Like everybody else on the face of the earth, I’m ridiculously obsessed with Pinterest. Sure, I could do without the proliferation of twee inspirational quotes in interesting typefaces and living rooms that I’ll never be able to afford, but there is no better website out there right now for random dinner inspiration.

I saw this pin for baked spaghetti, and immediately knew that I wanted to try it. Cooper, like most three-year-olds, loves pasta, so I’m always looking for new recipes. This particular baked spaghetti recipe involves ground beef, which I don’t eat, and canned tomato sauce, which I don’t have. However, the best thing about pasta is that it’s infinitely customizable, so I took the basic idea and just went with it.

Baked Spaghetti

• 8 oz. Spaghetti
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 diced onion
• 1 tbs Italian seasoning
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 cups mozzarella
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Cook your spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, quarter your onion and dice it along with the garlic in the food processor. Put diced onion in a large bowl. Put diced tomatoes and italian seasoning in food processor and process until you get most of the chunks out. Add the tomato and spice mixture to the diced onion. Add tomato sauce and mix everything together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add cooked spaghetti to sauce and stir, making sure to coat spaghetti evenly.

Transfer mixture into a greased baking dish. Sprinkle mozzarella on top and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the cheese is hot and bubbly.

Kid Tip: Since you’re using a food processor, this is a great opportunity to get some extra veggies into your kid without them noticing. Throw some baby spinach, zucchini, and/or broccoli in the food processor along with the diced tomatoes for some extra nutrition.

It’s not like food hasn’t been first and foremost in my mind at least three times a day, what with the meal-eating and all. I’ve even been doing a bit of cooking. It’s the writing part that hasn’t been happening.

The scallop dish I threw together tonight was so good that I dusted off the old laptop so I could share it with you. Let me warn you, though, it won’t be my usual organized recipe format, because I simply didn’t measure (what else is new really) and I couldn’t begin to guess. I can share with the the ingredients and technique, and beyond that, it’s all about what you like anyway. Do everything to your own taste and it will come out a winner. OK, and I’ll try to estimate.

 Scallops with Summer Squash and Peas

Ingredients:

• 1 pound scallops
• lemon juice, orange juice concentrate, tamari
• 1 medium to large summer squash, thinly sliced
• about 1 cup peas
• 2 large scallions, sliced
• ground coriander to taste
• whole cumin seeds to taste
• capers to taste
• 3/4 cup dry quinoa, cooked to package directions

Cook scallops in butter for 30 seconds, then add 1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate, about 3 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 1/2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce. Simmer until cooked and mixture thickens slightly, about 3 minutes for medium-sized scallops. Do not overcook. Remove from pan.

Add squash to pan and braise in liquid, covered, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until done. Add ground coriander and whole cumin seeds to taste (I probably used 1/2 teaspoon and 1/4 teaspoon, respectively). Mixture will thicken slightly. Add peas and scallions and heat through.

Meanwhile, cook 3/4 cup quinoa in 1.5 cups water. Dress with lemon juice, tamari, rice vinegar and olive oil.

Pour vegetables and pan liquid over quinoa, add scallops and toss. Sprinkle with capers. Add some chopped fresh basil or parsley if you like.

Serve over grilled romaine, wilted baby spinach or the greens of your choice. I’d stay away from arugula for this one, though; you don’t need to add another strong flavor to the mix.

Every spring/summer I seem to become obsessed with grape tomatoes. I put them in everything, whether they’re called for or not. So naturally, when I see a recipe that actually calls for them, my interest is immediately piqued. So that’s why when friend of CliqueClack and noted vegetarian Wil Wheaton tweeted a recipe for Quinoa-stuffed portobellos and the picture showed delicious grape tomatoes, I immediately hit the grocery store.

In addition to my grape tomato obsession, I’m also always looking for new uses for quinoa. In fact, I took some of the left over cream sauce from last week’s recipe and replaced the pasta with quinoa. It was pretty delightful. I modified this recipe as well, because I do not enjoy fruit in non-fruit or dessert dishes, so putting raisins in this would have really bummed me out. However, if that’s your bag, then follow the original recipe as she has it.

This recipe is both vegan and gluten-free, but I made it non-vegan by adding delicious, delicious cheese. With that said, I do not recommend what I did with the first one, which was add gorgonzola. As much as I love it, it was just too overpowering for this dish. For the second, I added goat cheese and baked that on, which was 100% perfect.

She also says to add either basil, mint or parsley. I chose basil, which again, went wonderfully with the grape tomatoes. I also added more garlic than is called for, but I do that with everything I cook. I also left out the scallions, because they’re gross. With or without the recipe modifications, this is a delicious, light summer dinner.

I don’t remember if it was on Facebook or on Twitter, but I came across The Pioneer Woman’s recipe for pasta with pesto cream sauce and I was inspired. I’m a total brown thumb, but each year I try to convince myself that this year’s the year I’m going to grow something awesome. I bought some basil plants from the farmer’s market a few months ago, and lo and behold: they’re not dead yet. In fact they’re thriving so much, that I need to start using some of it before I’m overwhelmed by a basil forest.

The thing is, I’m also in the middle of a Sons of Anarchy marathon on Netflix Instant, so I didn’t want to go to the grocery store. That meant that actually making her cream sauce was out, since I don’t have heavy cream on hand. So I searched around and after many weird and unappetizing recipes, found this one for a low-fat cream sauce. It’s great because the ingredients are pretty common, but it’s also hilarious because I’m not entirely sure you can count anything that has flour, butter, Parmesan cheese and an egg as “low fat.”

