recipes I made. But I was off for Columbus Day and had the time. And my husband came home to a nice meal. As we were packing the leftovers he passed a comment, "I could just eat the filling. It's like risotto." And that got the wheels spinning.

For this particular recipe, the filling baked in the oven. So really, why couldn't mix and match what went into the filling, bake it, and call it dinner? I decided there was no was no reason I couldn't, and I went for it.

It was so good! It had the same texture as risotto, and I didn't have to stand and stir for 30 minutes. (A big selling point for my husband, who has made risotto exactly once because of all the standing and stirring.) I loved this recipe because everything is in one dish. The less pots and pans I have to clean, the better. It's also versatile; I can swap out the vegetables for whatever I have on hand. And it's a perfect meal for those autumn or spring days when you need a little heat in the house. (I love the way the oven warms the house.)

It's comfort food at its finest.

No-Stir Sausage & Veggie Risotto
A Country Cooking Original Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Italian sausage, bulk or casings removed
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 large or 2 small carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2/3 cup uncooked rice
• 1 10.5 oz. can cream of chicken soup
• 1 10.5 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/4 cup milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Chop the onion, pepper, carrot, celery, garlic and set aside. Brown the sausage in a skillet over medium heat until it's cooked. Add the chopped vegetables and saute until tender.
3. Pour sausage and veggies into a large bowl. Add rice, soups, milk, and stir to combine. Pour into a 9 x 13 baking dish and cover. Bake for 1 hour, stirring halfway through. If the mixture looks a little dry, add a little more milk and stir, cover, and finish baking. Serve hot.

Kid Cooks Saturdays

My son loves to be in the kitchen.

Maybe it's because when he was a toddler I would sit him in his high chair and explain what I was doing as I cooked dinner. Maybe it's because we watch a lot of Food Network, Top Chef, and MasterChef. Maybe he was just born with an interest in food.

Whatever the reason, the older he's gotten the more his interest has grown, and the more he's demanded a role in making our meals. This came to a head over the summer when he saw an episode of Master Chef Junior. He took one look at all those kids on step stools cooking elegant dishes and gave my husband and I a look as if to say You've been holding out on me! I can do more in the kitchen!

And while he's only five, I decided if he wants a more active role in the kitchen he should have one. He may not be the world's next great chef, but odds are he will live on his own at some point and will need to feed himself. And I thought the extra responsibility would help him build confidence, positive self-esteem, and a healthy relationship with food. So for Christmas we gave him a cookbook and declared Saturdays "Kid Cooks Days." He gets to pick the meal we cook on Saturdays, and takes a more active role in its preparation.

Saturday was the first day we did this, to much success. Our son took a few days to flip through his cookbook before deciding chicken chow mein should be our first meal. He helped me with the shopping list, and while he typically goes food shopping with me, the trip had a new level of excitement since we were buying ingredients for his meal.

As for the preparation itself, he made the sauce and sauteed the chicken and vegetables. He was so excited! And he really enjoyed the meal, too, going for seconds. Overall, our first "Kid Cooks Saturdays" was a huge success!

Chicken Chow Mein

Recipe modified from Little Cookies
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon peanut oil
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 pound fresh Chinese egg noodles
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
• 1 15-ounce can baby corn spears
• 12 ounces snap peas
• 2 cups frozen Asian-style sliced peppers, thawed

Directions:

• To make the sauce, in a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together water, soy sauce, rice vinegar, peanut oil, and cornstarch. Set aside.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and cook until al dente, according to package directions. Drain.
• In a lrage saute pan or wok over high heat, warm the canola oil. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Add the baby corn, snap peas, and peppers to the pan. Cook, stirring constantly, until softened, about 5 minutes. Drizzle the soy sauce mixture over the vegetables and cook, stirring, until the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes. Return the cooked chicken to the pan, add the noodles, and toss to mix.

Note: The original recipe called for the following ingredients, which we omitted due to personal tastes. Mix and match ingredients to your preference.

• 1/2 pound small shiitake mushrooms, halved
• 3 heads baby bok choy, chopped
• 1 cup bean sprouts

Ahoy, Pasta!

