The Hungry Wife

Italian Grilled Cheese and Tomato is taking the classic, quick comfort food and giving it a grownup taste.  There is nothing I like better, when it’s chilly outside and you didn’t have time to make a stew or roast, to eat a simple meal of grilled cheese and tomato soup.  This is also the ultimate meal if you have a cold or are feeling under the weather during the winter season.
Italian Grilled Cheese and Tomato, continued…

I found this recipe for Italian Chicken in a cookbook my husband bought me at his work. It is a collection of recipes from various people he works with, and I must say, these Information Systems people know how to cook. I’m going to share with you a recipe for Italian Chicken that is extremely easy to prepare (it only has 4 ingredients), and tastes pretty darn good.

It was about almost 7pm and I hadn’t started dinner or really even thought about what we could eat yet.  The household was getting hungry. I needed to come up with something quick, and this is exactly what I was looking for. When you want something to eat that doesn’t require a lot of effort, this Italian Chicken is it. The recipe calls for feta cheese, but honestly, I think you could use whatever you have available. Of course, mozzarella would be the most “Italian”, but the feta does bring a really nice taste to the chicken. An extra flavor to kick it up a bit.

Italian Chicken, continued…

Chicken Vesuvio, or Pollo alla Vesuvio, is another recipe from the cookbook, Whatever Happened to Sunday Dinner? by Lisa Caponigri.  Chicken Vesuivo is a simple stove-top braise that is incredibly delicious, giving you super tender chicken with a wonderful light flavor.  Just be sure to brown the chicken and potatoes well before proceeding with the recipe – the caramelization adds lot of flavor and the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan become the basis of a fantastic pan sauce.
Chicken Vesuvio, continued…

Pasta with Pesto is a super flavorful dish, that is an excellent way to welcome the spring.  Using fresh ingredients makes this pasta shine.  The combination of pasta, potatoes, and pesto may seem like it wouldn’t work, but it does, creating a hearty dish pungent with the flavor of basil.
Pasta with Pesto, continued…

Simple Pasta Sauce is a something I came up with when I had planned a nice spaghetti dinner, but soon realized that I had used up my supply of homemade Weekend Tomato Sauce, and had no store bought sauce in my pantry.  Dinner was at risk, I had no backup plan and had to come up with a solution quick.  I looked in the pantry, and much to my joy, I realized I could whip up a yummy sauce that wouldn’t take hours to prepare and cook.
Simple Pasta Sauce, continued…

Pasta with Sausage Sauce is a great dish to make when the weather starts too cool down and the harvest has begun.  The simple sausage-cauliflower sauce is delicate and delicious, perfect for when you are wanting pasta but something different then the traditional red sauce.  Pasta with Sausage Sauce is sure to be a new favorite in your kitchen.
Pasta with Sausage Sauce, continued…

Penne in Almond Sauce is a great weeknight recipe.  I love finding recipes where I can use a store-bought rotisserie chicken.  It makes cooking so much easier, and adds a lot of flavor to the dish.  More then just boiling your own chicken breasts.  The almond sauce is a perfect compliment to the pasta and chicken, giving the dish a light, unique flavor.
Penne in Almond Sauce, continued…

Pot Roast is a perfect comforting meal.  Meat that has been slow cooked so it is incredibly tender, and simmered with delicious spices, cooked along with simple potatoes, carrots and onions.  Every household needs a good pot roast recipe, and Slow Cooker Pot Roast is not only the best I have come across and made myself, but it is also the easiest.
Slow Cooker Pot Roast, continued…

Tomato Basil Sandwiches is a  great summertime entree.  They are easy to make, and the tomato-basil is very refreshing.  When it starts getting hot outside, I start looking for recipes that don’t require a lot of prep work or cooking.  These Tomato Basil Sandwiches can be made on the grill, along with corn or other veggies to be served as a side dish.  However, I like to use a Panini press or similar indoor grill sometimes instead of cooking outside, especially when it is really hot out.
Tomato Basil Sandwiches, continued…

Creamy Pasta Primavera is a favorite dinner recipe, especially when spring veggies are abundant.  With farmers markets reopening, this is a great recipe to make that truly highlights the best in-season, local vegetables have to offer.  Creamy Pasta Primavera is a cinch to make, taking about 20 minutes total.  This recipe gets even better though, by offering a low calories, low fat, yet full flavor to the traditional Pasta Primavera recipes, with a hint of lemon.
Creamy Pasta Primavera, continued…

