Dinner with Kirsten

Dinner with Kirsten header image 4

Entries Tagged as 'italian'

Easy Weeknight Dinner: Pasta with Peas

October 3rd, 2009 · 64 Comments

I’ve been so busy lately that cooking has devolved into a dirty game of survival rather than a hobby. (Seriously . . . last week I burned a frozen pizza because I cranked up the heat hoping it would cook faster.) But, as I’ve seen my free time dwindle away, I’ve become more and more […]

[Read more →]

Tags: easy weeknight dinner · italian · quick fix

Mario’s Meatballs

February 10th, 2009 · 71 Comments

I love meatballs, but I hardly ever make them. Left to my own uninspired devices I’m more likely to quickly brown beef, add a jar of marinara sauce and call it dinner. It’s my Midwestern version of “Pasta Bolognese” – my “again!?” dinner that Geoff is continually forced to veto. So, I decided to put […]

[Read more →]

Tags: dinner · italian · recipes · weekend project

Dinner for One: Pasta with Greens and Goat Cheese

December 15th, 2008 · 63 Comments

An evening alone. . . Sigh. . . I love being alone sometimes. There’s no pressure to “do” anything, there’s no struggle for the remote, there’s no need to brush my hair or take a shower and, most of all, there’s no need to compromise over dinner. So, when Geoff made last minute plans to […]

[Read more →]

Tags: dinner · italian · quick fix · recipes · salad

Easy Minestrone Soup

November 4th, 2008 · 81 Comments

I love minestrone soup, and this version is quick, easy and healthy, making it a perfect weeknight meal. You can mix and match different seasonal vegetables and make it with or without meat, but don’t leave out the kale.
I didn’t even realize I liked kale until I tried this recipe. This member of the cabbage […]

[Read more →]

Tags: dinner · italian · quick fix · recipes

Osso Buco Sunday Supper

October 18th, 2008 · 64 Comments

My family always used to have Sunday suppers at my grandparents’ house when I was young. I remember the smell of roast pork, sour kraut and dumplings washing over me as I stepped into their house. “Sunday is family day,” my Mom would say, whenever I wanted to plan weekend activities with friends. But I […]

[Read more →]

Tags: dinner · italian · recipes · weekend project

Easy Stuffed Zucchini Dinner

August 23rd, 2008 · 66 Comments

I eat zucchini as part of almost every meal, especially in the summer. Geoff is getting tired of it. But this stuffed version is a great change from my normal steamed or sautéed dishes. A meatloaf-like filling is piled into the hollowed-out squash and baked until the topping is crispy and the zucchini is tender. […]

[Read more →]

Tags: dinner · italian · quick fix · recipes

Easy as Polenta Pie

August 2nd, 2008 · 2 Comments

I’m so proud of this dish that I’ve rattled off instructions on how to make it to a handful of people, including the check-out guy at Trader Joe’s. It’s one of those golden main courses that can be made a million different ways, depending on the ingredients you have handy and what you feel like […]

[Read more →]

Tags: cheese log · dinner · italian · quick fix · recipes

From Donut to Health Nut: My Italian Salmon Dinner

June 11th, 2008 · 59 Comments

My idea of a “diet” is eating more apples than donuts on any given day. But it’s swimming suit season once again, that time of year when winter’s excesses are destined to be displayed for fellow beach-goers, making me wonder if I had to eat quite so many cookies and burgers this year. So anyway, […]

[Read more →]

Tags: dinner · italian · quick fix · recipes · salad · seafood

Pasta in 15 Minutes?

May 26th, 2008 · No Comments

I’m a sucker for a good time gimmick. I used to watch Rachael Ray’s Food Network show 30 Minute Meals, just waiting for the episode when she would be forced to turn to the camera and say, “Whoop-see! Guess we’re out of time!”
That’s why, unless it’s Thanksgiving or Christmas, I always flip to the “quick […]

[Read more →]

Tags: dinner · food media · italian · quick fix

Risotto Night

April 7th, 2008 · 13 Comments

I’m a bit of a risotto snob. Reality television cooking shows have fostered this arrogant “I know what risotto should be like” attitude, but I can’t seem to help it. When a congealed scoop of risotto was served to me at the Pearl Room last weekend, I could imagine a red-faced Chef Ramsey (from FOX’s […]

[Read more →]

Tags: dinner · italian · recipes · seafood