*Sigh: Shrimp Scampi with Heirloom Tomatoes

You know that sigh? The special one reserved for the moment you re-enter your home at the end of a long, and I do mean long, Friday afternoon.  Here I sit, wine in hand, Modern Family on the television, having just devoured a giant plate of pasta and feeling, for a moment at least, like my life is on hold. And I don't have to worry about Boards, or moving to a totally different state, or the many giant events I just transcribed onto my wall calendar. It's a good feeling. Should I be concerned that food makes me this content? 

This meal took about 10 minutes to make, no kidding. The most time-consuming part is waiting for the water to boil. So do that, super-salty water, bring it to boil, drop in your pasta. I like using plain 'ole spaghetti. Not the angel hair, the regular. And Barilla only, please. I really have found it to be the freshest-tasting.

Since I was cooking for one, I defrosted about 6-7 shrimp and cut 4 mini heirloom tomatoes. I have made it a personal goal to always have lemons in my kitchen. This is a relatively new goal circa umm...this afternoon. But I can literally always find a use for them and they do add a little pizazz to a million different dishes. I also chopped up 2 cloves of garlic but those were already sizzling away in butter by the time I took this picture. 

In a saucepan, melt 1/2 Tb olive oil and 1/2 Tb butter. Start frying up your garlic and then add the shrimp. You want them to just barely get pink, so arrange them in one layer, season with salt/pepper/and a few red pepper flakes. Turn over and let them finish cooking, then deglaze with a swirl of white wine. Drain the pasta and add to the pan. Squeeze in some lemon and a grating of 

fresh Parm. 

Do You Have Five Minutes?

Lunch is a tricky meal...especially on the weekends. I think it's the fact that you want it to feel special, but you don't want to put a lot of work into it. At least, that's how it is for me. I eat basically the same thing every weekday since I pack my lunch, but on the weekends, I typically scrounge.

Usually I do a midday breakfast and make an omelette or bake something I've frozen from a dinner earlier in the week. But last weekend I was running low on food supplies and I had to be creative.

I remember I had some leftover chicken from the chicken I'd cooked for my casserole, so I added that to a pan with a drizzle of sesame oil. Then I added 3 carrots, cut into long strips. I cooked up some pasta and added that to the chicken and veggie(s) and let it get really nice and crisp - then I added 1 Tbs of peanut butter and seasoned with spices.

It was actually quite delectable. And it took me all of about 10 minutes to make - I was talking to Weston the whole time, so it felt even shorter. Quick cooking is all about seeing what you have on hand and being creative. I was quite pleased with the results :)

Steak Scampi

Yes, I said it: STEAK scampi.

The recipe had been brewing in my head ever since a friend came over and I made shrimp scampi for her. I had leftover pasta, parsley, and lemons, but no shrimp, so I sauteed off my leftover London Broil and decided to add it in instead. The result was excellent and, I have to say, a nice change of pace from my usual bean-as-protein meals.

I boiled off some spaghetti and tossed it in about 4 cloves of diced garlic, 2 Tbs fresh parsley, a squirt of lemon, and 2 Tbs of olive oil. A sprinkling of salt and pepper to taste and a few a pieces of seasoned beef and you're done. It takes all of about 5 minutes once your pasta is boiled. Definitely a good week-night meal.

When Even Five Ingredients Are Too Many

Being in dental school means traveling around with the same group of about 90 people for 4 years. Same classes, same clinic times, same lunch hour. So the other day as we all opened our lunches, one of my classmates commented on the hummus I had made. And another friend at the table brought up how her mom made a Lebanese feast the other night. And another talked about his babaganoush made with eggplant from the local Farmers' Market. I was in heaven - I mean, how wonderful that my classmates love food like me!

We are in the process of finding a date to hit up a few Farmers' Markets, because, can you believe it, I have never been to one in RVA? I know, it's pretty shameful - but I don't have a car, so I think that's a pretty good reason since I'm not in walking distance to any of them. I need to do my research to see which ones are closest because I've heard there are a few scattered around the area.

