Saturday, July 27, 2013

Corn Caprese Salad.

Sometimes simple, fresh ingredients are paired in a recipe so precisely there is no way to improve on it.  And sometimes, I just toss some ingredients in a bowl and I get lucky. You can think of this one either way.

  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into chunks
  • corn kernels from one cob of corn
  • 2-4 basil leaves, chopped
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp white balsamic vinegar
  • salt & pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in bowl, serve, and enjoy! Simple. Perfect. And maybe a little lucky.



Saturday, January 19, 2013

Easy Lasagna.

I drove home tonight, thinking about what I had in the pantry and freezer, knowing that I had no interest in stopping at the grocery store as the temperatures plunged to single digits.  The following recipe for easy lasagna is what resulted - and I must say that it turned out quite well - and if the four servings that my oldest ate were any indication, there was agreement around the table that this is a recipe worth keeping.

  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 T fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 T fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 24 oz jar spaghetti sauce
  • 1 can tomato sauce
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 6 fresh, uncooked lasagna noodles (large enough that two cover the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan)
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook ground beef with basil, parsley, and garlic until no pink remains.  Stir in tomato sauce and tomatoes.  Cook for 5 minutes over low heat.  Spread 1/2 the jar of spaghetti sauce on bottom of 9 x 13 inch pan.  Place two noodles over sauce.  Spread half the meat/tomato mixture on the noodles.  Sprinkle 3/4 cup of cheese over meat. Cover with two more noodles.  Spread the remaining meat mixture over noodles, and sprinkle another 3/4 cup of cheese. Place last two noodles on top of meat, cover with remaining spaghetti sauce, and sprinkle last 1/2 cup of cheese on top. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes.