Pesto

When you want pasta but the tomato-based sauce just doesn’t sound good 🙂 Fresh basil can be hard to find so this gives you the option of spinach, some people will also use kale. The base you use will obviously change the flavor but don’t be afraid to mix and match greens, play with this, see what you wind up with. Pesto is a thing you can truly make your own. Set a little extra aside and mix it with a little bit of mayonnaise for a pesto aioli for a salami sandwich. Also, if you can’t find fresh basil …

My Lasagna

In the book, there were 2 different lasagnas that were nearly identical from someone my mom worked with and a cousin-in-law. I took their ideas and doinked around to make one all my own with more flavor and a little kick.

Pizza Mexicana

Pizza is something that everyone loves to enjoy from time to time.  This recipe is one of the best pizza recipes that I have ever made.  The pizza dough can be intimidating to make, but this recipe makes it simple and it has an amazing taste to it.  We love thin crust pizza so that is what I made.  You can make this as spicy as you want or as mild as you want.  There are endless possibilities when you are adding toppings as well. So get creative and get the kids involved in making this fun dish.

Kale, Beef and Potato Soup

An interesting combination for a nice hearty soup. Something to enjoy on a cold day or to share with family. A hearty flavored soup. This dish is originally a Portuguese dish, but instead of using Linguica (Portuguese sausage), it became a more American dish using beef tips(beef tenderloin chunks). CandiAnne’s note: My Aunt Carrie grew Kale in her yard so she made this all the time. It was a favorite at her house and across the street at ours. LOL being Portuguese, we obviously used the Linguica

Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Turkey Meatloaf with Garlic Herb Mashed Potato Frosting

There is nothing better than a plate of homemade comfort food and meatloaf with potatoes is just that! This is a spin-off of the retro igloo meatloaf from the 70s. Making the change from traditional ground beef to a ground turkey helps lower the saturated fats that beef has but this recipe can be made with any kind of ground meat. The switch of sun-dried tomatoes adds in vitamins and antitoxins plus is healthier and better for you than the classic ketchup found on most meatloaves. Meatloaf can be found in different shapes and how you do yours is up …

Italian Pot Roast

Over the weekend, I had such a tremendous cooking experience in my unit’s kitchenette making Italian Pot Roast, all while trying to deal with the aftermath of Tropical Storm Henri. Yet, with much love and patience, I spent my evening prepping a delectable meal for the family and me. I have to say the pot roast was tender, paired well with multigrain rotini pasta for those like myself with dietary restrictions. I even had time to make an Arugula with lettuce salad dressed with olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. As an appetizer, I toasted Fresh Italian bread; seasoned …

Pesto, Chicken and Rice

The pesto!!!! Listen kats and kittens, if you don’t like pesto, then this isn’t for you. (We can still be friends, though!) I made this dish a few ways to see what worked best, and the neighbors literally just asked for more rice and pesto. You’ve been warned. Pesto is traditionally made with nuts, but after Thing 2, I developed a tree nut allergy. Pumpkin seeds work really well, though a bit more dense in consistency than what pesto tends to be. Lemon juice is a thinning option, and gives the pesto a totally different attitude, should you need that …