I have never been one for canned tune. Actually, that's unfair. I've never really been one for seafood. Period. Regardless if it comes from a can, the freezer, or fresh from the market. But when your husband loves seafood, you try to give it to him now and again.

Frozen shrimp is the easiest. Then I branched out to tilapia and started making fish tacos. While I don't roll my own, I do enjoy sushi and sashimi. And when winter came knocking back in December, it seemed like a good time to cross the final frontier: tuna noodle casserole.

Success! Everyone in the house loved it!

And that got me to thinking, Giada De Laurentiis uses canned tuna in plenty of her pasta recipes. I had dismissed them in the past because I wasn't a fan of canned tuna. And while I don't see myself eating a tuna salad sandwich any time soon, now was as good a time as any to revisit some of Giada's recipes. So I borrowed Weeknights with Giada from my public library and quickly decided "Pirate Pasta" would be the first recipe I would try. I made a few modifications to suite my family's tastes, and it was a big hit. My 5-year-old son even had a second helping! Mama must be doing something right!

Pirate Pasta

Recipe modified from Giada DeLaurentiis
Serves 4 to 8

Ingredients:

• 1 pound pasta (I used rotini)
• 1/2 cup grated pecorino romano cheese, plus more for serving
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for roasting tomatoes
• 1 medium or 1/2 large, red onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 10-ounce or 2 5-ounce cans tuna in olive oil, such as Tonnino, drained
• 1/2 cup (about 20) medium olives, pitted and halved (I used black)
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons capers (rinsed and drained, if you prefer)
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, roasted
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• salt and black pepper

Directions:

1. Place tomatoes in an oven-safe dish. Coat with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast on the center rack of a 400 degree oven for 15 - 20 minutes.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve about 1 cup pasta water. Pour pasta into a bowl with pecorino romano cheese and toss until coated.
3. In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, until onions are translucent.
4. Add the tuna, olives, tomato paste, capers, red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Using a wooden spoon, break up the tuna.
5. Add the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a simmer.
6. Add the roasted tomatoes.
7. Pour tuna mixture over pasta. Toss and add pasta water if needed to loose the sauce. Top with basil leaves. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle with cheese if desired.

Family Traditions

On my mother's side, it's easy for me to trace my ancestry. My great-grandfather, Samuele, came to America from Sarno, Italy in 1906. And over the years, my family has certainly assimilated with American culture. Italian went from the only language spoken, to spoke by adults so the children wouldn't understand, to not spoken at all. Names went from Assunta and Philomena to Karen and Stephanie. But there's one thing that didn't change much: our love of food.

We have strong food traditions, especially on holidays, like Christmas. But my grandfather had another tradition: pasta or macaroni every Wednesday and Sunday. EVERY Sunday and Wednesday. No exceptions.

I can clearly remember dinner with my grandparents. My grandfather, scraping his fork against his plate to get every last drop of sauce. My grandmother, yelling at him to stop it, that's what bread is for.

In honor of those Wednesday night dinners, here is a recipe for spaghetti bolognese, modified from Giada De Laurentiis. My grandfather may not approve, swapping out ground beef for ground turkey. But my mother would probably approve of the heart-healthy measure. I made some other modifications as well, but the biggest one was the love I have for my grandparents and those dinners we shared.

Spaghetti Bolognese

Recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis
Makes about 1 quart; Serves 4 over a pound of pasta as a main course

Ingredients:

• 1 pound spaghetti (or your favorite pasta)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 carrot, peeled and minced
• 1 20.8-oz. package ground turkey
• 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1 15-oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheeese

Directions:

1. In a Dutch oven heat the oil over a medium flame. When almost smoking, add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is very tender, about 8 minutes. Add the carrot and sauté for 5 minutes.
2. Increase the heat to high, add the ground beef, red pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning, and sauté until meat is no longer pink, breaking up any large lumps, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up the brown bits. Let reduce 5 minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes, basil, 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and cook over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens, about 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, cooking spaghetti according to package directions.
6. When sauce is done, stir in the cheese, then season with more salt and pepper to taste.

Note: The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.

Unfortunately, no photo this week. We were so hungry when I finally got it on the table, I didn't remember to take one until the table was cleared and the dishwasher loaded and running. I'll have to snap one the next time I make this dish.