Mushroom Pasta Recipe is a simple dish to make, perfect for those busy weeknight meals.  The best thing about this recipe though, is that it is low fat so you can feel good about serving it to you and your family.  The recipe results in a creamy dish, full of flavor with no heavy cream in sight.  So much so, that you will have a hard time believing it is low fat.
Mushroom Pasta Recipe, continued…

Mom’s Potato Salad is the third Potato Salad recipe The Hungry Wife is featuring.  I don’t think it is possible to have too many salad recipes, especially when they are so delicious and make excellent side dishes.  This particular recipe is one from my mother, and even though it is basically a classic potato salad, it has a nice twist.  The addition of Italian salad dressing provides a whole new dynamic into the flavor mix.
Mom’s Potato Salad, continued…

Trattoria Spinach Fettuccine is the kind of dish that small, neighborhood Italian restaurants serve.  It features an intensely flavored double-tomato sauce with tangy feta cheese.  This recipe is so simple with few ingredients that I almost wasn’t sure if it would live up to The Hungry Wife requirements.  I sure was glad that I tried this out, it has a delicate flavor that shines so well.  All the ingredients work together to make a beautiful pasta that doesn’t require any extra seasoning.
Trattoria Spinach Fettuccine, continued…

One of the things I love most about making seafood for dinner, is how quick you can make a healthy and delicious meal for your family.  Shrimp and Pancetta takes about 30 minutes total, including the prep time, to make and put on the table.  Another thing I love about this recipe is how simple it is.  Few ingredients and a quick cooking time, make Shrimp and Pancetta a perfect weeknight meal when time is of the essence.
Shrimp and Pancetta, continued…

With the anticipation of fall food and Thanksgiving around the corner, I have been craving traditional comfort foods like your favorite bird, gravy, mashed potatoes, and cranberry relish.  In order to satisfy my desires I decided to cook up a mini Thanksgiving feast.  Herb and Mustard Turkey with Green Onion Gravy is the ultimate (and my favorite) recipe that meets this criteria.  To scale it down to size for a dinner for two, I used a whole chicken instead of a turkey.  This helped provide enough leftovers to make an amazing chicken salad and homemade chicken stock.
Herb and Mustard Turkey with Green Onion Gravy, continued…

I used to think that I wasn’t capable and it wasn’t worth my time to make homemade Tomato Sauce, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.  There is something extremely gratifying in making your own sauce, and I’ve come up with a recipe that is pretty simple, perfect for first time Tomato Sauce makers.  Using canned crushed tomatoes and a jar of ready-to-use peeled and minced garlic, makes this recipe a snap to make.  Due to the 5 hour simmer time, I decided to call this Weekend Tomato Sauce, because you can make it on a weekend when you have some free time.
Weekend Tomato Sauce, continued…

Everyone should have an amazing recipe for homemade meatballs, and these will not let you down.  Meatballs are simple to make, and it seems that everyone you talk to has a super secret meatball recipe.  Now you can have one too.  Something that I think is important to remember when making your own homemade meatballs, is to keep it simple and use fresh, quality ingredients.  Personally, that is what I think makes the best meatballs.  The recipe calls for using 80% lean ground beef.  Using a slightly higher fat lean ground beef adds additional flavor, and helps hold the everything together, keeping the shape perfectly.
Homemade Meatballs Recipe, continued…

It is officially fall when Pumpkin Pie starts showing up on the dinner table.  I am a huge pumpkin lover, and like to use it as often as possible, and what I make most is this amazing Pumpkin Mascarpone pie.  Taking it to a new level, the Italian cream cheese, mascarpone, lightens up the filling and makes this pumpkin pie out of this world.
Pumpkin Mascarpone Pie, continued…

Savory Cheddar Thyme Biscotti are great to have around for eating with soup, pasta, and even all by themselves.  I love nibbling on biscotti when drinking tea or coffee, and this Cheddar Thyme Biscotti is perfect when your not in the mood for something sweet, but for something savory.
Savory Cheddar Thyme Biscotti, continued…

Everyone needs a good shrimp and pasta recipe.  Shrimp and Artichoke Pasta is the perfect weeknight dinner, you can make it real quick when time is of the essence.  You can make this dish in less than 30 minutes.  The butter-wine sauce is simple yet very flavorful, and works so well with the shrimp.  It is like having scampi mixed in with your pasta.  I like to buy marinated artichokes, and even though they are drained before adding to the butter sauce, I think the marinated herbs and oil add a nice touch to the Shrimp and Artichoke Pasta.
Shrimp and Artichoke Pasta, continued…