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This is a great summery Italian meal. My birthday is coming and last year for my 50th I went to Italy. So, I have that trip and those flavors on my mind.

I marinated some chicken breasts in lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. I made a bruschetta with diced tomato, grated garlic, basil, olive oil, salt, pepper and white balsamic vinegar. I grilled the chicken until done, topped each breast with 2 Tbls of jarred pesto and 1 slice of mozzarella. I let the chicken rest and sliced it. Topped it with the bruschetta to serve. The bowtie recipe is from Ina Garten.

https://barefootcontessa.com/recipes/broccoli-bow-ties-updated

The slow cooker is a great short cut! You come home and the hardest part of dinner is done. This is an easy weeknight meal. The base could be the start to a few different meals. I am making what I would call a Latin rice bowl. It could be a filling for a taco or a quesadilla, the topping for a tostada.

I put 2 cans of drained and rinsed black beans in the slow cooker. You could use 1 can and some corn. I added half of a poblano and red pepper cut into strips, 1/2 a red onion diced, some cumin and chili powder and stirred. I cut 2 boneless chicken breasts into quarters and tossed them in a bowl with adobo seasoning, cumin and salt. I put the chicken on top of the beans and poured over a 16oz jar of chunky salsa. Cook on low for 6 hours. Add cheddar cheese on top and cover for another 5 minutes or so until the cheese is melted. You could skip the cheddar and crumble on queso fresco with your other toppings. I am serving mine over a microwave in the bag brown rice with avocado, lime, cilantro, sour cream and some fried plantains.

This is an easy way to have lasagna for 2 with out making a huge pan. It is more pasta involved than a normal lasagna. It is easy to make and impressive enough to serve to guests.

I use a really good quality jarred sauce. I buy Mezzetta carmelized onion & butter marinara or the truffle one if I can find it. Very worth the $6.00 the small jar costs. I used fresh pasta sheets, but they are not easy to find. I normally use the no boil or oven ready lasagna sheets.

Filling

• 1 15-ounce container) ricotta cheese
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 ounces of diced prosciutto
• 2 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• salt and pepper
• ¾ pound fresh pasta sheets or no bake dried pasta sheets
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

Make your filling and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to boil and add salt. Drop your pasta and cook for 1 minute. Transfer the pasta to a bowl of ice water. Then place pasta on a dry kitchen towel in a single layer.

Preheat oven to 375.

Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet or large baking dish. Put 2 tbls of the tomato sauce at one end of the baking sheet and spread it into the shape of a pasta square. Top the sauce with 1 pasta square, spread a scant 3 tablespoons filling evenly on the pasta, then continue making layers of pasta and filling until you have 6 layers of pasta alternating with 5 layers of filling. Spoon 1/4 cup of the tomato sauce on top of the last pasta layer, then sprinkle 1 tablespoon Parmesan. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 2 identical stacks.(I made 4 small stacks) It is easier to make 2 with the dry pasta and cut them in halfcafter cooking I put any remaining sauce in a sauce pan and warm it to go over the top. Bake for 30 minutes and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

I also made a steam in the bag broccoli with a lemon vinaigrette and parmesan. You could do a salad and some bread!

Collard greens purchased precut and washed in a bag, diced potatoes in a bag, store bought cornbread muffins and beans from a can.

I did not use precut collard which is a time saver! I had some in the garden that needed to be cut. But, usually I would by the ones in the bag. I start with 2 stripes of bacon in a dutch oven and render some fat on medium low. I saute some diced onion and matchstick carrots in pan with the bacon for a few minutes and add the chopped collards. After sauteing them a few minutes I fill the pot with water and add a chicken bouillon cube or some some soup base which ever I have and bring them to a boil and cook on medium for 20 or 30 minutes. The pot liquor makes great soup stock! I strain off the solids and put the liquid in a freezer bag and freeze it.

For the potatoes I put about 2 Tablespoons of canola in a pan and heat it. I add the potatoes and cover stirring often just get the center of the potatoes soft. Then I take off the lid and finish browning.