My pesto recipe was similarly ad-hoc. Although it’s close to Deb’s classic pesto recipe, I didn’t actually measure anything. I also added some spinach instead of parsley, which I never really use for anything. The key though, is the lemon. I used an entire half — I love the tang it adds.

I also toasted the pine nuts first, which gave it a delightfully nutty flavor.

The spinach also makes the pesto a little bit milder and obviously gives it the added benefit of all of those spinachy nutrients.

After you’re finished with the pesto, try to restrain yourself from digging out a loaf of bread and eating it all right there. It’ll be hard, because it’s SO GOOD. Instead, boil a pot of water for the pasta. and follow the directions for the cream sauce — I was impressed with how thick it actually got.

While you’re waiting for that to thicken, slice some grape tomatoes in half and saute them. They’ll add a little burst of sweetness to the finished product.

Once the cream sauce is finished, add the tomatoes and the pesto and mix together.

Toss with your choice of pasta. I used ziti because short pasta is easy for a toddler (Cooper loved this, by the way), but if it were just me, I’d use angel hair.

Word of warning: this recipe yields a crapload of cream sauce. Either be prepared to make a lot of pasta, or dust off those math skills and halve the recipe.

As the numbers on the thermometer rise (high today in my part of the F-L-A is 85 degrees!) and thoughts turn to lighter, healthier (and cooler) eating, I’ve been searching out new culinary pals to liven up my spring and summer meals. Right off the bat, I made a fast food friend: farro.

A whole grain that’s loaded with protein, farro looks like a cousin to brown rice but has more of a chewy, slightly creamy bite. It also packs a nutrition punch, containing fiber, magnesium and vitamins A, B, C and E.

What’s not to love?

Well, my experience trying to actually find this great grain was not terribly easy. I understand it’s available at establishments like Whole Foods, but if you are like me and this culinary Mecca isn’t anywhere close to you, places like Amazon.com can come to the rescue. That’s the route I took and now my pantry is locked and loaded with farro for my dining and experimenting pleasure.

This recipe, adapted from one on epicurious.com, is a terrific place to start getting acquainted with farro. Easy and quick, it’s delicious as is but also lends itself nicely to substitutions to suit personal preferences. It’s one I’m going to enjoy (tonight, actually) and all through the hot season.

Chicken Farro Salad

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces skinless boneless chicken breast halves
• juice of one lemon
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup semi-pearled farro
• 12 ounces green beans, trimmed, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 cups yellow corn kernels (if fresh, cut from 2 to 3 ears of corn)
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced (about 3/4 cup)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh marjoram
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons minced shallot
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 4 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled

Cut chicken into even bite-sized pieces. Toss with lemon juice, olive oil and garlic. Mix so that chicken is covered with marinade. Let sit in fridge for at least an hour.

Cook farro in medium saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain; cool.

Meanwhile, heat heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and marinade to skillet; saute until golden brown and cooked through.

Cook green beans in large saucepan of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain. Rinse under cold water to cool; drain. Transfer beans to kitchen towel; pat dry.

Mix farro, chicken, and green beans in large bowl; add corn and green onions.

Combine remaining 2 tablespoons oil, marjoram, and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt in small bowl. Press with back of spoon to release flavor. Whisk in vinegar, shallot, and mustard. Pour over salad in bowl; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

DO AHEAD: Salad can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Divide chilled or room-temperature salad among plates. Sprinkle with goat cheese. Enjoy!

Picture this timeless romantic tableau, courtesy of The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám:

A jug of wine, a loaf of bread and thou
Beside me singing in the wilderness

That’s all well and good. Lovely even. But there’s something missing which might make it simply perfect: cheese and chocolate.

This is where a classic comes in. Fondue. It’s my favorite romantic meal and it’s SO easy to create at home for a dinner for two or a treat for the kiddos. Check it out. …

First, the right equipment is rather crucial to the fondue experience. The fondue pot, that copper relic from your parents’ ’60s dinner parties, has been updated and streamlined and is available for not a lot of coin at Target, in the event you don’t have one.

I have used a mini crock pot in a pinch in lieu of a real fondue pot – most memorably during a dinner “party” in college designed to impress a gentleman friend but which turned into a celebration of very cheap wine and party crashers. (PS: I did impress my gentleman friend when all was said and done and those people left the apartment. But I digress.)

The great thing about fondue is that it’s all about two things: prep and assemblage.  My favorite recipe is a time-tested one, originally printed in Gourmet magazine in 1966 and currently shared on Epicurious.com. I adapted it a bit after a couple of test drives – but it still proves that you can’t beat a classic.

Cheese Fondue

Ingredients:

• 1 garlic clove, halved crosswise
• 1 1/2 cups dry white wine (I like a dry Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc)
• 2 teaspoons kirsch liqueur
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 lb Emmental cheese, coarsely grated (2 cups)
• 1/2 lb Gruyère, coarsely grated (2 cups)
• 1/4 lb Appenzeller, coarsely grated (1 cup) (optional, but man does it add something)
• pinch fresh ground nutmeg

Accompaniment: cubes of French bread; apple slices; mushrooms; parboiled red potatoes or other veggies of your choice.

Rub inside of a 4-quart heavy pot with cut sides of garlic, then discard garlic. Add wine to pot and bring just to a simmer over moderate heat.

Toss grated cheese together with cornstarch. Gradually add cheese to pot and cook, stirring constantly in a zigzag pattern (not a circular motion) to prevent cheese from balling up, until cheese is just melted and creamy (do not let boil). Add kirsch and stir in. Bring fondue to a simmer and cook, stirring, until thickened, 5 to 8 minutes. Mix in ground nutmeg.

Transfer to fondue pot set and serve with dipping accompaniments.

