1 lb orecchiette or Mezzi Rigatoni pasta

Salt

1 lb cherrt tomatoes, washed , dried and halved

1 lb arugula, washed and dried throughly

1/4 cup Basil oil or extra virgin oil

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Freshly ground black pepper

2-3 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler.

2 ounces toasted Walnuts or Pine nuts

Cook pasta according to package , or till al dente.in boiling ,salted water

While pasta is cooking, Place rest of ingredients in a large non reactive serving bowl, except for the Pecorino cheese and Walnuts

Place the cooked, drained pasta into the bowl with the rest of the ingredients and toss.

Garnish with the Walnuts and Pecorino.

Serve

Serves 4-6

I love pesto.  I mean *seriously* love it.  I love pestos of all kinds.  One of the best things about pestos during summer is that you don't even need to warm them and heat up the kitchen.  Just blend the raw ingredients and serve at room temperature over recently drained pasta.  We made a delicious asparagus pesto a few nights ago.

It was very thick, unlike more traditional pestos, and while I didn't mind the thickness at all, it might be nice to thin it out a bit.  It's a very mild pesto, with just a bit of garlic and a hint of tang from the lemon.

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch asparagus, chopped into 2 inch spears
• 2-4 cloves garlic (depending on your taste)
• 1/2 cup oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan

Blend asparagus, garlic, and oil in food processor until smooth.  Then blend in lemon juice, walnuts, and salt until smooth.  Fold in parmesan.  Serve over pasta.

So simple.

A new edition of Presto Pasta Nights Roundup can be enjoyed at Ruth's delicious blog, Once Upon A Feast. Great recipes for beating the heat and still getting your minimum daily requirements of pasta!

Difficulty: Easy

Dinner on the fly inspired this yummy dish. Pasta is the easiest thing to whip up and so comforting. I had some leftover grilled chicken and just went from there pulling ingredients out of the fridge until this beauty was born. Onions, garlic, fresh basil and delicious feta star in this dish, serve with a salad and bread or another veggie for a complete meal. Choose a pasta with lots of nooks and crannies to catch the sauce. Serves 4.

Ingredients
1 onion, halved and sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBS olive oil
S & P
3 chicken breasts, grilled and sliced thin
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup feta cheese
1 pound pasta, (reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water)
3 TBS fresh basil, sliced into thin ribbons

Directions: Bring large pot of water to boil, salt it and cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup water and set aside. Drain pasta. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat, add onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook until softened and beginning to caramelized, 6-8 minutes. Add garlic, cook for 1 minute. Add half-and-half and feta cheese. Stir until thickened and cheese begins to melt, add sliced chicken breast to heat through. Adjust seasonings to taste and remove from heat. Toss pasta with chicken and sauce. Add reserved pasta water a little at a time if needed to thin sauce out, you may not need it at all. Sprinkle fresh basil on top and any additional feta if desired and serve.

Preheat oven to 350.
Saute Mushrooms, peppers and onion in olive oil and garlic. 3-5 mins. So they are still crisp.
Place margarine in 9x13 inch baking dish and put in oven to melt. When margarine is completely melted, pour in uncooked macaroni,salt and pepper. Stir until macaroni is coated with butter. Then mix in veggie mixture.
Sprinkle cheese over macaroni and then pour milk over all. Do not stir and do not cover.
Bake for 60 minutes.
Do not stir while baking.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey

1 lb hot pork sausage

29 ounce can tomato sauce

1 TBSP dry basil

1 TBSP dry parsley

2 TBSP garlic powder

1 tsp salt

dash pepper

1/2 parmesan cheese (the Kraft stuff or fresh if you prefer)

2 cups mozzarella cheese

24 ounce box rigatoni noodles

Directions:

In a large skillet brown together ground turkey and pork sausage. Drain off grease. Add tomato sauce and seasonings. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. Meanwhile, cook and drain rigatoni according to package directions. Once the meat sauce is done simmering, mix together with noodles. Pour into 2 lightly greased 9x13 pans. Sprinkle 1/4 parmesan cheese and 1 cup mozzarella cheese over each one. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is melted.

NOTE: This dish freezes pretty well. If you decide to freeze part of it, omit the cheeses and don't bake it until you are ready to use it. If sealed properly, this will stay good for at least 3 months.

In the past week I've baked two batches of cookies. I decided to take a break from posting about cookies and cupcakes so that you guys don't mistake me for the Cookie Monster. I just love cookies!

