Side: Chilled Pasta Salad with Basil Cucumber Ribbons

Difficulty: Easy

Prep/Cook Time: 20 min

Chill Time: 30 min

Serves (4)

This dish stays true to the simplicity of traditional pasta salad, yet offers a bolder appeal and elegance. With vibrant flavors and distinct textures, each ingredient can be tasted for its full potential. Don't let the chill time steer you away. Prepare the meal up to 24 hrs ahead of time, and when ready to serve, top with shaved cucumber ribbons for some added pizazz.

Ingredients: 8 oz spaghetti, 1 cucumber, 2 small onions, 1 1/3 cup sweet peas, 2 medium tomatoes, 1 cup sliced olives, basil, salt, pepper, romano cheese for topping, and your favorite Italian dressing

Bring water to boil and cook spaghetti until al dente. Once cooked, drain spaghetti and spread out on plate for faster cooling. Place plate in refrigerator.

Slice onions. Place in lightly oiled pan with peas over medium heat. Heat onions and peas until onions begin to soften and peas are soft (about 10 min). Sprinkle with salt and pepper. We want the onions to keep most of their brightness and crunch--so be careful to not overcook them. Remove peas and onions from pan and spread out on plate. Place plate in the refrigerator.

Slice tomatoes into chunks. Slice olives. Place tomatoes and olives in refrigerator.

Peel cucumber. Slice cucumber in half. Using a potato peeler, peel cucumber into strips until you reach the seeds. Sprinkle cucumber peels with basil. Refrigerate.

After 30 min, remove all ingredients from refrigerator and combine in large bowl. Mix with your favorite Italian dressing. Plate spaghetti. Roll cucumber peels to make tubes (it's fine if some tubes unroll). Arrange on top of spaghetti. Top with grated romano cheese.

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.

Entrée: Tomato Pumpkin Soup with Goat Cheese and Basil

Difficulty: Easy

Prep/

Cook Time: 20 min

Serves (2)

Great as an entrée or an appetizer--this dish caters to the strengths of each ingredient--the acidity of the tomatoes, the mellow sweetness from pumpkin, and the bright pop of basil. Stir in soft and tangy goat cheese, and bring tomato soup into the realm of fine dining.

Ingredients: 1 cup strained tomatoes*, 1 cup milk, 1/3 cup pumpkin, 1-2 oz goat cheese, 2 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp basil, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste, goat cheese for topping

*If available, I recommend Pomi strained tomatoes. Packed and produced in Italy, the only tomatoes more fresh would be from your garden.

Who says amazing meals have to be complicated? Combine all ingredients in 1 qt saucepan. Heat over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally (15 min). Serve with crumbled goat cheese and a dash of dried basil. Voilà!

Entrée: Shredded Chicken Burrito with Green Bell Pepper Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Peach Mango Pico de Gallo

Difficulty: Medium

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time:

2 hrs (chicken)

20 min (other ingredients)

Serves (4)

This dish is all about balance. The spiciness of the chicken is perfectly paired with amazing green bell pepper sweet potatoes, while fresh peach mango pico de gallo cools the pan seared burrito. Add in your choice of black beans, cheddar cheese, and sour cream, and your only regret will be that you can't stop eating.

Ingredients: 4 flour burritos, 1 lb chicken tenderloins, 2 medium sweet potatoes, 1 1/2 onions, 1 green bell pepper, 1 can low salt black beans, 2-3 tbsp chili powder, 2 tsp onion powder, 2 tsp brown sugar, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, salt, black pepper, sour cream, cheddar cheese, oil, butter Pico de Gallo: 3 medium tomatoes, 1 peach, 1/2 mango, 1/3 cup corn, 1/2 onion, salt, pepper, and cilantro to taste

**Chicken and Pico de Gallo can be made 24 hrs ahead of time.**

For pico de gallo, dice tomatoes, peach, mango, and onion. In medium mixing bowl, combine with corn, salt, pepper and minced cilantro to taste. Refrigerate at least 30 min.

Coat bottom of large pan with oil. Place chicken in pan with 2 tbsp of butter, 1/2 sliced onion, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over low heat, 2 hrs.

As chicken finishes cooking, peel sweet potatoes and cut into small pieces. Place potatoes in 2 qt. saucepan, cover with water, bring to boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and cook until tender (about 15 min).