Now that takes care of the main course. But … is there a better way to end a meal, romantic or not, than with something chocolate? Wait. Don’t answer that. But seriously – a little sweet cocoa delight puts a solid exclamation point on an evening. This recipe, adapted from one from Tyler Florence, is delicious – and better yet, it’s adaptable to suit your tastes.  I like to use Kahlua, but any liqueur or flavored syrup work well.

Chocolate Fondue

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces dark chocolate, broken in pieces
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken in pieces
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup caramel topping
• 3 tablespoons flavored syrup or liqueur

Place all ingredients in fondue pot over low heat. Stir constantly until the mixture is melted and smooth. Do not allow to bubble. Great foods for dipping in the fondue include strawberries, bananas, apples, grapes, cherries, bite-sized pound cake pieces and marshmallows.

Fondue. Easy. Romantic. Delicious. So what are you waiting for – go get to dipping!

I don’t think I’ve ever had chicken paprikash, but it combines every delicious comforting ingredient I can think of: onion, garlic, tomato, mushrooms and thick and creamy broth. I’d definitely serve this over brown rice with a salad.

When I make meatloaf it’s often with ground turkey, but I’ve never tried anything like this turkey and apricot meatloaf. Lest you think it too sweet, it’s spiked with a goodly amount of ancho chili powder, soy sauce and garlic.

How very weird that these apricot glazed chicken drummies are also swathed in apricot … what does that say about my cravings? We adore cooking chicken drumsticks and this overnight marinade sounds so easy — I’ll definitely be giving this recipe a try.

Try this one on for size: Turkish-spiced chicken kebabs with pomegranate relish and tahini yogurt. Yeah, I know, right? The only problem with this recipe is that I’m really going to have to be in the mood for cooking if I attempt it, as I just have a feeling it takes more time than the hour-and-a-half it estimates.

Let’s just get this out of the way right now — you know you’re going to make chili for the Superbowl, so why fight it? Buffalo wings and nachos, however appealing, will be gone before halftime and you’re going to need something hearty to make it through.

Jamie Oliver’s green chili, made with pork and green peppers and sage has fast become one of our favorites. A couple of unique twists, like fresh mint and chopped lettuce, make this a healthy, crunchy chili with a delicate yet hearty flavor.

Apparently this is the best chili you will ever taste. I’ve got to admit I fell for it, what with the coffee, beer, cocoa and sirloin.

Jeff will tell you that vegetarian chili is really just vegetable soup. The ingredients in this vegetarian chili are pure and wholesome and flavorful — it doesn’t matter what you call it, it’s worth eating.

Spicy pork and black bean chili is definitely spicy (what with the chipotle chili powder and all), but served over rice with some sour cream and it’s perfect.

It took me a long time to perfect this crock pot chili recipe, but I’m so glad that I did. I’ve really got quite a love affair going with my slow cooker and most chili recipes before this one were mushy and wet and fairly flavorless. In fact, I’m making this one tonight … no need to wait for the big game!

We’ve made this recipe for chicken and corn chili several times now and it always come out great. It’s another slow cooker recipe, with lots of cumin, white beans and cheesy goodness. Sometimes we sprinkle on fresh cilantro too.

Katie’s almost from scratch chili uses salsa as a base, with diced green chiles and brown sugar … imagine the flavor infused into that chili!

If it’s meat and meat alone that you crave, chili con carne is your answer to the perfect bowl of chili. This recipe has cubed meat (not ground), beer, allspice, cinnamon, cumin and cloves to lend it its unique flair.

Alright, ‘fess up — which chili recipe will you be making?

I’ve worked on this recipe for a couple years now and while I’m always tweaking it, this version is the newest and so far the best. It’s even boyfriend-approved, which is tough when you’re dating a chili connoisseur. I don’t mess around when it comes to comfort foods and let me tell you, this is one delicious dish.

What I really love about it is how easy it is! All you need are basic knife skills for the onion and garlic and patience for the slowly developing flavors. The base of the chili is salsa — I normally get the store-bought stuff, but if you have a great salsa recipe, by all means use it! I suggest using a salsa you’ve tried before so you know how spicy it’ll be. You might notice that this is a big recipe … that’s because it’s ten times better the day after and I always want to make sure I have leftovers.

Almost-From-Scratch Chili

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Approximately 15 portions

Ingredients:

• 2.5 pounds lean ground beef
• 2.5 cups diced onion
• 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3 (16-ounce) cans kidney, pinto or black beans, drained and rinsed
• 6.5 cups salsa, homemade or store bought
• 2 (4-ounce) cans diced green chiles, drained
• 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 5 teaspoons chili powder
• 1.5 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 cup chicken stock or water
• ½ cup brown sugar, packed
• salt, to taste
• shredded cheddar cheese
• tortilla chips

Brown and drain the ground beef in a large pot. Add the onion and garlic cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the beans, salsa, chiles, tomatoes, chili powder and cumin. Add enough chicken stock/water to get the desired thickness. Stir in the brown sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, at least 1 hour. Check for seasoning (although you shouldn’t need much salt at all). Garnish each portion with lightly crumbled tortilla chips and cheese and, most importantly, enjoy!

Just like last year, Keith and I celebrated New Year’s Eve at around 7:00, with a fancy dining room table meal with the now 6-year-old. We decided to fancy up last year’s rack of lamb (the pre-seasoned Trader Joe’s version) and make this recipe for roast lamb with lamb sausage crust and grape pan sauce from Epicurious instead.

