Tag: thyme
Sausage and Mushroom Ragu
This an easy recipe that is a crowd pleaser. Now that school has started again- it is time to get organized and get back to the same old routine. I kind of like getting back to my old routine- I like the familiar. Anyway, my point was to have your pantry and fridge filled with things that will help you through the week to make quick and easy meals.
One of those things is fresh tomato sauce. It doesn’t take very long to cook but it makes a huge difference in the recipe.
This particular dish was easy to make as I had the sauce ready. All I did was saute the sausage (which I had in the fridge as well), onion and garlic. It was simple and best of all- everyone loved it! This is a great week day meal and also yummy as a school lunch…
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Roast Lamb with Potatoes
Cool weather makes me want to eat stews, roasts and meatballs. I also feel like drinking some delicious red wine. It is my favorite time of year. There is still a lot of fresh produce available at the farmer’s market so the possibilities are endless.
I bought a lovely leg of lamb from Whole Foods and decided to roast it with lots of herbs, garlic and pancetta. I made a lovely paste with all the aromatics- most of them from my backyard. I slathered the paste all over the lamb as well as the potatoes.
Last year in Spello, Italy- Paola made a fabulous lamb dinner for us. She used similar ingredients to roast the meat and the potatoes. I tried to replicate the flavors and was quite successful. The lamb was super aromatic cooked with the delicious paste. It was cooked just right with a delicious crust.
The potatoes were yummy as well- I added the paste and a bit more salt. Since the paste had pancetta and olive oil, I didn’t need an extra fat for the vegetables. They roasted to perfection with tons of flavor.
Now for something green- I made creamed spinach. The dinner was delicious. We drank a delicious bottle of red and enjoyed the evening.
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Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes and Spinach
My daughter’s friend was coming over for dinner and I didn’t have anything to serve. I didn’t want to cook the boxed macaroni and cheese and so decided to make my own. There is nothing wrong with the boxed kind (especially the healthy ones) – I do make it once in a while but I try not to serve it very often.
The fact is it doesn’t take very long to make your own from scratch. I made the bechamel or white sauce quickly and added the shredded cheese. I boiled whole grain pasta on the side and added that to the mix. I had some homemade tomato sauce which I added as well. Now, in order to make it balance, I needed to come up with a vegetable. I always have frozen spinach in the freezer. I added some of that as well and put it all in an oven proof pan and baked it for about twenty minutes. Best of all- it was a one pot meal- yay!!!
The kids enjoyed it but did not appreciate me calling the pasta macaroni and cheese. They informed me anything with spinach and tomato sauce is not mac and cheese….
- ½ pound whole grain penne or elbow pasta, cooked al dente
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 2 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup homemade tomato sauce
- 1 cup frozen chopped spinach
- Salt
In a large frying pan heat the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes or till soft. Add thyme and basil. Sprinkle the flour and sauté for a minute. Add the milk and whisk gently to remove lumps. Bring to a boil and simmer till thickened. Add cheese and mix well. Add the spinach and tomato sauce. Mix well and add salt. Add the cooked pasta and place in an oven proof container. Bake in a 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.
Italian Style Burgers
I loved eating and making these burgers. Summer is almost done and I feel like grilling and eating all sorts of fresh produce. I had been busy all day Friday and we didn’t have any plans for dinner. We got home around five and I decided to grill burgers, roast some potato wedges and make a salad- simple summertime meal.
I still had to go and buy some ground beef. Usually I prefer turkey meat due to health reason but I decided to go look for grass fed ground beef. Before going shopping, I peeled and cooked the potatoes. I chopped basil, thyme and rosemary for the burgers. I minced garlic and grated a shallot. Once I got the meat and rolls, I simply added the chopped ingredients and that was it- I was done. My husband had asked me to purchase the ready to grill patties but I can’t get myself to do that. I have no idea what is in there.. especially the meat quality. I prefer to make my own- especially since it doesn’t take very long at all.
We grilled the burgers and ate a delicious, simple summer meal… I can’t believe it is almost done. Make this recipe this weekend…
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Sausage and Peppers Bake
Who doesn’t like sausage and peppers? I love the combination of the sweet orange peppers with the savory sausages. I always have them on hand- usually a couple of packs in my freezer. They are extremely handy and versatile. Breakfast, lunch and dinner – all three meals can be delicious with chicken sausages.
I wanted to make a one pot meal- my favorite thing to cook. They are easy, quick and delicious. In this case, I added tomatoes and potatoes with the sausage and peppers. I added garlic and fresh thyme with salt and pepper. It is very simple yet extremely flavorful.
I bought a pack of ‘ready to bake baguettes’ from Trader Joes and baked some with this delicious dinner. I made a delicious arugula salad with orange segments. I made a quick dressing with orange juice, sherry vinegar, honey and extra virgin olive oil.
