Deviled Eggs, Potato Salad, and Triffle

Megapost! Mother's Day Brunch was a heck of a lot of fun and the eating was good. Most everything we served was ready to go hours before anyone showed up, which made having both my mother and mother-in-law over (love you guys, but no one makes a girl nervous quite like her mother and mother-in-law) easy-peasy.

Deviled Eggs

Ingredients
1 dozen hard-boiled eggs
3 tablespoons mayonaise
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
fresh ground black pepper

How To
Peel the eggs, cut them in half, and separate the yolks and whites:

Look how pretty the whites are on this bed of greens:

Mash the yolks, mayo, mustard and pepper with the back of a fork until nice and smooth:

Pipe the filling into the eggs using either a pastry bag or a freezer bag with the tip cut off:

Potato Salad

I love roasted potatoes in a potato salad. They're easier to make than boiled potatoes and have better flavor. In retrospect, I should have added capers. Good thing I can make it right with the leftovers!

Ingredients
2 pounds little yellow potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt, pepper, and garlic powder
2 celery ribs, chopped
5 radishes, chopped
1/4 cup mayonaise
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon dill
1 teaspoon capers

How To
Wash the potatoes and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and season generously with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Roast at 450 for 25-35 minutes or until the potatoes have good color and a fork easily breaks a test potato in half.

Let cool completely (I baked the potatoes the night before and assembled the salad in the morning) then cut the potatoes into 8ths. Combine with the celery and radishes:

Mix the remaining ingredients together to make a dressing and toss with the potatoes. Serve chilled:

Triffle

I'd planned to make these complicated little lemon tarts for dessert but everything seemed fated against that plan. So I said why fight city hall? and made a very easy triffle instead.

Ingredients
1 pound cake, cut into cubes
1 pound strawberries, cut up and dusted with a teaspoon of sugar
whipped cream
1 jar lemon curd

How To
Layer cake, berries, whipped cream and lemon curd, ideally in a container that shows the layers. How cute is this dessert in this jar? Adorable! Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Roasted Cauliflower

I'm cheating again. I posted this recipe for the first time last year but it's worthy of a repost with pictures-- it's too yummy! And it makes a believer out of former cauliflower haters (like my husband.) Spicy and crunchy and savory and oh, so good!

Ingredients
1 medium or large head of cauliflower
1/3-1/2 cup olive oil (depends on the size of the cauliflower)
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
salt and pepper

How To
Mix the olive oil, red pepper, fresh ground black pepper (about a teaspoon) and garlic together. Wash the cauliflower and remove the florettes, cutting as much of the stems off as possible. Break the florettes up into bite-sized pieces and place in a bowl.

Drizzle with the olive oil mixture and sprinkle with salt, about a tablespoon.

Mix well. Let "marinate" for 20-30 minutes while preheating the oven to 400 degrees.

Spread the cauliflower over the bottom of a shallow baking pan and place in the oven.

Roast for 20-25 minutes, occasionally stirring in order to achieve even browning. Serve hot.

Here is is, served up with pork chops, mashed pots and homemade gravy:

Jalapeño Cheese Bread

We're getting close to "oven off" season in this household. In our apartment, the mere thought of turning the oven on increases the temperature within it by ten degrees. In the winter, this is great-- make a pot roast and heat the house! Yes! But the rest of the year, forget about it. The summer months are spent in the yard, using the grill and the smoker.

It's only April but it's supposed to be in the triple digits tomorrow. What better way to deny the coming of summer than to fire up the oven and bake some bread?

Ingredients
1 package dry, active yeast
3/4 cup warm water
pinch of sugar
3 tablespoons of butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs
4 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
3 jalapeño peppers-- one cut into slices and the other two seeded and chopped
3 big garlic cloves, minced

How To
People get all freaked out about making bread with yeast, which I've never really understood. What's so scary about it? Yeast is fun-- it's like filling a paper-mache cone with vinegar and baking soda to imitate a volcano.

First, you proof your yeast by combining your yeast, pinch of sugar and warm water. The water should be just warmer than room temperature. Here's the yeast just after being mixed:

And here it is five minutes later. Bubbly fun!

If it doesn't bubble, then it's time for a trip to the grocery store because your yeast is no good.

Pour the flour into a mixing bowl and make a little well. Fill the well with the eggs, butter and yeast mixture. If you have a mixer, use the dough hook to mix and kneed the dough for several minutes.

Now, I made lots and lots of bread by hand before I owned a mixer. It's time-consuming (but is that a bad thing?) and takes elbow-grease (again, why is that a bad thing?) but doable. I feel a little spoiled by my mixer (I've only had it for a year but use it weekly.) Here's a good tutorial on how to mix and knead dough by hand if you're working without a mixer.

