Bacon & Broccoli Pasta

I found this recipe on Pinterest and decided it would make a great and fast dinner. 

It contains many ingredients that you will already have in the house, so unlike some recipes you will not have to go shopping with a specific grocery list. 

I adapted the original recipe quite substantially and I was delighted with the results.

Want a quick, easy dinner tonight......this is it!

Enjoy!

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Meatball Sandwiches

I am a meatball sandwich version....or at least I was until I made these!  Captain America was horrified to discover that I had never eaten one, and generally seemed underwhelmed by the concept!  

However, he sold them to me so well that when I found this incredible recipe for Turkey, Spinach & Parmesan Meatballs I decided to make the meatballs and use some of them in sandwiches. 

YES! These are as ridiculously good as they look.....in fact as I type this I want to eat them again!                                                                                

They got the Captain America seal of approval, which for you regular readers know does NOT come easy!  He said they were among the best meatball sandwiches he has ever eaten, and tasted better than a regular beef meatball sandwiches...they were legit!!

The best thing about them is, as far as meatball sandwiches go, they are a really healthy alternative without compromising on the taste!

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Turkey, Spinach & Parmesan Meatballs

I found this recipe for Turkey Meatballs on Pinterest and immediately wanted to make them!  I love meatballs, but they are often seen as a less then healthy option because of the beef. This one caught my eye and looked delicious.....so I found the perfect excuse to make them! They were as good as they looked if not better, I was delighted with the outcome and hope you are too!

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Spicy Pasta Sauce

One of the benefits of living with a Sicilian is that basic italian recipes course through his veins! To my very British brain, pasta sauce is pasta sauce (dare I even say that it used to come out of a jar!!) but heaven forbid we use pre-made pasta sauce anymore.  With Todd around it really would be a waste of his skills and knowledge, and the joy is I don't need to spend hours researching or trying different recipes, I just ask him and do what he tells me and it's perfect every time!

This recipe is a little more spicy than your average pasta sauce.  We were making it for a very specific purpose, Meatball Sandwiches, the full recipe for this is coming soon! We needed the sauce to be a little sweet, with a spicy kick.

In a large pan, add the olive oil and the diced onion and cook on a medium heat.

Add the seasonings (except the black pepper), and continue to cook until the onion softens, approximately 4 minutes.

Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste and diced tomatoes and stir so everything is thoroughly mixed.  Cook on a low heat for approximately 15 minutes.

Add a little black pepper to enhance the taste.

Serve over pasta, or use in the Meatball Sandwich recipe.

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Arancini

Captain America is Sicilian.

Both sets of his grandparents were born there and moved to the Bay Area when they were young, so he grew up with a very strong Sicilian influence, especially regarding cooking!

His Mom is an amazing cook, and makes some of the best Italian food.  Todd learn't most of the origins of cooking from her, but over time has developed his own style but still keeping the strong Sicilian origins.

In our house, we always have leftovers as we both cook as if we are feeding 30 people, not just the two of us!  After making Shepherd's Pie a couple of nights ago, we had leftover meat sauce, which we couldn't leave unused!  Todd decided to make Arancini, using the leftover meat sauce and other foods we already had.  This is by no means a definitive Arancini recipe.....like most recipes there are regional and family variations.  This however, will give you an idea of the basic recipe, and includes some of our suggestions for improvements.

For more information about the origins of Arancini, follow this link: Arancini


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Shepherd's Pie

One of the things I miss most about living in England is the food.......I know British food does not have the best reputation in the world, trust me, my husband is one of the biggest critics!  He says all British food is bland....my argument is that he 'overly' seasons food and therefore anything in comparison is bland!! Hence the reason us cooking together is not usually very easy ;-)

However, Shepherd's Pie is one of the foods he did actually like, and he really likes my version of it!

I say my version of it, because this recipe is not a traditional Shepherd's Pie at all.  Traditionally, Shepherd's Pie is made with ground lamb, and Cottage Pie is made with ground beef.  Depending on who you ask in which part of England you would be told a different version of this dish. To read more about the origins of Shepherd's Pie and Cottage Pie follow this link: Shepherd's Pie

This is my version of the family recipe I grew up with and I love it and so does Captain America!  I will convert him to loving all the British foods I love and miss, even if it kills me! Redeeming British food one bite at a time!

It is the ultimate comfort food, and great for cooler wintery nights, however much we would like to believe spring is on it's way the weather outside tells me different, so for now comfort foods and a warm blanket are the order of the day!


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Mahi-Mahi Stir Fry

In our household we try and eat relatively healthily, with the odd treat here and there, but a balanced diet is our priority, therefore we like to eat fish at least once a week.  We also try and eat locally sourced food, raised in 'natural' conditions, but on a budget!  This is a challenge to say the least!

Trying to find any fish at the grocery store that is wild caught, 'local' and less than $10 per pound is not an easy task...but this week I found mahi-mahi - which we love!  I, however have never cooked it in my life (it doesn't even exist in the UK!) so yet again when it comes to fish I deferred to Captain America to save the day.....well cook the dinner at least!

Might I add it was a joint venture, while he was running at the gym (I don't run, I refuse on principal....unless I am running for my life in which case I would probably die as I am very out of practice!) I prepped all the fish and the vegetables and took the pictures :-)

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Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken Breasts

This a is recipe inspired by one my Mum makes.  It is very simple and quick to make!

The combination of flavors is delicious and the filling keeps the chicken moist and the prosciutto adds a crispness! We were delighted with the results.