I have the day off from work so I woke up late and decided to whip up some lunch. I remembered a REALLY SIMPLE macaroni and cheese recipe I read in a cookbook at the bookstore, so I decided to give it a try. The book is called "Macaroni and Cheese" by Marlena Spieler and I was very pleasantly surprised when I found that Google Books offers a limited preview of the book that includes the recipe for Midnight Macaroni that I've been drooling over. The recipe has very few ingredients, and very little effort required. Inexpensive AND easy! I adapted the original recipe alot - I used Monterey Jack cheese (recipe calls for Stilton cheese), because that is what I have at home. I also shrank the proportions to make a meal for one:

Ingredients:
1.5 cups dry pasta, rotini
1.5 oz shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 Large clove garlic, minced finely
2 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Cook the pasta until al dente according to package instructions, reserving some of the cooking water.
2. Put garlic and butter pieces in a bowl.
3. Pour hot drained pasta into the bowl with the garlic and butter; toss in grated cheese and mix together thoroughly. If necessary, add in some of the reserved cooking water.
4. Dig in and enjoy!

The garlic adds a nice kick to the macaroni and cheese. This simple macaroni and cheese is tastier and just as easy to make as boxed mac and cheese- how can you beat that? You can also play with the recipe and make more for guests, or try it with different cheeses and pastas. The original recipe also called for tricolor fusilli, but the closest thing that I had at home was rotini. I would definitely make it with the tricolor next time if I was cooking for other people to make the dish look nicer. But when I am at home by myself on a Friday afternoon (cue in angels singing) I have noone to impress but myself, and I'm easy to please.

2/3 cup light Italian dressing
1/3 cup creamy spread mustard
3 cups cooked rotini pasta (appx. 6 oz uncooked)
2 cups blanched vegetables chopped (any or all of these: broccoli, carrots, zucchini, red onion)
2 Tbsp minced basil

Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Mix well and chill.

It is a time honored tradition to carb-load with a heaping plate of pasta the night before an endurance event. This has roots in research conducted in the 1960's. Different studies have been conducted since that shed new light on the body's utilization of energy during endurance events.

There are three main versions of the standard carb load:

1) The original carb load was developed by Gunvar Ahlborg, a Swedish scientist, in 1967. His theory was to deplete the glycogen (the body’s stored form of carbohydrate) stores prior to the carb load, starting about a week before the event with three days of low carbohydrate intake (about 10% of total calories). Then the next three days was a carbohydrate intake of about 90% of calories with a reduction in exercise intensity.

2) In the 80s, a modified regimen was developed, eliminating the depletion phase and increasing carbohydrates to 70% of intake for three days, also with decreased training. This is the most popular regimen today.

3) In the 90s a new regimen was developed by scientists at the University of Western Australia. This regimen calls for normal diet and light training until the day before the race with a very short, very intense workout and 12g of carbohydrates per kilogram of lean mass for 24 hours.

Activity level has a big impact on how often you need to “carb up”. Someone hammering away at the CrossFit WOD everyday has a higher need for carbs than someone following a standard split-routine of “3 sets, 8-12 reps, chest and triceps”. A sprinter has a higher need for carbs than a distance runner, contrary to what conventional wisdom would have you believe. As a rule, the higher the intensity of the effort, the more you’re tapping into muscle glycogen for fuel rather than fat.

This gets even more complicated when you factor in gender. "Because higher levels of estrogen inhibit carb utilization, women naturally burn more fat and metabolize carbohydrates differently," points out Karen Dolins, a sports nutrition professor at Teachers College, in a Muscle & Fitness Hers article. "Several studies have shown that women don't benefit at all from classic carb-loading regimens." One, in fact, found that men who carb-loaded increased their glycogen stores by 41 percent and improved their cycling performance by 45 percent, while women showed no effects unless, in addition to a high percentage of carbs in their diet, they also ate 30 percent more calories than normal. If your head is not spinning yet, add fluctuating monthly levels of estrogen and progesterone hormones which can affect a woman's receptivity to carb-loading.

Carb-loading, like nutrition, for performance is a science. All variables must be taken into account for it to work the way you want it to. In other words, eating seven bagels the night before running the marathon is not going to make a difference if you haven't tweaked your diet and training volume/intensity on the days leading to the event. It might, however, have you stopping at every port-a-potty during the race. ;-)

It is not completely clear to me either how eating a huge plate of pasta is expected to only be stored in the form of glycogen in your muscles. The body can only hold so much of it in the liver and muscle cells with all excess being stored as fat.

