This antipasto pasta salad is super easy to make and a big hit at any barbecue party. I used Rotini pasta, however, bowtie pasta works well too. I also found this really good Private Selection olive and feta salad dressing. I added grape tomatoes, mozzarella balls, salami, olives, pepperoncini, spinach, and green onions to the pasta. Don’t forget to save a small container for yourself so you can have a meal for one later in the week. Cooking for one can be fun.

Ingredients: Rotini pasta, 2 cloves garlic, 3 green onions, 10 spinach leaves, 10 Kalamata olives, 15 black olives, 20 grape tomatoes, 5-8 pepperoncini, small package mozzarella mini balls, salami, Kingsford garlic and herb Tuscan seasoning, salt-free dash, pepper.

Directions: Cook pasta al’Dante and rinse in cold water. Place in a large bowl. Press two cloves of garlic into the pasta. Chop the green onions and add to the bowl. Slice the spinach leaves, cut the olives and grape tomatoes in half and add to the bowl. Slice pepperoncini and add a little of the juice but try not to get too many seeds in the salad. Cut your mozzarella balls in half and add them to the salad. I used only half of the salami package. I took one half and sliced it lengthwise into thirds, then I separated the slices and placed them into the bowl. I added a generous amount of the Kingsford herb seasoning and a salt-free dash and pepper to taste. Add a generous amount of the olive feta salad dressing but don’t drown the pasta. Stir and transfer to a nice bowl. Don’t forget to save a little for yourself for later in the week.

I used items around my kitchen for this simple, quick, easy chili. I took a port loin out of the freezer. I found organic Northern white beans in the pantry and in the refrigerator I had a white onion and cherry tomatoes. Here is how to make it.

Ingredients: 1 pork loin, 1 can organic Northern white beans, 1/4 white onion, 8-10 cherry tomatoes, 2 cloves garlic, chili powder, cumin, sweet paprika, oregano, black pepper, red pepper flakes.

Directions: Cut the pork loin into bite size pieces. Put a little olive oil into a frying pan, heat, and add the pork. Add chili powder, cumin, sweet paprika, and black pepper to the pork. I season to taste or by looking at how much is covered. (Sorry, I don’t measure all the time.) Chop 1/4 of the white onion and two cloves of garlic. Add to the pork and saute till the pork is brown and the onions are soft. While the pork is cooking, toss the tomatoes in some olive oil and place them on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Put the tomatoes under the broiler in the oven and roast. Shake the cookie sheet to get the tomatoes to roast on all sides. Observe so as not to burn the tomatoes but char slightly. Once they are done roasting, chop the tomatoes up and add them to the pork mixture. Open the can of beans, drain and rinse, then add to the pork mixture. Season the beans as you did the pork with the chili powder, cumin, and sweet paprika adding some oregano and red pepper flakes. Stir and let it heat up. Serve with grated cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream. This will make enough to have leftovers during the week. It only takes about 20-30 minutes to complete. So easy and quick and healthy. Cooking for one can be fun!

This is an easy, healthy recipe that takes only six ingredients to make and can be made in 20 minutes. Be sure to always store your asparagus upright in a container with a little water in your refrigerator. When you are ready to use your asparagus, be sure to wash them well and dry.

Ingredients: Asparagus, organic chicken broth, (or veggie broth or bone broth), organic heavy cream, butter, and garlic. I used tarragon, cumin, and Trader Joes 21 seasoning salute for seasoning.

Directions: Melt 4 tbls butter in a pan and sauté 3 cloves of garlic. While the garlic is sauteing, cut the asparagus into small pieces and add them to the pan. Sauté the asparagus for about 5 minutes until soft. Add 1/4 cup chicken broth and continue cooking on medium heat till reduced. Add your seasonings to the asparagus. Take the cooked asparagus and put in in your Vitamix. You can always use a Cuisinart or a bullet. You want to add a little broth to your Vitamix and puree. Take the remaining broth to a sauce pan, add the pureed asparagus and heavy cream and stir. Let it simmer for about 15 minutes and serve. I added some croutons and a dollop of sour cream to my soup and served warmed French bread. Of course a nice Chardonnay was a nice pairing to the soup.

Ingredients: One pound organic ground turkey, one egg, 1/2 can tomato paste, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, basil, oregano, 4 cloves garlicParrano truffle cheese, 6 tbs butter, olive oil. 1 zucchini, lemon, hot sauce, red pepper flakes

Directions: Put the ground turkey in a large bowl. Add the egg, tomato paste, bread crumbs, garlic, and herbs. Grate the cheese and mix it all together with your hands. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter and olive oil in a large pan. Shape the meatballs and cook in the pan till firm. Heat the oven to 200 degrees and place the meatballs on a cookie sheet in the oven to keep warm. Using your Cooking Light spiral machine, make your zucchini noodles. In the same pan that you cooked the meatballs in, add 3 tablespoons of butter and melt sauteing garlic. Add a little zest from the lemon and juice one lemon. Add the zucchini noodles to the pan and season with the hot sauce and red pepper flakes. Use as much as you feel would be the right “hot” for you. Let the noodles cook for about 3 minutes, keeping them Al dente. Add the meatballs and toss. Serve and enjoy.