Words cannot describe how worth it making this recipe was. It was a lot more work than Trader Joe’s, but every bite was heaven. Although I kept thinking that this meal probably would have killed Kona. …

We served the lamb and sauce with rice cooker drunken risotto and haricots verts with fresh sage and pancetta (which admittedly were leftovers that Bob made for our Christmas celebration the night before).

For dessert we tried La Tartine Gourmande’s baked lime custards with raspberries. The flavor combination of lime, ginger, coconut milk and raspberries is so perfect and the texture so light that I didn’t even mourn the fact that my dessert wasn’t chocolate. This will be the next dessert we serve for guests.

You may be out partying, but I’m about to go to the fridge for a second lime custard. I wouldn’t trade places with you for all of the champagne in the world. Although if you offered me lime custard, I might be in a bit of a quandary.

My dad took me out to lunch a few weeks ago, which was awesome because he paid, but also because I had an amazing polenta dish. It was a creamy polenta with mixed wild mushrooms, mozzarella cheese, and balsamic vinegar. I could tell that there were only a few ingredients involved, so as soon as I took my first bite, I vowed to recreate it at home.

This also dovetails nicely with my goal of cooking more and finding a larger variety of foods for my toddler to reject (or eat! Which would be awesome!), and I thought polenta may be something he would actually dig. Polenta is also something that I’ve used a few times, but have been wanting to try to incorporate into more dishes. As a vegetarian, it’s really easy to fall into a pasta rut, especially when you’re trying to find something a meat eater will enjoy as well, so polenta seems like a nice alternative.

From what I understand, making polenta is pretty easy, but this was a new recipe as it was, and I was looking for something with very little prep time and dishes. That’s where my tube o’ polenta came in handy. Instead of a creamy polenta dish, I decided that polenta cakes were the way to go.

Polenta Mushroom Cakes

• One tube of original flavor polenta
• 8 0z. package of sliced mushrooms (a mix is good, but I just used baby bellas)
• 4 oz. sliced mozzarella
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• balsamic vinegar
• splash of red wine (optional)

Dice the garlic and heat up the olive oil in a saute pan. Add garlic, mushrooms and a splash of red wine if you’re feeling adventurous. Saute ingredients over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until the mushrooms are soft and most of the liquid has cooked down.

While the mushrooms are cooking, slice the polenta tube into rounds. Fry the polenta over medium to medium-high heat, using olive oil or cooking spray. Cook for approximately three minutes on each side.

Place polenta circles on a cookie sheet and cover with the mushroom mixture. Top with mozzarella cheese and put under the broiler for 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Remove, drizzle on some balsamic and enjoy!

It’s pretty hard not to completely love someone who cleans your house for you. My cleaning lady is an awesome person … and I adore her even more since she shared this recipe with me.

In her subtle way, she inquired why I had bowls of green tomatoes all over my house. We’re talking heirlooms, Romas — both large and small — and cherries. Between our CSA farm harvest and our own plants, our tomato cups runneth over this year, and I was hoping the green ones would ripen up.

She then related to me how she used her green tomatoes — baked with garlic, oregano and olive oil — and I couldn’t wait to try it. It reminded me a bit of Scott Peacock’s slow-baked tomato recipe that we love here, but my cleaning lady said we’d end up with a much different flavor from the green ones, and she was right.

They are savory, slightly tangy and so rich and complex with flavor … very different from the sweet and syrupy slow-baked cherry tomatoes. I souped them up a bit and ended up with a new go-to recipe … as long as we have green tomatoes, that is.

Roasted Green Tomatoes with Garlic and Oregano

Ingredients:

• enough coarsely chopped green tomatoes to fill a 9X13 baking pan in a sort-of single layer (I use a bit more than that)
• about 8 cloves of garlic, sliced or quartered
• about 1/2 cup olive oil
• about 1/5 cup balsamic vinegar
• dried oregano to taste
• sea salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Arrange the garlic and chopped tomatoes in the pan, then pour olive oil over them and toss. There should be enough to coat the tomatoes and leave a coating on the bottom of the pan as well. Sprinkle with the oregano, salt and pepper and toss. Finally, drizzle with the balsamic vinegar and give everything a final mix.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about an hour, or until tomatoes are smushable. Then smush them so the juices mix with the oil and vinegar … yum.

We like to serve this over polenta with some salad and grilled sausages, but we’ve taken Kona’s suggestion and served it over quinoa with good results too.

Martha Stewart I’m not…. In between being Owen’s mom, Keith’s wife, teaching, writing for CliqueClack and trying to keep house, well, one of those gets sorely neglected. Honestly, I think it’s the right one because I’m pretty sure that I won’t look back on life in 20 years wishing I had cleaned and organized my house more often and I’m definitely sure that on the worst of nights, my family is better-fed than most American families.

Still, whipping up this almond and basil crusted salmon and a layered potato and goat cheese thingy (which I will definitely name better if I decide to post the recipe) with some fresh green beans made me feel better about myself. With five ingredients, you can’t go wrong with this crust.

Almond and Basil Crusted Salmon

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup almonds
• 1/4 cup basil leaves
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons capers
• salmon fillets

Pulse the first five ingredients in a mini food processor. If you want it to be more paste-like, you can add some olive oil as well and puree it to a smoother texture.

Spread the mixture on top of the salmon fillets and bake at 400 degrees until done, which is not very long, about 15 minutes give or take, but pull it out and check it at about 10 minutes, just in case. Don’t overcook your salmon; that’s just wrong in every way.

Serve with your choice of a side dish and enjoy the ease of this meal while feeling a little like Martha Stewart for a night.

Somehow everything that makes a perfect dinner just jumped into this post and before I knew it, a very special dinner menu was born. It’s definitely not something I’d cook for a weeknight, but if I had a quiet weekend this might be just the menu. It’s a definite for a special occasion, though — I’m thinking a romantic dinner for two … but then again, aren’t most busy moms?

