We've been using a meal service a couple of times a week, the kind that gives you exact ingredients for the chosen recipes. It's the same service I mentioned back in 2019 here and here. The recipes have changed in 4 years, no surprise. And they seem to be using more capers!
And I've learned a few new things and picked up a few more favorites:
- easy flatbread pizza: split some foccaccia bread in half, spread marinara or pesto, sprinkle toppings including slices of fresh mozzarella, and bake 450F for 15+ minutes. Can also make this into a sandwich, with prosciutto.
- homemade pizza: 22 oz pizza dough, 8 oz tomato sauce, garlic, 2 T mascarpone, 4 oz grated fontina, Italian seasoning, 4 oz fresh mozzarella, 1/4 grated parmesan Oven at 475F. Spread dough on baking sheet. Saute garlic, add tomato sauce and seasonings. Stir in mascarpone. Spread sauce on dough, leaving 1" border. Top with fontina, mozzarella, and parmesan. Bake 17-22 minutes.
- simple baked chicken and rice: put 1 cup of rice in 9 x 13 pan, add chicken, veggies, and seasonings. Pour 2 cups of water. Cover with foil and bake for 35-40 minutes at 450F.
- lasagna soup: essentially, mix 8 oz of tomato sauce with 1 cup chicken stock (with mirepoix or something similar) and 3/4 cup of water, add spinach and pasta. Serve with 1/2 cup ricotta mixed with 1/4 grated romano. Double or more!
- yummy mashed potatoes: boil water and then add potatoes for 17-19 minutes (until pierced by fork), strain, add some of the following: mascarpone or sour cream or buttermilk or heavy cream, butter or maybe cheese curds, salt and pepper.
- yummy pasta sauce: Saute garlic and 1 T capers. Add 14 oz whole tomatoes (could use crushed), Italian seasoning. Add pasta to sauce, plus 1/2 c cream, 1 oz butter, some cooking water, and 2 T mascarpone.
- delicious black bean soup: 1-15 oz can black beans, 1 yellow onion, 1 cup chicken stock, 1/4 cup sour cream, spices, lime. Saute onions, add beans (mashing some), add broth and 1/2 cup water, seasonings. Can stir sour cream with juice of 2 limes to serve with soup.
- easy chickpea soup: 1-15 oz can chickpeas, 6 oz small pasta, mirepoix, 1/4 cup grated romano, 2 T tomato paste, 1 cup chicken stock. Cook pasta, saving 3/4 cup cooking water. To make soup, saute mirepoix and add tomato paste. Then add chickpeas (not drained), broth, and pasta cooking water. Add pasta and serve with cheese.
- homemade tomato soup: 3 oz pancetta, 1/4 cup cream, mirepoix, 2 1/2 T veggie demi glace, 14.5 oz crushed tomatoes. Saute pancetta and mirepoix. Add tomatoes, demi-glace, and 1 cup water. heat 5-7 minutes. Add cream.
- pork and mushroom pasta: 1 lb ground pork (or turkey), 3/4 lb pasta, 1/2 lb mushrooms, garlic, butter, 1/4 cup mascarpone, 1/4 cup tomato paste, 1/4 cup parm, Italian seasonings Cook ground meat. Make sauce by sauteing mushrooms, add capers and garlic. Add tomato paste. Add 1/2 cup of cooking water. Add pasta and meat to sauce, plus cooking water and mascarpone.
- lemon orzo soup: 4 oz orzo, 1/4 cup parm, 3 oz baby spinach, mirepoix, 1 cup chicken stock, 1 lemon. Cook pasta and save 3/4 cup cooking water. Saute mirepoix, add broth, lemon juice, pasta water, then spinach and cooked pasta.
- sauteed chicken: pat chicken dry, season, and then place in medium hot skillet with some olive oil. Cook 6-7 minutes per side without turning. Can make a pan sauce with 2T vinegar, 2.5 T demi-glace, and 1/4 cup water. Can also do pork chops this way.
- a nice glaze for chicken: 4 tsp honey, 3 T soy sauce glaze (made by reducing soy sauce, or just use soy), 2 T vinegar, 1/4 cup water
- garlic caper sauce for chicken: heat olive oil, saute 2 T crushed capers and 2 chopped garlic cloves for about 1 minutes. Turn off heat and add juice of 2 lemons.
- yummy chicken sauce: 1/4 c mayo, 2 T dijon mustard, Italian seasoning, 1/4 cup parmesan, 1 T olive oil, 2 teaspoons water, 2 garlic cloves mashed
- orzo with zucchini: cook pasta according to directions. Drain. Stir in sauteed zucchini (w/olive oil, 4-6 minutes), 1/2 cup cream, juice of 1 lemon. Top with parmesan.
- add 1 T sherry vinegar to sauteed vegetables!