In lieu of attending the Farmers' Market, I was able to use some fresh lime basil the other night, and hence, this post was born. One of my classmates brought me a couple snippings of sweet basil and lime basil which he grows. I mean, come on, how much more perfect can you get? Fresh herbs picked that day? He even packaged them in a little cooler in moist towels so they'd stay fresh throughout the day.

I rushed home and opened the Tupperware and spent a couple minutes just tasting the herbs. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with them - I'd originally thought a quinoa salad with tomatoes and feta and cucumbers. But they were too good for that - as much as I love feta, it can crowd out other flavors.

What I decided to do was let the herbs shine on their own - I boiled some curly pasta until it was al dente. Then I drizzled in a few tablespoons of my very favorite and sacred olive oil. This is the best, guys, and I do mean it. I bought about 9 bottles in Las Vegas the last time I was there because there are only 4 places in the country that sell it. Of course, when I got home, I realized they have an online store. Fail.

I sprinkled in a little salt - because I think it helps bring out the flavor of any herb, and some fresh pepper. Then I tore in the herbs and finished it off with some lemon.

That's it. It really is so simple and as someone who grew up watching my mom cook, sometimes I feel like I'm cheating when I make something that tastes so good but takes no time at all and only uses about 3 ingredients. But if there is something I've learned since cooking on my own and refining my own style - it's that there is a time and a place for complicated. And it's not when you have fresh herbs from the garden.

Pasta for Mom

My mom and I have a running joke: she's an amazing cook, but the one thing she just has problems with is properly cooking pasta. So whenever I come home, she asks me to make her a pasta dish. Last time I made shrimp scampi and she was in heaven. She asked me to recreate the dish a couple nights ago using chicken instead. What I made was, in fact, nothing like the original because we had different ingredients on hand, but I'll definitely try to match the shrimp dish again later this summer.

As much as I love my kitchen in Richmond, it's not as snazzy as the one back home, so here are some pictures as much for your viewing pleasure as for mine...

This kitchen is a dream to cook in - my mom designed the whole thing, even the stove was custom made for her because she wanted extra burners.

Here is the chicken pasta recipe which is divine - very creamy and flavorful. I highly recommend you try it :)

1 pound chicken tenders, chopped into small pieces

1/2 onion, chopped small

2 Tbs pesto

salt, fresh cracked pepper, garlic powder, red pepper flakes

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

3 Tbs Greek yogurt

3 cups spinach

Heat oil in a pan and fry the onion until it is golden. Add the chicken and cook about halfway - then season with black pepper, salt, and garlic powder. In a bowl, combine the pesto, sour cream, and yogurt, then add this to the chicken. Sprinkle in the Parm and the red pepper flakes. Add more pesto if you think it needs some. Add the spinach and stir so the sauce coats it, then put a lid over the pan to wilt the spinach down some.

Boil 1 1/2 pounds of thin spaghetti and add it to the sauce (reserve some pasta water when draining). Let them cook together for a while and add a couple ladles of pasta water to loosen the sauce so it coats everything nicely.

Birthday Brunch: One Post, Many Recipes

My first post back in Michigan is a goodie: 4 recipes in one!

We decided to celebrate my sister's 18th birthday a bit late (she wanted to wait for me to be back here) and so I suggested a yummy Birthday Brunch. I love brunch - guests feel like they are being spoiled when they hear they are going to "brunch." The idea conjures up images of sausage, eggs, bacon, waffles, pastas...it also makes me think of being stuffed passed the point of comfort. This is why I enjoy planning the menu: one carb, one protein, one sweet, one healthy - but each has a twist to make them unique. Planning a brunch party does NOT mean bogging yourself down with a ton of complicated recipes. It's sometimes better to have a few amazing options for your guests, so they don't end up picking a little off of everything and feeling stuffed but unsatisfied.

Here was our menu:

1) Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake : this recipe is great, no kidding. Very light and fluffy. I made the following alterations - I nixed the streusal topping; in my opinion it just adds fat without a good flavor trade off. So instead, I added blueberries. My trick so they don't fall to the bottom is to put a little batter on the bottom of the bundt and then press about 3/4 cup blueberries into it, then add the rest of the batter on top.

