Entrée: Spaghetti with Romano Spinach Cream Sauce and Seasoned Asparagus

Difficulty: Medium

Prep Time: 5-10 min

Cook Time: 30 min

Serves (4)

Pretend you're French for a moment and try not to be afraid of butter. You can go back to your olive or coconut oil tomorrow, but tonight we need butter in both the cream sauce and the asparagus--no exceptions. This dish is built on layers--beginning with a hint of bacon in the cream sauce, to the spinach and sauteed onions, on up to the seasoned asparagus. Each bite is as good as the last.

Ingredients: 8 oz spaghetti or linguine, 2 small onions, 2-3 cups spinach (fresh or frozen), 6 oz bacon, 1 small bunch of asparagus (about 1/2 lb), 1 1/2 cups milk, 1/2 cup grated romano cheese, 4-6 tbsp butter, 2 rounded tbsp flour, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, romano for topping

Slice onions. Sautee in large pan with oil over medium heat. Remove from pan and set aside. Cook bacon in the same pan until crispy. Remove bacon from pan and set on paper towel to absorb the grease. Discard most of the bacon grease in the pan--leaving some behind for flavor.

While bacon is cooking, bring water to boil and cook spaghetti until al dente. Drain.

Wash the asparagus. Slice the bottom inch off. Place 2-3 tbsp of butter in a separate pan over medium heat. Once butter begins to sizzle, place asparagus in pan and generously season with salt, pepper, and garlic. Gently roll asparagus in pan to evenly cook all sides. Cook until sides begin to shrivel and brown (about 10 min). Once cooked, the asparagus can stay in the pan (burner off) while you prepare the other ingredients.

Chop bacon into small bits. Return to original pan. Add spinach, onions, milk, and 2-3 tbsp of butter. Dissolve 2 heaping tbsp of flour in water and pour into pan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Stir in 1/2 cup grated romano cheese and 1/4 tsp garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add spaghetti to pan and toss until evenly mixed. Top with asparagus and freshly grated romano.

Entrée: Mexican Spaghetti

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time 20 min

Serves (3-4)

Mexican night? Let's be unconventional--skip the tortillas and the beef. This vegetarian alternative to a beefy Mexican fiesta is still bringing flavor to the party. With spaghetti instead of tortillas and diced tomatoes instead of salsa, we're tipping our hat to Italian charm while saying, "Vamos!" to a great meal.

Ingredients: 8 oz spaghetti, 2 small yellow onions, 1 can diced (no salt) tomatoes, 2/3 cup low salt black beans, 1/3 cup corn, 2 tbsp freshly minced cilantro, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp cumin, chili powder, salt, black pepper

Bring water to boil in 2 qt pot for spaghetti. Cook until al dente.

Slice onions. Mince cilantro. Saute onions in oiled pan over medium heat. Once onions begin to brown, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and generously coat onions in chili powder (about 2 tsp). The sweetness of the yellow onions plays perfectly with the chili powder, so don't be afraid of over doing the chili powder. Add tomatoes, corn, black beans (drained) and cilantro to pan. Stir in onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste. Heat until mixture starts to bubble. Simmer over low heat, 5 min. Plate on top of spaghetti.

Lunch: Pita Roast Beef and Onions with Tahini Cocktail Spread

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time 15 min

Serves (1)

Cocktail sauce and tahini? Don't be alarmed. The best meals are born out of inventiveness. Tahini (a sesame seed paste) provides a beautiful richness to this sandwich. Combined with cocktail sauce, mayo, and mustard, the tahini transforms into a spicy spread similar to horseradish, yet with a depth and clarity all its own.

Ingredients: Sandwich 1 pita, 5 slices thin-sliced roast beef, 1/4 onion, oil, butter Tahini Spread 5 tsp tahini, 1 tbsp mayo, 1 tbsp cocktail sauce, 1 tsp mustard

Thin slice onion. Slice roast beef into strips. Slice pita in half. Set aside.

Sauté onion in oiled pan over medium heat. While onions are sautéing, combine tahini, mayo, cocktail sauce and mustard in small bowl. Generously spread tahini mixture on inside of pita pockets (reserving a little for the outside of the pita). When onions are brown, add roast beef strips to pan. Cook for 2 min.

Remove roast beef and onions from pan and place in pita pockets. Spread remaining tahini mixture on one side of outside of pitas. Place dollop of butter in pan, place pitas in pan, tahini side down. Cook 1-2 min. Flip pitas. Cook additional minute. Remove from pan.

Entrée: Chicken Soup with Hungarian Nokedli

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 45 min

Serves (4-6)

Please, please, please put away your bouillon cubes and over salted chicken stock. This recipe requires no fillers. By purchasing a good quality chicken, the main ingredient you'll need is time, not salt. I'm not convinced that chicken soup cures a cold, but it does make for a great meal.

Ingredients: Soup 4 chicken thighs (preferably organic or free range), 4 celery stalks, 4 medium carrot sticks, 2 small onions, 3 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 - 1 tsp black pepper (more salt and pepper can be added to taste) Nokedli 1 cup flour, 1 egg, 1/3 cup water, 1 tbsp parsley flakes, 1/4 tsp salt

Place thighs in large pot over medium heat with a little oil. Evenly sprinkle tops of thighs with 2 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper.

