Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli

When my Grampy turned 90 in 2016, we threw a big party to celebrate, complete with more Italian food than anyone could possibly eat in one day. The event took place at Sal's in Yonkers, my grandfather's favorite restaurant.

One dish blew me away with its simplicity. Orecchiette (little ears) pasta with sausage and broccolini. It was delicious and I've been trying to recreate it ever since.

Thanks to a recipe in the September issue of Family Circle magazine, I finally struck gold.

This meal comes together fast enough for a weeknight and I think it is perfect comfort food for a cool fall weekend, too.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli

1 pound rigatoni or orecchiette pasta, cooked al dente
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
4 cups broccoli florets or chopped broccolini
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Additional Parmesan cheese for garnish

Cook pasta according to package directions.

While water boils and pasta cooks, heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add sausage and cook until brown, breaking meat up into small pieces -- about 8 minutes.

Add broccoli and chicken broth and cover pan. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook for 4 minutes. Uncover, add red pepper flakes and cook 2 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.

Add drained pasta and grated Parmesan and stir to combine. If dish is too dry, drizzle with more extra virgin olive oil.

Serve with additional Parmesan cheese.

Lime & Cilantro Israeli Couscous with Shrimp

You can get this one-pot meal on the table in about 20 minutes, especially if you cheat like I did and use precooked, ready-to-eat shrimp to speed things up.

This was delicious warm for dinner and cold the next day for lunch.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Lime & Cilantro Israeli Couscous with Shrimp

3 cups Israeli couscous, cooked to package directions
1 cup grape tomatoes, diced
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 small bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice from 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined, cooked and chilled

Using a medium pot or saucepan, prepare couscous as directed. Meanwhile, chop the vegetables. Remove couscous from heat.

Add tomatoes, onions, cilantro and lime juice to the saucepan. Gently mix together and season with salt and pepper. Add shrimp and mix again.

Serve on butter lettuce leaves or simply eat as is.

Baked Tomatoes and Chickpeas with Feta

Fast and friendly weeknight meals are on my radar these days. What I love about this dish is that it uses up a good amount of tomatoes. Our garden is being very generous in that department right now.

Don't have fresh tomatoes? You could easily substitute canned.

Add a chunk of crusty bread and you've got a tasty vegetarian dinner with enough leftovers for lunch.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Baked Tomatoes and Chickpeas with Feta
Inspired by this recipe from the Kitchn

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 to 3 pounds of tomatoes, any variety, diced
3 minced garlic gloves
2 teaspoons dried oregano (or use 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano)
3 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper to taste
8 ounces crumbled Feta cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat the oil in a large, oven-safe
skillet. Add tomatoes and cook,
stirring, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute.

Stir in chickpeas, oregano salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Cover and place in oven. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until chickpeas have softened and sauce is thickened a bit. Remove cover and top with Feta cheese.

Let bake 5 minutes more, or until cheese melts. Ladle into bowls and serve with bread for dipping.

Picnic Cake

We had a pretty lazy Labor Day weekend, but I did want to mark the unofficial end of summer in some way. So I whipped up this cake. It reminds me of the ambrosia dessert my Aunt Marge always used to have at her big summer parties.

With mandarin oranges and pineapple, this treat definitely tastes like summer – but I can also see using it as a winter pick-me-up when the cold and dreary days drag on – especially since my boys liked it so much.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Picnic Cake
Inspired by this recipe from The Country Cook

1 box yellow cake mix
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 14 ounce can mandarin oranges, plus 1/2 of juice from the can
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 4 ounce box vanilla instant pudding mix
1 20 ounce can crushed pineapple, plus all of the juice from the can
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 (4 ounces) of Cool Whip from a regular sized tub

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Note: To reserve juices from canned fruit, place a strainer on top of – or inside – a similar sized bowl. Pour contents of can into strainer. The juice will be saved in the lower bowl.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, butter, mandarin orange juice, eggs and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on medium for about 4 minutes, until everything is smooth. Add oranges and beat to break up orange sections and incorporate into the batter.

Pour into prepared baking dish and use a spatula to smooth the batter out. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cake is beginning to brown and is set in the center.

Remove from oven and cool about 15 minute on counter. Then transfer to refrigerator for about an hour.

To make the icing, add pineapple juice and pudding mix to a medium bowl. Beat for about 2 minutes. Stir in powdered sugar and beat again until combined. Add Cool Whip and use a rubber spatula to gently fold together. Then mix in drained pineapple.

