Lemon Parsley & Garlic Sauce

Ingredients:
2 Handfuls of Parsley Finely Chopped
1 Lemon
1/2 of EVOO
2 pinches of salt
1/4 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper
1 clove of garlic

Directions: Add the chopped parsley, EVOO, salt, pepper, and fresh squeezed lemon juice. Chop garlic clove very finely and add. Mix well. You can add more or less of any ingredient.

This is not a pesto and should be tart. You can enjoy this over any grilled red meat, chicken, sausage, and/or shrimp.



I enjoyed it over some grilled beef kabobs that were seasoned only with salt and pepper.

Lemon Parsley & Toasted Garlic Orzo

Ingredients:
Half a Box of Orzo pasta
1 Handful of fresh Parsley finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic
3 tablespoons of EVOO
2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon zest
Salt & Black Pepper to taste

Directions: Cook Orzo as directed on box. Drain Orzo well and place into a bowl. Add EVOO and mix to evenly coat the Orzo. Let the pasta cool down. In the meantime heat a small frying pan on Low with an thin even coat of EVOO. Place garlic cloves into the pan once peeled and let it toast for 5 minutes or until soft and slightly brown. Once the garlic is done.. place on a cutting board and finely chop the cooked garlic cloves. Add the garlic to the Orzo along with the fresh chopped parsley, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Finally add a pinch of two of salt and some fresh ground black pepper. Adding more or less salt is optional. Mix well and Enjoy!

Basil Pesto

So its a beautiful hot summer day. I am sitting outside bathing in the sun relaxing in my mother's backyard. I decided I want pasta today. My mom has a garden with an abundance of herbs, tomatoes, eggplant, strawberries, and pretty much every veggie you can think of. I decided to pick some basil leaves and make a pesto sauce. Here's what I had for lunch today over some whole wheat spaghetti topped with Parmesan cheese.

Basil Pesto Ingredients:
2 cups of fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup of pine nuts
2 garlic cloves roughly chopped
2/3 cups of EVOO
1/2 cups of Parmesan cheese
salt & black pepper to taste

Directions:
Toast the pine nuts and garlic in pan with a teaspoon of olive oil on low heat. Mix ingredients in the pan until you begin to see them brown. Remove the garlic and pine nuts from the pan and place it in a food processor or the magic bullet (which i love) along with the basil, EVOO, Parmesan cheese, and a bit of black pepper. Blend ingredients until smooth.

Boil your favorite pasta and mix in the pesto. I used whole wheat spaghetti. Serve your dish either warm or chilled for a light refreshing summer meal. You may add grilled chicken to your pasta for some protein or you can serve it along with any grilled meats.

Strawberry Mint Salad

Strawberry Mint Salad

This delicious italian dessert is great alone or on top of vanilla icecream. It's a quick, fresh, healthy dessert that I promise you, & everyone else you share it with, will love! This dessert is made with an italian sweet anise liqueur called Sambuca. This strawberry salad only calls for a shot and a half of the Sambuca to help carmelize the strawberries. It gives the strawberries a sweet anise flavor along with the sugar.Do not be afraid to serve a little to the children!


Ingredients:
2 cups of strawberries thinly sliced
1 handful of mint leaves chopped..(chop leaves in thin slices for a nice presentation)
1/4 cup of sugar
1 1/2 shots of Romana Sambuca (I prefer this brand!)

Directions:
Mix all these ingredients in a bowl. Let it chill and marinate in the fridge for a half an hour. Then serve cold.