Cheesy Baked Orzo with Mushrooms and Peas

A successful dinner party begins with a well-planned menu. And so on the occasion of our first dinner party in our new home, I spent more time choosing the dishes than I spent preparing them. For the main course, I turned to a simple favorite: mustard-baked chicken with pretzel crust. But rather than using the [...]

Cajun Chicken Pasta

We eventually tired of preparing simple favorites in our new kitchen and were ready to test our new Calphalon cookware with an unfamiliar recipe. Enter The Pioneer Woman! This pasta dish is spicy and satisfying. We didn’t have Cajun spice in our cupboard so Nick combined cayenne pepper, paprika, white pepper, and garlic powder. (He [...]

Beef Minestrone Soup

What’s the perfect meal to accompany tree trimming and to serve as the test subject of a new 50mm f/1.8 camera lens? Beef minestrone soup, of course. Smell the savory scent of stewed beef and vegetables while hanging ornaments and sipping White Russians. And snap photos of a colorful ladle of steaming goodness. Then enjoy [...]

Weeknight Pasta: Linguine with Shrimp, Tomatoes, and Mushrooms

Looking for a simple and savory dinner recipe on this chilly Monday? Try this spin on our favorite pasta. Nick tossed it together last week (because he knows how much I love shrimp and mushrooms), and we paired it with a local red wine and toasted garlic bread. Ingredients linguine (or any pasta of your [...]

Weeknight Pasta: Linguine with Shrimp and Vegetables

We’re currently living in an apartment with a kitchen drawer that opens into the handle of the oven and a refrigerator door that opens into the windowsill. There is just enough counter space for a microwave and a coffee maker and a kitchen table that barely seats four adults. But as Maggie reminded us, “Life [...]

Weeknight Pasta: Penne with Stewed Tomatoes

I had high hopes of cooking gourmet meals as a married couple and savoring the bites together at our cozy kitchen table. In reality, we have limited counter space and small appliances, our new stock pot and skillets are still in storage at my parents’ house, and our kitchen table is often covered with mail [...]

Ravioli with Apples and Pears

T-minus 12 days until The Culinary Couple begins cohabitation! Until then, we continue to cook separately during the week. Last Wednesday, after baking a scrumptious spiced apple cake and before enjoying a big slice, I adapted a ravioli recipe from the latest issue of Real Simple. It combines some of my favorite fall flavors: apples, [...]

Baked Lemon Pasta

Fantastic find on The Pioneer Woman Cooks! Emily re-fueled with this pasta dish after a long run, and she looks forward to making it for Nick! (Note: Recipe is halved in this version.) Ingredients 1/2 pound thin spaghetti 1/4 stick (2 tablespoons) butter 1 tablespoons olive oil 1 cloves garlic, minced Juice of 1/2 lemon [...]

Hearty Lasagna

There’s no better greeting after a long drive from State College PA to Hoboken NJ than the sweet and spicy aroma of simmering meat sauce. Nick treated Emily to a hearty and impressive lasagna one Friday evening. We didn’t eat until almost 10 p.m., but it was well worth the wait! This is a must [...]

Skillet Lasagna

Ingredients 1 jar (24-26 oz.) marinara sauce 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese 3 cups water 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 8 oz. lasagna noodles 2 garlic cloves, pressed 1/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper 1 lb. bulk Italian sausage links with casings removed 2 oz. Parmesan cheese 2 TB. fresh parsley, divided Directions Combine [...]