Spread frosting on cooled cake. Refrigerate until serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

Asian Pickled Zucchini & Carrots

My youngest son Sam and I planted two zucchini plants in our garden this year and they've yielded a bumper crop of large, hearty squash. We're down to just one plant now – thanks to an attack of squash beetles – yet as I write there are several tiny zucchini making their way into the world.

Now that I've made many of my usual zucchini recipes, I decided to use some for pickles. The results are surprisingly good. I removed the seeds (because they were quite large) and cut the squash into sticks.

Carrots add color and variety. And the zucchini stayed firm and crunchy, absorbing the pickling flavor well – just like a cucumber.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Asian Pickled Zucchini & Carrots
Inspired by a recipe from McCormick

2 medium-large zucchini, seeded and cut into sticks
4-5 carrots, peeled and cut into sticks
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups white vinegar
1 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons Korean style red pepper flakes (Gochugaru)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon minced onions

Place cut vegetables in a large glass bowl or a 9 x 13 inch glass dish. Set aside.

Add water, vinegars, spices, sugar and salt to a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Pour liquid spice mixture over vegetables in bowl and let sit until everything cools to room temperature.

Place vegetables into canning jars. Then fill jars with pickling liquid, leaving 1/2 inch at top of jar. Top with lids and bands and refrigerate. Let sit in fridge for 3 weeks before eating for best flavor and crunch.

Our zucchini plants earlier this summer.

Weeknight Pork Fried Rice

Now that my boys are back in school, I'm back in the kitchen — a little bit more. So I'm searching for tasty but quick-to-prepare meals that everyone will at least try.

I grilled some pork chops a couple of nights ago, but since my gas tank ran out of juice, I ended up having to finish them up in the oven. During the dinner delay my kids made themselves some microwaveable snacks because they "were starving!"

By the time my perfectly cooked chops were ready, the kids were full, so we had leftovers.

Fast forward two days and I had most of the ingredients for a stir fry on hand, so I looked around at some recipes. My husband and boys always get pork when we order Chinese take out, so fried rice sounded like a fun dish to me.

It cooked up fast and everyone liked it!

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Weeknight Pork Fried Rice
Adapted from this Cooking Light recipe

3 cups cooked Basmati rice
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 thick boneless pork chops, (fresh or leftover) diced
3/4 cup matchstick carrots
3/4 cup celery, diced
3/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
2 large eggs
4-6 tablespoons Mr. Wong's Oriental Wok Perfect Fried Rice Seasoning sauce OR
3 tablespoons mirin and 3 tablespoons soy sauce
1-2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 can bean sprouts, drained
Fresh ground pepper
Salt
1/4 cup sliced green onions for garnish

Cook rice according to package directions. Let cool 5 minutes, fluff with fork and transfer to bowl. Place in refrigerator to cool.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork. If pre-cooked, saute until browned, about 1 minute. If raw, cook until browned on all sides, about 3 minutes. Remove pork to plate.

Add carrot and celery to pan. Sauté until carrots begin to brown. Transfer vegetables to bowl with pork.

Add remaining oil to pan. Add garlic, ginger and green onions. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add cold rice and stir well to coat rice in oil. Let cook for 2 minutes without stirring. Then stir and cook again without mixing for 2 more minutes.

Make a well in center of rice and crack two eggs into space. Stir until scrambled. Return pork, carrots and celery to pan. Add stir fry sauce or mirin and soy sauce. Mix until sauce is distributed and absorbed. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and add bean sprouts. Stir to combine. Remove from heat and sprinkle with remaining green onions.

Cooking with Kids, Building Confidence

I've mentioned the volunteer work I do with the Junior League of Peoria's Kids in the Kitchen program a few times on this blog.

Today, I'm sharing a post from the Fischer & Wieser Culinary Adventure blog that explains in more detail the importance of teaching kids of all ages how to cook and prepare healthy meals and snacks for themselves and their family.

Fischer & Wieser makes gourmet foods and is a Kids in the Kitchen partner. They asked us to talk about what the children and our volunteers gain from cooking together.

It's amazing to see children expand their horizons when they try a new dish, like Sweet Potatoes Topped with Spicy Black Beans & Tomatoes, or to watch their confidence rise when they see how easy it can be to bake healthy One Bowl Banana Chip Muffins.