It is a much better strategy to have a rock solid nutritional foundation. If you eat vegetables, fruits, nuts, the good fats, and lean protein on a consistent basis, you should be able to go out on any given day and knockout any challenge you are presented with. On race day, have a a breakfast of slow releasing carbohydrates like oatmeal with milk and fruits. During the race eat or drink small foods that would keep your blood sugar levels stable and your electrolytes in balance all of which would also prevent you from "hitting the wall."

And if you can't veer away from the carb loading tradition for Pete's sake don't do pasta (unless you want a side of extra saddlebags that is). Here's a better substitute: a plate of grilled veggies or sweet potato with a lean protein (chicken, lean steak, fish, etc.). Enjoy!

I composed this dinner in my head all day while I was preparing for a big meeting with my supervisor. The only vegetables left in the house were half a small red cabbage, a bunch of parsley, and some garlic and onions. I had looked around the internet for ideas for red cabbage the day before, and someone suggested caramelising the cabbage and serving it with pasta. That took care of the cabbage and onions, and I figured the parsley could get used up in a nice zesty gremolata, which is like a pesto but without the nuts. The lack of nuts produces a very zippy puree, what with the raw garlic and lemon juice and straight-up parsley. You might even say "bracing." Traditionally served as a balance note to rich lamb shanks, I figured it would nicely balance the rich and sweet onions and cabbage caramelised in olive oil and a couple of pinches of sugar. And it did! Add a few toasted pine nuts and some salt and pepper, and you have a quick, cheap, very tasty pasta dish.

In the picture you can also see the "hotdog bun" breadsticks that I made and what's left of my side salad. Unfortunately, I would be violating copyright if I posted the recipe for you, but I did make a few changes. I substituted Jennie-O ground turkey for the beef, used Hodgson Mill whole wheat lasagna noodles, and lowfat versions of all the cheeses (4 different kinds!). I also added crushed red pepper to the sauce. Luckily, the meal turned out well because there are TONS of leftovers. Let me know if you live in the Austin area and I will come feed your family of 8.

Nutrition of this Recipe

This recipe contains 8 ingredients from the World’s Healthiest Foods list:

• Garlic
• Tomatoes
• Basil
• Black pepper
• Oregano
• Lowfat cheese
• Turkey
• Whole wheat

This recipe contains 1 food from the Best Food for Runners list:

• Whole grain pasta

But wait, there's dessert!

Yesterday I made brownies right after the High Fiber Bread, but didn't try them because I didn't want to cut them before Geno got here, thus ruining their "presentation." So, by the time I got to eat one I had been thinking about its chocolatey goodness for AT LEAST 36 hours. This recipe did not disappoint, and did indeed live up to its name as Chewy, Fudgy Triple Chocolate Brownies.

This is not the best picture and I may be replacing it later. Because I had them on hand, I added some peanut butter chips to this recipe. I was a little nervous about this, because Geno DOES NOT LIKE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES (!!!). In fact, he is one of those people who claims that he will eat anything, but is in fact extremely picky. I'm relatively certain that he only thinks he will eat anything because he has been served delicious food his entire life that he has had no reason not to eat. I've been to his parents' house and I think that they serve his dad's pancakes and his mom's turtle cheesecake in Heaven. To the Angels. Only when they've been especially good.

But these brownies made a picky eater say "Mmm...peanut butter!" so I think they passed the test.

Setting

Ein Tessiner Freund hat uns dieses Restaurant empfohlen. Wir haben ihn nach einem guten Tipp in Locarno gefragt. Wir wollten lokales Essen geniessen und dazu einen schöne Tessiner Wein trinken.  Von insgesamt fünf Empfehlungen war die Locanda Locarnese die erste.

Freitag Abend: Wir liefen vom Hotel Belvédère die kurze Strecke in die locarneser Altstadt. Nach 10 Minuten Fussmarsch kommen wir in ein kleines Gässchen, die Via Bassi, das runter zur Piazza Grande führt. Und schon sind wir in der Locanda Locarnese.

Das Restaurant befindet sich in einem Halb-Untergeschoss. Tageslicht kommt somit nur von oben. Die Räumlichkeiten sind gepflegt, neu aber nicht wirklich modern und dennoch kommt eine gewisse Gemütlichkeit auf. Die vielen schönen Weinflaschen, die auf einem Regal an der Wand stehen, tragen das ihrige dazu bei.

