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OK it’s Valentines Day and that’s the reason for the sexy, and the reason it’s sassy is because this shrimp packs some heat known as Fra Diavolo sauce. What a perfect meal for Valentines Day and it’s red!!! this was so delicious and light. I highly recommend it and it really was an easy dish to make. I would say it’s downright easy to make. This 1 lb. of shrimp should feed 4. I made it with Bucatini pasta, which is a thick ropey spaghetti, you can use whatever type of spaghetti you prefer or none at all. I would say that this whole dish start to finish took 1/2 hour. That’s so perfect. Buy your shrimp peeled and deveined which will save you time. Happy Valentines Day!

*don’t leave out the fresh herbs, they kick it up a notch

Ingredients:

1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 teaspoon of kosher salt…

The definition of minestrone is “big soup.” It is a hearty vegetable soup and how it’s made varies from region to region in Italy. It varies mainly because of the availability of vegetables from each region. This is my favorite combination, but really any vegetable can be added. I actually made it in the slow cooker the other day just to see how it would come out. I find that it’s best to saute the onions and garlic first, so it really doesn’t matter which pot you’re going to make it in. The pot on the stove needs to be watched, and either way, you will be using 2 pots. I did the saute on the stove top and then I put it all in the slow cooker on low for 6 hours. I also added ditalini, which I cooked and then added right before serving so it was al dente and not over cooked. I will explain the steps in the…

I was having some family for Chanukah but Joel asked if we could make it Italian food instead of the usual Chanukah fare and I must still be in my Roman state of mind so  I agreed and this is how I did it. I started with my Turkey Bolognese sauce. ( Look up Turkey Bolognese on my blog ) . This is much easier than lasagna, and I made Bolognese sauce the day before assembling baked ziti. I also put the Bolognese sauce over some shredded zucchini in addition to baked ziti for those who wanted lighter fare.  Then I followed the rest of the directions for my baked ziti. You can make this meatless by using marinara sauce of your choice.  This is a perfect satisfying Sunday Dinner, and great for a crowd. A cheesy comforting meal if ever there was one.  So here’s to an Italian Chanukah! Happy Chanukah everyone!

Ingredients: for baked ziti

(turkey bolognese is a separate recipe)

We just got back from two beautiful days in Moab, Utah. We hiked most of the time and the glory and splendor that is there has no words. If you ever have the opportunity to go you should do so. It is an amazing area–Arches National Park, the Canyonlands, the whole area is just breathtaking. We hadn’t had snow here so we went on the road. Now we’re back and today was spectacular! It snowed in Aspen last night and we skied today. So nice to be back skiing. It was Sunday, and the Giants were in the playoffs. Joel set the DVR and we were gone all day. I had taken out a package of chopped turkey and figured that I would pick up a few things and make this chili that I love. I use a lot of stuff from my pantry and substitute ingredients where necessary (it’s…

No kidding around this is very spicy even for me.  I figured how spicy can this be?? Well very.  It was even better cold the next day.  In any event for those of you who really love spicy and love Sriracha this one’s for you.   I did make a few changes to original recipe and if I were you I’d cut the Sriracha sauce in 1/2 and you can always add it when you eat it if you’re not sure you’ll like it that spicy.  I love this Sriracha sauce, and it’s awesome on eggs and just about everything in between, so I was super excited to cook something with it.  It was also very different for me because I have never cooked meatloaf in a loaf pan, I will say it took longer than 60 minutes to cook through the center .  Check middle after 60 minutes, and I added a good 10…

I have been making this soup forever,  This is really just a tomato base soup with beans and pasta. How bad can that be? unless you hate beans and pasta that is. I usually have ingredients in the pantry and it is a wonderful warm experience, with a nice salad this is a perfect meal. I do use dried beans so I need to soak overnight, if you want to cheat you can just use canned beans. It is a wonderful hearty soup halfway between a soup and a pasta.

Ingredients:

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 – 3 tablespoons olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 28 oz. can chopped tomatoes ( San Marzano)

10 – 12 fresh basil leaves

red pepper flakes

handful of italian parsley, chopped

5 – 6 cups cooked beans and their liquid ( I use cannellini beans usually) any type of bean will work I…

I have to say when I first heard about lasagna in the slow cooker I was sort of skeptical.  My friend Cathy told me about it; she said she had made it for her family and I should give it a go.   The original recipe is from Jessica Seinfeld, who sneaks vegetables and healthy stuff into her food. I did make a few changes from original recipe , I used more sauce and a little more salt , I used fresh spinach which can easily be substituted for ground turkey, sausage, or any type of meat you like.  Next time I make this recipe I will be using meat because it really was quite easy and pretty quick even by slow cooker standards. It cooked in 3 1/2 hours, looked amazing and tasted delicious. I am still a little surprised by how good it was. The spinach wilts down and almost looks like basil…