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Many meals have been easy repeats as it has either been nice enough to get in my pool or cold and rainy.  

The other day I wanted an easy pasta sauce.  I read through many recipes on line and then requested to go to the store with Jim.  He goes about every day.

First thing he did, I was in my travel chair, was run me into a Smart Ass as the Smart Ass suddenly backed up.  Jim travels through a grocery store like it is a race track.  So the guy made a scene. 

I found Bertolli Garlic Alfredo.  I mixed it with half a can of tomato sauce and added cut up turkey Italian sausage.  In the sauce I also added a container of fresh baby spinach.  

Of course, the pasta had to be cooked in a separate pot, but this is as close to a one dish meal as I can come.  

I recently made this recipe again.  I had a large bag of kale.  I fully cooked the kale in boiling water.  After draining it, I chopped it fine.  To this pasta dish I added canned chicken.  

We have had quiche and stuffed peppers from Costco.  Lobster ravioli and Lobster Bisque from Trader Joe’s.  

I actually have been out to dinner 3 times.  One out of 3 was a good experience.  First we went to 360 Bistro.  It used to be my favorite.  It was the worst meal I have ever been served in a restaurant.  They obviously have a new cook and I am not going back.  Next we ate at a local restaurant in Lebanon called Sammy B's.  They have a new cook and it was great.  

Then I was talked into going to a Tapas at a restaurant called Lola.  I should have guessed this was a mistake when the chef said he was from Texas.  

Finally I find that in Nashville people are completely rude about handicap facilities.  3 regular stalls empty and there is a totally capable person in the handicapped stall.  At Lola’s a guy parked in the stripped spot next to the handicapped spot for accessibility.  I had trouble getting in and out of the car.  The police can’t monitor this behavior as they are too busy trying to keep us from being shot.  

There have been good things and bad things about moving to Nashville.  At this point I told Jim to bury my ashes by the swimming pool so I finally get value out of the price to build it.  

Next dinner was spaghetti and meatballs.  This is a how easy as that dinner.  I use 6 oz. or 1/2 box of spaghetti for the 2 of us.  We used Paul Newman’s marinara sauce and pre cooked Italian meatballs.  Because of my Iron deficiency that helped land me in the hospital, a nurse practitioner said to use my iron skillet as much as possible.  She said you get iron from the skillet.  So I warmed the sauce and meatballs in the skillet and added the pasta after it was cooked.  

I’ve been interrupted by being in the hospital again.  Sent last Thursday to get a transfusion and they kept me until late yesterday.  I am told today is Thursday 1-11.  We are going to return to a couple days after Christmas.  Jim was finishing up Oyster stew and I have to admit to not feeling well and not eating.  But after he finished the soup, I made the rest of Christmas dinner.

Roast Duck Breast with Dried Cherries and Port

Orzo with Blue Cheese and Walnuts

Brussels sprouts

Our friend Al goes duck hunting every year.  I don’t know what happens to the rest of the duck, but he brings me the breasts with no fat.  Almost every recipe starts with scoring the fat and browning on that side, reducing the liquid fat as needed.  Also if you want to make Duck Confit, you need a whole duck.  Think I will need to buy a domestic duck for that.  Anyway I finally read that if you don’t have the fat of the duck to use a mild EVOO.  I cut this recipe in half as I only had 1# of duck even through I had 4 breasts.

Ingredients:

2(1#) or 4 (8 oz.) duck breasts

Kosher slat and black pepper

1 T canola oil

2 T unsalted butter

1/2 T good sherry wine vinegar

3/4 C ruby Port wine

1/2 C good chicken stock, preferably homemade

1/2 C dried cherries

1/4 C creme fraiche

1 t grated orange zest

1/4 C freshly squeezed orange juice

Directions:

1. Wrap each duck breast in plastic wrap and pound them with a meat mallet until each breast is about 1” thick.  Place the duck on a plate, sprinkle both sides with a total of 4 t salt, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or over night.  (Skipped this, my breasts were already thinner than 1” and i don’t feel the need for extra salt.)
2. When read to cook the duck, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 
3. Score the skin of the duck breasts with a sharp knife, making a crosshatch pattern but no cutting down to the meat.  (No fat on my breasts.)
4. In a large heavy-bottomed, ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.  Place the duck breasts in the pan, skin side down.  Cook uncovered over medium het for 12-15 minutes, discarding the fat from the pan occasionally, until the skin is very browned.  Turn the duck with tongs, place the skillet in the oven, nd roast for 12-18 minutes, until the internal temperature of the duck is 120 degrees F for rare.  (Mine did not need the oven to reach 120 degrees.  Also I cooked in a light EVOO, read that somewhere.)
5. Meanwhile, make the sauce.  Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan.  Add the shallots and sauté for 2 minutes, until tender.  Add the vinegar and cook for one minute.  Add the Pro, chicken stock, cherries, 1 t salt, and 1/2 t pepper, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.  
6. Stir in the creme fraiche, orange zest, and orange juice and keep warm over low heat.  
7. Transfer the duck to a cutting board and slice diagonally, fanning the slices out on 4 dinner plates.  Spoon the sauce generously on top, sprinkle with salt, and serve hot with extra sauce on the side.  

This was delicious and from Cook Like a Pro: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook.  

While watching Stanley Tucci’s show on Venice, I learned that the Venetians eat a lot of duck with pasta.  So the choice of Orzo with Blue Cheese and Walnuts was perfect.  The recipe for this dish can be found under NYE Celebration 1-2-2012.  I would add a little more blue cheese.  

Don’t overcook your Brussels sprouts, 6 minutes tops.  

Still working through Ida’s new cookbook.   This salad was delicious.  We will be having it again as it really does serve 6.  Again, I never use the amount of salt Ina calls for.

Ingredients:

1 C orzo

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 C freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus extra for serving (2 lemons)

1/2 C EVOO

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained.

1/2 C red bell pepper, diced

1/2 C red onion, diced

3 T capers in brine, drained

3 T minced fresh dill

4 oz. Greek feta, 1/2” diced (not crumbled) Whatever, it crumbles anyway.

1/2 C Kalamata olives, pitted and halved lengthwise

2 C baby arugula

1/2 lemon, thinly sliced, for serving (did not do)

Directions:

1. Bring 6 C of salted water to a boil in a large saucepan and add the orzo.  Cook according to manufactures directions.  Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
2. meanwhile, whisk together the lemon juice, oil, 2 (1) t salt, 1 t pepper in a measuring cup.  Pour the vinaigrette over the warm pasta and stir well.  
3. Add the chickpeas, bell pepper, onion, capers, dill, feta, and olives.  Combine carefully.
4. Just before serving, stir in the arugula, add some sliced lemon, a squeeze of lemon juice and taste for seasonings.  
5. Serve warm or at room temperature.  

We finally finished all the food from Thanksgiving.  Yes Lucy got a fair share of it.  Jim suggested we go out to dinner next year.  I will have to research where they serve dark meat and given our area, bread stuffing not cornbread stuffing.  We may have to travel north.  

We had one night of Trader Joe shrimp and then I thought I’d have the energy to make this dish, but Jim did most of the work and I directed.  I changed up some things.  I did not deep fry the sage and rosemary.  I’m sure it would be delicious, but I only deep fry outside as I hate the smell.  I did add sage and rosemary to the sauce.    I also added italian meatballs I found in the freezer.  The recipe is from Alex Guarnaschelli (The Kitchen).  It was delicious and we ate it for 2 nights.  

Ingredients:

Kosher salt

1# fusilli pasta

1/2 C EVOO

6 sprigs of fresh sage (I used 1/2 t dried)

3 sprigs fresh rosemary (again 1/2 t dried)

10 T unsalted butter (1 stick + 2 T )

1 T freshly grated ginger

1-2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 (15 oz.) can pure pumpkin puree

2 t dark brown sugar

3/4 C finely grated Parmesan

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. In a large pot, bring 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil.  Add a generous  amount of salt.  Add the pasta to the pot and stir so it doesn’t stick to the bottom as it cooks.   Cook the pasta according to package  instructions, 8-10 minutes.  (I like 13 minutes).  Reserve some of the pasta cooking water.  Drain the pasta in a colander and hold it there until the sauce is finished.  
2. I am skipping the frying section as I did not do it.  Go to      foodnetwork.com if you want to fry the herbs.  
3. Return the skillet to medium heat and melt and cook 1 stick of butter until it starts to turn light brown.  
4. Add the ginger and garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  
5. Add pumpkin, sugar, sage and rosemary, and some reserved pasta water.  
6. Stir in 1/2 C of the Parmesan.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  
7. Stir in the remaining 2 T of butter.
8. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and warm gently, tossing to coat the pasta with the sauce.  
9. Top with the remaining Parmesan cheese.