Support from partners like Fisher & Wieser means we can do more. Our younger cooks crafted sandwiches using whole grain waffles, sunbutter, fruit and Fischer & Wieser pear preserves — surprising themselves with how much they liked the snack!

And our older junior chefs recently made cheese lasagna, using the jars of tomato sauce we received.

If you cook with your own kids, you know how much fun it can be, and how it strengthens feelings of emotional well being.

When we volunteer our time to teach children how to safely chop vegetables and prepare a meal for others, we are giving them lifelong skills and showing them we care.

Garden Zucchini Tomato Bake

My boys and I just returned from a visit to New York to see my family. When we got home we found 4 giant zucchini and many Roma tomatoes ready to eat from our garden.

Nothing tastes quite as good as a fresh tomato, IMO. And as I've shared here before, I love zucchini for its versatility in everything from baked goods to side dishes.

I threw together this combo because it was easy and quick and we had all the ingredients on hand. How do you do zucchini?

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Garden Zucchini Tomato Bake

1 large zucchini (about 2 pounds), thinly sliced into rounds
6 medium Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced into rounds
6 tablespoons bread crumbs, divided
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Fresh ground pepper
1 bunch fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously spray bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

In a small bowl, mix garlic powder, dried basil and dried oregano. Set aside.

Place slices of zucchini in bottom of pan. Top with tomato slices. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons bread crumbs and 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of seasoning mixture.

Repeat steps to make 2 more layers. To top the last layer, use 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, then add Parmesan cheese. Finish with a sprinkle of fresh ground pepper.

Cover with foil and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until vegetables soften. Remove foil and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and slightly browned on top.

Let cool and slice to serve. Top with fresh basil. Yum!

S'mores Pizza

Happy July 4th! Here's a summer dessert your kids will love.

As soon as I took it out of the oven, my boys starting grabbing the gooey marshmallows off the top.

This recipe makes enough for a crowd and would be great at a holiday picnic or pot luck.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

S'mores Pizza
Inspired by this recipe from Six Sisters' Stuff

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
2/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 12 ounce package chocolate chips
4 cups mini marshmallows
1/2 cup chocolate chips, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a large (13 inch) circular pizza pan or a large rectangular baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat to combine.

Add 1/3 of dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture and blend until combined. Repeat two more times until you incorporate all of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

*This dough was a bit sticky, so I rolled mine out on top of parchment paper, to make it easier to transfer to the pan.

**There will be a lot of dough. You might want to use less than you have, depending on the size of your pan, or if you prefer a thinner crust.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to fit the pan you are using. Transfer dough to pan. Press into place and press together any pieces that break or fall apart.

Bake for 12 minutes or until just beginning to brown and set in the middle. Remove for oven and set on a work surface. Sprinkle crust with most of the chocolate chips, then top with marshmallows.

Return to oven and cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until marshmallows are browned on top. Melt the 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and stir until smooth while marshmallows brown.

Drizzle melted chocolate on top of s'mores pizza. Slice and serve warm. Also tastes great at room temperature.

BLT Pasta Salad

Hey gang, I'm finally able to write a post because:

• We had no baseball games last night!
• I actually cooked something for dinner!

Yes, it's been one of those summers. Last week, I grilled a bunch of salmon at 10 am on a Tuesday and made a bowl of Ramen & Boy Choy Salad so that we'd have something to eat after my boys' games.

My husband and I ate the dinner I pre-made. My boys opted for frozen pizza.

This week I made some pasta salad. Genius, I thought. A hearty, cold salad that will be ready when we are! And since my boys eat bacon almost every morning, on a bagel with cream cheese, surely they would like this BLT Pasta Salad, right?

Sam took a big bowl for lunch yesterday, then told me later on that he threw it out and made a sandwich instead. Max hasn't tried it, but Bob and I enjoyed it.

How do you feed your family during these crazy days of summer? Please share!

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

BLT Pasta Salad
Inspired by this recipe from The Kitchen.

1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup mayo
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
16 bacon slices, cooked crispy and diced
1 pound pasta, cooked to package directions (rotini or ziti) and cooled
3 ounces baby spinach leaves
1 pint curry tomatoes, halved
Salt & pepper to taste

In a small bowl, combine first 5 ingredients and combine with a whisk until smooth. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix cooked pasta, bacon, spinach and tomatoes. Pour dressing on top and mix until pasta is coated in dressing.

Serve right away or refrigerate for 1 hour before serving, to let flavors combine.

