What's for dinner? 2020

patricia19 · May 12, 2025, 03:26:54 PM

Penne, Tomato, and Mozzarella Salad

Pasta salad is a warm-season favorite with garden fresh basil and summer sweet cherry tomatoes. This recipe takes only a few minutes to put together and makes a quick summer-time meal. 11/26/24

Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 20 mins Total Time: 40 mins Servings: 6

Ingredients:

1 (12 ounce) package penne pasta

¼ cup olive oil

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

5 ounces mozzarella cheese, diced

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

4 ounces fresh basil

12 large black olives, halved

Directions:

1) Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2) Heat olive oil in a small saucepan. Add green onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 or 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add pasta, tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Cook over low heat to warm through.

3) Stir in mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Coarsely tear basil leaves in halves or thirds; add to pasta with olives and serve immediately.

patricia19 · May 12, 2025, 03:37:36 PM

The Best Caprese Salad
By: Joanne Gallagher, Updated: April 11, 2025

I love this classic caprese salad recipe with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. This is truly one of my favorite recipes on Inspired Taste. It might also be the simplest.

Key Ingredients:

Tomatoes: I wait until I have the best summer tomatoes before making our caprese salad recipe. They should be smooth-skinned, heavy, and smell sweet and earthy. If your tomatoes don't smell like anything, put them back. You can use various sizes and varieties.

I like mixing large heirloom tomatoes and smaller garden tomatoes. When tomatoes come into season around us, we know it's time to make as many caprese salads as we can! For authentic Italian caprese featuring the colors of the Italian flag, you can just use red tomatoes.

Mozzarella: Fresh mozzarella is ideal, but if you can find burrata, it has a creamy center that's also delicious in caprese salad. When I add burrata to salads, I keep it whole until we are ready to eat. Then, I pierce the middle and allow the creamy inside to fall over the tomatoes and basil. AMAZING.

Basil: Fresh basil leaves add color and flavor. I tear the larger leaves and leave the smaller ones whole.

Salt: This is the secret ingredient! Sprinkle salt on your tomatoes and let them sit for 10 minutes. The salt draws out the juices, intensifying their flavor. The juices mix with the olive oil to create a simple dressing.

Olive oil: Use your favorite kind. It will combine with the tomato juices to make a delicious dressing.

How to Make the Best Caprese Salad:

The word caprese is derived from the Italian island of Capri and is commonly used to describe dishes that combine fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil, like this incredible caprese salad.

To make caprese salad, I treat it like a layered salad. I choose a wide bowl or plate and start with a layer of tomato slices. Those slices get a sprinkle of salt, some pepper, and a slight drizzle of olive oil, and then I tuck in some basil leaves and mozzarella pieces that I've pulled into small chunks.
The Best Caprese Salad with Tomatoes, Mozzarella, and Basil

Once I have one layer done, I'll add another, repeating with tomatoes, salt, pepper, basil, mozzarella, and olive oil. By layering and seasoning as I go, I guarantee that every bite of the salad is seasoned and delicious.

The most important step is to let your tomatoes sit with the salt for 10 to 15 minutes before digging in. This resting time guarantees that the salt has time to season the tomatoes and bring out their juices, which mix with your olive oil and turn into the caprese salad dressing!

What to Serve with Caprese Salad:
A few slices of homemade focaccia or grilled bread rubbed with garlic.

PREP 10 mins
TOTAL 10 mins

Caprese salad (or Insalata Caprese) is a simple salad made with ripe tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil. To make the best caprese salad, choose the highest quality ingredients you can find.
Makes 4 small servings (as a side or appetizer)

You Will Need:

1 pound (450g) ripe tomatoes

4 to 5 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese or burrata

Handful of fresh basil leaves

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

Directions:

1 Slice tomatoes into thin slices. For a more rustic salad with many shapes and textures, we leave some slices as full circles and slice a few into half-moon shapes. If using smaller tomatoes, like cherry tomatoes, cut in half and thirds, adding a variety of shapes and sizes to the salad.

2 Tear the mozzarella cheese into smaller chunks. For burrata cheese, keep whole to break open when serving.

3 Pick the basil leaves from the stem. Leave smaller leaves whole and tear larger leaves in half or into quarters.

4 Arrange half the tomatoes onto a serving plate and lightly season with salt and pepper. Add a light drizzle of olive oil, then tuck some of the basil and a few pieces of the torn mozzarella in and around the tomatoes.

5 Repeat with the remaining tomatoes, seasoning them with salt and pepper and layering in more basil and mozzarella.

6 Let the salad sit for 10 to 15 minutes at room temperature. This allows the salt to draw out the tomato juices, creating a flavorful dressing.

