Spinach Ricotta Shells

I've made some version of this meal for about 30 years. I originally got the idea from an American Heart Association recipe for lasagna during the low fat years. Obviously I abandoned the low fat thing somewhere along the way. It comes together easily. You can make parts of it in advance. You can use grocery store red sauce or make your own; it is adaptable to your situation and time constraints. Craig, of course, loves it. Anything with pasta is a hit. It is vegetarian, but not vegan.

Petrale Sole in Parchment

Nugget grocery store (not the casino) had freshly wild caught petrale sole. It looked good. Petrale sole is firm with a mild taste, not mushy like regular sole. I wanted to bake it in parchment paper. I find cooking fish in the house even with my fan going full blast tends to leave an odor in the air. Baking it in parchment really limits the smell, plus it tastes divine. Hubby is not fond of fish. So I, sometimes, cook mild flavored fish and make a sauce.

Orange Jam

Ever since we moved to a house with a navel orange tree in the back, I've looked for ways to use the oranges. Some years we get a bumper crop, other years just a few. This year it was just a enough to have fresh oranges for a few months. If you have never had backyard oranges, you are missing out. They are juicy, brightly flavored and gorgeous. One of the things I found to do with them is make orange jam. Not marmalade, I'm not a marmalade fan, it is too bitter. Instead this jam tastes like fresh orange juice on your English muffin.

Tahini Pasta

I was pretty skeptical this would taste good. Tahini is a bit bitter for my taste. But, wow were we surprised. This was so good. My hubby did not once ask where the tomato sauce and hamburger was.  That was a real coup for me! Once again I sneaked in a vegan meal. Wink, don't tell him. I was inspired and adapted a recipe on 101 Cookbooks. This was pretty easy and quick.

Overnight Oats

coconut banana chocolate

Happy Valentine's Day! These recipes are for your heart. I admit it, I've gone overboard in love with wait for it ... overnight oats! I was late to the party and really just discovered them last month.  I know, I know, where have I been? These two recipes are my current favorites. Coconut-banana-chocolate and coconut-mango. As you know overnight oats are easy to put together and are a big help on those have-to-dash mornings. I also love them on lazy Sundays when all I want to do is lie in bed, read the Washington Post and snuggle.