I also made a killer sauce to up the berry flavor: I just simmered down a small bag of frozen blueberries with a small bag of frozen raspberries and about 3 Tbs sugar. I let that cook over medium high heat until it thickened, adding about 1 tsp cornstarch towards the end. I serve the sauce over the cake, but let people do it themselves so the cake didn't get soggy.

2) Fruit Salad: My mom made the dressing for this - it's a little different every time but the general gist is that you mix about 3/4 cup sour cream with 1/4 cup of sugar and 1 tsp of almond extract. Mix this into a blend of bananas, apples, oranges, strawberries, and peaches. Then mix in 1 cup of mini marshmallows and top with toasted coconut and almonds.

3) Crust-less Quiche: This recipe was altered to make a 9x13 Pyrex. Mix 8-9 eggs with some salt and pepper. Add 1 1/2 cups of Bisquick and set aside. Layer 1 chopped, fried onion, 1 head of cauliflower chopped finely, and about 3 cups of some kind of meat into the Pyrex. I used spicy beef snacking sticks from Whole Foods, turkey bacon, and regular breakfast sausage. Over this pour the egg mixture and cover with 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (a spicy cheese would be good, too). Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes, then let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

4) Pasta Salad: Chop one head of broccoli, 4 carrots, 1/2 a block of feta cheese, and 1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes. Add 1 pound of cooked and drained fusilli pasta. Next, spoon in 1/3 cup olive tapenade, 1/4 cup Dijon mustard, 1/4 cup olive oil, and 2 Tbs balsamic vinegar. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Combine thoroughly to be sure every bit is coated. Serve cold or at room temperature.

And there you have it: a simple menu with outstanding flavor. Happy Birthday to my sissy! You are going to make a great Wolverine!!!!

You're Going to Kick Yourself

...for not thinking of this sooner, if you haven't already.

There is a super simple (and I do mean SIMPLE) dinner that I consider my go-to comfort food. It's warm and decadent and basically amazing. The other day I was making it when my roommate said, "Oh where did you get that idea. I've never seen anything like that." And I said, "I thought it up." And that's when I realized, maybe I should post it since it is soooo easy and maybe I could share and you'll fall in love with it too.

Don't blame me if it's so simple you're insulted. Sometimes the easiest things are the most tasty, so here's the recipe I've never posted but always should have. Fair warning, it is catered to my own flavor loves, which I'll explain now:

I love pasta - well cooked pasta. A nice little bite to it. It has to be freshly made (as in boiled, not actually made from scratch), too, not something that's been sitting around in the fridge. That's why I incorporated this stipulation into the recipe: you make enough pasta for the amount of people you are serving (usually one, in my case) and there are no leftovers.

Secondly, I enjoy big flavor. I LIKE giant pieces of garlic to bit into, and I don't care if the sundried tomatoes stand out on their own. So if you do like a bit quieter flavor profile, this might not be for you.

Third, I think spicing pasta should be extremely simple. You have to use salt - it makes pasta better. But just enough to taste. And in lieu of pepper, I usually use red pepper flakes for added kick.

Finally, olive oil is another must. You have to use it in this dish. It acts like a binder (along with my other fav ingredients, dijon mustard), and it creates a sense of luxury on the tongue.

So here, it is...it could change your quick supper recipes for good:

Sheila's Super Simple Pasta

Get a pot of water to a rolling boil, then add enough pasta for one serving.

In the plate you are using to eat on (why use a cutting board), chop one clove of garlic and 4-5 olives, any kind you like. Keep the olive pieces a little bigger than the garlic ones. You may also add 1-2 sliced sun-dried tomatoes (not the salt-cured ones).

Sprinkle over this some salt and red pepper flakes. Squirt over that about 1 Tbs of Dijon mustard. Grate in 1 Tbs pecorino (I like this much better than Parmesan).

Once the pasta is cooked perfectly (about 10 minutes), drain it and make sure there isn't any lingering water. Dump over the season mixture you made on the plate. Measure out a good tablespoon of olive oil and pour it over. Use a spoon and fork to toss everything together.

Serve immediately!

