I’m in love with Italian food. Isn’t everyone? So many dishes are creamy, rich and very satisfying. They’re easy to prepare and fun to make, unpretentious – something to please everyone. And Italian food is inexpensive and serves plenty. Besides, I have two tomato plants in my garden with lots of ripening fruit. So, I made a couple of batches of marinara sauce Saturday. And I made the sauce expressly with this recipe in mind.
Looking for a satisfying, family favorite main dish? Why not give this simple recipe a try?
This is another of my favorite quick go-to recipes. Sure to please, this makes plenty, more than enough for four. If you add two more chicken breasts or thighs, you can stretch it to serve six. Serve this with a salad or apple sauce or fresh fruit or crusty bread, and you’re all set.
Perfect Macaroni Salad
My husband and I love macaroni salad. I frequently buy it from the deli counter, because I really like the creamy, tangy consistency paired with firm noodles, sweet pickle relish, a hint of diced onion.
Over the years, I’ve made several batches, but none came close to the creaminess of the store bought kind. The macaroni always absorbed all the dressing.
I couldn’t figure out what was going wrong. Hmmmm . . .
Japanese Soba Noodle Salad
I’ve found a perfect summer side dish that is easy and quick to put together, perfect for a hot summer day. These are seriously so delicious!
It’s made with Japanese soba (buckwheat) noodles. I picked up a package at the local World Market, which, in Billings anyway, is beginning to stock more and more Asian ingredients. The dry noodles are shorter than spaghetti, and are packed in neat little 3 oz. bundles – they’re very cute. But, if you can’t find soba, this salad would be outstanding made with thin spaghetti.
In the mood for something different?
I love this recipe originally from Ina Garten. My husband and I crave Chinese food and flavors, particularly this time of year. In the winter, I tend to stick to the old standbys: vegetable soup, chili, meatloaf, chicken and dumplings. All great stuff, but during the seasonal transition from winter to spring, I thought it was time to challenge our taste buds – what about something Asian? This dish came readily to mind believe it or not, because I had almost all the ingredients on hand. This is not a light dish, and not something that leaps to the fore when it’s cold. The noodles are served at room temperature, but I warmed up dinner with a couple of baked chicken breasts. There are lots of vegetables, is it healthy, well you be the judge. However, Crunchy Asian Noodle Salad is very satisfying.