I gave my daughter just the arugula (which she doesn’t like so much but will eat it since she knows there is no way out). I also gave her the sausage and peppers but left out the potatoes and tomatoes- she doesn’t care for them. She loves the freshly baked bread as do my husband and I.
It was a quick and delicious meal- my favorite kind to eat. The sausage and pepper bake was delicious.
- 1 pack (4 or 5 links) chicken sausage, sliced at a bias (I used a spinach and garlic one)
- 2 yellow skinned potatoes, cut into 2-inch squares
- 2 cups grape tomatoes
- 1 orange pepper, cut into 2-inch squares
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Pepper
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a lined 9 X 13 baking sheet add the sausage, potatoes, tomatoes, pepper, garlic, thyme, rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well with hands and bake for 45 minutes or till the potatoes are browned and cooked. Serve with a baguette and a salad.
Keema Lasagna
I made this lasagna for a friend and her kids. I was a bit skeptical since the keema I used in the dish was cooked in Indian spices. Although the meat was not spicy, it did taste different and I wasn’t sure if my friend’s kids would enjoy the flavor.
I decided to make a bechamel sauce- which is essentially the white sauce used in macaroni and cheese. I thought the creaminess of the sauce will off set any ‘strange’ flavors that the meat may have. It is very hard to gauge how kids are going to react to new dishes. I love experimenting on my daughter’s friends- as they taste the dish, their faces say everything.
I also had a fresh made tomato sauce which I used in the lasagna. I used gruyere and parmigiano cheeses to layer between the noodles. Gruyere is one of my favorite cheeses to use in such dishes- it melts beautifully and had a delicious nutty flavor.
It turns out, they all did eat the lasagna. My daughter asked me why it tasted like keema?? I asked her to be quiet and keep eating.
I considered it a success. I thought it was fabulous- I loved the dry spice flavors mixed in with the creamy bechamel sauce and cheese. I made a salad and served some red wine. It was all good.
- 1 cup prepared keema
- 2 cups homemade or store bought tomato sauce
- 3 cups béchamel sauce
- 1½ cup grated gruyere cheese
- ½ cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
- 6 lasagna no-boil lasagna sheets
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the two cheeses and keep aside. Pour 1 cup tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9 X 13 lasagna pan. Add three lasagna sheets. Add ½ cup of keema, spreading it evenly. Top it with ½ cup grated cheese and 1 cup béchamel sauce. Add three more lasagna sheets and repeat the process. Top with the last three lasagna sheets. Pour the remaining 1 cup béchamel sauce. Then add the remaining 1 cup tomato sauce. Top with 1 cup grated cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 60-80 minutes or till the noodles are soft and cooked and the cheese is bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Bechamel Sauce
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon powdered nutmeg
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
Heat a pot over medium heat. Add butter and melt, whisk in flour, cook 1 minute and then whisk in milk, Add the thyme and the rosemary. Season with salt and nutmeg. Cook until thickened, about 7-8 minutes, whisking occasionally.
Tomato and Egg Salad with Arugula
I was at Whole Foods and the farmer’s market today. Every where I looked, I could see tomatoes in abundance. I mostly buy the cherry or grape tomatoes- they make fabulous sauces and are great to cut in half for sandwiches or salads. Today the orange and green tomatoes were just too tempting and I decided to spend the big bucks to buy the colorful tomatoes. My first thought was to pair them with fresh mozzarella cheese and basil- it’s my husband’s favorite. I wanted to make something different- but couldn’t come up with anything.
I came home and as dinner time came around- hunger levels were not too high. I thought of tossing the tomatoes with some salt and eating them as a meal- but then as I was putting the eggs in the fridge- egg salad came to mind.
I boiled a few eggs and cut the tomatoes. I added mayonnaise and dijon mustard to the mix. Some salt, lemon juice and pepper finished it off. I asked my husband to bring some thyme from the back yard for the salad. I always like a little burst of sweetness in my salad- currants came to mind.
I dressed the arugula simply with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. The tomato and egg salad was served on arugula with a garnish of currants. It was simply delicious- a whole meal with greens, protein and fabulous tasting tomatoes. It was a perfect end to the day.
- 2-3 large heirloom tomatoes, cut into ½ inch pieces
- 4 eggs, full boiled, peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- Salt
- Pepper
- Juice of half a lemon
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
Add the tomatoes and eggs in a mixing bowl. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, salt, pepper, lemon juice and fresh thyme. Mix well careful not to break the tomatoes. Keep aside.
- 4 cups baby arugula
- Salt
- Pepper
- Juice of half a lemon
- Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, about a tablespoon
- 2 tablespoons currants
In a large platter, add the arugula. Drizzle the olive oil and lemon juice. Add the salt and pepper and toss the greens. Add the egg and tomato mixture on top. Garnish with the currants and serve.