If you want something done right

If you want something done right, sometimes you have to do it yourself. Ever heard that before? Yeah it's cliché but oh so true. The BF and I love to eat out, but our general rule is that we only eat out what we cannot cook at home. The better cooks we become, the harder it is to appreciate our dinning out experience.

One of our favorite meals to cook that is both easy and healthy (what more could you ask for right?) is sautéed beef and spinach with a side of pasta or rice. We don't often use recipes; we just experiment along the way.

Basic instructions (taste along the way and season to your taste)

Sautee sliced garlic in olive oil, add lean ground beef as garlic starts to brown. Season with cracked pepper, crushed red pepper, and cumin. As beef starts to brown, add 1/2 bag  to 1 bag of spinach depending on amount of beef. (Note: an entire bag of spinach cooks down a small amount quicker than you would think).

In a separate pan/pot cook a small amount of pasta (no long noodles. bowtie, rigatoni, ziti, or something shorter is best) or rice (I prefer batsmati or jasmine here).

When both pans are fully cooked, mix together. Serve with a side of non-fat plain yogurt.

Enjoy a healthy, simple, yet delicious dinner. Bon appetitio!

Are you ready for the next dish? Our favorite meal to cook at home is seafood pasta. We have tried countless seafood pastas at restaurants around the world and none have come close to what we have created in our own kitchen. Not only is our creation above par, it's at a fraction of the cost. This pasta could cost $14 - $26 in a restaurant, depending on the place. When we buy mussels, calamari, clams, shrimp, and bay scallops (for two people) at the farmers market, the total cost is around $12. Organic angel pasta is under $4. The ingredients for the sauce are under $5. So we both eat more than our fill for under $22. Can you beat that?

Directions to heaven:

Simmer garlic in olive oil. Add mussels and clams first with clam juice, white wine, and additional olive oil. After 2 minutes add bay scallops, them calamari, then shrimp. Next add diced tomatoes and capers to taste (I prefer at least one whole tomato per two people). Season with crushed red pepper and cracked pepper with a pinch of salt. Once the mussels and clams start to open, and fresh sliced basil.

In a separate pot, boil angel hair pasta al dente - approximately 4-5 minutes. You should start boiling the water at the same time you start simmering the garlic.

Once the mussels and clams are open and the shrimp is fully cooked, turn off the heat and pour the seafood and juice over strained angel hair pasta. Serve with a side bowl for shells.

This dish pairs perfectly with a light mixed greens acidic salad to balance out the buttery seafood pasta. Mixed greens, sliced radishes, sliced cucumber, lemon juice, white vinegar, EVOO, and a light shaving of parmesan.

                                                                       

 

 

Enjoy!