7 Serve and enjoy! Don't forget to soak up the delicious juices at the bottom of the plate with some crusty bread.

Joanne's Tips:

Storing: Caprese salad is best served within an hour or two after making. More than that and the tomatoes will lose some of their texture.
Tomatoes: We love using a mixture of sizes, colors, and varieties of tomato. Choose smooth skinned, heavy tomatoes that smell sweet and earthy.
Burrata: Burrata cheese is an excellent substitute to fresh mozzarella and has an almost molten middle of cream. If using burrata, layer the seasoned tomatoes and basil first, then place a ball of burrata right on top of the salad. When it is pierced, the creamy inside will fall over the salad.

Amy · May 17, 2025, 10:14:54 AM

Bang Bang Chicken

Quick and easy Bang Bang Chicken with a luscious, creamy sauce, is the perfect weeknight family dinner! The chicken is oven-baked to perfection and dinner is on the table with minimal fuss in less than 30 minutes!

Total Time: 35 mins Yield: 4

Ingredients

Bang Bang Sauce
1 cup (250 g) whole-egg mayonnaise
¼ cup (60 g) sweet chilli sauce
1 tbsp sriracha or hot chilli sauce (optional)
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp lime juice
Chicken
600 g (1 lb 5 oz) boneless chicken thighs, skin on or off
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp onion powder
¼ tsp cracked black pepper
1 tbsp tamari or regular soy sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup (60 g) bang bang sauce (see above)
1 spring onion (scallion), sliced
To serve
Steamed rice
1 cup (75 g) shredded red cabbage
2 carrots, grated or julienned
1 cucumber, sliced
1 spring onion (scallion), finely sliced

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Line a baking tray with baking paper (parchment paper).
Combine the bang bang sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. Reserve one-quarter of the sauce in a separate bowl to brush over the raw chicken prior to baking.
Place the chicken on a chopping board with a sheet of baking paper (parchment paper) over the top. Use a mallet or rolling pin to pound the chicken to an even thickness. Cut each piece in half vertically.
Place the chicken in a large shallow bowl and add the sweet paprika, onion powder, black pepper, tamari, brown sugar and olive oil. Using tongs, toss the chicken to coat it evenly in the marinade.
Arrange the chicken on the prepared baking tray, so that it is not overlapping. This is important. If the chicken is overcrowded in the baking tray, it will "steam" and it will be much more difficult to achieve a caramelised crust.
Using a pastry brush, brush the reserved one-quarter of the bang bang sauce all over the tops of the chicken pieces.
Bake the chicken for 25–30 minutes or until golden and cooked through (see note 1 for troubleshooting).
Serve with steamed rice, red cabbage, carrot and cucumber. Drizzle with the remaining bang bang sauce and sprinkle with spring onions.

Notes
Note 1 – If your chicken isn't caramelised, it may be because your oven wasn't preheated long enough and therefore not hot enough. Grill (broil) the chicken in the oven for a few minutes on high heat to caramelise if required. Keep an eye on it so that it doesn't burn!

Make ahead
Chicken – Marinate the chicken for up to 48 hours prior to cooking.

Bang bang sauce – Prepare the sauce and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 48 hours prior to cooking.

Leftovers
Refrigerate any leftover chicken for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave. Not suitable to freeze.

Author: Nicole
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Category: mains, dairy-free, budget-friendly, quick and easy, one pan
Method: roasting
Cuisine: Asian

I did make this ,doubled the sauce as I was told it is tasty....now use the sauce to dip fries or as a salad dressing.
No Patricia, I didn't put the srichaca sauce in

patricia19 · May 17, 2025, 12:49:04 PM

Somehow, I thought you wouldn't...

BarbStAubrey · May 19, 2025, 09:22:29 AM

All these recipes are mouthwatering but how about a couple of ideas or recipes for those of us who can't manage anylonger - something easy but tasty - that is healthier than a sandwich filled with lettuce but does not require a lot more preparation.

so_P_bubble · May 19, 2025, 10:18:45 AM

for Barb:

Gratin fennel

Clean and cut the fennel
-cut it into wedges
-put the fennel in a pan adding oil, salt, tomatoes, parsley, parmesan and breadcrumbs. Add 50cl of water to the pan
-put in the oven at 150 degrees for 30 minutes

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2CtdksKM7t/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

No need to sign up to see the video of the recipe

patricia19 · May 19, 2025, 01:06:24 PM

Barb, I searched for easy recipes for one or two, and found these.

https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=easy%20recipes%20for%20one%20or%20two&atb=v481-5&ia=web

https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=very%20easy%20recipes%20with%20few%20ingredients&atb=v481-5&ia=web

BarbStAubrey · May 19, 2025, 01:10:52 PM

Wow thank you, thank you - for sure need to try the fennel and I will look over the recipes in the link Patricia - this is great to know there is something I can try from y'all - being on the walker is one thing but standing without leaning to mix, move pans, measure etc. is getting more and more of a challenge.

