Tailgating with Grandpa Sal's Sausage and Peppers for #SundaySupper

This recipe reminds me of one of my favorite people ever: My Grandpa Sal. He and my Grandma Sylvia lived in the house right behind ours. Our backyards connected. As a little boy, it was great to have my grandparents live so close. (I'm sure my dad thought otherwise of having his in-laws 100 yards away.)

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Easy Chicken Ravioli with Peas and Bacon for #SundaySupper

There are a couple of recipes I keep in my back pocket for days where I'm tired, late, or just don't feel like cooking something complicated. Since school starts in a week and a half, those days will be upon us more often than not. This is a great quick meal I keep in my arsenal for hectic days where I have no other choice. It's simple, quick, delicious, and Peanut will eat it without even a hint of complaint. It's also great for leftovers.

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Every Day is #SundaySupper, Especially with Perfectly-Grilled Pork Chops

Some of my most vivid, vibrant, and most cherished memories of childhood are of the six of us - mom, dad, my two sisters, my brother, and me - sitting around the table, saying grace and eating dinner. This nightly tradition was rarely missed. My mom made sure of it. And her meals were always fabulous. None more than most Sundays, when the aroma of the sauteed garlic and braised beef and pork for the gravy for that day's pasta dinner would fill the house from early in the morning. It's something I do every few months. Make a big pot, and freeze portions for later meals:

It's called "gravy" when you add meat to it

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Cantaloupe and Prosciutto Salad with Perfectly Grilled Chicken and Potatoes for #SundaySupper

In my ongoing search for delicious and nutritious recipes to try and - if they're successful - add to my arsenal,  sometimes I hit the jackpot. That's what I did with this salad. It is a re-imagined version of the old Italian prosciutto and melon appetizer. I have already made it twice this summer for backyard get-togethers. And it's a hit. It'll be a hit for your July 4th party:

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Cooking with Less: Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli for #SundaySupper

I know I've hit a home run with a meal when as we're eating it both My Director and Peanut say they want to take it for lunch the next day. This is one of those meals. It fills all of my prerequisites: quick, easy, healthy (relatively), and inexpensive. It also fills another important criteria: it passes on a tradition. This is my updated, healthier version of my mom's cavatelli and broccoli. I've made this for her as well, and she also approves. I love that three generations of Italians in my family (and my lovely WASP wife) can sit at my table and enjoy this meal together.

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Cooking with Less: Grilling a Perfect Pork Tenderloiin

There are a few things you need to know about me and grilling. First, I love it. Unless the weather doesn't allow me to, I'm at my grill as many days as possible, any season. Second, while I enjoy both, grilling and cooking are two entirely different things. You must recognize that and respect them both individually. Just like cooking and baking are two different things. I don't bake, I cook. I also grill. Third, while my mom taught me to cook, I am a self-taught griller. (My dad didn't do any meal preparation. He worked his a$$ off providing for four children instead.)

And let me tell you: grilling isn't easy. I've overcooked and undercooked a lot of pork tenderloins and other lovely cuts of meat, pork, fish, and chicken in my day. That's why I am here to help you. For spring has sprung and the grill will be perpetually fired up from now until Thanksgiving. (And beyond in my yard, weather permitting.) And some things, like pork tenderloin, are best on the grill.

Real men eat off of
ladybug plates

Ingredients:

-1 Pork Tenderloin (about 1 lb.)
-6 oz. Caribbean Jerk marinade (I laugh every time I say or see "Caribbean Jerk." Every time.)

Tools (other than yourself):

-Your grill
-Tongs

Preparation:

1. Marinate the pork tenderloin for at least 30 minutes. For this one, I started marinating it at 11:30am, and grilled it around 5:15pm. I also find a Mojo Criollo marinade is good with pork tenderloin. Anything with some acidity that will form a nice crispy char from the grill.

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Cooking with Less: Chicken & Sausage Stew

I'm big on leftovers. I hardly ever buy my lunch at work. Neither does My Director. So most Sundays I like to cook a meal that'll cover at least two dinners in addition to a lunch or two. If Peanut likes it enough to ask for it for lunch, bonus. Weekends give me time to cook dinners that take longer to make than I have time for during the week. So I like to make them last.

This recipe was delicious and lasted all week. My Director and I finished it just last night. (I didn't have time to cook because we spent the day packing for Disney.) Peanut ate some other leftovers. (I'm also big on not wasting food.)

Another successful meal inspired by
Cooking Light

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 

2 tablespoons olive oil 
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper 
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped celery 
4 ounces diced chicken sausage (I used a yummy apple sausage - more flavor)
4 garlic cloves, minced 
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces 
1 1/2 marinara sauce 
1 1/2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth 
1/2 cup chopped green onions
3 cups hot cooked brown rice 

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Cooking with Less: One-Pot Chicken with Rice & Mushrooms

If a recipe is relatively good for you, is going to taste good, and I know the Peanut will eat it, I'm all in. If I can do it in one pot/pan, minimizing the mess and subsequent cleanup, it also has me at hello.

So I often turn to Cooking Light to see which recipes meet the above criteria, especially when I get tired of my staple meals. It pretty much always comes through for me. So this is how I DKLified a healthy, delicious, one-pot meal that Peanut loved. 

Thanks for the picture, Cooking Light

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Cooking with Less: "Quick" Turkey Meatloaf

As many of you know, I am the cook in our home. I try very hard to make my meals healthy, delicious and Peanut-friendly. She has no food allergies, and we feed her what we eat. She has no excuses not to eat her dinner. My dad's classic line, "You don't have to like it, you have to eat it" definitely applies. Still, I like dinner to go as smoothly as possible.

FYI: I am NOT a food photographer

When Peanut learned I was making this recipe tonight I heard her say, "Yes! I was hoping daddy would make that." So this one is tested and approved:

I have taken some liberties with the original Cooking Light recipe, which you can find here. They call it "quick." But it takes longer than they say, probably because I use turkey instead of ground sirloin since I don't eat red meat often. When I do, I want to make it count (like a nice juicy steak or a good bread-sopping stew.) To me, meatloaf isn't worth it. But this quick and easy recipe is definitely tasty and worth it:

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