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Lemon & Garlic Green Beans

Lemon & Garlic Green Beans by John Spottiswood

It is rare to have a side dish which everyone keeps reaching for instead of the main dish. That's especially true if its a fairly simple green vegetable side. But these green beans were truly that good. We used packaged, thin french cut green beans from Trader Joes. They are tender and tasty on their own, but I've never had them taste…

8 votes
33840 views
Brussel Sprouts Sauteed in Garlic & Olive Oil

Brussel Sprouts Sauteed in Garlic & Olive Oil by John Spottiswood

This is a simple, tasty side dish to add to your menu. I've adapted it from Marcella Hazan's recipes for other vegetables. It tastes GREAT with Brussel Sprouts. Broccoli is good too.

25 votes
63857 views
Pasta with Spinach, Ricotta, Ham

Pasta with Spinach, Ricotta, Ham by John Spottiswood

This is one of our family staples. It is healthy and delicious! Two of our kids say it is their favorite dish. We've adapted it from Marcella Hazan. It's easy to throw together and great the next day too.

10 votes
38970 views
Simple Pasta with Garlic & Olive Oil

Simple Pasta with Garlic & Olive Oil by John Spottiswood

This is a classic recipe that is so simple to make but always delicious. You can serve this as a side dish to any grilled meat or vegetable entree. It can also stand on it's own or be paired with a salad for a light lunch or dinner. It's a great, easy recipe to add to your list of staples. Using a good olive oil is key here. I…

12 votes
24525 views
Minestrone Romagna Style

Minestrone Romagna Style by John Spottiswood

This is the way minestrone is made in Romagna. It's not a lot of prep time, but you simmer the soup for a long time until all of the vegetable flavors mellow into one mild but delicious soup. The subtle flavors of this soup are even more delicious the next day, so it is a good dish to prepare in advance of guests arriving for a…

14 votes
21619 views
Sicilian Eggplant & Ricotta Pasta

Sicilian Eggplant & Ricotta Pasta by John Spottiswood

This is yet another wonderful Italian recipe that I've adapted from Marcella Hazan's classic "Essentials of Italian Cooking". This one is good enough that my wife put a little smily face in the upper corner of the recipe and wrote "It's a keeper!". I think you'll feel the same way. We served this for friends with a wonderful citrus…

12 votes
10587 views
Tuscan Vegetable Soup - La Ribollita

Tuscan Vegetable Soup - La Ribollita by John Spottiswood

We made a heaping pot of this up at Heavenly Valley last week when up there for ski week. It was the perfect capstone to a wonderful day snow boarding. We were limited to vegetables we could find at the local supermarket, and substituted regular green cabbage for the black leaf Kale. While it was still good, I would recommend…

6 votes
8705 views
Simple Pasta with Spinach, Mushrooms and Tomatoes

Simple Pasta with Spinach, Mushrooms and Tomatoes by John Spottiswood

This is one of those simple recipes that are almost embarrassing to put on this website. But this was really tasty and healthy, and our kids devoured it. I have everything being prepared in parallel, so the whole dish takes less than 25 minutes start to finish. If you're tight on time, this is a winner!

6 votes
8092 views
Homemade Manicotti

Homemade Manicotti by Nancy Miyasaki

This recipe is simple and absolutely delicious. It is a reasonable amount of work, so good to cook for a large party or family gathering. It is fun to prepare with a friend or relative, perhaps with a glass of wine in hand! I adapted this from a recipe cookoff I saw on the Food Network.

6 votes
19753 views
Pasta with Butter and Parmesan Cheese

Pasta with Butter and Parmesan Cheese by John Spottiswood

I've been cooking this recipe for so long, and it is so simple, that I have often overlooked posting it. We had it with our grilled chicken this week, and finally I'm putting it online. Marcella Hazan says this method of cooking pasta has eclipsed all others as the favorite amongst Northern Italians. And I must say it's among the…

6 votes
7333 views
Roasted Broccoli

Roasted Broccoli by John Spottiswood

This roasted broccoli recipe, adapted from the Barefoot Contessa, is really wonderful. It has a lot of flavor. We served it with a mild pasta, and it was just a wonderful combination. Don't be worried by the lemon juice and zest. They impart a subtle flavor that adds a nice dimension to this dish.

25 votes
21183 views
Roasted Asparagus and Parmesan

Roasted Asparagus and Parmesan by Nancy Miyasaki

This is a simple and delicious Italian recipe adapted from the Barefoot Contessa. We leave out the egg and sometimes the lemon (depends on what you are serving this with).

5 votes
11461 views
Simple French Bread Pizza

Simple French Bread Pizza by John Spottiswood

This is an easy recipe that I've been making since I was about 14. I made it last night because I was pressed for time, and all of my kids said they liked it better than regular pizza. Simple can still be delicious!

9 votes
21480 views
Gordon Ramsay Style Mushroom and Leek Pasta

Gordon Ramsay Style Mushroom and Leek Pasta by Hina Gujral

In one of the episodes, Gordon shared 'Quick TV Dinners' - Mushroom and Leek Pasta, Farfalle with ricotta, pancetta & peas, Tagliatelle with quick sausage meat bolognaise, Spaghetti with chilly, sardines & oregano and Sweet corn fritters & yoghurt dip, for his Mushroom and Leek Pasta he used Lasagna sheets and I loved the way he…

1 vote
18963 views
Al Templeman's famous Salad Dressing

Al Templeman's famous Salad Dressing by Al Templeman

I started making this because my wife, Jeanne, would not stop complaining about how bad store bought salad dressings are. Over time, I've optimized it to both of our tastes. I never make it exactly the same, but the directions below will turn out a delicious base dressing that you can then iterated on. I always store the dressing…

4 votes
12831 views