This blueberry sauce for beef just sounds so perfect … but I’ve become a lazy cook lately and it might not get made until a special occasion. Since the anniversary already passed, along with the birthdays, I might just have to wait until New Year’s Eve or Valentine’s Day to enjoy this one … though it really isn’t hard to make.

Here’s the side dish to my beef with blueberry sauce, since I’m feeling too lazy to make this spiced tomato gratin, but oh, does it get my salivary glands into a tizzy….

And for dessert — chocolate nut cake. I love that Bea over at La Tartine Gourmande mostly cooks gluten-free. Her desserts are divine and I can always find something that fits our way of eating … with perhaps some sugar substitutes.

What do you think? Serve it up with a gourmet mesclun salad and it’s the perfect dinner.

We’re right in the midst of the CSA Farm season, and I love it for oh-so-many reasons. Yes, the fresh food is great. Sure, I love showing my kid where vegetables come from and I delight in him picking the veggies and eating them right from the plant, as if it’s the most amazing forbidden treasure (it is!).  But I mostly love having to think outside the box to create meals. In the wintertime (most of the time), I plan a menu based on recipes and shop for the ingredients. When I’ve got a fridge full of the freshest veggies around and I get to create meals using my creativity, it’s an exciting challenge. I know they’re going to be healthy so all I have to think about is what tastes good.

Radicchio and figs taste fabulous together. I know I’ve created a leeky, Greek-y pasta with figs and radicchio before, but this one is really completely different. I don’t often do this, but technique plays a big part in the taste of this dish, so be sure to read and follow the directions carefully.

Pasta with Figs, Radicchio and Chick Peas

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups mission figs, reconstituted and halved
• 1 can chick peas
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cups green or yellow beans, cut in 2-inch pieces
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup raw slivered almonds
• balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cups radicchio, chopped
• 1 cup packed fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• goat cheese
• 1/2 pound pasta, cooked (I used brown rice rotini)

Heat some olive oil over medium heat in a saute pan. Add the onion and green beans and saute for a minute or two, then add the garlic and almonds and cook until everything is tender, about 10 minutes.

Sprinkle just a little balsamic vinegar to de-glaze the pan and get everything all rich and brown and syrupy. Add the chick peas, figs and radicchio and cook through, then de-glaze the pan again with another sprinkle of balsamic vinegar, this time to wilt the radicchio.

Remove from heat and stir in the basil and rosemary and season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil, stir the pasta into the pan with the chick pea mixture, toss all with the olive oil/lemon juice, spoon onto plates and top with some goat cheese.

We served this with grilled chicken thighs blackened with salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano and basil. You can keep it a vegetarian dish if you like — there’s plenty of protein with the chick peas.

I like it tart, with the lemon juice and the goat cheese, but if you want to mix in some of the water that the figs soaked in, it would definitely add an extra dose of sweetness.

I love how the best recipes are sometimes borne of desperation. I forgot to take something out of the freezer and then on the way home from the CSA farm, I forgot to stop to grab some meat. Since the men (OK, the boy and the man … or should I just say the boys?) don’t really think it’s a meal unless there’s a dead animal on the plate, the idea of a vegetarian meal was not well-received.

Enter the desperation, because all I had was some canned salmon left over from sprinkling on my salad for yesterday’s lunch. I also had some ground spices that Keith didn’t use up the other night when he made a crust for grilled salmon (he swears he’ll post the recipe test drive). Add some fresh cilantro, this and that and salmon cakes that were good enough to serve in a restaurant magically appeared on my family’s plates.

Salmon Corn Cakes

Ingredients:

• about 1/2 pound salmon (I used canned wild Alaskan salmon with skin and bones)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander, cumin and sesame seeds (mixed)
• 1/2 cup corn kernels
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons corn meal

For the sauce:

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt (whole milk organic)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Mix the ingredients for the patties in a large bowl. This was absolutely the perfect ratio for us, but if you need more liquid, add a bit of lemon juice. If you need more texture to keep the patties solid, add more corn meal.

After mixing well, form into patties (it made 4). Cook over medium low heat in an oiled skillet until both sides are browned, flipping once during cooking.

Meanwhile, whisk together the yogurt and the lemon juice and serve sauce with the patties.

You could definitely add some chopped onion to the patties and some raw garlic to the sauce — I’ll do both of these things next time.

Granted, the five-year-old squeezed ketchup all over his patty and ate it with his hands, but he loved it and it was the first thing gone from his plate. This says a lot since it was served alongside this potato salad, potatoes being the most revered food in the universe by the spud-worshiping child I am raising.

In the interest of trying new foods, I grabbed some escarole off of the choice table of our CSA farm a couple of weeks ago. I was told that it was a versatile, somewhat bitter green that can be cooked or used raw in salads. Loving radicchio and arugula as I do, I thought I’d give it a try.

A day or two after bringing the escarole home, I pulled out salad ingredients and the escarole. To make a very long story short, I was able to save the salad but it didn’t include escarole. I just found the texture too tough to eat raw. So in my refrigerator the escarole sat.

I had been playing around with a few ideas on how to cook the escarole, and I kept coming back to white beans. Wouldn’t you know that when I went to the CSA farm the next week, Rachael Ray‘s recipe for beans and greens (which I could find nowhere in the internet to share with you) was included in the newsletter, and one of the suggested greens was escarole.

After I finished patting myself on the back for thinking like a famous cook, I took a closer look at her recipe. Man, was it boring! I know some flavors are so wonderful that simple recipes are best, yada yada yada, but I knew I could do a little better than onion, garlic, beans, greens and chicken broth.