RAMMEL · May 19, 2025, 02:24:52 PM

50 Cl = 17 Oz

patricia19 · May 20, 2025, 06:59:24 PM

Greek Lemon Cucumber Pasta Salad

By: Sarah Nevins Posted: 8/15/22

Crunchy cucumbers, salty olives, creamy feta and tender macaroni tossed in a bright and minty lemon vinaigrette. This Greek Lemon & Cucumber Pasta Salad is a great Low-Cook meal that's fresh, vibrant and above all – delicious! It's perfect in warm weather!

Ingredients:

The full ingredient list breaks down into two main parts:

The minty-lemon vinaigrette – a simple dressing made with lemon, fresh herbs and oil.
The cucumber pasta salad – chopped veggies and cheese mixed with pasta.

Vinaigrette Ingredients:

Mix the simple homemade dressing in minutes with only a handful of fresh ingredients!

Olive Oil
When it comes to salads, dips, or anything that isn't heated up, a good extra-virgin olive oil ideal as you'll retain all the health benefits along with the flavor.
Lemon Juice + Lemon Zest
Make sure to zest the lemons before juicing. Depending on the size you'll need about 1-2 lemons.
Garlic
Add 1-2 garlic cloves depending on your preference and size of the cloves.
Mint
Chop up a handful of fresh mint leaves for the vinaigrette. Dried mint won't have the same freshness, but in a pinch you can use 1 teaspoon dried mint instead.
Salt & Pepper
A good pinch of sea salt to taste and a sprinkling of freshly ground pepper go along way in boosting up the overall flavor.

Pasta Salad Ingredients:

This Cucumber Pasta Salad recipe is made up of a few simple, easy to prep ingredients:

Macaroni
I think the small macaroni pieces are an ideal size to mix and match the other salad ingredients. That being said, feel free to use another type of pasta in place of the macaroni. Rotini, fusilli and penne pasta are all great options.
Cucumber
You've got a couple of options here: Persian/English cucumbers (seedless) or regular cucumbers. Seedless cucumber/Persian cucumbers just need dicing up. Cucumbers with seeds just need a little extra attention as you need to scoop out the watery insides before dicing them up. If the watery seeds are left inside, the extra water/moisture with leak into the salad making it soggy too fast.
Olives
Kalamata olives are usually a popular choice in Greek cuisine, but use whatever you have available. I've also made this salad with green olives. Black olives will also work.
Feta Cheese
For a dairy free or vegan option I recommend you replace the feta with a dairy free version as opposed to just leaving it out altogether. The salty bits of cheese add another tangy punch to every bite!

Additions

As written, this is a very easy recipe with simple ingredients. While this recipe certainly doesn't need anything else, you can absolutely spruce this salad up by adding a few addition bits here and there.

Here are a few ideas to create an even more veggie packed, filling pasta salad:

Red Bell Pepper – cut out the seeds and dice it up into small pieces to add a bit more crunch.
Fresh Tomatoes – small varieties like cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes are great choices but you can dice up a large tomato as well
Fresh dill – cucumber and dill is a popular flavor pairing for good reason!
Dijon Mustard – I originally planned on adding dijon to the vinaigrette, but in the end I wanted to keep it as simple as possible. It's a great way to add an extra punch of flavor.
Vinegar – replace 1 tablespoon of lemon juice with red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar or white vinegar.

Serve & Store:

Serve immediately or leave for a couple of hours before serving. The longer it's left the more the flavors have time to meld and develop.

Enjoy as a cool, crunchy, refreshing main or side.

Prep in advance for easy lunches throughout the week or bring to share at your next summer BBQ.

Keep leftovers stored in an airtight container up to fours days.

Enjoy!

Amy · May 23, 2025, 09:29:45 AM

Crock pot Meatball Shepherd's Pie

This Crockpot Meatball Shepherd's Pie is sure to become a new family favourite! It cooks all day and you come home to a delicious meal in your slow cooker!

Course: Main CourseCuisine: American Prep Time: 25minutes minutes
Cook Time: 3hours hoursTotal Time: 3hours hours 25minutes minutes Servings: 6
Calories: 361kcal
Author: Karlynn Johnston

10 cups of peeled diced Russet potatoes, boiled and mashed until smooth
20-25 of your favourite frozen meatballs
1 brown gravy packet
1 cup beef broth
2 cups of mixed frozen veggies
Instructions
Place the meatballs in the bottom of the slow cooker.
Whisk together the gravy mix and the beef broth. Pour over the meatballs.
Place the vegetables in a layer on top of the meatballs.Top with the potatoes.
Cover with foil, place lid on top and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low 6-8.
Nutrition
Calories: 361kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 216mg | Potassium: 1326mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 3080IU | Vitamin C: 20.9mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 3.2mg

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What's for dinner? 2020

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