Blushing Wine Sauce

I thought that my readers were hungry for another recipe. Am I right? This was inspired by the meal my sister made for me last weekend. The sauce is made from White Zinfandel wine. I don't enjoy drinking but I like to cook with wine at times. The wine sauce is such a great change from the heavy cream sauces I have been making lately. Baking the chicken until just done then transferring the strips to the skillet helps infuse the sauce's flavors into the chicken.

I have a very sad little garden this year and managed to find about 5 ripe cherry tomatoes that I added in with the store bought ones. Mine were superior to the store tomatoes. They have a much more fresh and delicate taste. The store bought ones had a very pungent tomato taste that reminded me of tomato soup. Still delicious, but I wish my tomato plants were producing more fruit.

Click on the recipe for the full view. This template is from the Creature Comforts blog.

Al Dente?

One of my favorite recipes is from Better Homes and Gardens: Mushrooms and Pasta. The cream sauce is irresistible! I was looking through my cabinets and decided to add pine nuts, asparagus, and salmon to the mix. This was influenced by the recipe, Pasta and Asparagus, from the Tongue in Cheek blog. What a perfect idea to combine the recipes.

Click on the recipe to see it full size and feel free to print it out for yourself! The recipe template is from the Creature Comforts blog.

Une Passion Pour des Pâtes (A Passion For Pasta)

I have been dying for pasta. Giada De Laurentiis has an excellent recipe for lasagna rolls that I have been wanting to try out. The recipe can be found on the food network website.

There are layers upon layers in this dish, which makes eating lasagna much more entertaining as each serving is a roll, so you don't have to mess with cutting it! The base of this dish starts with a creamy bechamel sauce that is very quick to make with butter, flour, whole milk, salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.

The lasagna roll itself is filled with ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, spinach, an egg, salt, pepper, and thinly sliced prosciutto. Once you have spread the mixture onto the noodles, they can be rolled up and placed on top of the bechamel sauce. Marinara sauce, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese are poured over the top. Bake for 20 minutes covered and 15 uncovered.

My huzband was the guinea pig, who happens to be quite a picky eater. He ate two rolls (unusual for him these days to have seconds) and with a very full stomach proclaimed that it was the best lasagna he has ever eaten.

After taste testing it myself I have to agree. The flavors blend quite well into each other and you are not left with an overly greasy or garlicky taste. The ricotta cheese, spinach, and prosciutto meld into one other and it is difficult to differentiate the meat from the mixture. I like this quite well as I have somewhat of an aversion to meat. The creamy texture is to die for and the sprinkling of mozzarella on top is very light. Perfection for your palate.

The recipe can be found at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/lasagna-rolls-recipe/index.html. There is also a video of Giada preparing this meal. I find her to be fascinating as she cooks all this rich Italian food and is quite svelte. If only I could cook like that and not gain an ounce!