Risotto Primavera

For the longest time, I feared risotto. It seemed so difficult to make, and I felt I didn't have the skills. But one day Giada De Laurentiis made a Dirty Risotto, a play on Dirty Rice, and I knew I was going to have to overcome my fear and take the plunge.

Yes, risotto is time-consuming. And it requires both your undivided attention and patience. But it's not difficult. It only goes wrong if you lose your focus.

And to be honest, I find it therapeutic to stir the risotto. After a long day there's something soothing and comforting in the repetitive motion. And when the dish is complete, it's emotionally comforting to eat, too.

A double whammy.

What makes this dish so fantastic is its versatility and the goat cheese. So, feel free to swap out the veggies below for others, but there's no substitute for the creamy, salty bite of goat cheese.

Now go take the plunge and discover the wonder that is risotto cooked in your own kitchen.

Risotto Primavera

Recipe modified from The Pioneer Woman
Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 5 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1 additional tablespoon
• 2 tablespoons butter, plus 1 additional tablespoon
• 1/3 Vidalia onion, finely diced
• 3 carrots, peeled and finely diced
• 1 small yellow squash, finely diced
• 1 small zucchini, finely diced
• 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1 1/2 cup arborio rice
• 1 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 4 ounces goat cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• fresh dill, for garnish

Directions:

1. Pour chicken broth into a small saucepan. Heat to a simmer.
2. In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive and butter. Add diced onions and carrots. Stir a cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add squash, zucchini, and pepper and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove vegetables from pan and set aside.
3. Add remaining olive oil and butter to the Dutch oven. Heat over medium-low heat. Add rice and stir, cooking 1 minute. Add half the wine, stir, and cook until liquid is absorbed.
4. Over the next 30 to 45 minutes, add 1 cup of simmering broth at a time, stirring and cooking until each addition of broth has absorbed. Add the other half of wine and cook until absorbed.
5. Taste to make sure rice is cooked; add another helping of broth if rice has too much bite to it. Once rice is cooked, remove from heat. Stir in goat cheese, Parmesan, and vegetables until all the cheese is thoroughly combined. Top with dill.

Note: Swap vegetable broth for the chicken broth for an vegetarian dish.

Pizza, Caprese-Style

Sometimes, everything just comes together. It's the timing, the mood, anything and everything, and the next thing you know, you have the perfect dish.

And that's how this dish came to be.

It started with fresh mozzarella. My husband had some up from Fairway Market in New Jersey the day before. I saw it when I did my quick "fridge check" for my weekly shopping list. And while I didn't pay any immediate attention to it, it stuck in the back of my mind.

Next I hit the farmers market. My first stop each week is Gould's Produce. When I saw the beautiful tomatoes, I flashed to the mozzarella in my fridge, and immediately knew what I wanted to make for dinner. Feeling adventurous I picked up some summer squash and zucchini, a side dish in mind.

After all my usual stops, I made one last stop: Mountain View Vineyard's booth. I sampled a few wines, ultimately leaving with the Split Rail Red. Because with all this fresh produce and the beautiful weather, I knew a glass of wine was the perfect way to cap it all off.

The dish that came to me that Saturday morning? Pizza Caprese. A spin of the caprese salad I decided to use the flavors to give our usual weekend pizza a unique twist. I swapped basil pesto for the traditional basil leaves, but took advantage of the fresh tomatoes and mozzarella available to me.

I served the pizza with zucchini and squash -- sauteed with shallots, garlic, salt, pepper and oregano -- and a chilled glass of wine out on our deck. There was not one drop of humidity in the air and a gentle breeze blowing.

Everything just came together: the idea, the ingredients, the wine, the weather. It was the perfect meal, capping off the perfect day.

Pizza Caprese

A Country Cooking Original Recipe
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 (10-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough
• Cooking spray
• 3-4 tablespoons basil pesto
• 2-3 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
• fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Unroll crust dough onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; pat into a 13x11-inch rectangle. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes.
3. Remove crust from oven and spread basil pesto over it, leaving a 1-inch border. Then arrange tomato and mozzarella slices on crust.
4. Bake at 400 for 12 minutes or until cheese melts and crust is golden.
5. Cut pizza into 8 pieces.

