“ok, heres what you do

probably start by cooking the bacon. (If you are using a really lean meat,
like lean ground beef you always add the raw meat to the pasta sauce after
the onions and garlic are mostly cooked, then cook it all together. But
you don’t want your sauce full of bacon grease)
you want the bacon to be in small pieces. probably best to cut it up
before cooking it. Ideally you find bacon cubes from the store, instead of
strips, but I haven’t seen that in the states yet.
cook the bacon, drain off grease. set the bacon aside.

chop onion and garlic ( I usually use half an onion for 2 people plus
maybe two cloves of garlic)
You could also include bell peppers (very tasty) or other vegetables or
spicy indian peppers or things.

Boil enough pasta.

over medium heat, put enough olive oil in a large-ish frying pan to cover
the bottom, plus a bit more. Add onion, garlic, peppers and whatever else
you are putting in. cook until onions are browned. add bacon. add more
olive oil, the italians do it. add pepper and salt to taste. Add basil and
oregano. (probably add a lot. taste it though) the longer you leave all
this simmering, the more the taste of the herbs blends together and the
more wonderful the end creation tastes.

Mix the pasta cooked to perfection (al dente, of course, literally meaning
‘at the tooth’ really meaning not soggy, still a little bit hard, but more
than edible) into everything else that is in your frying pan. Mix it all
really well. If it seems to dry add more olive oil ( think of it like a
vinegar and oil dressing) you want it to all be covered, but you don’t
really want it to be pasta in oil soup. But use a lot of olive oil.

Just before serving, mix in feta cheese. more is better than less. because
it tastes good.

perfecto!!

it is good served with salad and bread. If you aren’t too olive oiled out,
you could serve fancy european bread with bowls of olive oil mixed with
basil and oregano like they do at fancy italian restaurants.

if this doesn’t make any sense, just call me. I don’t think I forgot any
important steps.

from the kitchen of Gregorio”

2 whole chicken legs, about 1 3/4 pounds
4 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup chopped lemon grass
8 ounces low-fat plain yogurt
2 teaspoons chopped lime zest
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced celery
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro plus 8 whole sprigs
1 teaspoon salt
4 pieces naan
1/4 cup chopped salted peanuts
1 lime cut into wedges for garnish

1. Place chicken legs, chicken stock and chopped lemon grass in a medium saucepan. Bring the stock to a gentle simmer over low heat. Poach the chicken for 30 to 40 minutes until cooked through. Remove from the stock and cool. Remove the skin and bones and shred the meat into bite-sized pieces.

2. While the chicken is cooking, stir together the yogurt, lime zest, lime juice and curry powder. Add the green onions, red pepper, celery, chopped cilantro and salt. Gently stir in the shredded chicken.

3. Place the naan in a 350-degree oven on the rack and heat until warm but still flexible, 1 to 2 minutes. Do not allow it to crisp.

4. Place each piece of naan on a plate and spoon one-half cup of chicken salad on top. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon chopped peanuts and lay 2 sprigs cilantro on top, extending out the sides. Roll the naan around the filling.

Phyllo-wrapped halibut fillets with lemon scallion sauce

INGREDIENTS

* 2 tablespoons melted butter
* 4 sheets phyllo dough
* 2 halibut fillets (or any fish)
* salt and pepper to taste
* 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
* 3 tablespoons lemon juice
* 1/2 cup whipping cream
* 2 green onions, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Lightly butter 1 sheet of phyllo dough. Lay another sheet directly on top of the first sheet, and lightly butter it. Repeat with remaining 2 sheets of phyllo. Cut sheets in half.
3. Season halibut fillets with salt and pepper. Place a fillet near the bottom edge of one of the halved sheets of phyllo. Sprinkle with dill. Fold in the sides of the phyllo, then roll the fillet. Place on a baking sheet, and lightly brush with butter. Repeat with remaining fillet.
4. Bake in a preheated oven until pastry is puffed and golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, bring lemon juice to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Boil until almost evaporated. Reduce heat to medium, and stir in cream. Simmer until the cream thickens somewhat. Stir in green onions, and season with salt and pepper. Serve halibut on a pool of sauce.

Serves 2

From The Healthy Hedonist

Cajun Roasted Sweet Potatoes

2 pounds sweet potatoes, cut into wedges or pieces
2 tb extra-virgin olive oil
1 tb maple syrup
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 400*F. In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes, oil, maple, syrup, and garlic together.

Mix the spices and herbs together in a small bowl. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the sweet potatoes, and toss to combine evenly.

Arrange the sweet potatoes in a single layer on a parchment-covered baking sheet, and roast, turning twice, until they are caramelized on the outside and very tender, about 45 minutes. Test with a fork to see that they are thoroughly cooked. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Serves 4