Caprese Pasta Salad

I absolutely LOOOVE to make a tomatoe salad in the summer time, so when I saw this recipe, I had to try this!! It is sooooo good, soooooo easy, and oh so pretty!

Ingredients:

1 lb of your choice shape pasta

1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered

1 container mozzerella balls, or you can cube a pound of mozzerella

1 cup of fresh basil, cut into ribbon strips

Homemade dressing:

2 large cloves of fresh garlic, squeezed thru a press

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons of olive oil

How to make:

Cook pasta as directed. Drain and set aside.

Mix the three ingredients for the dressing and set aside. This is alot of dressing, so be sure to put it in something you can pour. I have my leftover saved for another salad.

Here's the dressing and my fresh, home grown basil. :)

Now place the pasta in the bowl you will serve the salad in. Toss it with the dressing, adding a little at a time.

Toss in diced tomatoes, mozzerella balls, and strips of basil. 

Simple and beautiful !! 

Garlic and Oil Pasta with Chicken and Asparagus

Since I have been making weekly trips to the Farmers Market, it has inspired me to try new recipes! I can't resist the opportunity to purchase slender asparagus and then hunt down a recipe. This was the perfect summer dinner. I made some changes and it was a success!


Ingredients:

1 lb. of pasta, cooked al dente
approx 1 lb of boneless chicken, sliced thin
1/3 cup olive oil
1 lb. of fresh asparagus, cut into one inch pieces
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
a bunch of scallions, sliced and separate the white and green parts
one small handful of fresh parsley, chopped
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
1/2-1 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes

I like to use alot of bowls when I cook. It helps when you are ready to start cooking, since this really doesn't take long to throw together. It's all in the prep work!

First get your water boiling for the pasta. I used Penne Pasta, but you can use any variety you like.

While the water is boiling, you can saute the thinly sliced chicken in the cloves of minced garlic and olive oil in a large skillet. Remove the chicken and place in a bowl while you then saute the asparagus on mediun heat.

Add the sliced cherry tomatoe, parsley and the whites of the scallions and cook briefly.

Your pasta should be boiled now. Drain the water from the pasta and add to the sauteed vegetables.
 Add your cooked chicken.

Serve with grated pecorino romano cheese and top with greens of scallions. Bellisimo!

Chocolate Strawberry Nutella Cake

Once again, I have pinterest to thank for this yummy dessert!! I love to search for food ideas this way; it can be very addicting! I've always loved to make angel food cake with strawberries and whipped cream in the summer. When I read through a few recipes, I realized I had everything to try a chocolate version! WARNING: this is a very dense, filling dessert and probably 583,405 calories, so only a small slice is needed. Tasted more like a pound cake! Could be because there's two sticks of butter!! :)

Ingredients:
 FOR THE CAKE:
2 sticks butter
4 heaping TBS cocoa powder
1 cup boiling water
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
1- 1 1/2 cup of Nutella

FOR STRAWBERRIES:
2 pints strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

FOR WHIPPED CREAM:
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two round baking pans with cooking spray.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the cocoa and stir it until smooth. Pour in the boiling water and let the mixture bubble up for approx 20 seconds and then turn it off and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, blend buttermilk,baking soda, eggs and vanilla. Set aside.

In another large mixing bowl, mix the sugar, flour and salt. Stir in the hot chocolate mixture until it's combined.

Pour and divide the batter into two round pans evenly. Bake for 18-22 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the strawberries by stirring them with the sugar and the vanilla. Let them sit for 15 minutes then drain off the excess juice.

Whip the cream and the powdered sugar.

Spread half the Nutella over the bottom layer of cake. Spread on half the whipped cream and top with half the strawberries. Place second layer of cake , repeating the same steps.

NOTE: Don't start to assemble more than an hour before serving. The cake needs to be refidgerated.

I know you want a piece!!