I know this isn't the best photo. Please be patient with me; I'm still learning.

Not My Mama's Mac-n-Cheese

Who didn't eat macaroni and cheese as a kid? I started with the box variety as a youngster, and graduated to my mom's baked macaroni and cheese as a young adult.

Oh, that baked macaroni and cheese!

The Italian-Style breadcrumbs is what sells this dish. The savoriness, the texture ... It's the kind of food you arrive home from college begging for.

And then, you grow up.

And while I still love my mom's macaroni and cheese, I want to put my own spin on it as well. As if to say, "I'm here and I cook!"

So that's exactly what I did one day as I was looking at the half-filled bags of shredded pepper jack and colby jack cheeses, wondering what the heck I was going to do with them. Macaroni and cheese, but of course! And the sweetness of the grape tomatoes in my veggie drawer were perfect way to cut some of the spice from the cheeses.

Grape tomatoes? Spicy cheeses? My mother wouldn't take such liberties with her macaroni and cheese! She's a purest. But on the other hand, isn't that a daughter's job, to take a few liberties every now and then?

Macaroni and Cheese ... With a Kick!
A Country Cooking Original

Ingredients:

• 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (about 7 ounces)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
• 1 cup shredded colby jack cheese
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 pint grape tomatoes
• 1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cook macaroni to al dente as directed on package.
3. While water for macaroni is coming up to a boil, add olive oil to a skillet. Sauté onions and tomatoes on medium-low heat until tomatoes are just about to burst. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Then melt butter in 3-quart saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour, seasoned salt, pepper, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute; remove from heat. Stir in cheeses until melted.
5. Drain macaroni and put back into pot. Add sautéd onions and tomatoes and stir. Add cheese sauce to macaroni mixture and stir to combine.
6. Pour into an ungreased 2-quart casserole dish. Top with breadcrumbs. Drizzle with olive oil and bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly.

An Inspired Idea

Something we home cooks don't get enough credit for is getting dinner on the table every night -- or almost every night -- and keeping it interesting and delicious year after year after year. I do my grocery shopping once a week, and at least once a month I'll sit at my kitchen table surrounded by cookbooks and the weekly circular and proclaim "I don't know what to make for dinner anymore!" It's a sad, frustrating moment.

I recently discovered sometimes you just have to throw the cookbook out the window.

Amid all my recipes there was one I had printed from Giada DeLaurentiis. I'm sure this recipe is just fine as it is, but at that moment, with the exception of the roasted peppers, it just wasn't appealing to me -- especially the pasta. The recipe called for orzo, and I just wasn't feeling it. So I decided to keep the peppers and start over from scratch. And the end result was a Country Cooking original recipe that was not only a hit with the family, but a perfect meal on a warm, clear day.

Of course, harder than deciding what to make for dinner that week was trying to name this dish. I chose "Country Summer Pasta" because nothing says "summer" to me like sausage, peppers, and basil fresh out of the garden. But I'm open to suggestions, so if you have one, send it in!

Country Summer Pasta
A Country Cooking Original Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 orange bell pepper
• 1 pound gemelli pasta
• 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
• 2/3 cup white wine
• 1 pound hot Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• ricotta and parmesan cheeses, for serving

Directions:

1. Place the peppers on a baking sheet under the broiler for about 8 minutes -- roughly 4 per side -- until charred. Place the charred peppers in a medium bowl. (Stainless steel works great.) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the peppers to steam for 20 minutes. Under running water, peel away the charred skin. Pat the peppers dry with paper towels. Remove the stem and seeds from the peppers and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices. Then cut the slices in half, so they're roughly the same size as the pasta. Set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add salt and pasta. Cooking according to package directions.
3. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the turkey sausage, breaking into bite-sized pieces with a wooden spoon or potato masher. Sauté until cooked through. Add the garlic and cook for one minute.
4. Add wine to deglaze the pan. Let reduce for 5 minutes. And chicken broth, peppers and tomatoes to pan. Let peppers and tomatoes heat through and broth reduce a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the sausage mixture and basil, and toss well to combine all ingredients, adding reserved cooking liquid, if needed, to loosen the pasta.
6. Top each serving with parmesan cheese and a tablespoon or two of ricotta.