As chicken is beginning to cook, dice celery, peeled carrots, and onions. Add vegetables to pot. Drizzle chicken and vegetables with olive oil. Add water to pot until chicken is completely covered. Stir in 1 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Cover pot and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer with lid cracked until chicken is cooked--about 45 min.

When chicken is almost done, fill 2 qt saucepan with water. Add a pinch of salt. Bring to boil. Combine flour, egg, water, parsley and salt in bowl. Mix together with a fork. (Batter will be sticky.) Transfer batter to flat surface--something that is easy to handle, like a plate or small cutting board. Using a teaspoon, quickly scrap batter into boiling water. Boil nokedli until they begin to float--about 2-3 min. Drain. Set aside.

Remove chicken from pot, peel off skin. Pull apart chicken (chicken will be hot!) and add back to pot. Serve with Hungarian nokedli.

Lunch: Sautéed Bologna with Onions, Squash, Mushrooms and Spicy Mustard on a French Baguette

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time 15 min

Serves (2)

Sorry, Ms. Propriety, this sandwich is a mess. Elbows will probably be placed on the table, and multiple napkins will definitely be used. Sautéed vegetables work together providing a rich body to the sandwich, while fried bologna and brown mustard combine for the perfect salty spice. Add in a light layer of mayo on a toasted baguette, and say goodbye to 4th grade lunch-ables.

Ingredients: 1/3 lb thin sliced all-beef bologna, 3 cups fresh spinach, 1 French baguette, 1 small yellow squash, 4 white mushrooms, 1/2 medium onion, 1/2-1 tsp garlic powder, spicy brown mustard, mayo, salt and pepper to taste

Thinly slice onion, squash, and mushrooms. Mince spinach.

Place onions and squash in oiled pan over medium-high heat. Sauté until onions begin to brown. Add mushrooms and spinach. Add garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 3 min adding additional oil if necessary.

Slice bologna into strips and add to pan. Cook for additional 5-7 min.

While bologna is cooking, slice baguette into 2, 6" pieces. Cut open pieces and add a light layer of mayo to one side. Toast. Remove bologna mixture from heat and place on toasted bread. Top with spicy brown mustard

Side: Herb Stuffing

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 15 min

Serves (2)

I have a confession. I'm typically a fan of stuffing that comes from a bag. I know, combining gourmet meals with store bought stuffing is a borderline travesty. No more! With a delicate balance of herbs and oil, this stuffing is so easy to prepare you'll never go back to a bag again. I'm pretty sure I'm committed to preparing this recipe for every Thanksgiving to come.

Ingredients: 2 cups cubed french bread*, ½ cup chopped celery, ½ cup chopped onion, ¼ cup water, ¼ olive oil, 1-2 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp Italian seasoning, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp pepper, ¼ tsp salt

*You'll want a fresh french baguette for this recipe. Italian, sourdough, or multigrain loaves have a tendency to be too moist.

Place cubed bread in food processor and pulse just until cubes break apart. The smallest bread pieces should only be pea sized. If you don't have a food processor, rough chop breadcrumbs with a chef's knife. Set aside.

Mince onion and celery and place in saucepan with butter, oil, water and seasonings. Allow onion and celery to cook over medium heat for about 15 min. onions and celery should be soft.

Remove seasoned butter sauce from heat, add to breadcrumbs in medium bowl and lightly toss with fork. (If more moisture is needed, add extra water sparingly.)

Entrée: Black Bean Taco Salad with Cherry Tomatoes

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 15-20 min

Serves (3-4)

This taco salad ignores distractions and sticks to the basics. With onions, beef, fresh tomatoes, and Hungarian peppers, the flavors are simple and uncomplicated. Add in black beans, and this dish moves from "salad" to cowboy hearty--minus the campfire smell. Your fingers will get messy, so bring the napkins.

Ingredients: 1 bag tortilla chips, 1 lb ground chuck, 1 medium onion, 1 Hungarian pepper, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, 1 can (15.25 oz.) black beans, 1/4 cup water, 1-2 tbsp chili powder, 1-2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 3/4 tsp salt, black pepper to taste

Open can of black beans, pour into small pan, and heat over low heat.

Peel onion, cut into quarters, then slice. Cut open Hungarian pepper, discard seeds, and dice. Add onion and pepper to oiled pan over medium heat. Sprinkle with cracked black pepper. Allow onions to caramelize. Once onions are caramelized, move onions and peppers to sides of pan, and place ground chuck in middle of pan.

Continue to cook over medium heat, and work onions and peppers into the meat. Once meat begins to brown, add chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. (Add more or less chili powder to taste.) Reduce heat, and simmer until thoroughly cooked. Add 1/4 cup water.

While meat is simmering, quarter cherry tomatoes. Remove black beans from heat, drain, and and add beans and cherry tomatoes to pan. Mix well. Allow tomatoes to plump and warm (about 1-2 min).

Place handful of tortilla chips on plate and top with meat.