Here is the step by step guide:

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts

4 oz cream cheese

1/4 C pesto

10 slices prosciutto

skewers

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Sonoma Chicken

My great friend Deborah made a dish she named Sonoma Chicken a few weeks ago and it looked delicious! I decided to steal it, add my own twist and post it here!!  I give her full credit for the initial idea, she is a creative cooking genius and she doesn't even know it!

In exchange for my unashamedly stealing her recipe let me tell you a little about Deborah!  She is one of my best friends, she was my bridesmaid, she is married to a British guy, we bonded over confusing intercontinental 'lost in translation' life experiences and without her I would have been even more confused!  She helps me understand my American husband and I help her understand her British husband.  She is the absolute opposite personality to me which is why we get on so well.  She is an incredible wife, mother, friend and event planner......just to name a few of her qualities!

Check out some of her work here A Lady & Her Englishman



This dish is fast, easy and healthy and relatively inexpensive!


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Tri-Tip Marinade

I love tri-tip! I LOVE meat and don't think I could ever be a vegetarian! I sometimes wonder how I lived for 27 years in the UK without it!  For those of you not living in the western United States here is a link to find out more about tri-tip.
Tri-tip information

It is delicious, moist, easy and when cooked right, melts in the mouth!

I decided to make a marinade for the tri-tip, but couldn't find anything that seemed to take my fancy, so I do what I usually do in these situations and made up the recipe.  This was a huge risk, as Captain America makes great marinades for steak and tri-tip, and he was the one with the craving which I was potentially going to ruin!

I think it turned out really well, Captain America disagrees....he liked it but personally prefers his marinades more salty and less sweet.  I decided to post it anyway and let you decide!  Be warned this is a savory marinade but it airs more on the sweeter side than the smoky BBQ traditional marinades...but try it and see what you think!  I would love your feedback!

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Captain America's Stuffed Bell Peppers

Todd has been telling me about this recipe for months, and finally he got the time to make it and it was well worth the wait! This is healthy, tasty and simple!

Todd is amazing in the kitchen and this is another masterpiece. He created it from scratch too....not a recipe in sight!

This version is made with red and yellow bell peppers, but he insists that red and green work the best.  You can also switch up the meat and use ground beef instead, but we prefer the leaner turkey option!

Enjoy!

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Chicken & Quinoa Florentine Bake

This is an adaptation of a recipe I found on Better Homes & Gardens website.  I find this site has some of the best recipes primed for adaptation!

We have made it with pasta, as the original recipe states, and it is delicious, but I wanted something with less carbs and more protein and quinoa is just that!

Quinoa is one of those 'in' ingredients right now, there are recipes available on all the coolest sites, but "why quinoa?" I hear you cry! So here is a link to tell you all you need to know, well at least some of the basics! Quinoa

We recently made this for a weekend away, well actually I made about double the amount any normal human can eat, as usual, so we decided to save the second batch and have it a few days later.  It kept really well, refrigerated obviously, and reheated really well too, so bear that in mind as you will want it again and again!

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Spicy Snapper

I like to make up recipes!  I hate following them.  Here is one I created last night, and we really enjoyed it so I decided to share it with you.

I had some snapper, and when it comes to fish, I'm not an expert by any means.  I know how to cook salmon well, but all other fish elude me.  I googled some recipes for inspiration, as usual, but nothing took my fancy.

The thing about fish is that it's very easy to overwhelm the lightness of the fish with too much flavor, something I have 'successfully' manage to do many times. Seeing that Todd has seen straight through my "if in doubt smother it in pesto" way of handling fish, I needed to find something better and different.....and I think I have found it.

If you are not a fan of hot and spicy foods, don't let the title put you off - it is flavorful without being hot!

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Todd's Grilled Lamb Chops with Italian Style Herb Potatoes

I mentioned that Captain America can cook.....well as it's a Saturday night and he hasn't worked all day HE is cooking.....so I am taking the pictures, writing it up and sipping on a glass of Zinfandel waiting for my dinner! It smells delicious, and of course will taste much better because food ALWAYS tastes better when you don't cook it!

Todd is a perfectionist when it comes to cooking, his attention to detail is second to none and with exceptional taste buds and sense of smell it brings out his inner melancholy and results in two things; 1) delicious food like the kind you find in the best restaurants and 2) I have to leave the kitchen because are cooking styles are POLAR opposite, we drive each other crazy and usually end up arguing!

One day I hope we are able to get over this and cook harmoniously together but for now we just have to keep out of the kitchen while the other is cooking and enjoy the results!
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Chicken Picatta

Not many things in the kitchen scare me but cooking Italian food is one of them.  

There are 2 reasons why I am terrified when cooking Italian food, 1) Captain America (my husband, Todd!) is Sicilian AND 2) he is an amazing cook.  There are some great benefits to this...I don't always have to cook and I won't die from the results, and I get to be part of numerous family holidays which are centered around some of the best food I have ever tasted! On the downside, cooking for Sicilians is terrifying, and my husband especially as he has the nose of a bloodhound and his taste buds are second to none.

So just know that any recipe that makes it onto here has had the 'Captain America' seal of approval, which DOES NOT come easily!!

Last night I decided to take a risk and cook Chicken Picatta....we had just been given a HUGE bag of lemons from my Mother in Law and I wanted to do more with them than make a pretty display (very chic, darling!)

I found the following recipe on Better Homes & Gardens one of my favorite sites for inspiring recipes

Obviously, I then didn't really follow the recipe and adapted it to suit!

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