*note: I used to mix everything in a pot with the pasta and then transfer it all to a plate, but I lost a lot of the seasonings this way. By making everything right in the plate you are planning to eat with, you can monitor the toppings to make sure they don't sink to the bottom, etc. If making for more than one (3+), just make it all in the serving platter and note that you'll have to use probably 3 Tbs olive oil, 4 Tbs Dijon, and enough toppings to make sure every portion has some.

photo credit (garlic)

photo credit (pecorino)

Saucy with a Kick

Barilla Spicy Marina is my new favorite sauce base. Sometimes you - gasp! - don't have to make your own pasta sauce in order to have a wonderful accompaniment to pasta. Here's my super simple cheat, which I don't really consider a cheat, because I've had homemade sauce and this recipe blew it out of the water.

Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil and add one minced onion. It doesn't HAVE to be minced, just finely chopped. Let brown and then add the pasta sauce. Season with pepper and oregano (if you'd like, I usually don't because I think it overpowers). Dilute the sauce by rinsing out the jar with water (about a half cup) and then adding that to the pot. Waste not, want not. Add a few tablespoons chopped parsley, but reserve some to sprinkle over the final product. It doesn't just add color, it also adds flavor in two dimensions. Cooked parsley has a different taste than fresh.

Cook down for about 10-15 minutes and you're good to go. You can dilute it more and keep cooking it down if you want, too.

The Black Sheep: through the eyes of a first-timer

My class schedule this term is, well, insane as usual. Except now, two days a week, I get out of class at 7pm instead of 2pm. Just imagine how it feels to be learning biomedical topics for 8 hours in a row- or maybe don't...The point is, a friend of mine suggested we go out for dinner after our night exam the other day and I was very excited at the prospect of spending my first school night trying the local cuisine. We decided on Black Sheep since I've been hearing left and right how good it is. I know the standard is to go there for brunch, but their dinner menu looked delicious as well, so off we went.

Let me just say, I was not exactly prepared for how cozy it was. I kind of imagined a more mainstream restaurant vibe, not a little nook with dimmed lighting and wooded benches. It was very sweet and I'd definitely suggest it as a date night spot. I was also unprepared for how small it was. Just us opening the door made the whole place cold for a few minutes. The waitresses were pretty laid back and - oh! can't forget: the salt and pepper shakers are THE CUTEST things ever.

But on to the food. I wasn't in the mood for a sandwich - I wanted something hearty and comfy...so I suppose the atmosphere whet my appetite because my stomach was telling my brain to ignore the prices and go with whatever I wanted. We started by sharing the sweet potato samosas and I will say that the pastry dough was perfectly flaky and amazing. The filling had a good flavor, but I like my samosas spicy, which these were not. The kicker, though, was the apple chutney. It was like a curried applesauce and I could it it straight up any day. My friend was going to ask if we could buy it to go.

For my main course I was debating between the focaccia with goat cheese and the pot roast - until the waitress told us the special for the evening: pork chop with pumpkin and artichoke heart orzo. At $13, it really was a steal. The flavors were wonderful - the chop had an apple smoked flavor to it and the orzo, although a tad over-cooked, was sauced nicely. The pumpkin added a certain richness to it and I very much enjoyed the fact that they didn't skimp on the artichoke hearts and had taken the time to de-brine them a bit. I also ordered a side of their corn pudding. A little on the sweet side for me, and the custard had broken because there was too much liquid. I should probably mention, also, that the chop was cooked perfectly! It was still juicy and succulent, which isn't easy with pork. And the cut was nice and large with a gorgeous frenched bone.





While dining we saw one of the infamous "battleships" the place is known for. If you are unfamiliar, they are basically enormo subs. I am going back for sure to try one of those - but I need some people to join me; if interested, just write me a comment! The gentleman seated next to us ordered the pot roast so I was able to see that it looked rich and delicious with a nice hearty sauce. Their banana pudding also seemed to be quite popular, so I'll have to try that as well.


All in all, the ambiance was excellent and the food did not disappoint in neither its flavor nor its creativity. I left Black Sheep with yet another excellent restaurant to recommend to others and, for the first time since I've moved here, feeling like a local.

