at home with ann

I've made Mediterranean Couscous salad many times before.  It's one of my favorite cold summer salads, perfect for a side or main dish.  Excellent to take to parties, and excellent eaten straight out of the fridge.  Perhaps I should stop sharing that I eat food straight from the fridge, fork in hand, lest you think I have no manners.  Last year, I shared a version of it here .  The Lemon Tahini Dressing on that one is amazing, and I highly recommend you make it.  This is essentially the same salad, just with an easy, light vinaigrette dressing instead.  My in-laws came over yesterday to visit Colin, and we had this with lunch.  Colin had been shorted on his morning nap and wasn't his usual cheerful self the whole time, but at least everyone seemed to like the couscous.  Mediterranean Couscous Salad 1 cup whole wheat pearl couscous (also called Israeli couscous) 1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered 1 english cucumber, chopped 1 red bell...

There's a problem with the oven.  A problem that means it takes an hour to preheat to a temperature that is no where near the one set, and randomly cools down while it's cooking.  This meant that after "roasting" in a 425 degree oven for nearly 2 hours , the pan came out cool enough to touch and the vegetables were lightly cooked and lukewarm.   Needless to say, Jon's to-do list for this weekend includes fixing the oven or buying a new one.  This meal was inspired by yet another Pinterest find.  This one , to be specific.  I strayed quite a bit from the original recipe, but really it just put the idea into my head to do a roasted vegetable couscous.  Also, the website is British, so it says things like aubergine instead of eggplant, courgettes instead of zucchini, and shallow tin instead of baking sheet.  That's fun.  Roasted Vegetable Couscous 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch pieces 2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch pieces 1 r...

When I was in college, we used to go to a dive Mexican restaurant to drink giant margaritas.  Along with those margaritas I would often order Arroz con Pollo.  I have to say, my memory of that dish might be a little hazy, but I think my version is way better.  And I'm not just saying that because due to some timing issues and a baby who needed a bath and to be put to bed, I didn't eat dinner last night until almost 9 and inhaled my bowl.  That is late for someone who is usually starving by 7. Also, I sometimes eat lunch at 11 in the morning and today it involved ants on a log.  I'm either 8 or 88.  But I digress. Arroz con Pollo inspired by Eat Live Run Serves 6 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts , sliced in half lengthwise to form thin filets (you can use any cut of chicken here) Olive Oil 1-2 onions, chopped 1-2 green bell peppers, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons cumin 1 teaspoon paprika 1/4 teaspoon saffron, crushed 1 bay leaf 1 1/2 ...

We have decided that nearly any recipe that calls for spaghetti can be substituted with spaghetti squash.  For the most part the pasta is just there to carry the sauce, so when the sauce is hearty and flavorful like this one, spaghetti squash is the perfect accompaniment. I was inspired by this recipe I saw on Pinterest.   Can we just take a moment to reflect on the wonder that is Pinterest?  Aside from the fashion and decorating, it's a fantastic resource for recipe ideas.  In any case, I put my own spin on this dish, but used the basic Puttanesca flavors. Puttanesca is rumored to have been the recipe that Italian prostitutes would cook to lure customers to their home.  I don't think any prostitutes these days are making spicy pasta dishes for their customers, but this is so good they should consider bringing that marketing technique back. Puttanesca Spaghetti Squash Serves 6 1 spaghetti squash ~4 lbs, roasted olive oil 1 onion, chopped 4 cloves ga...

After the manicotti, I had some leftover ricotta. I never know what to do with leftover ricotta except for adding it on top of pizza or mixing it in with pasta.  There was one scary instance when it went bad in the fridge and I made the sorry mistake of opening it to check.  I was planning to take an hors d'oeuvres with me to my parent's house this weekend, and a few internet searches came up with various bruschetta. Mediterranean Bruschetta Ingredients: 15 oz. ricotta 1 cup diced tomato 1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon lemon juice salt and pepper 1 loaf of bread balsamic vinegar Slice bread into 1/2 inch thick slices.  Toast lightly in the oven. Simmer balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan until reduced and thickened slightly.  You can do this step in advance, which is what I did. Mix together ricotta, tomato, olives, basil, oregano, lemon juice, and salt and pepper.  Since I did...