Karte

Tessiner- und italienische Spezialitäten. Bei der Zubereitung der Speisen hat man den traditionellen Pfad verlassen und arbeitet auch mit exotischen Zutaten wie zum Beispiel Zitronengras. Auf der umfrangreichen Weinkarte findet man neben Weinen aus Italien, Frankreich und anderen Ländern auch eine stattliche Anzahl schöner Tessiner Weine.

Bedienung

Grosses Kompliment! Die Bedienung war sehr freundlich, zuvorkommend und aufmerksam. Echt guter Service. Und: Man kommt mit einem italienisch-deutsch Mix wunderbar durch.

Preis

Die Locanda Locarnese ist eines der besseren Restaurants in Locarno und hat somit auch seinen Preis (im Vergleich zu den Zürcher Preisen wars dann trotzdem eher günstig). Dennoch zahlten wir bei der tollen Leistung, wie sie die Locanda geboten hat, die Rechnung gerne.

Wir hatten zwei Campari Soda, einen grünen Salat, einen Tintenfischsalat (lauwarm, sehr gelungen!), ein Risotto mit gebratenem Speck und eine Portion Pasta mit Gambas (wunderbar mit Zitronengras zubereitet). Dazu eine Flasche Tessiner Rotwein Mondelle (Merlot) von "Il Cavaliere" vom Feinsten = 168 Franken.

Harrys Tipp

Bei einem Besuch in Locarno unbdingt die Locanda Locarnese ausprobieren. Zum Essen am besten einen Tessiner Wein dazu bestellen.

Adresse

Locanda Locarnese
Via Bossi 1
6600 Locarno
Tel. 091 756 87 56
www.locandalocarnese.ch

Yet, I do still have SOME creations.. here we go :-)

Minestrone soup from here, garnished with pre-slivered carrots.

The first of many salads... I've sort of become a nutter over salads these days. Must be all the fresh produce.

Left, another salad creation using Byward Market vegetables (this was a couple weeks ago when I was in Ottawa) and Soy & Ginger salad dressing. The mixed greens are from a stand that sells bagged mixed salad with sprigs of dill (YUM!!!) for $2.50 a bag. On the right, oh god oh god oh god, I can't even look at this soup without gagging. It's Cream of Leek soup from the Bulk Barn which I bought because there was no cream in the ingredients... which is a little fucked up, don't you think? Anyway it tasted ATROCIOUS, I had to brush my teeth for an hour afterwards. *Gag*

Speaking of the Byward Market, it was so great to see all the stalls open and all the produce out. I can't wait to check out the St Lawrence Mkt in Toronto. Here are some Byward Market pics:

But anyway, back to the food:

I LOVE this green bean recipe. This recipe comes from my mother, who is kind enough to share the recipe:

Oriental Green Beans
1 ½ pounds green beans, trimmed
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon oriental sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
4 garlic cloves, minced (I use 1 teaspoon chopped garlic from jar

1. In a large pot of boiling water, cook green beans until just tender, 4-5 minutes.

2. While beans are cooking, in a small bowel combine soy sauce, oil and sugar; stir and set aside.

3. Drain beans, set aside.

4. Spray wok or skilled with nonstick cooking spray; place over medium heat. Add garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until softened, 20-30 seconds. Add green beans; cook, stirring and turning constantly, until well coated, about 2 minutes.

5. Add soy sauce mixture; continue to stir and turn until most of the liquid is absorbed, 1-2 minutes.

Again, with the salad creations:

I've become totally obsessed with mango/strawberry/dill-containing salads.

I like communal fridges for the variety of random salad ingredients found within. Here again, is another mixed green salad with mango, kiwi, strawberries, dill, sunflower seeds, papaya, and bean sprouts.

Rice paper rolls! AKA "Summer rolls". I loooove these things, esp dipped in plum sauce. Here's what they look like being made:

I ususally throw in avocado, slivered carrots and cucumber, cilantro, green onion, sprouts, pepper, etc.

A big stir-fry for some packed lunches, with my favourite noodle, UDON!! I also added grilled herbed tofu, frozen vegetables, VH Teriyaki sauces, and sweet thai chilli sauce.

Sorry for the blurry pic, but this is a slice of spinach-red pepper pizza from a downtown eatery (wish I could remember the name!)

That's all for now! I'll catch up on all your blogs later today.
               -Maureen

Ingredients:

Directions:

Cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, combine 1/2 c of the tomatoes, almonds, olive oil, water and the 1 tsp. salt in a blender and blend until smooth.