Last night I was looking for something to make with what I had left in my kitchen. Looking around I found, leftover organic pappardelle pasta nests, frozen shrimp, spinach, cherry tomatoes, and feta cheese. I took all of these ingredients and made a delicious pasta dish that is easy and healthy.

This dish took as much time as it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta. Start the pasta water first. Once it comes to a boil add the pasta. While the water is coming to a boil, heat some olive oil in a pan and saute some garlic, I used two cloves. Using my fresh herbs from my hydroponic garden I added fresh parsley, purple basil, and Italian basil. Add these herbs to your pan and slice the tomatoes in half. Saute the tomatoes till soft. Be sure to check the pasta and when it is almost done, you will add the shrimp. I used six shrimp and cut them into bite-size pieces. Add as many shrimp as you may want to eat. Then take a handful of fresh spinach and a generous portion of feta cheese and add this to your pan. Use a small ladle of the pasta water to wilt the spinach. Drain your pasta and add to the mixture in the pan and stir. Place onto your plate and enjoy.

This was made using items I had around my house, however, I realized lemon, capers, or olives would have been a good addition to this dish. Also, adding bacon bits or a little sour cream would be good too. Let me know what you think might be good with this dish. Cooking for one can be fun and creative too!

Ingredients: 2 cups fresh broccoli florets, 1 egg, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 1/3 cup shredded Swiss cheese, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, 2/3 cup bread crumbs, 1 tbs parsley, 1/2 tsp oregano, salt-free Dash, and pepper to taste.

Directions: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cover cookie sheet with parchment paper and lightly grease. Boil for only one minute the broccoli florets, remove from water and rinse under cold water, chop finely. In a large bowl combine chopped broccoli and the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Use a large spoon such as a soup spoon to measure out some of the mixture in your hand and shape it into a log. Place on a prepared cookie sheet and bake for about 20 minutes turning over after 10 minutes. Remove and enjoy.

You can serve these fun broccoli bites with chicken, beef, pork, or fish. Or just snack on them. They are fun to make and a healthy alternative to packaged tater tots. They take about 35 minutes to prepare. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Ingredients: Waygu ground beef, Italian bread crumbs, Italian tomato paste (oregano and basil), one egg, parmesan cheese, chopped onion. Onion salt, garlic powder, Trader Joe’s 21 season salute, smoked paprika, basil, lemon pepper, black pepper, salt-free Dash. Sorry, I am terrible at measuring. I just look at it and get a feel if it seems like enough. Buy mini loaf pans from your local grocery store.

Directions: Put the Waygu ground beef into a medium bowl. Add seasonings to taste. Pour bread crumbs till it covers the beef. Add one egg and 1/4 a can of the Italian tomato paste. Chop about 1/4 cup onion. Chop fine. Add a generous portion of parmesan cheese. Mix with your hands and get it all mixed in together. Have fun with it. Divide into 3 portions and fill 3 mini loaf pans. Top with ketchup and parmesan cheese. Bake in a 400-degree oven for 25 minutes. I bought some broccoli from our local Farmer’s Market to have with my mini meatloaf. Perfect dinner for one.

Ingredients: Salmon, 1 1/2 lemons, add what you think is the right amount of capers, two Pappardelle pasta nests, 3tbl butter, 2 cloves garlic, salt, and pepper, dill. Fresh oregano and thyme. Spinach, parmesan cheese.

Directions: Boil water in a pot and add two pasta nests. While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter and garlic. Stir in the capers and lemon zest and add the juice of the lemons. Reduce the liquid, add a little bit of the pasta water, and let simmer. When the sauce simmers, take the salmon and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and dill. Place the salmon in a pan and add water just to barely cover. I also added a little bit of lemon zest to the water. Bring to a boil and cover for 3-5 minutes. Do not overcook your salmon so check it after 3 minutes. Meanwhile, add a handful of spinach to your sauce and parmesan cheese. Gently stir. Toss with the cooked pasta. Your salmon and pasta should be ready all simultaneously for you to enjoy. The lemon caper pasta was a perfect taste match with the poached salmon. Your tastebuds will thank you!

Ingredients: One organic chicken thigh, One cup of organic low sodium chicken broth, a half cup of wild rice, One slice of yellow onion, Two mini peppers, One Roma tomato, 4-5 black or Kalamata olives, Two cloves garlic, Two tablespoons butter, One tablespoon Pesto. Italian seasoning, salt-free dash, pepper, fresh purple basil.

Directions: Heat olive oil in a frying pan and add cut-up chicken thigh. Brown in the pan. Add chopped onion and sliced peppers to the chicken and saute for two to three minutes or until soft. Chop and deseed the Roma tomato and add to the chicken mixture. Chop the olives and add to the pan along with chopped garlic. Stir and let it simmer for two to three minutes so it all blends together. Add the butter and pesto and stir well and let it simmer for another two to three minutes making a nice rich sauce. Take the chicken broth and add it to the pan and bring it to a boil. Once it comes to a boil add the wild rice and stir. Cover the pan and let it simmer for 25 minutes. Makes delicious Italian wild rice with chicken thighs. The nuttiness of the wild rice along with the pesto, veggies, and chicken become quite an amazing taste combination.