Yogurt and Cherry Peach Pie

Need to use up some Greek yogurt? Make this pie. It's a fun breakfast treat for summer or a nice dessert.

This recipe is pretty versatile, too. You can make the crust from scratch or use granola from your pantry.

And the topping? Use whatever jam or preserves you have on hand.

I came across this recipe when I made Fudgy Greek Yogurt Brownies the last time I had half a container of yogurt waiting in the fridge.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Yogurt and Cherry Peach Pie
Inspired by this recipe from Food & Wine

2 tablespoons butter
2 cups prepared granola, crushed
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup warmed cherry-peach preserves (or substitute another flavor like apricot)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet melt the butter in the oil.

Add the crushed granola and stir until coated in the butter-oil mixture and heated through. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate and let cool.

Use a flat-bottom glass to press the granola evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate. Put pie plate in the freezer for about 10 minutes, to completely cool the crust.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, eggs, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla until smooth. Pour into chilled pie crust.

Bake the pie for 25 minutes. Filling will be set but a little jiggly in the center. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.

Spread the warmed preserves onto of the pie.

Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

Kale, Brussels Sprouts & Cherry Salad

One of my favorite childhood stories about my husband is the time he filled his plate with Brussels sprouts because he thought they were cute, only to be taken aback by their less-than-pleasant taste.

Despite his disappointment, he knew he had to follow his family's rule of "take what you want, but eat what you take." So he "tried to swallow one whole to get them off my plate. And I choked and almost died!"

Instead, he sneakily stuffed the Brussels sprouts into his pants pockets. Later that night, he launched his dirty clothes down the laundry shoot — Brussels sprouts and all. They were only discovered days later when my mother-in-law did the laundry.

While Brussels sprouts may be an acquired taste for some (my husband enjoys them now) my boys are not big fans — yet.

This salad, which is from a Six Sisters Stuff menu plan, is my latest attempt to win them over. Alas, I still have some work to do.

I and my husband, on the other hand, loved this side dish. It has subtle sweet and savory flavors and holds up very well for a few days in the fridge.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Kale, Brussels Sprouts & Cherry Salad
Inspired by this recipe from Six Sisters Stuff

1 bunch purple kale, finely chopped
1 pound Brussels sprouts, finely chopped
1 cup dried cherries
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 green onions, finely diced
1/3 cup grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese

Mix kale, Brussels sprouts, cherries and almonds in a large bowl. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, Dijon mustard, olive oil and salt and pepper until blended and smooth. Stir in green onions.

Pour dressing over greens and stir to combine. Sprinkle with cheese and serve. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Fudgy Greek Yogurt Brownies

When we have a large container of plain Greek yogurt sitting in the fridge, I usually put it in smoothies for my kids to use it up.

Recently I started looking around for other ways to use Greek yogurt. Thankfully, Bon Appetit has compiled a round-up of easy dessert recipes with yogurt.

I haven't made brownies from scratch in a while, so that's what I decided to try. These are dense, chocolatey and well worth the little bit of effort the recipe requires. Bonus: Your kids will tell you they love you when you present them as an after-school snack.

Need more brownie inspiration? Try our Double Peanut Butter Cup Brownies or Mo's ROLO-ver and Die Good Brownies.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Fudgy Greek Yogurt Brownies
Inspired by a recipe from Bon Appetit

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet, dark or milk chocolate chips, divided
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup plain Greek yogurt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9x9x2-inch metal baking pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.

Set a saucepan of water to simmer on the stove. Combine butter and 1/2 cup chocolate chips in a medium stainless steel bowl. Place the bowl on top of the saucepan and stir the butter and chocolate until melted and smooth.

Remove bowl from heat. Whisk in sugar, cocoa, vanilla and yogurt until smooth.

Add wet ingredients to the bowl of flour and fold in until incorporated. Add remaining chocolate chips and stir to combine.

Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of browning comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached.

Let cool completely before cutting into squares.

Ham, Asparagus & Gruyere Quiche

This is my all-time favorite quiche recipe. I've been using it ever since we moved to Peoria. I discovered it one Easter while looking for recipes for left-over ham.

It reminded me of the quiche Lorraine my mom made a few times when I was in elementary school and studying different cultures. I was reporting on France and had to bring a dish from that country.

In many ways, this meal also reminds me of an Italian "pizza rustica" that my family makes for Easter. It is filled with sausage, prosciutto, eggs and mozzarella cheese.

This quiche has a rich flavor from Gruyere cheese but a light, airy texture. I was craving it recently so I bought a small spiral sliced ham and some asparagus. You can use store-bought refrigerated pie crusts or make your own from scratch. Both work equally well, but be sure to pre-bake the crust so that it doesn't get soggy.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Ham, Asparagus & Gruyere Quiche
Inspired by this recipe from Simply Recipes.

1 pie crust
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
10 ounces asparagus spears, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups (about 8 ounces) Gruyere cheese, grated and divided
1/2 pound ham, diced
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 large eggs
Fresh ground pepper

Roll out pie dough and fit into a 10-inch pie plate. Press down into bottom. Chill in freezer while oven preheats to 350 degrees.

Line pie crust with parchment paper and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, cool for 5 minutes and then remove weights and parchment. Poke bottom of crust all over with a fork and return to oven for 10 minutes or until lightly golden.

Transfer pie plate to a wire rack to cool while you make the quiche filling. Raise oven temperature for 375 degrees.

Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet. Add shallots and cook, stirring often, until shallots are translucent but not brown. Add asparagus and cook and stir for another 10 minutes, or until asparagus begin to brown.

Remove pan from heat and set aside.

Sprinkle 1 cup of the cheese into bottom of pie pan. Spread asparagus and shallot mixture on top of the cheese. Sprinkle ham evenly over the vegetables. Top with the remaining 1 cup cheese.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, cream and eggs. Season with ground pepper. Slowly pour egg mixture into pie plate, evenly covering the cheese.

Place quiche into oven. Position a baking sheet on the rack below the quiche to catch any drippings. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until quiche is set in center and lightly browned on top. Cool for 15 minutes before slicing.

Wrap leftovers in plastic wrap and refrigerate. This tastes delicious served warm or cold.

One Bowl Banana Chip Muffins

If you like to bake with your kiddos as much as I do, you know how nice it can be to use a recipe that only needs one bowl and a wooden mixing spoon.

My boys and I came up with this recipe to satisfy their craving for a "good snack" (i.e., something with chocolate in it) after school and to meet my goal of giving them something healthier than store-bought granola bars.

These muffins use apple sauce instead of oil or butter. After a few positive in-home tests, I decided to see what the middle school students we work with through the Junior League of Peoria's Kids in the Kitchen program thought of these treats.

The goal of Kids in the Kitchen is to empower kids to make healthy meals and snacks on their own, like these sweet potatoes topped with black bean and tomato salad. So a bowl and a spoon was as complicated as we wanted to get with our foray into baking.

As you guys know, I love to bake with bananas and I knew the pre-teens in our cooking group liked banana bread. This recipe was a hit with them. You can read more about it and see photos here.

The muffins are moist and flavorful and they freeze well.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

One Bowl Banana Chip Muffins

2 medium ripe bananas
1 cup apple sauce
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with liners or coat with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mash the banana with a fork. Add applesauce, vanilla, cinnamon and egg. Mix until smooth.

Add sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine. Add chocolate chips and mix well to incorporate.

Using a 1/4 cup measuring up, scoop mixture into muffin cups.

Bake for 15 minutes or until muffins rise and are golden brown on top. You also can test for doneness by using a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin. It should come out clean.

Remove muffins from oven and let cool 15 minutes before eating.

Greek Vegetable Bean Soup

The ingredients here are pretty traditional for a veggie bean soup, but the addition of lemon and olive oil to the broth takes this dish to another level — one the Greeks call Fasolada.

I found the recipe in a Costco member magazine and made 3 big batches all at once, so that I could share it with two other families.

And that's how I ended up tweaking the recipe. Because when I got to making the pot for my house, I ran out of a few things.

The end result is a delicious lunch or dinner. You'll have amazing leftovers or enough to freeze for a second meal.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Greek Vegetable Bean Soup
Inspired by this recipe from Costco

3 cans white beans (like Northern), rinsed and drained
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium-large white onions, diced
4 celery stalks with leaves, diced
4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped into half moons
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
24 ounces diced tomatoes, with juice
6 cups water
1 large lemon, cut in half
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
Juice of 1/2 a large lemon
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Crumbled feta cheese for topping

Place a stock pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add onions, celery, carrots and garlic. Sauté until onion is translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Add drained beans, tomatoes, water, olive oil, halved lemon and salt and pepper to pot. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 1 hour. Add lemon juice and parsley.