Melt the butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 sec until you smell the aroma. Add the zucchini and red pepper flakes and cook until zucchini is just tender. Add the wine and cook until slightly reduced, about 1 minute. Add the almond mixture and remaining tomatoes, stir until incorporated and cook until the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes, and the zucchini is the consistency you like. Add 1/4 cup of the cooking water and the shrimp and cook until the shrimp are cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes. (Add more pasta water if you like the sauce thinner, less if you want it thicker) Add the pasta and stir to coat with the sauce. Garnish with parsley and Parmesan. Serves 4.

I've decided to cook myself a healthy meal today after swimming 16 laps yesterday. Shan't make my effort to exercise become a waste, should I? :p So for brunch today, I whipped up a very fuss-free pasta dish. There's no cooking except just to cook the spaghetti and fry the bacon.

It is a simple and straight forward recipe and can be made up to several hours ahead. This recipe is adapted from culinariaitalia, a food blog featuring mainly Italian food. :D Weather in Singapore has been extremely warm these days, hence this dish would be good (that is what culinariaitalia said, and that is why I tried this recipe). :p

Without further ado, here's the recipe:

Cherry Tomatoes Spaghetti (serves 1)
(adapted from culinariaitalia - Spaghetti with Raw Tomatoes)
90-100grams spaghetti
125 grams cherry tomatoes, chopped
1 small clove of garlic, peeled and left whole
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dried basil
salt and pepper
small bunch of parsley, chopped
2 strips of streaky bacon
Combine the cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and basil in a bowl. Season well with salt and pepper. Cover and let stand at a cool place for at least 1 hour (the longer the better) for the flavours to develop. Before serving, discard the garlic.

Cook spaghetti until al dente. While the spaghetti is cooking, slice the streaky bacon and heat them in an un-oiled non-stick pan. The bacon will release fat on its own. When the bacon's cooked, turn off the heat. Drain the spaghetti and mix together with the sauce, bacon and parsley. Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately.

Tips
To "de-seed" the cherry tomatoes, prepare a bowl of tap water. Using your fingers, pinch the cherry tomatoes inside the bowl of water to release the seeds.

Bon Appétit! :D

Na gelunched te hebben reden we door naar de Japanse tuin. Die is dicht bij Laura's schooltje, dus die heb ik ook even gezien. Beide staan op universiteits grond. De universiteit van California is in Long Beach gevestigd, en is erg groot. De sporthal is een grote piramide! Er staan ook allemaal gebouwen waar studenten wonen, de zogeheten Dormrooms. Dat zouden ze in nederland ook moeten doen! Geen gereis meer in de ochtend! Anyway, wij dus naar die japanse tuin, waar het ERGGGG mooi is! in het midden een grote vijver met een heleboel GROTE koyfishes. Er staat dan een dispenser waar je vissevoer kan kopen. Dus wij die visjes voeren... Toen herrinerde de visjes me dat ik eigenlijk toch wel een of andere angst voor vissen heb. Wat waren ze groot! en ze hebben zo'n grote mond! Als je eten in het water gooit komen ze allemaal naar dat plekje, geen plek? dan springen ze gewoon op elkaar, wat dus heel eng is, want het lijkt net alsof ze op je af komen, en ze zwaaien dan zo met hun staart, dus ze spetteren allemaal water op je. Sommige springen zelfs een beetje aan de kant om hun eten te claimen. Ik geloof dat die beesten nooit gevoerd worden, dat ze daarom zo hebberig zijn! Sommige waren zo groot, hun hoofd alleen al was net een voetbal. Bah. Best mooie beesten hoor, vooral als je ze ziet zwemmen van boven af, dan lijkt het net alsof ze vleugels hebben, maar toch vind ik ze eng! En ik herhaal: BAH!
Maar goed, ik was dus aan het beschrijven hoe het er daar uit ziet.. Eeen hoop bruggetjes, en erg rustgevend. Overal bonsai bomen, maar dan de grotere versie, erg ZEN allemaal. Een soort meditatie hutje, en een grint tuintje, die zo geharkt is dat er een soort textuur in het grint staat, rondjes rond stenen. In de rest van de tuin stonden mooie beelden. Ik zou hier wel vaker kunnen komen om gewoon te zitten!