White Beans and Escarole with Fresh Herbs

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups (or so) of escarole, roughly chopped
• 1 cup (or so) white wine or chicken broth
• 1/3 cup (or so) mixed herbs (I used flat leaf parsley, sage, basil and rosemary), chopped
• 1/2 tomato, finely diced
• juice of half a lemon
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• pecorino romano for sprinkling

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until tender. Add the escarole and wilt. Add the white beans and white wine and simmer for about five minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the herbs, tomato and lemon juice. Season. Sprinkle with pecorino romano or parmesan cheese just before serving.

We served this dish with some grilled sausage (I think it was the smoked turkey and chicken pesto flavor) and that was dinner, but it could easily be a vegetarian main dish.

I was fraught with indecision, I have to say, about the lemon juice versus a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. I suppose you could try either, but I went with the lemon juice and I was very glad that I did. It added just a bit of brightness that I was looking for in the dish, whereas the balsamic would have changed the flavor entirely. Experiment with it and see what you think works best.

A friend of mine recently started a raw food diet, and when I got the opportunity to split a case of kelp noodles with her, I jumped at the chance. Trying a new food is a beautiful thing, and when it’s this healthy for you, it makes it all the more exciting. No-carb noodles with all the nutrition of a sea vegetable and can be served like your favorite pasta? Yes, please.

They are so easy to use too — just rinse and plop in your recipe. You can heat them through, as I did here or just use them cold or room temperature. I’m not sure there’s a wrong way to eat kelp noodles. There’s another positive — they’re a forgiving food.

Speaking of forgiving … I ate “pasta” and didn’t leave the table bloated — score!

We bought some salmon to eat with the kelp noodles, so I went with some flavors I love combining with that flaky, oily, heavenly little pink fish — garlic, ginger, miso, lime juice, sesame oil. The recipe just created itself from there (based on what I had in the house) and this nutritious, vegetarian dish was born.

Kelp Noodles with Almond-Miso Sauce

Ingredients:

• 12-ounce package of kelp noodles
• 1 huge broccoli floret, chopped
• 1/2 an onion, chopped
• sesame seeds for sprinkling
• red pepper flakes to taste
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

For the sauce:

• 2 tablespoons almond butter
• 1 teaspoon miso
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lime juice

Saute the broccoli and the onion until tender and golden. Add the kelp noodles and heat through.

Meanwhile, whisk all of the sauce ingredients together.

Add the sauce to the broccoli and kelp noodle mixture and quickly heat through. Remove from heat and sprinkle in sesame seeds, cilantro and red pepper flakes.

The less you heat the noodles, the more you’ll probably like them, at least that’s what we found. They are pretty wonderful no matter what, but the longer you cook them, the more rubbery they become, whereas fresh from the package they have a delightful crunch. (The five-year-old called it a “pop.”)

Owen, by the way, loved these noodles (you’ll notice the dot of sauce on the tip of his nose — consider that proof), and if you’re a savvy parent, you won’t cut them to your desired size as the package suggests. No, your desired size will be the long, slurpy strings that make your kid grin from ear to ear.

This is just about the weirdest little collection of recipes this week. There’s something I like about each recipe, enough to want to try it, but then each recipe has something annoying about it. I guess that’s rather advantageous, because I get to tweak to my heart’s content. What fun is making a recipe if you don’t change it in some way?

I’m lazy enough to not make meatballs very often. If I find meatloaf to be a chore, then meatballs are like making about a hundred little meatloaves. This recipe for meatballs in chipotle sauce has so many tempting flavors that I just may solicit help from the five-year-old to roll all those little balls. Fresh herbs, cumin seeds, two kinds of meat and rice instead of breadcrumbs … yum.

This raspberry chicken recipe is vague, to say the least, but when a recipe for chicken doesn’t actually tell you what kind of chicken to use? The picture shows a breast, but baking chicken breasts for one-and-a-half hours seems like overkill to me. Nevertheless, the marinade sounds delicious and I think you could even use it like a grilling sauce.

Farro has quickly become the new trendy grain. The nice thing about trends is they tend to be based on what’s healthy and everything I’ve read about farro makes it sound like something I should be eating. Except for the fact that it’s a carb, but we’ll pretend I don’t know that so that I can try this farro, radicchio and roasted beet salad recipe. Slathered in feta. Just can’t suck.

I was sitting around watching the snow fall around the valley this weekend and decided I would spend some time in the kitchen coming up with a new idea for dinner. I should be outside grilling steaks and burgers, and all other manners of goodness, but someone has forgotten to tell Old Man Winter it’s springtime here in Idaho so he keeps tossing snow balls at us. I guess that I should not complain — we will need all the water we can get later in the summer, but I am ready for some camping and cooking over the open fire. I don’t know what made me think about one of my childhood favorite meals, but the more I thought about my Mom’s pigs in a blanket the more I wanted to see if I could make my own. Today was a good day to try it out.

Mom’s pigs in a blanket were the normal hot dogs wrapped in biscuit dough and baked in the oven. We would get these for lunch in school frequently as well. I have made pigs in a blanket many times, but they just do not live up to the memories I have of them as a child. I guess the hot dogs today are just not as good as they were 30 years ago. Holy Moly, that makes me sound old. Grandchild #3 better get here this week — I need another little one around to make me feel like a kid again.

For my sausage in a sleeper I decided to deep fry them instead of bake them. I looked through the manual for my bread machine and settled on a dinner roll recipe in the dough section for the sleeper of my dinner. I added the ingredients to the bread pan and started the bread machine to make the dough. You can use the frozen biscuit or bread dough you buy in the store or you can make the dough by hand instead of the bread machine if you prefer. I like to make my own dough with the bread machine because it is easy and I know exactly what is in my dough.

