Spinach-Cilantro Pesto
In only a year, my olive oil collection has grown substantially. I seem to accumulate nice olive oils, then never use them. I always just buy the massive bottles from Costco to use instead. The other day my mom mentioned to me that she only had nice olive oils left, so she was only going to use them. I think I have some sort of mental block that I should save them for a “special occasion”. When will there ever be an olive oil special occasion? This has brought me to the decision that I am going to use my nice olive oils as well. I have begun using the oil that my mom got from her adopted olive farm, my chile infused olive oil from New Zealand (summer 2010!), a lemon olive oil, as well as my new DEVO Cilantro and Roasted Onion infused olive oil. When I heard of this DEVO oil, I was instantly intrigued. I had never heard of such an interesting flavor infusion- I had to try it! DEVO also has many other interesting infused oils, check them out!
Throwback Thursday: Chicken & Zucchini Baked Ziti
I moved out of my apartment in Breckenridge today to move back to Boulder. Only one more semester of school in Boulder until I get to start culinary school! I am going to miss living in the mountains, the beautiful views from my front porch, the pace of life, and the cool weather. The one thing that I won’t miss about that apartment is the tiny piece-of-junk kitchen. When we first moved in, our stove would spark and pop every time we tried to turn it on- no it was not gas! This week’s Throwback Thursday recipe was made during this time, when I was afraid to cook anything on the stove. Instead I boiled the water for the pasta in the microwave to cook it!
Throwback Thursday: Sesame Chicken Chow Mein
I have finally transfered almost all of my old recipes to my new blog, only one or two more Throwback Thursdays after this one. I am going to start a new weekly theme idea once Throwback Thursdays are over. I would love to hear your input about what you would like to see. I was considering a few things. First, I was thinking about focusing on a different country each week and discussion the traditions, flavors and any other interesting things behind the culture. The other idea I had was to really focus on the senses, since that is what my blog is really about. I was considering zoning in on a different sense description each week and showing how it is represented in certain recipes. For example, I would use the word “tangy” one week and discuss what that really means and give you a recipe that really represents what the word “tangy” means. Please let me know what you think of these ideas and let me know if you have any others that you would like to see!
Baked Lamb & Spinach Manicotti Bundles + Awards!
While continuing my quest for unique Italian meals that aren’t pasta dishes, I came across an article in Clean Eating magazine on ways to make hearty Italian food a bit healthier. Although I didn’t take their advice on using fish instead of red meat, I did take their advice on using low-fat dairy products and whole wheat pasta. For this recipe I was sure to add lots of spinach for added nutrients.
Throwback Thursday: Turkey & Spinach Stuffed Shells
Sometimes nothing can beat a home-cooked Italian meal. I don’t make pasta much after working at Noodles & Co. for a year, but oh man these were good. I would hardly put these into the pasta category; they are so rich and delicious!
For this week’s throwback recipe, I give you my turkey, spinach and cheese stuffed shells. Stuffing these bad boys was a bit of work, but it was totally worth it. Once they are done and you bite into their gooey, cheesy goodness you will understand.