Na de tuin naar huis. Ik heb 's avonds pasta gemaakt. Een appart pannetje voor Marty, aangezien hij niet zo veel eet. Dus voor hem een pannetje met gewone saus en gehakt, en voor ons een pannetje met saus, gehakt, groente en kruiden. Laura takelde al gauw af, dus hadden we dr voor t eten in bad gedaan, zodat ze vroeger dan normaal naar bed kon. Marty en Myriam zouden naar de film gaan. Waar Laura het natuurlijk niet mee eens was! Dus stelde Marty voor om naar een andere film te gaan zodat Laura en ik mee konden. Niet slim, want Laura was al zo moe, en dan zou ze nog later in bed liggen. Nou goed, Laura weer omkleden want ze was al in haar pyama, de auto in, bijna bij de bios, was Laura al in slaap gevallen! dus wij omgekeerd om haar in bed te leggen. Precies in haar bed word ze wakker. Paniek van jawelste natuurlijk, omdat we niet bij de bios waren, en we niet meer van plan waren er nog heen te gaan. Na een hoop boosheid en gehuil lag Laura een uur later toch in dromenland.

Morgen ben ik vrij, dus ga ik eerst naar het strand, en daarna naar de mall! Wat een leven..[gallery]

When we decided to start The Living Room Chef, we were (of course) excited to get the festivities started. For the inaugural recipe, this Tomato Fettucine with Zesty Lime Shrimp was made using the mini electric grill for the shrimp and the electric roasting pan to boil up the fettuccine noodles and pull the whole dish together.

If this makes you drool a little bit, here's how to make it yourself:

Tomato Fettuccine
Serves 4-6

Alfredo Sauce
2-1/2 cups of fresh diced tomatoes
(2) 16 oz jars of garlic alfredo sauce
7-8 good sized basil leafs (julienne pretty thin)
1 teaspoon of paprika
Salt and pepper to season
Fettuccine Noodles, Use 1-1/2 lbs of fettucine noodles (cooked al dente)

Zesty Lime Shrimp
3/4 lb of (41/50ct) shrimp (peeled and deveined, but leave the tail on)
¼ cup of minced red onion
1 jalapeno minced
Zest of 1 lime
Juice of 1 lime
1 cup of olive oil
2 cups of red and green bell peppers (julienne)
4-5 Basil leafs (minced)
Salt and pepper to season

First thing to do is marinate the shrimp. Place the minced onion, minced jalapeno, lime zest, lime juice and olive oil in a bowl and make sure that all the ingredients are all incorporated together. Then toss in the shrimp and bell peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Mix and make sure that all the shrimp and bell peppers is well coated. Have the shrimp marinate for at least 30-60 mins. The longer the better, but not too long or the lime juice could cook the shrimp and create a different texture at the end.

To make the tomato fettucince, start by heating up the pre-made alfredo sauce to a simmer. Then add the diced tomatoes, basil and paprika to the sauce and simmer for about 5-8 minutes. The tomatoes should start to break down a little and the sauce should have a nice light pink color to it. Check the flavor of the sauce and add salt and pepper to adjust. Then toss in the (cooked) fettuccine noodles in the sauce to be coated and reheated. Another option you can do is plate the noodles and pour the sauce over the noodles to adjust the amount of sauce you desire.

Once the shrimp has marinated for at least 30-60 mins, place them along with the bell peppers on a hot grill pan to cook and get the nice grill marks on them. Each side should take about 2 mins. Once done, set the shrimp on the pasta and enjoy.

Like this post? Got feedback, tips or comments? Leave us an email at livingroomchef [at] yahoo [dot] com.

Imagine..... crispy thin pizza with Pepperoni, Salami, Ham, bacon, Italian Sausage, mushrooms, green peppers, black olives and onion. Tomato sauce that is sweet and tangy at the same time. with lots of cheese. Hmmm.....

Imagine 2 layers of Lasagna. with tomato meat sauce full of cheese, garlic bread that melts in you mouth with a side order of fries with blue cheese dip. Perfect! :D

That is what I'm exactly thinking last night when my wife and I ate in Carlo's Pizza Restaurant! We ordered Pizza Capriccioso which I described above, and Lasagna and fries. The food is great and I knew that it was a winner because my son ate his heart out. Service was quick, polite and very professional. Although the price is a little bit steep. But it's well worth it. The restaurant also serve some Mexican dishes like Tacos and Nachos. But the Italian dishes rule the day! :D

Carlo's Pizza Restaurant is located at the Ground Floor of the North Parking Building, SM Mall of Asia.

