Penne Vesuviana

This recipe is loosely based on Amanda's Farfalle alla Vesuviana.

1 pound penne or mini penne pasta, cooked al dente (reserve 1 cup pasta water)
3 TBL olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
4 cups crushed tomatoes (if they're fresh) or 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
2 tsp capers, drained
1/3 cup Italian green olives, pitted and chopped
1/4 tsp each oregano and basil
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tbl dried parsley flakes or 2 tbl fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
grated Parmesan or Romano cheese for topping

Saute garlic in the olive oil until softened. Add tomatoes, capers, olives, and seasonings, except parsley and cheese. Simmer until the pasta is done. Add pasta water a little at a time if needed to moisten the tomato sauce.
Toss the sauce mixture with the pasta and parsley. Top with grated cheese before serving.

July 2010 Menu

Thurs 1: visited my parents

Fri 2: pizza

Sat 3: Barbecued chicken, corn on the cob, salad

Sun 4: Mexican steak, burgers & hot dogs on the grill, Dr. Pepper baked beans, salad, fresh vegetables for dipping

Mon 5: burgers, hot dogs on the grill

Tues 6: Spanish Pan Roast from Cooking Light magazine (I left out the chorizo). Made it in a 12-qt roaster oven. Delicious!

Wed 7:

Thurs 8: Spaghetti and meatballs

Fri 9: Tilapia with Mandarin Oranges& Honey in the slow cooker

Garlic Caesar Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in 1-inch cubes
1/4 cup Caesar salad dressing
4 TBL minced garlic
3/4 cup chicken broth

Mix salad dressing, garlic and broth in large skillet. Add chicken chunks, bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cover. Cook 10 minutes.

Serve with mini farfalle noodles and peas (it's really good if you mix that all together)

Welsh Cakes

I first enjoyed Welsh Cakes when I was a college student in Scranton, PA.  You could buy bags of these in the local convenience store.  But they're even better when they're homemade and warm from the griddle.  And you don't have to turn on the oven and heat up the house!

The taste is kind of like a scone, but with a slightly different texture.  These can be made in 20 minutes, start to finish.


2 1/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg or mace (mace has a milder flavor)
1/8 tsp salt
1 stick butter
7/8 cup sugar
1/2 cup raisins
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup milk (more if needed but don't be too quick to add this)

Stir together flour, baking powder, nutmeg/mace and salt. Add butter and mix like pie dough. Add sugar and raisins. Add eggs and milk and mix until a stiff dough is formed. Roll or pat to 1/4 inch thick and cut into rounds. Cook on greased griddle for about 3 minutes per side.

This makes about 21 cakes, if you reshape the dough scraps until you completely run out!