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 [...]

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 [...]

Chili

Chili is the perfect way to warm up a cold winter night! And it’s one of those recipes that you just can’t get wrong. We added ingredients such as ground beef, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, onions, garlic, jalapeno peppers, kidney beans, black beans, and a variety of spices. Cumin and chili powder are musts. The [...]

Pizza Margherita

Ingredients pizza dough (we like the variety found in the frozen food section of your grocery store) EVOO flour 2 cans of stewed tomatoes pressed garlic mozzarella cheese basil leaves salt, pepper, oregano, crushed red peppers Directions Place frozen pizza dough in a greased bowl covered with plastic wrap. Let it sit on your kitchen [...]

Tilapia

Ingredients 4 – 4 ounce fillets tilapia salt and pepper to taste 2 redskin potatoes 4 tablespoons butter 3 cloves garlic, pressed 4 fresh basil leaves, chopped 1 large tomato, chopped 1 cup white wine Directions Preheat grill for medium-high heat. Thinly slice potatoes and place them side by side on a large piece of [...]

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 [...]