Rustic vegetable and polenta soup

Dinner last night was rustic vegetable and polenta soup from Giada de Laurentiis.  Robert was skeptical of this one because there is no meat, but the first bite won him over!  The polenta adds a thickness and creaminess to the soup without using, well, cream.  Flavorful and fast- that's a great combination!!

Baked parmesan spaghetti

After seeing this recipe for baked parmesan spaghetti on Pinterest, I immediately bookmarked it for a future meal.  The recipe is simple, and the end result is hot, cheesy goodness!

Tacos al pastor with grilled pineapple salsa

We made Cooking Light's tacos al pastor with grilled pineapple salsa for dinner earlier this week. I loved the fresh pineapple salsa with the spicy pork. We used flour tortillas instead of corn (personal preference) and noted that next time we would cut the pork into smaller pieces for easier eating.

Meatballs a la pizzaiola

We made these meatballs a la pizzaiola last week. They were from a Giada de Laurentiis episode about spicy foods, but personally I don't think they're hot so don't let that scare you away! The key here is the smoked mozzarella- it is easy to find at our Kroger, right next to the regular fresh mozzarella in the 'specialty cheese case'. I served ours swimming in marinara sauce over whole wheat pasta. Yum!

Austin mac and cheese Suiza

I've had this Rachael Ray recipe for Austin mac and cheese Suiza bookmarked for a while, but wasn't sure how Robert would feel about calling this a main course since there isn't any meat in it. I took a chance though and made it for dinner a few weeks ago, and we loved it. It has lots of flavor from the tomatillos, jalapenos, and pepper jack cheese.

Peppermint marshmallows

I made these peppermint marshmallows a few weeks ago, and they've taken my morning mochas to a whole new level. I'm a coffee addict, but I like a lot of bells and whistles with my cup of joe. I mean, flavored syrup, whip cream, the works! These minty marshmallows are a great addition to a chocolatey mocha.

P.S. While we're having coffee talk, I'll take this opportunity to brag on my husband, who makes mine every morning AND delivers it in bed if neccessary. He's a real keeper.

Ravioli with spicy sage butter

Wow- this recipe for ravioli with spicy sage butter is a keeper! It's simple too, because it uses store-bought ravioli (I actually substituted tortellini because I could buy a smaller package and I was cooking for 2), and the sauce is ready in a flash. There's just something special about sage fried in butter- try it!!

Pork carnitas burrito bowl

We made this pork carnitas burrito bowl for dinner last week and LOVED it!! You cook the pork shoulder in the crock pot first to make it nice and tender, then you crisp it up on one side in a pan. That would be fantastic all on its own, but its really out of this world when you add the rice, beans, and pico de gallo. Please try this one- I'm sure you'll love it too!

Grilled potato salad

Our side dish with the English muffin burgers was this grilled potato salad. It looks like a big mess in this picture, but trust me, this was delicious. A mix of red and sweet potatoes parboiled, then grilled, then tossed with a bacon vinaigrette. Yummy!

English muffin burgers

The official name of these burgers are Niman Ranch burgers, but since that is referencing a specific brand of meat (which I didn't use), I've renamed them English muffin burgers. This is a simple recipe, but the few ingredients are very flavorful, and this is one great burger!

Mint chocolate chip cookies

We celebrated Robert's birthday this week, and since he loves mint chocolate chips, I adapted this Martha Stewart recipe for soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies to use a combination of mint chocolate chips and semi-sweet chocolate chunks. Delicious!!

Espresso bean gelato with toffee

We had a baby last week (welcome to the world, sweet Sam!), so my blogging will probably take a hit. Three little munchkins running around means we'll be eating out and relying on past tried-and-true recipes more. Here's an exception to that statement, though- espresso bean gelato with toffee. It is screaming hot here, so cold, cold ice cream is essential. This was my first recipe out of Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts by Peggy Fallon, and it was a huge hit. Bold coffee flavor, and the toffee is a no-brainer. Try this one!

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup espresso coffee beans (I used decaf)
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
Dash of salt
6 egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup crushed chocolate-covered toffee bits, chilled

Makes about 1 quart (our batch looked smaller than 1 quart)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Place the espresso beans in a heavy-duty zippered plastic bag. Coarsely crush with a rolling pin or under a heavy pot. Do not grind in a coffee mill. (I used a meat mallet).

2. In a heavy medium saucepan, combine the crushed espresso beans with the milk and cream. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the heat, cover, and let steep at room temperature for 30 minutes.

3. Stir in the sugar and salt. Return to medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is hot, about 5 minutes.

4. Beat the egg yolks lightly in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in about 1 cup of the warm espresso cream. Whisk the egg yolk mixture into the remaining espresso cream in the saucepan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 170*-175*. Do not let boil or the egg yolks will curdle. Strain the custard into the bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours, or until very cold. Stir in the vanilla extract.

5. Pour the custard into the canister of an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions (typically 25-30 minutes). Add the chilled toffee candy and process for 1 minute longer, or until incorporated. Transfer the gelato to a covered container and freeze until it is firm enough to scoop, at least 3 hours or overnight.