Sunday From Rachel Ray's Book of 10

-- Fall Minestrone

2 tbsp EVOO 1/2 teas red pepper flakes 4 garlic cloves, chopped 3 Portobello mushroom caps, chopped 2 med onions, chopped 2 med carrots, diced 2 celery ribs, chopped salt and pepper 2 stems of fresh rosemary 8 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced 1 med zucchini, diced 1 small bunch of kale, chopped 1 15 oz can of cannellini beans, drained (northern white beans) 1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes 1 quart 2 cups veggie stock Piece of rind of Parmigiano cheese (just used a couple small chunks instead) 1 cup ditalini pasta (used bow ties, cause they were in the cupboard) Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for topping

Heat med soup pot over med-high heat, add EVOO.  Add red pepper, garlic, mushrooms, onions, carrots, and celery.  Cook 5-6 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper and add rosemary and sage.  Add zucchini and greens and stir until wilted down (2-3 minutes).  Add beans, tomatoes, stock, and cheese.  Place lid on pot and bring to a boil.  Uncover and add pasta.  Cook 7-8 minutes at roiling simmer until pasta is al dente.  Remove pot from heat.  Remove rosemary stems and rind.  Enjoy!

-- Asiago Cheese Batard

Very very yummy.  It turned into more a stew than a soup, but I like it like that.  We had enough left over that I put half into a plastic container for leftovers and half into the freezer for later.  I am definitely putting this recipe on my list.

Monday

-- Pizza (J's meeting night at our house, our guest brought pizza!)

Tuesday

-- Pizza leftovers

Wednesday

-- Spinach, Mushroom, and Mozzarella Calzones

Very yummy and so easy to make.  Get a pizza crust, throw whatever toppings you want on the pizza crust, fold in half, cook in oven for ~15 minutes.  Voila!  Easy to eat calzones!

Thursday

-- Brats on the Grill

-- Potato Chips

-- Broccoli

Friday

-- Lazy, lazy... We had Boston Market.

Saturday

-- Spicy Shrimp and Penne with Puttanesca Sauce

1 lb penne pasta Coarse slat 1/4 cup EVOO 8 garlic cloves, chopped 2 teas red pepper flakes 8-10 whole anchovy fillets 1/2 cup black olives, chopped 3-4 tbsp capers, drained and chopped 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes 1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes 1 lb (24 count) peeled and deveined shrimp 2 handfuls parsley leaves, chopped

Boil a large pot of water, add and cook penne pasta.  Heat a large deep skillet over medium heat.  Add EVOO, garlic, red pepper, and anchovies.  Break up the fish with a wooden spoon until they melt in the oil.  Add olives, capers, and tomatoes.  Bring sauce to a bubble and add shrimp.  Cover the pan to cook the shrimp (3-4 minutes).  Uncover and add parsley.  Toss together pasta and sauce.  Enjoy!

Definitely not as good as I hoped.  It had all the flavors there, but they weren't strong enough.  It ended up being fairly bland.  J and I agree that it would probably help to cook this in a pot all day.  Then the flavors would have time to settle in.  Unfortunately, I didn't, so it really wasn't that good.  Probably going into the "not making again" pile.

Week summary/comments: J's constant meeting day changes really threw me of this week.  My meal plan just went out the window.   I did a lot of improvising and throwing together.  Thankfully we already had many of the ingredients in the fridge. (And brats in the freezer!)  Next week, I actually have some recipes to tryout.  Wish me luck.