I also rendered a strip of bacon in the bean pan before I added the canned beans and ta da a home cooked southern meal that will warm your heart.

Store bought fresh tortellini and Alfredo sauce from the refrigerator section with crispy prosciutto, cherry tomatoes and basil. I add lemon zest and lemon juice to the sauce. The lemon,basil and prosciutto are also good mixed into a cooked stouffers fettuccine alfredo.

This week I am focusing on quick meals. Hacks or short cuts what ever you wish to call it. I bought a breaded cutlet from the meat department at The Fresh Market and sprayed it with cooking spray and baked it at 420 for 20 minutes turning halfway through. I bought an olive tapenade to go with the chicken and tossed a caesar salad.

Sorry for my extended period of silence. I was prepping for an 11 day trip which involved 8 nights of camping. I prepped our first 2 nights of food and some of the marinates for later in the trip before leaving home. I stayed in an AirBnB for a few nights and prepped for the rest of the journey. I did not take pictures but the menu and recipe links follow.

Cowboy Beans cooked at home in the slow cooker and stored in a container to reheat. https://www.southyourmouth.com/2017/11/three-meat-crock-pot-cowboy-beans.html

Lemon Herb Chicken Skewers with Blueberry Balsamic Salsa https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/lemon-herb-chicken-skewers-blueberry-balsamic-salsa with a Yukon Gold Potato Salad with Shallots Chives, Bacon and Lemon Vinaigrette https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/baby-yukon-potato-salad-with-shallots-chives-bacon-lemon-vinaigrette

Korean Grilled Chicken with an Asian Slaw salad https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/korean-grilled-chicken-recipe-1921151

I use slaw in a bag, and add, radish, red pepper, cashews, mandarin oranges, and chopped green onion. The dressing that I make is

1 Clove of grated garlic

1/4 c of Rice wine vinegar

1 Tsp of Asian chili paste

2 Tbls of honey

3 Tbls of Soy sauce

2 Tbls of canola oil

1 Tsp of Sesame oil

Toss your salad with the dressing and garnish with crunchy wide chow mein noodles.

Pea and Prosciutto Salad https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/pea-and-prosciutto-salad Green Bean Salad with Toasted Almonds and Feta https://cookieandkate.com/green-bean-salad-recipe/

This meal is based on the green beans and that is why it comes first in the title. I built rest of the meal around a childhood memory of the beans. It seemed only fitting to have cube steak and mashed potatoes the only thing that my Paw Paw would have an issue with is there was no bread. My Grandmaw Jessie always had biscuits! There is no recipe that can be accurate.

I put a piece of fat back in a large sauce pan with the green beans and added enough water cover plus an inch. I brought it to a boil and then turned down to a simmer and cooked them for 2 hours until cooked to death.

I took some cube steak and seasoned it with salt and pepper and dregged it in flour and shallow fried it in some canola oil until brown. I put that in my crockpot insert and added 1/2 a thin sliced onion to the fat and cooked that until tender. I added 2 tbl of flour and cooked that about 1 min. I added 1 1/2 c of beef broth and whisked that until smooth. I poured the gravy over the steak and cooked it in the crockpot for 6 hours on low.

I love this store bought jarred pumpkin sauce! Cucina Antica. It is really a fall flavor. I saw it and thought I must buy it. I bought a brussel sprout ravioli at The Fresh market. I breaded the cubed eggplant with egg wash and then into a mixture of panko, seasoned Italian bread crumbs and parmesan. I sprayed the breaded eggplant with olive oil cooking spray and put it in the air fryer at 400 for 5 minutes. I took it out and put it on a baking rack on a baking sheet and put it in the oven at 350. Warmed the sauce, and cooked the pasta. Toss the drained ravioli with enough sauce for your taste and topped with the eggplant pieces and fresh chopped basil.

After grilled cheese, egg salad is my next choice when I am not feeling well. I decided to make some for tomorrows lunch. Some health nut bread and a little avocado and this is a perfect summer sandwich. I mash my eggs with a fork, add fresh dill, dill relish, fine chopped red onion, mayo, a little dijon and salt and pepper.