For the sausages I used some inexpensive smoked sausages that you can get at the grocery in the large family pack. I like to keep some of these on hand because they are a fast meal when you are in a hurry. I have not figured out a good recipe for making my own sausage yet so I have to buy them. I will get it figured out eventually and when I do I will write about it here.

Sausage in a Sleeper

Ingredients:

• dough for 9 dinner rolls
• 5 smoked sausages
• shredded cheese
• 1 quart vegetable oil

Directions

After the dough is ready, divide it into 5 equal portions. Roll out each portion into a rectangle large enough to wrap completely around the sausage.

Add the shredded cheese and sausage to the dough and wrap the dough tightly around the  sausage. Repeat for all five sausages.

If you have a deep fryer, while you are rolling out the dough and preparing the sausages for frying heat the fryer to 400 degrees. If you don’t have a deep fryer add the vegetable oil to a large pot and place on the stove over medium high heat and use a thermometer to get the oil to 400 degrees.

Once the sausages are wrapped and ready to go and the oil is to temp, carefully place the sausages into the hot oil. I discovered with mine that the sausages were too long to fit correctly in the fryer so I just cut them in half and made sure I closed the dough completely over the end. Fry the sausages until the desired golden brown. Use a heat resistant spatula or tongs to turn the sausage over to cook evenly. It will take about 5 minutes to cook them completely. Carefully remove from the oil and let drain on paper towels for 5 minutes before serving.

If you don’t want to make 5 sausages you can make fried bread sticks with the extra dough. I like to roll the extra dough out flat and fill it with shredded cheese or some onion any vegetable would do and roll them up and fry them the same way. Sprinkle on some Kosher salt when they are done and you get a nice pretzel flavor from the bread sticks.

I mentioned in my Recipe Roundup this week that Epicurious’s recipe for fettucine with peas, asparagus and pancetta was on the surface rather ordinary but attracted me just the same because the ratio of pasta to “chunks” was just my style: chunky! It was gnawing away at me, so I cooked it.

There’s nothing ordinary about this recipe, unless you consider perfection to be run-of-the-mill. I suppose this is an example of the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” theory. Sure, the combination has been done before, but it’s tried and true for a reason, and that reason is perfection.

It was fairly easy to make and the directions were very well-written. I like it when I don’t have to alter anything in a recipe because they’ve clearly tried it out and accommodated for what you’ll run into while preparing the recipe. The only substitutions I made (c’mon, you know I had to substitute something) were plain Greek yogurt for the whipping cream and pecorino romano for the parmesan, because that’s what I keep in my house.

It was embarrassing at my dinner table. You would have thought we were eating our last meals on death row, the way we were ooing and ahing over every bite. But it’s not just us who’d love this recipe. As I was making it, I thought of the CliqueClack Food writers and their food quirks, and I realized that they’d all adore this dish as much as we did:

Jeff: Italian bacon. Wait — not enough to attract you? The vegetables are cooked in the pancetta grease. You’re all over this one now, aren’t you?

Kona: Asparagus. Just leave out the green onions and pancetta and add a little extra garlic and you’re good to go.

Bob: It’s pasta and bacon doused in cream and cheese … as good as yours.

Last year, I woke up on my first Mother’s Day, got up, made my own coffee, did laundry, and cleaned the downstairs for the guests we had coming over after brunch– not exactly what I had in mind for that morning. It’s a year later, and Luke has not heard the end of it. The point of this is two-fold: One, I’m nervous about what’s going to happen this Sunday, and two, DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU.

Breakfast in bed is where it’s at, people. If you have a special mother in your life, get on that. Seriously. Even if you have a big thing planned that day, she will be thrilled with the opportunity to spill coffee on her comforter, or drop her cell phone in the mug. Not that any of these things have happened to me, of course. Mother’s Day isn’t about expensive gifts. It’s about toast, juice, and seeing your child’s smiling face. Preferably from afar. Kidding! (not really).

Here are a few ways to make mom realize you care this Mother’s Day:

• Creme Brulee French Toast – Nothing says, “I love you and appreciate all the hard work you do,” more than acknowledging how you drive her to drink. It’s breakfast with Grand Marnier! Nothing beats that.
• Asparagus, Spinach and Feta Frittata – Tell mom that you respect her need for time by herself by pumping her full of asparagus and garlic first thing in the morning. That 5-foot barrier between you will give her the peace and quiet she so desperately craves.
• Champagne Breakfast – Maybe you can’t afford to send mom to a fancy hotel where she can sit around in a white robe and order room service. You can at least recreate the experience with this champagne breakfast. Muffins, fresh fruit, and sparkling wine. It’ll take her back to a time before  6 am wake-up calls and, “Okay, you eat while I take the baby outside. Hurry up. No, seriously. I’m hung– honey, no. Stop biting mommy. Honey!”
• Toast and Coffee – No link for this, because it’s literally toast and coffee. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what you do. Sure, she’ll appreciate a fancy breakfast (not to mention the booze), but it’s really about taking the time to let her know that spending 40 weeks baking a kid inside of her means something to you. Whether you’re extravagant or simple, the fact that you care is really all that matters. Also, sleeping in– but mostly the caring.

You ever have one of those days where nothing sounds good for dinner? Everything in the cupboards looks like the same old boring thing? I hate it when that happens. I decided the best thing was cheese burgers for dinner. I then discovered that the only ground beef I had was frozen, but I did have a couple of chicken breasts. I decided to try a chicken noodle casserole instead. I did not have a recipe for this so I was not sure what I would end up with. Luckily my dogs were on hand to cheer me on. They like recipes that don’t work out so well because they get the left overs.