Pesto with a Pop!

Dear Readers,

For the longest time I thought I didn't like pesto. Perhaps because I was confused about what exactly was in it: I just felt it was so unhealthy - I mean, a little olive oil is fine, but people were telling me they used two cups worth, and I am sorry, but that does NOT sound appetizing to me. I decided that I'd have to try to make the stuff eventually, but I could do it on my terms. Here is my recipe for pesto - it's an affordable version, too, because I used walnuts instead of pine nuts. And be sure to read the "Tips" section because I've got a handy way to make the flavors pop.

What You Need

2 cups fresh basil: we got the tender, tiny-leaved type at Whole Foods. They were sooo cute...

1/4 cups nuts: walnut or pine nuts will work - and I didn't do this at the time, but I imagine toasting them would be delish

1/2 cup olive oil, plus a little more when serving/storing

salt, pepper to taste

2 cloves garlic

squirt of lemon

2 to 3 oz parmesean (a block or already grated), optional

What You Do

In a grinder, or food processor, pulse the garlic and salt to make a little paste

Add the nuts and pepper and grind them roughly (if using parmesan cheese, you can add it now)

Add the basil and lemon juice, turn the processor on, and slowly pour in the olive oil till it forms a nice emulsion - DO NOT over-process, chunks of basil are just fine.

Finis!

Tips from the Chef

• I didn't use cheese in mine and I didn't really miss it, but some people really, really enjoy cheese on their pasta, so if you want, add it to the pesto directly or grate some on top before eating
• don't pulse the basil too much - otherwise you break down the enzymes in the leaves and you'll have a really brown-looking pesto, not a bright green
• serve pesto over something that can grab it - like fusilli or some other swirly, ridged pasta
• when serving, add the pesto to your cooked pasta and drizzle over a little bit more olive oil and salt - this makes the mixture pop
• you can actually freeze pesto! just cover it with a little olive oil to retain freshness and use within 4 weeks

Quick and Healthy Cream Sauce

Here's a simple way to dress pasta for a super-fast dinner. Just make a sauce of reduced fat sour cream, a couple spoonfuls of ricotta, and some milk or cream (that would be the not-so-lowfat version). Add 3 or 4 crushed cloves of garlic and some frozen peas and you have a deliciously simple meal.

Easy Orzo with Sundried Tomatoes and Garlic

For that past....well, I can't even remember how long it's been - months, let's say, I have had a pound of orzo sitting in the cupboard. I bought it with Weston many moons ago when Bush's was having a sale on pasta and we were sick of spaghetti and thought we'd be ambitious and try to make something with orzo. But here's the thing with orzo - it can't take heavy sauces - so things like Mac and Cheese or a simple meat sauce are just too overpowering. And since we both are BIG mac and cheese people, we never got around to our little experiment.

But since I am by myself now, I take great joy in tying up loose recipe ends such as this. So, thank you to Nino, the head chef of the villa I stayed at in Italy, for being the inspiration for the following recipe. I think I found the perfect meal for any occasion - from a summertime BBQ to a family gathering crowd pleaser.

FYI: this recipe makes A LOT - probably 8 to 10 servings worth so cut it in half if making for less, or invite a whole bunch of friends over for a potluck :)

What you need -

1 pound orzo - cooked in salted boiling water until just soft to the bite
2-3 large cloves of fresh garlic, finely minced
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbs (or more if you'd like) good olive oil - a light, a fruity olive oil would be good, nothing too heavy

10 slices sun-dried tomatoes, packaged in oil and reconstituted in boiling water until soft

1 package cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1 block feta (8 oz) - I like French - cut into medium-small cubes

juice of about 1 small lemon

1 can Northern Beans

*optional: any leafy herb you have on hand: basil or flat-leafed parsley would be best, 4 or 5 hard-boiled eggs cut into teeny pieces

Make the orzo and set aside to cool.

Add all the mix-ins - no dressing yet.

Make the dressing by whisking the lemon juice and olive oil - amount adjusted to your liking. Add the spices and pour over the pasta.

The dressing will seep into the pasta over time, so I like to do a preliminary coating and then coast with more dressing before serving, so you get two punches of flavor.