• 9 láminas de lasaña precocida



• 200 gr. de queso cremoso
• 200 gr. de queso cheddar rallado
• 200 gr. de queso Havarti rallado
• 200 gr. de queso Ricotta
• 150 gr. de queso parmesano
• 2 huevos
• 2 vasos de salsa de tomate
• 2 vasos de salsa bechamel
• mantequilla
• sal

Tiempo de preparación: 55 minutos

Modo de preparación:

1. Mezclar los huevos batidos con todos los quesos, reservando únicamente unos 50 gr. de queso parmesano para el gratinado.
2. Engrasa una fuente para horno con un poco de mantequilla y coloca en el fondo 3 láminas de lasaña.
3. Ve alternando una capa de queso, una de bechamel, una de salsa de tomate y coloca otra capa de láminas. Termina con una capa de salsa de tomate.
   
4. Espolvorear con el queso parmesano que reservamos y gratinar en el horno durante unos 30 minutos.

Si utilizáis placas de lasaña no precocida, deberéis cocerla en abundante agua con sal procurando que quede al dente. También deberéis procurar que la salsa bechamel y la salsa elaborada con el queso sean poco espesas, ya que este tipo de pasta absorbe mucho líquido durante el horneado.

Buen provecho.

1. Kok pastaen etter anvisning på pakken
2. Rist pepperonien i stekepannen på middels varme til de blir brune i kantene
3. Del paprikaen i staver, purren i ringer og finhakk hvitløken. Surr grønnsakene i litt olje til de er blanke og myke.
4. Rør inn crème fraîche og hell over buljong. Småkok i 2-3 minutter
5. Hell over pastaen og bland inn pepperonien. Smak til med salt og pepper

 Serves 6

8 medium Vine -ripened red tomatoes,peeled, seeded, and finely chopped.

2 tablespoons minced shallots

1 tablespoon minced garlic

6 tablespoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley

1/4 cup fresh squeezed Lemon juice

1 cup basil olive oil

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 lbs Rigatoni or Orecchiette

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Mix together tomatoes, shallots, garlic, 1/4 cup parsley,lemon juice,basil oil,and salt and pepper to taste in a large ceramic bowl. If making ahead omit the salt till 15 minutes prior to serving or all the juices from the tomatoes will be drawn out.

When ready to eat, bring large pot of salted water to the boil and cook pasta till al dente. Drain well and toss with vinaigrette.

Add 1/2 cup cheese and mix well.

Serve

From Pasta, ed. Jeni Wright

¼ cup butter
1 onion, chopped
12 oz spaghetti
12 oz mixed mushrooms, sliced—white, Portobello, brown
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 ¼ cups sour cream
2 tbsps chopped fresh basil
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and ground black pepper
torn Italian parsley, to garnish
grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

Melt butter in a large frying pan and fry chopped onion for 10 min until softened. Cook pasta in boiling salted water. Stir mushrooms and garlic into onion mixture and fry for 10 min until softened. Add sour cream, basil, and grated Parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and heat through over low heat. Drain pasta thoroughly and toss with sauce. Serve garnished with parsley, and with cheese.

Serves 4-6.

1 6 oz can or bag of Tuna fish

2 tbsp Hummus

1 tbsp chopped walnuts (optional)

5-8 diced grapes

Drizzle Olive Oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients.  May be served on pita bread, baguette slices, or on side of salad.  Serves 2.

Mediterranean Salad

4 cups Pre-washed bag of lettuce Chopped

1/2 can of chick peas rinsed and dried

8-10 Olives of choice

½ cucumber diced

¼ c Arugula 

1 tbsp Feta Cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

Drizzle Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar

Place all ingredients into bowl.  Gently toss ingredients together to combine. Serves 2-4 people.

Stuffed Tomato

1-4 large round tomato  (heirloom or beefsteak)

Salad mix of choice (Egg, Tuna, Crab, Turkey, Ham)

Lettuce leaf for presentation

Slice cap off top of tomato.  With a teaspoon remove pulp.  Spoon into tomato salad filling of choice. Serve on top of lettuce leaf

Angel Hair Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes

Serves 2-4.   To table in 7 minutes.

1 large pot 2-3 quarts boiling water

½ box Angel Hair Pasta

¼ cup Olive Oil

1 garlic clove (sliced)

1Tbsp Capers (optional)

10 olives (optional)

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes

Salt, Pepper to taste

Parsley fresh or dried

Fill pan with water and place on stove on high to start boiling water.

Meanwhile, place skillet on medium high heat. Add oil, garlic, tomatoes, (capers and olives) Salt and Pepper.  Allow to simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.

When water boils add 1 tbsp salt to boiling water and pasta.  Allow pasta to cook 1 minute. Remove 1 ladle of boiling water and add to tomatoes in skillet.  Drain water from pasta.  Add pasta to skillet and combine with tomatoes.  Top off with fresh or dried Parsley and serve.