Ladle into bowls and top with feta cheese. Serve with a chunk of crusty bread.

Slow Cooker Red Beans & Rice

Here's a warm dinner (because spring is taking her sweet time arriving) that is easy to prep.

Set it up in your slow cooker before heading out to work or a busy day of running errands and come home to a slightly spicy, delicious meal.

The leftovers taste even better the next day.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Slow Cooker Red Beans & Rice
Inspired by this recipe from the Food Network

1 pound Italian sausage, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
6 cans dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Pinch cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
4 cups chicken stock (or broth)
1 smoked ham hock
Sliced green onions for serving
4-6 cups cooked rice for serving

Cook sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat until each piece is nicely browned. (Sausage does not need to be cooked through.)

Drain and transfer sausage to bowl of slow cooker. Add onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, beans, spices and brown sugar. Stir to combine. Add chicken stock and mix well. Nestle ham hock into center of crock.

Cook on low for about 7-8 hours. Alternatively, cook on high for 2 hours, then cook on low for another 3-4 hours or until ready to serve.

Serve in bowls with rice. Top with a sprinkle of sliced green onions.

Green Chile Turkey Quesadillas

I roasted a small turkey over the weekend. Winter's still clinging on here in Peoria so why not keep the oven going?

Now we have lots of leftover turkey. (Of course, you can easily sub leftover roasted chicken in this recipe.) I'll likely be making a batch of Cajun Turkey Jambalaya on Friday.

Last night, we had these quesadillas for dinner. I made them ahead and my boys warmed them up to eat while I headed out to a meeting. Nothing was left when I got home, so yay!

The recipe took about an hour from start to finish and made enough of two meals, so I froze 4 of the quesadillas. That's a win in my book.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Green Chile Turkey Quesadilla

2-3 cups chopped cooked turkey (or chicken)
1 10 ounce can green enchilada sauce
1 4 ounce can diced green chilies
8 large (10 inch) flour tortillas
3 to 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper
Cooking spray
For topping: salsa, sour cream, guacamole, sliced green onions

In a medium bowl, combine turkey, enchilada sauce and chilies. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spread pan with cooking spray. Place one tortilla in pan. Sprinkle cheese (scant 1/4 cup) on one half of tortilla. Top cheese with about 1/3 cup turkey mixture. Sprinkle more cheese on top.

(Note: I just eye balled the amounts of cheese and turkey mixture when I made these, so use an amount that seems best to you.)

Fold other half of tortilla over mixture and press down with a large spatula. Cook until cheese begins to melt, about 1 minute. Then flip quesadilla over to brown the other side, cooking for another minute.

Place on plate and cover to keep warm, or place on a baking sheet and hold in an oven warmed to 250 degrees.

Repeat process with remaining ingredients. You may need to lower the heat on the pan. You may also need to wipe out the pan once or twice to remove any blackened bits.

Serve warm with sour cream, salsa, guacamole and/or sliced green onions.

Connor's Chocolate Chip Muffins

My sister and her family are visiting this week and my nephew Connor needs at least one breakfast with chocolate chip muffins. And there can be no banana mixed into the muffins.

So Connor and my niece Layne helped me whip up a big batch of buttermilk chocolate chip muffins. We made large ones and some mini muffins, so that everyone could taste-test them.

Layne made a list to make sure everyone got a sample. Her Uncle Bob tried to refuse, but eventually ate 3 of them.

My boys, Layne and Connor say these muffins go great with bacon, hard boiled eggs and fruit for breakfast. Connor, who last appeared here when he inspired this cucumber salad recipe, also likes these muffins for dessert.

What's your favorite chocolate chip muffin recipe? Let us know!

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Connor's Chocolate Chip Muffins
Inspired by this recipe from LittleSweetBaker.com

2 /12 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips (mini or regular size)
1/2 cup melted butter, cooled
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or spread with coking spray. (This recipe makes a bit more than 12 muffins, unless you use an extra large muffin tray.)

Melt the butter in a microwave-safe dish and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking power, baking soda, salt and chocolate chips. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla.

Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture in the large bowl. Slowly pour the wet mixture into the dry flour and gently stir to combine.

Divide the batter evenly into the muffin tins. Fill about 3/4 of the way to the top.

Layne filling the muffin cups.

Bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes. Then lower the heat and bake for about 12-14 minutes or until the muffins are browned on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Mini muffins will cook faster.

Mini muffins.

Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes before enjoying with cousins for breakfast, lunch, dinner, a snack or dessert!

Connor tested and approved.

Halibut with Green Goddess Sauce

We try to eat fish at last once a week and Lent is always a great time to try some new dinner recipes.

I usually make halibut with a sauce of tomatoes and olives or capers. This Green Goddess Sauce, however, is lighter with plenty of zing. It's a healthier riff on tartar sauce with all the same flavor.

What's your go-to fish dish? Let us know!

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Halibut with Green Goddess Sauce
Inspired by a recipe from Penzeys Spices.

2 pounds halibut fillets
Lemon juice from one lemon
Garlic powder
Salt
Pepper
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Sauce
1/2 cup mayo
1 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon Penzeys' Green Goddess dressing base mix

*Note: If you don't have Penzeys, you can make your own Green Goddess mix by combining 1 teaspoon each of dried:

• Onion flakes
• Basil
• Celery flakes
• Minced garlic
• Dill weed
• Sugar

Spray a baking pan with cooking spray and set aside. Place halibut fillets in a shallow pan and drizzle with lemon juice. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

While fish marinates, make the sauce and preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

For the sauce, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir. Keep in refrigerator until ready to use.

Remove fish from refrigerator. Drizzle with melted butter. Bake fish for 20 to 30 minutes, or until it flakes easily with a fork. Remove from oven and transfer to serving dish. Top with Green Goddess sauce and enjoy.

Lemon Linguine with Peas & Citrus Shrimp

Here's some comfort food for spring. The creamy sauce is light and bright with citrusy flavor. The entire meal takes about 30 minutes to pull together, making it an easy weeknight dinner.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Lemon Linguine with Peas & Citrus Shrimp
Inspired by these recipes from the New York Times, Martha Stewart and Good Housekeeping

2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 pound linguine, cooked to package directions
1 cup frozen peas, optional
1 large shallot, minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper
1/2 bunch Italian flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Fill a large pot with water and set to boil.

In a large bowl, toss shrimp with tablespoon olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet. Arrange shrimp on wire rack. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until shrimp is pink and cooked through. Remove from oven, tent with foil to keep warm, and set aside.

While shrimp is baking, cook pasta until al dente. If using peas, add them to pasta during last minute of cooking. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water. Drain and return to pot.

While pasta is cooking, make the lemon sauce. In a small saucepan, heat teaspoon olive oil. Add shallots, she salt and pepper and cook about 4 minutes or until tender. Add cream and lemon zest and cook until it reaches a slow boil. Continue to cook, stirring often, until sauce begins to thicken. Add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

Pour lemon sauce over pasta in pot and gently toss until all pasta is coated in sauce. Add a drizzle of pasta water to thin sauce if needed.

Transfer pasta to serving bowl. Top with shrimp and parsley and a generous helping of shredded Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Cheesy Spinach & Bacon Triangles

Spinach is often on our dinner table and I am forever trying to find ways to get my kids to eat the leafy vegetable.

Who wouldn't like spinach with cheese and bacon? My boys — of course.

The good news: My husband and I loved this side dish, and since there were lots of leftovers, my main course for lunch the next day was good to go.

You can tailor this to your tastes by using your favorite type of cheese or leaving out the bacon.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Cheesy Spinach & Bacon Triangles
Inspired by this recipe from Family Circle

Cooking spray
3 10 ounce packages of frozen chopped spinach, thawed
8-9 slices of thick-cut bacon, chopped
1 cup whole wheat flour
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 to 6 green onions, sliced
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Generously spray bottom and sides of a 13-by-9 inch baking dish.

Wrap spinach in a clean kitchen towel. Holding towel over the sink, squeeze out as much water as you can.

Heat a skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat and cook bacon until crispy. Transfer bacon to a dish lined with paper towels. Reserve 1 tablespoon bacon drippings.

In a large bowl, mix 1 tablespoon bacon fat with flour, eggs, milk, baking powder and salt and pepper. Add spinach, cheese, bacon and green onions and stir until well combined.

Spread mixture into prepared baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until top starts to turn light brown in spots.

Remove from oven and cool slightly. Cut into triangles.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Butternut & Bean Soup with Couscous

There's nothing like a good soup to help you forget the troubles of your day.

I've made this one – from the January issue of Good Housekeeping magazine – a few times now. It's somehow light and filling. And the leftovers taste even better since the flavors get a chance to develop. (If your family is 2 kids and 2 adults, you'll probably have leftovers.)