Note:

Please please please do not take this dish and throw on some of that Kraft ready-made balsamic or Italian style vinaigrette. Nothing against Kraft but it just makes the dish taste...artificial. You'd be surprised how wonderful a little olive oil and lemon juice are together.

Ricotta-less Lasagna

A lovely person recently told me my posts have been lacking "substance" so here's a lengthy post with step-by-step directions on how to make a hearty lasagna on a dime. I don't really like ricotta in my lasagna - I LOOOOVE ricotta in general. For tangential reasons, may I suggest topping some with a little raspberry jam or maple syrup and eating it as a lovely snack?

Anyway, in Italy I learned to make lasagna layering bechemel and tomato sauce, so here's my version of that procedure using ingredients I happened to have on hand. The results were amazing and I am quite proud of my handy work :)

What You Need:

1 box Barilla lasagna sheet noodles - not the one with ruffly edges, the flat ones

2 jars pasta sauce -I used vodka sauce and a garlic/olive oil sauce

5 cloves minced garlic

1 large can black olives, sliced

pepper, salt, garlic powder to taste

Make the Sauce (s):

Heat the sauces and add the garlic and spices. You can add some oregano if you want, too, but sometimes that overpowers the dish.

I had some leftover Gorgonzola bechemel sauce, so I decided to us that for my lasagna, but if you don't have any, just whip up a batch. See any one of my Mac and Cheese posts for a recipe.

Layer the Lasagna:

Start with a nice covering of sauce a the bottom of a Pyrex dish

Put on a layer of noddles

Cover noodles with more sauce and a sprinkling of mozzarella cheese

More noodles

Sauce, then I added some cooked and drained spinach and the bechemel

Noodles

Sauce and mozzarella cheese

Continue this procedure until you are done with the noodles

Add one final layer of sauce and a healthy covering of mozzarella and pecorino if you have some

Cover the whole thing with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes in a 350 degree oven

Uncover it and bake an additional 10 minutes so the cheese browns

If you want, you can poke through with a knife to make sure the noodles are totally cooked, but the great thing about using these noodles is no pre-boiling!!!! The spinach is a great addition if you don't have meat, like me. But you could add some ground turkey or chicken or beef to the pasta sauce and nix the spinach - I wouldn't do both because then one of them will be jealous of the other. Another thing: I really like is how this lasagna falls when you slice it - in my opinion, food should not be so stiff that it stands on its own. No thanks.

And there you have it, a delicious, healthy meal to last you a week. I actually froze a few pieces for a rainy day. But this is also a great thing to make and feed a few good friends.

The First Meal - Pasta with a Pop!

Hello Everyone :)

Geez, I am just full of posts this week, aren't I? Probably because classes haven't started yet and I am going stir-crazy. There's just been so much to share/document before my memory is overcome with the names of enzymes and the processes of oxidative phosphorolation. Last night was the day I decided to christen my apartment with it's very first dinner. I wanted something challenging, but as I do not have any sushi wood rolly things, or seaweed, or fish for that matter, I settle on a tried and true pasta recipe. Except this time I used one of my favorite cheeses, Gorgonzola.

For the Gorgonzola Cream Sauce:

1/2 cup gorgonzola crumbles
3-4 Tbs flour
2 Tbs butter
sprinkling oregano
salt and pepper to taste
red pepper flakes

I would like to take a moment to note that you know when you are a truly crazed with the love for food when you open a container of red pepper flakes for the first time and feel such a rush, you must take a picture. Don't judge...

For the balsamic reduction:

1/2 to 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

Pour the two into a saucepan and cook down until basically there's nothing left. You could use a cheapo balsamic for this and add more sure, but beware that your sauce would then have two notes - sickly sour and super sweet. So I'd say use a mediocre quality and save the good stuff for salad. At the end of the reducing process, the vinegar should now have a saucy consistency and be slightly thick (see below).