Angel Hair Pasta with Pesto

Serves 2-4.  To table in 7 minutes.

1 large pot 2-3 quarts boiling water

½ box Angel Hair Pasta

¼ cup Pesto

Olive Oil

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Fill pan with water and place on stove on high to start boiling water.

When water boils add 1 tbsp salt to boiling water and pasta.  Drain water from pasta.  In a clean bowl, add Pesto and Drizzle olive oil, gently combine together.  Serve and top off with cheese.

Sirloin Tip

Serves 2-4.  To table in 7 minutes

¼ cup Olive oil

Peeled and Sliced ½  Onion

Sliced Portabella onion

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup wine

1tsp Soy Sauce

2-4 slices of thinly sliced Sirloin tip

Place skillet on medium high heat add olive oil sliced onion and portabella mushroom. Salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cook for 4 minutes.  Add wine and soy sauce and meat allow to cook for 2-3 minutes with cover on skillet.  Serve meat with mushrooms and onions

Asparagus Sautee`

Asparagus spears washed and lower part of stick cut and removed.

1/4 cup olive oil

garlic clove sliced

sesame seeds

Salt and pepper to taste

Place skillet on medium heat and add all ingredients.  Allow to cook with skillet covered for 5 minutes.  Serve on side of pasta dish or with Sirloin tip.

I don't know if there are words that describe just how much I love pasta, especially pasta lunga - long pasta - like spaghetti, linguine, tagliatelle!

I like pasta better than dessert and that is saying something.  If I had to choose between a second helping of pasta or having dessert, 9 times out of ten I'd do both - ha, no seriously I really love pasta.

The big battle at my house is which pasta to have. My boys like pasta corta - fusili, penne, sedani, tortiloni, but you can be sure we rarely battle over what to put on it.

I recently took a dish that we always ate as a protein course and quite literally dumped on some linguine. 

The hardest part (and longest) of this dish is prepping the shrimp which need to be peeled and deveined.  I'll wait for you all to stop jumping for joy.

Now if this is a job that you hate so much that it will stop you from trying this dish, then get your shrimp frozen, just make sure it is peeled and deveined!

Ingredients for 4

600 gr shrimp

100 gr butter

60 gr misto per soffritto

2 cloves garlic, crushed

150 ml white wine

salt and pepper to taste

320 gr linguine (optional)

In a large pan saute the garlic and misto per soffritto in the butter until tender.

Add the shrimp and cook over low heat for a few minutes.

Add the white wine and continue to cook over low heat until the shrimp have cooked and the liquid has reduced to half the original amount.

Now if you have some nice fresh Italian bread, you can eat these as they are. They are juicey and delicious and the liquid is lovely to sop up with the bread.

Now, I would have had pictures of the is dish, it looked great with a lovely tomato salad and some rice on the side, but the boys devoured it before I could take any.

If however you want to add the shrimp to pasta, cook the linguine in salted, boiling water, drain when al dente and toss with the shrimp and their cooking liquid.

A sprinkling of fresh flat leaf parsley is lovely on this.

Serve with a dry white wine and enjoy!

Parsley and Basil Sauce
3 T. olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 c. coarsely chopped fresh basil
1/2 c. chopped fresh Italian parsley
4 green onions, trimmed and minced
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil
* salt and black pepper

Heat olive oil in a small saute pan over medium heat; add garlic and cook until softened, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.

Transfer to food processor. Add basil, parsley, green onions and lemon juice. Process until well combined. Keep food processor turning. Slowly pour in remaining olive oil in a steady stream into mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Process again. Store in refrigerator up to 3 days.

Garlic Shrimp
4-6 servings of couscous (from a box is fine)
3 T olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, sliced thinly
2 lbs large frozen shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp lemon juice
* salt and black pepper

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic. Cook for about 1 minute. Add shrimp, paprika, salt and pepper. Saute shrimp tossing constantly for about 3 minutes or until they turn pink. Add lemon juice, toss and cook for another 30 seconds. Serve over couscous. Drizzle with Parsley Basil sauce.

Creamy Pasta Salad with Celery
1 lb medium pasta shells
1 c. light mayo
1/2 c. fresh lemon juice
6 celery stalks, halved and thinly sliced
1 c. celery leaves
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain. Rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.

Whisk together mayo and lemon juice. Add celery stalks and leaves, onion and pasta. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss to mix.

Serves 8.