Only one of my boys liked this, but since my husband keeps talking about eating more beans for dinner, the kids are determined not to.

The mix-in calls for couscous, but I think quinoa would work just as well.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Butternut & Bean Soup with Couscous
Inspired by this Good Housekeeping recipe

1 large butternut squash
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1 15 ounce can white beans (like Northern) drained and rinsed
1 15 ounce can chick peans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup raw couscous (or quinoa)
1/4 cup shelled pistachios, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup dried apricots, finely chopped
2 green onions, sliced

Cut the squash to separate the neck from the base. Reserve base for another use. Peel neck of butternut squash and chop into 1/2 inch cubes.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add squash and cover. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

In a Dutch oven, add onion and 1 tablespoon oil and cover. Cook for 6 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken broth, thyme and squash. Bring to a boil.

Using a fork, mash the white beans and add to the soup. Add the chick peas and stir. Reduce heat to low and simmer.

Prepare the couscous or quinoa according to package directions. Fluff with fork and gently stir in pistachios, cilantro, apricots and green onions.

Ladle soup into bowls and top with couscous mix-in.

Slow Cooker Cuban Steak Stew

Recipes for Ropa Vieja kept popping up in my cooking magazines and recipe emails, so I took it as a sign to make a batch.

This is Cuba's national dish and it comes with a story similar to stone soup (according to an article by Matthew Fairman in Cook's Country magazine).

A poor man trying to feed his family stirs old clothes ('rope vieja') into a pot of broth and says a prayer. A little while later he serves up a stew of beef and vegetables.

This meal is pretty easy to make. Roughly 20 minutes of prep will yield a very flavorful dinner after about 6 hours in the crock pot.

Most recipes recommend serving this stew over rice, but my boys requested mashed potatoes, so that's how we enjoyed it.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Slow Cooker Cuban Steak Stew
Inspired by these recipes 

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, peeled, halved and sliced thin
2 red bell peppers, stemmed and seeded and thinly sliced
1/4 cup tomato paste
4 garlic cloves minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 bay leaves
1 2-pound flank steak, cut across the grain into 4 pieces
3/4 cup pitted and sliced green olives (I used Castelvetrano)
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and peppers and cover. Cook until softened and browned in spots, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir a few times.

Push vegetables to the side of pan and add tomato paste, garlic, cumin, oregano and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until fragrant -- about 1 minute.

Stir vegetables into tomato paste mixture. Add wine and cook for 2 minutes or until wine evaporates.

Transfer vegetable mixture to slow cooker. Add soy sauce and bay leaves.

Season steak with salt and pepper, then place into slow cooker and cover.

Cook for 6 to 7 hours on low.

When steak breaks apart easily, remove meat to a separate plate and shred with two forks into bite-sized pieces.

Add steak back to slow cooker. Add olives and vinegar.

Stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over rice or mashed potatoes. Egg noodles would be nice, too.

Citrus Salmon with Tarragon Artichokes

Still not sure what to make for your significant other or family tonight? Why not try this heart-healthy meal?

This salmon dinner is full of fresh flavor that makes me think of spring. Instead of the usual dill, I used the cilantro I had on hand. The oranges and lemons brighten and add a little sweetness.

Plus, the main dish looks so pretty.

To me, though, the artichokes and tarragon steal the show. When sautéed together, the flavor combination is simply amazing.

And after eating such a healthy dinner, you won't have to feel guilty about indulging in some Valentine's Day chocolates or dessert.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Citrus Salmon with Tarragon Artichokes
Recipe inspired by Costco and Sunkist

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 thinly sliced green onions
Salt and pepper
1 salmon fillet, 2-3 pounds
1-2 Cara Cara oranges, thinly sliced
1-2 lemons, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large foil pan with cooking spray, or line a baking sheet with foil and then coat with cooking spray.

Pat fish dry with paper towels and place skin-side down in pan.

Mix together first 7 ingredients – olive oil through green onions. Stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Spread herb mixture evenly on top of salmon.

Then lay orange and lemon slices on top of herb mixture, slightly overlapping the slices.

Bake for 30 minutes or until salmon easily flakes when checked.

Tarragon Artichokes

1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large jar of whole artichoke hearts (about 2 pounds), drained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
Salt and pepper

Warm oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add artichokes and saute until just beginning to brown.

Add tarragon and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Continue to cook until artichokes have some darker brown spots.

Serve warm.