If desired, heat black beans in 1 qt saucepan over medium heat.

Remove chicken from pan. Shred chicken with forks by pulling pieces apart. Cover and set aside. Slice bell pepper and sauté in the pan that was used for the chicken over medium heat. Cook peppers until they begin to blacken. Remove peppers from pan and mince.

Drain potatoes and mash. Over medium-low heat, combine mashed sweet potatoes and minced bell peppers back in the pan. Add 2 tbsp butter, brown sugar, and salt to taste. Remove from pan and set aside.

Sauté remaining onions in pan over medium heat. Remove from pan and set aside.

Place shredded chicken, sweet potatoes, black beans, sautéed onions, sour cream and cheddar cheese in center of burrito. Fold burrito sides in and over themselves to seal. Place burrito in buttered pan, folded side down, over medium heat. Cook each side 2 min. Remove from pan and top with sour cream and pico de gallo.

Entrée: Marinated Italian Chicken over Orzo and Corn with Sautéed Tomatoes, Olives, and Feta

Difficulty: Medium

Prep Time: 10 min

Marinade Time: 30 min

Cook Time 15-20 min

Serves (2)

Many orzo chicken dishes have great flavors, but are over spiced and over salted. This dish builds off the delicacy of orzo, and gives each ingredient room to breathe. With nothing heavy, and nothing too light, there's a great balance between the crunch of corn, the sweet tomatoes and the salty feta.

Ingredients: 1 large skinless chicken breast, 2/3 cup orzo, 1 ear of corn, 1 medium tomato, 1/2 cup sliced olives, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1-2 tsp Italian seasonings, salt, pepper, Italian dressing, feta cheese

Place chicken breast in quart sized ziploc bag. Pour your favorite Italian dressing over chicken--about 3/4 cup (my family has always used Good Seasons). Remove air from bag, zip tightly, and marinate for 30 min.

Bring water to boil in 2 qt. pot for orzo and corn. Shuck ear of corn. Holding corn vertically, carefully slice downward to remove kernels. Place corn kernels and orzo in boiling water and cook until orzo is al dente (8-10 min). The corn will cook at the same rate as the pasta.

While orzo is cooking, remove chicken from bag and slice into even sized strips. Cook chicken strips in oiled pan over medium heat--about 3 min each side. Remove from pan. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add a little more olive oil. Dice tomato into cubes and saute in the same pan with olive oil until tomatoes begin to break down. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Drain orzo and corn. Mix orzo and corn into pan with tomatoes. Mix in onion powder, Italian Seasonings, and sliced olives. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Plate orzo mixture with chicken strips and crumbled feta cheese.

Entrée: Spaghetti with Pancetta, Broccoli, Tomatoes, and Romano Cheese

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time 20 min

Serves (2)

Don't be afraid to go a little rustic every now and then. Diverting from the Mediterranean olive oil hoopla, this spaghetti embraces bacon and uses the flavor to infuse the dish. Add sautéed vegetables and fresh Romano, and tip your hat to old world charm.

Ingredients: 1/4 lb spaghetti, 5 pieces pancetta or thick sliced, high quality bacon, 3 cloves garlic, 2 plum tomatoes, 1 cup broccoli (or cauliflower), Romano cheese, Italian seasonings, black pepper

Bring water to boil for spaghetti. Cook until al dente. Drain. While spaghetti water is heating, cut broccoli into small trees. Using a different pot, place broccoli in water, bring to boil, and heat until half-way cooked (about 5 min). Drain broccoli once finished.

Chop pancetta into small pieces. Place pancetta in pan over medium heat. While pancetta is cooking, slice tomatoes in half lengthwise, then each half lengthwise again. Rough chop tomato slices. Mince garlic cloves. Once pancetta is cooked, drain grease, leaving about 1/4 cup of oil still in the pan. Maintain medium heat, and add minced garlic, chopped tomatoes, and drained broccoli to pancetta. Sprinkle vegetables very generously with Italian seasonings and black pepper to taste. Cook until broccoli is done.

Place spaghetti in pan with pancetta and vegetables and lightly toss. Drizzle with olive oil. Plate spaghetti mixture and top with fresh grated Romano cheese.

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.