This chicken noodle casserole turned out to be an easy dish to make and not all that time consuming. It is a simple yet filling dish that can be easily reheated in a microwave or the oven as well.

Chicken Noodle Casserole

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 can Cream of Chicken soup
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 pound egg noodles
• 1 to 2 cups shredded cheese

I start by frying the chicken breasts. Add a few tablespoons of vegetable oil or bacon grease to a large skillet and heat to medium high temperature. Place the chicken breasts in the pan and season to taste with your favorite seasoning salt. I like to use Johnny’s seasoning salt, but any seasoning salt will do. Cooking times will vary greatly depending on the size and thickness of the breast. I usually start with about 7 minutes per side for large breasts. Make sure the breasts are cooked through. Dice the breasts into 1/2 to 1 inch pieces and set aside.

Add 4 to 6 cups of water to a large pan. Sprinkle in about 1 tablespoon of salt and bring to a boil. Add the noodles to the pot and boil for 10 to 15 minutes.

When the noodles are cooked drain them and place them into a casserole dish with the diced chicken breasts. Pour in the can of Cream of Chicken soup and the cup of sour cream (you can replace the sour cream with a cup of milk if you prefer). Cover the dish with the shredded cheese. I like to use shredded mozzarella, but what ever your favorite shredded cheese is will do. If I want this to be really cheesy I will use sliced Velveeta instead of the shredded cheese.

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes. I bake mine until the cheese is melted and starts to brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Add a green salad, or other vegetable for a side dish and you have a family pleasing dinner that will not take a lot of time to cook.

I’ve been cooking this and that and it’s time for some recipe test drives. What’s interesting to me is that out of these three recipes, the best one belonged to the home cook. The famous chefs missed the mark for me, this time, though I still love them both dearly.

I didn’t think there could possibly be anything wrong with Ina Garten’s turkey meatloaf, and there isn’t. We enjoyed it thoroughly, but it just didn’t have the magic of my gourmet meatloaf. The reasons I love my meatloaf — the carmelized onions, the balsamic vinegar, the tamari, the two different kinds of meats, the mustard and the fresh basil — were not in The Barefoot Contessa’s meatloaf, so my taste buds were not singing. It was definitely easier to make than mine, but the next time I make meatloaf, I’m back to my old favorite.

Any crock pot recipe that sticks a pinch of saffron into it has some promise. This easy crockpot Moroccan chicken, chick pea and apricot tagine was really special. I only wish I had snapped a shot of it before we inhaled it … it looked so pretty, sprinkled with fresh cilantro and sporting the round chick peas and the sweet brown apricots. The blend of flavors and textures really worked.

Color me disappointed, but La Tartine Gourmande’s coconut and lime macaroons were unsatisfying as a cookie, treat … edible substance. She makes them sound so delicious, irresistible even. As a macaroon lover, I couldn’t wait to try these. Granted, the citrus zip was a wonderful complement to the coconut, but I honestly don’t think her directions were correct. Since I don’t usually make my macaroons with eggs, I just followed her steps. Mine looked nothing like her pictures and the more I think about it, the more I think the egg whites needed to be beaten until fluffy and the rest of the ingredients folded in. I’ll try it that way the next time and if these cookies are worth making, you’ll hear about it.

It’s been a week for reminiscing and I’ve got pasta on the brain. Now that I know how to make my own pasta, thanks to Kona, I’ve been revisiting some of CliqueClack’s original pasta recipes to find a sauce befitting my newly found addiction. We’re finding that we’ve been sticking to pesto a lot, as it’s light enough to let the homemade pasta taste and texture shine through. We toss in some grilled or roasted veggies and some sausage and that’s that. I really do want to mix it up a bit, and looking for inspiration from my fellow food writers makes sense.

Pasta with lobster, butter beans and chives — It’s the whole toasted cumin seeds that make this dish … or is it the leeks and capers? I can see this recipe working well with the hearty spelt pasta we’ve been making.

Kona’s three simple recipes: tortellini with olive tapenade, penne with feta and corn and spinach tomato pasta all make me think of my homemade raviolis. If only I could get Keith to eat olives, that tapenade would be the first one I’d try with some white bean and sun-dried tomato ravioli.

My leeky Greeky pasta, full of  Brussels sprouts, figs, radicchio and feta cheese would be wonderful with homemade pasta, and I might even make cheese and fig raviolis to go with this.

Bob’s got the right idea with his simple yet perfect pasta with autumn sage cream sauce. I want to try a pumpkin ravioli with this recipe — wouldn’t that be the perfect complement?

Seafood pasta with tomato, baby spinach and capers is screaming for lobster ravioli … I can do that. Or maybe crabmeat ravioli….

OK, I hadn’t really thought of this, but now I’m wondering how my spelt pasta would translate into Cate’s pasta e fagioli. A pasta and bean soup … it’s got promise.

Is my famous tuna pasta worthy of homemade pasta? I’d stick with a simple linguine for this one, but this may just be the first one I try.

Pasta with scallops and bacon is no longer complete without a cheesy pesto ravioli. It has spoken.

Bob’s beef Bolognese would be amazing on any type of homemade pasta, and the grape tomato sauce he made for his campanelle makes my mouth water. Anchovy paste … bring it on.

Fresh tomato basil sauce would be excellent with any homemade pasta. It’s simple enough that you could choose to make a cheesy ravioli, yet it’s so flavorful that you could rock the linguine and no one would ever second guess you.

Which is your favorite CliqueClack Food pasta recipe?