Zucchini Cream Cheese Pound Cake

      So.....in my last post I shared a delicious pasta dish that had the wonderful flavors of lemon and mint, and the "ever-present" summer vegetable....zucchini.  Check that recipe out here.  

      Today....zucchini again!  But, this time, folded into a yummy pound cake with a rich and delicious Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting!!  Everybody needs a little zucchini and spice in their life, don't you think?

Winter Minestrone

    When it's cold and snowy outside, a nice, hearty bowl of soup is quite welcome on my table.  And this Winter Minestrone definitely fits into that category!  Loaded with veggies and a rich tasting broth, this soup is the perfect choice to warm you up on a cold, wintry day!  And......this soup has a little secret!

Meat-Stuffed Eggplant

    It's eggplant again, friends!  We've already established that it's one of my favorite vegetables, so I thought I'd share another recipe.....this time stuffing it with all sorts of "yumminess"!  And I love these baby eggplant........so cute!!  This is great for dinner with a salad and some good bread on the side.  It would also make a nice addition to a buffet table.

Peas and Prosciutto

    Here's a simple and delicious side dish to add to your recipe box.  AND........you can have it ready in about 15-20 minutes!  The saltiness of the prosciutto adds a nice contrast to the otherwise mellow peas.  This dish is great to add to a mid-week meal, when you might not have a lot of time, but  goes equally well on a holiday table with all of the other "special" foods.

Brussels Sprouts, Pasta, and Bean Soup

    I know what you're thinking......"What's the girl (who isn't that "into" soup) doing, sharing another soup recipe?"  Well, what can I say?  It's been cold around here!!  And, when you're feeling chilled, there's just nothing better than a nice, steaming hot bowl of soup to help warm you up!

    I've been making this recipe for years, but I honestly couldn't tell you where it originated.  It's just a recipe I have written out on a card in my recipe box.  It's a great mix of vegetables, with the addition of red kidney beans, for a little protein, and some ditalini pasta.  There's something about it that really brings me back to my grandmother's kitchen.  I think it's the ditalini.  My gramma used it quite a bit.  I've shared a recipe for Pasta and Peas, in honor of her, in another post.  I recommend you check it out!

    Back to today's recipe........this soup is so comforting, so good for you, and so delicious!!  I think I may have to go have another bowl right now!  

Skillet Cauliflower Torrisi

    Does anyone agree with me that cauliflower tends to get a bad rap?  Now, admittedly, it's not my favorite vegetable, but saute it in garlic and olive oil, top it with a cheesy breadcrumb topping, and I'm all over it!

Roasted Fennel and Carrots with Pecorino Cheese

    What can you make with a couple of root vegetables, some garlic, fresh thyme, cheese, and olive oil?  A delicious roasted vegetable side dish, that's what!  If I haven't mentioned it before, I love roasted vegetables! Roasting just brings out their natural sweetness and develops such a depth of flavor!  As the days are getting colder, this is a great side dish to go along with a meatloaf or roasted beef or chicken. So, what are you waiting for?  Grab those veggies and get roasting!  

Green Bean Salad with Red Onion and Prosciutto

    Hi there!  Hope everyone had a nice Labor Day weekend.  Ours was very low-key.....just the four of us hanging around, getting a little work done and then just relaxing.  The weather was nice enough to get outside and fire up the grill, so I cooked up some burgers and, to go along-side, I made a nice Caprese Salad (fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, good olive oil, salt and pepper) and this delicious Green Bean Salad with Red Onion and Prosciutto.  I slightly adapted it from a recipe I saw in a newsletter from Cookies From Italy.com.  It's a great salad!  It's bright and fresh-tasting, and I love the addition of the prosciutto!

     The original recipe calls for regular string beans, but the beans at the nearby grocery store looked terrible, so I decided to go with Haricot vert instead.  Haricot is French for bean and vert is the word for green.  So, that's right.....these are a French variety of green bean.  They are longer and thinner than most American varieties.  And, they're nice and tender!

Caponata

    Well, summer is quickly winding down and the kids are back in school.  Soon fall will be here and the air  will feel a little cooler.  But, for now, gardeners everywhere are still reaping the rewards of their labor in the form of tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers, etc.  This recipe is a great way to make use of all of those vegetables.