Dad's Special Pasta

One of my favorite things in the whole world is coming home to one of my dad's meals. He makes up all of his recipes. Don't get me wrong, my mom cooks amazing dishes, and I wouldn't have such a passion for food if it were not for her. Perhaps it is the surprise of hearing, "Dad's making his special meal" that makes my mouth water. Certainly, your mouth will start watering too when smells of garlic, sauteed peppers, and fresh herbs swirl through your kitchen. This one's for you, dad...your famous dish.

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 pound thick-cut egg noodles
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 green peppers, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 orange pepper, sliced
1 sweet onion, halved & sliced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
4 mild Italian sausages
1, 24-oz jar spaghetti sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh basil, chopped (optional)

Directions:

1. In a Dutch oven, heat olive oil and garlic. Add sliced peppers and onion. Saute until you can cut the peppers with a wooden spoon. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning.

2. Meanwhile, cook pasta to al dente. Drain pasta, but do not rinse.

3. Grill Italian sausage until cooked through. Cut sausage into 1/2-inch slices. Add to vegetable mixture.

4. Heat spaghetti sauce. Pour into vegetable/meat mixture. Add pasta.

4. Pour pasta mixture on a large serving platter. Sprinkle with fresh basil, salt, and pepper.

Guess what? You are now a chef...this recipe is definitely a crowd-pleaser!

BBQ Lentils

I know what you are thinking. Chocolate and black beans were one thing, but homemade BBQ and lentils? I was having a 'kid moment' where I had a taste for BBQ, but I also wanted lentils. So, I thought, I have to try and combine the two! Guess what? This dish is pretty outstanding.

If you are willing to experiment out of your comfort zone, I challenge you to try this recipe. Lentils are an inexpensive legume that are high in fiber, protein, and B-vitamins. While there are several varieties of lentils you could choose to make this recipe, I chose red lentils hoping to keep the dish more red, in color. Green, yellow, or brown lentils will also work well.

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1/2 cup lentils

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 garlic cloves, 1 minced, 1 whole

1 small onion, diced

1 small sweet potato, diced

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 pinch ground ginger

1/4 cup ketchup

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1 dash Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

1. In a small sauce pan, boil lentils with 3 cups of water and 1 garlic clove. Simmer for 25-30 minutes until lentils are tender.

2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion and minced garlic, and saute until onions are caramelized. Add sweet potatoes and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.

3. Add cayenne pepper and ginger to sweet potato mixture until well mixed.

4. Add ketchup, mustard, sugar, vinegar, and salt to sweet potato mixture. Simmer.

5. Drain about half of the water remaining in the lentil mixture. Add lentils and remaining water to sweet potato mixture.

6. Simmer until slightly liquid thickens, about 5 minutes. Enjoy!