For the broccoli:

1/2 head of broccoli florets

Simple blanch them in salted boiling water for about a minute. I noticed that after I drained them, I didn't need to shock them in ice water, but you can do that if you're making this in advance. Also, find some way to shake out the water that gets stuck in the tops - this is what speeds up the sickly-looking process. I just shook each one individually, but maybe a salad spinner will do the trick.

You also need...

1/2 pound cooked spaghetti pasta

1/2 cup cooked chicken breast (optional)

To Serve

Just mix the pasta, sauce, and broccoli together when you are ready to serve, then drizzle over the balsamic vinegar. Store separately so that nothing gets too mushy - you can also freeze the sauce if you make more than you need.

30 Minute Dinner Party

I absolutely loooove having friends over for dinner. But I have to admit, when a fellow foodie is on the guest list, I do feel the need to make something a little extra tasty. People say you should never try a new recipe at a dinner party, and normally I'd agree, if the recipe is really involved and uses ingredients you aren't familiar with. But as I learned Monday, sometime recipes you've never made before turn out to be the ones you add to your Easy Entertaining pocketbook.

Chicken with Alfredo and Vegetable Pasta (I know, not a very creative name - send me new suggestions)

For the Chicken

1 mixed bag of chicken: breast, thighs, legs - I take off most of the fat

salt, pepper, garlic powder

olive oil

Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and arrange the chicken on it. Cover evenly with oil, then spice both sides, rubbing everything into the skin and little crevices.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until the juices run clear.

Take out of the over and cover with another sheet of aluminium foil and let rest 10 minutes before serving.

For the Pasta

Make the Veggies:

1 bell pepper, sliced thinly and cut into 1 inch pieces

1/2 large onion, chopped

3 scallions chopped, plus another chopped finely and set aside for garnish

3 cloves garlic, chopped

salt, pepper

8-10 slices sundried tomatoes, cut into strips

In a saute pan, brown the onion and garlic. Add the bell pepper and when this is soft, add the scallions and cook until the scallions are just soft enough to mellow out their onion-y flavor (you don't want them turning brown). Then, add the sundried tomatoes and at the very end, a few more pieces of fresh scallion.

Make the Sauce:

1/2 cup pecorino cheese, grated

3 Tbs cream cheese

4 Tbs flour

3 Tbs butter

1 c milk

salt, pepper, garlic powder

Make a rue by melting the butter then adding the flour and cooking the two with a whisk for about 20 seconds. This takes away any gritty flavor of the flour. Over medium-high heat, add the milk and whisk like your life depends on it. This won't thicken up immediately, but it will so be patient. Add the cream cheese, spices, and pecorino and watch as it all comes together. Turn off the heat, cover with a lid, and let sit till your pasta has cooked.

Make the Compote:

1 package baby tomatoes, sliced into quarters

2 Tbs good olive oil

salt, pepper

1 Tbs balsamic vinegar

Throw in 4 leaves of basil, chopped, if you have any

Mix all together and let sit until ready to serve

Make the Pasta:

I use about 3/4 package of spaghetti pasta

Cook it and reserve a little pasta water in case everything is too thick when you're combining the parts.

Finish it up:

Add the veggies to the pasta, then mix in the Alfredo and toss to coat. I drizzle in a little olive oil in addition to the pasta water because it is a little thick as-in. Put on a plate and garnish with the reserved scallions and a sprinkling of red pepper flakes. After guests have served themselves, have them put a little of the Tomato Compote over their pasta - it gives an amazing bite to the dish.

Tips from the Chef:

• Whenever you are using olive oil, know these things: a fruity, flavorful olive oil is good for anything you will taste directly (for instance, salad leaves) while an extra virgin olive oil is useful for sauteing.
• I like using red of yellow bell pepper for cooking, I just think the flavor is sweeter and less harsh than the green variety
• Pair this dish with a wonderful red or white wine
• There is no shame in accepting help. I grew up with a Persian mother who refused to let anyone (excluding family members) bring a dish with them when they came over. I think there's no problem with letting people be a part of the meal, especially if they have a special dish they want to share. Another plus is that by participating in the meal, people are more likely to feel more comfortable eating YOUR meal. Our guest, Kelly, brought an amazing salad and kindly shared the recipe with me, so look forward to seeing that in the near future!