Sharing Plate – Your Cooking Coach |

Since I had leftover sweet pepper sauce, I decided to pair it with sausage and pasta. The sauce, I have to say, is delicious. I roasted a red and orange pepper until their skin was charred and the flesh soft. I covered the peppers until the skin became soft enough to peel off. I always have fresh tomato sauce made in the fridge which I added to a blender with the roasted peppers. It created a delicious sauce that consisted of healthy peppers and tomatoes- your kids don’t need to know that.

I bought a weird shaped pasta from the grocery store and cooked it till al dente. I added it to the sausage and sauce and then topped it with a bit of shredded parmesan.

My daughter’s friend was over for dinner. I gave them each serving of pasta and some baby spinach on the side. They ate up the pasta in no time and asked for seconds- to me that is a sure sign of a successful dish!
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This was a great dish I made up the other day. It was one of those days where I had no idea what I was going to make. I looked in my fridge and I had half a cauliflower and a bag of broccoli. As usual, I had sausage in the fridge as well. I took all of those ingredients out and decided to use them for an entree. I roasted them with a drizzle of olive oil until everything was golden brown and delicious. I then added the sweet pepper and tomato sauce to the veggies and sausage and made a delicious concoction.

I could have served it with al dente pasta but I thought of something different- how about polenta?? I had not made polenta in a very long time so I wasn’t sure if I had it in my pantry. I found just enough for the evenings dinner. A lot of people buy the pre-made polenta in a large tube. I don’t think that stuff tastes really good. Make it fresh- it is super simple and delicious. I used a combination of chicken broth, milk, parmesan cheese and a bit of butter. It took all of 10 minutes to make, and I had a delicious, healthy starch to serve for dinner.

I served the vegetables and sausage on top of the warm, creamy polenta. It was unbelievably delicious. It took a bit of convincing for my daughter to try the dish. It was the first time she tried polenta and ate it- I am not sure how happy she was, but she ate it.

Try the roasted cauliflower, broccoli and sausage on polenta- you will love it.
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I love, love this tea bread. We were invited to a friends house for a barbecue and I offered to bring dessert. I wanted to make a summer cake using a quintessential summer fruit and of course strawberries came to mind.

I did a bit of research and came up with this fabulous recipe.

I got all the ingredients together- which, by the way are all that you normally have on hand.

It didn’t take me very long to put together and baking in the oven. Once it came out, my daughter was hovering around it like a dog on a bone. I cut a slice for her and she immediately complained about taking this cake to someone’s house and not having any for us. I promised her I would make another one for her soon- and honestly I haven’t yet. As I write this, I have already decided to bake one this evening. She will be thrilled.

So, if you want to be equally thrilled, make this delicious strawberry bread this summer…
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This is a fabulous recipe for meatballs. I make them all the time. We all love them, especially my daughter. My goal is to incorporate some kind of vegetable into the meat and make the dish more healthy.

In this case, I took a jar of fire roasted peppers and processed them. I added the puree into the meat. It gave the meatballs a delicious, sweet flavor and a soft texture.

A typical meatball recipe usually includes white bread soaked in milk. I have added breadcrumbs to bind the meat in the past. This time I decided to soak the breadcrumbs in milk and added it to the meat. It made the meatballs extremely soft and delicious.

I cooked the meatballs in homemade marinara sauce and the result was amazing. We had my daughter’s friend over for dinner and everyone enjoyed the meal.

Try these next time you feel like eating meatballs…
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Although I didn’t serve this rice with the fish tacos and bean salad, I think it would go really well with that meal.

This dish is probably the simplest to make and has tons of flavor. The two main ingredients are fresh cilantro and dill.

I always have a huge bunch of cilantro in my fridge. When you bring a bunch home, the key is to wash the cilantro and spread it on your countertop over a thick towel. Let it dry completely- then roll it up in some paper towels and store in a zip lock bag. It keeps in my crisper for a long time and is ready whenever I need it- which is almost everyday.

I have started keeping dill in my fridge as well- I love it’s earthy flavor in rice dishes, curries and especially paired with fish or shrimp. In fact, this summer I am growing some in my backyard. I can’t wait to pick some and add it to a fresh salad- yum!

Anyway, back to the rice dish. You simply make your rice – I like to cook mine in chicken broth to give it an extra boost of flavor. Once the rice is almost done, add some frozen peas on top and place the lid back on. The peas will thaw and soften and won’t over cook. Once the rice is room temperature, add the cilantro and dill- that is it. It is super simple, but the flavor is unbelievable.

Try it with a grilled meal outside- it will go perfectly well with some grilled chicken!
Click here for the recipe… »