But I've got my mixer so I used my mixer (the KitchenAid Professional 6-Quart Mixer, if you're interested) to work everything together. Here's the dough just starting:

And here it is after about 5 minutes. Magic! If your dough is still sticking to the sides of the bowl, add flour little by little until the dough begins to take shape but is still sticky:

Move the dough to an oiled bowl and cover to let rise. Here it is before mixing:

And here it is after letting it rise for about 30 minutes:

Neat, huh? Punch it down and let it go another round of rising.

One the dough has gone through two risings, it's time to heat your oven to 350 degrees. You want your oven nice and toasty once it's time to put in the bread.

Spread the dough out in a big rectangle. I use a combination of a rolling pin and my hands to massage it into shape. The nice thing about yeast doughs made with eggs and butter is they tend to be more glossy and elastic and a little less sticky than others doughs. I don't even use flour on my board while I roll it out:

Sprinkle the dough with the chopped jalapeños, minced garlic and handfuls of cheese. I'll confess that I don't measure the cheese when I do this, I just eyeball it. Don't go too crazy with the cheese though-- too much cheese and it will bubble out of the loaf and just make a big mess.

Now comes the tricky part. Roll the dough up like you would if you were making cinnamon rolls. One:

Two... (I am totally the one-armed dragon lady here, no?)

Three!

Pinch the final layer of dough to the top of the loaf and roll it around a bit to smooth out the seam. You want the dough to be fairly well sealed in on itself. The less sealed the dough, the more likely you'll have cheese on the pan and not in the bread like you want.

Center the loaf on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let it rise again for about 30 minutes. Press slices of jalapeño into the top and sprinkle with more cheese.

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Tap the loaf in the center. If it makes a hollow sound, it's done. Be sure to let it cool completely before slicing.

And then here it is... notice how rolling everything up makes yummy pockets of cheese:

Garlicy Buttery Spinach

I love spinach. I made this last night to go with some chicken curry and naan. The not-very-secret ingredient? Homemade chicken stock.

Ingredients
1 bag frozen spinach
3 big cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 cup chicken stock
3 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper

How To
Saute the onions and garlic in the butter until translucent. Have you ever heard the trick of cooking onions and garlic before guests arrive for dinner, even if they're not part of the meal? I think my mom taught me that one.

Add the spinach and chicken stock. Cook until the spinach is bubbling and bright green. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If you're feeling naughty, lob another tablespoon or two of butter into the pan just before serving.


This does a great job of cutting through the spiciness of curry, though this could also easily be a creamy accompaniment to steak or grilled chicken with the addition of some Parmesan cheese and a pinch of nutmeg.

Blueberry Something

I love blueberries. Love, love, love. I go through 2-3 bags of frozen blueberries a week. I know! It's excessive. You don't even want to know what I do when blueberries are fresh and cheap.

Lately, I've been craving blueberries baked with oats in layers-- a cookie-like bottom, lots of fruit in the middle, and a crumbly top. I got the top two layers right here but will keep working with the bottom layer-- this was less like a cookie and more like the richest, most flavorful oatmeal you've ever had. My final result was more "scoop" than "slice" but I will most definitely be making this for special brunches in the future and as a healthy (seeming) dessert.

Ingredients
4 cups of frozen blueberries, thawed and drained with the juice reserved
about 2 tablespoons agave nectar (you could use honey or maple syrup instead)
2 cups of oats
3/4 cup of flour
1/2 cup sugar (I used evaporate cane juice here)
1/2 cup butter, cold, cut into cubes
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

How To

Combine the oats, flour, sugar, vanilla extract and butter. Work with either your hands or a pastry cutter to incorporate the butter. I prefer using my hands.

Pour half of the mixture into the bottom of a pie pan and flatten with the bottom of a glass:

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

While the bottom layer bakes, take the juice from the blueberries, almond extract and agave nectar. If your berries a especially tart, you may need to add additional agave nectar. Taste and see. Pour into a shallow sauce pan and reduce the juices to make a thick sauce that coats the back of a spoon. Pour this sauce over the blueberries.

Once the bottom layer has baked, pour the blueberries in and spread them out:

Add the brown sugar to the second half of the oat/flour mixture and pour over the berries:


Return to the oven and bake for an additional 25 minutes or until the berries are bubbling and the top crust is golden brown.

I think the next time I try this, I'll up the flour in the bottom layer, add a little leavening and extend the first baking time. I'll keep you updated! Gotta go now, the leftovers are calling...

Mom's Easter Potatoes

I love Easter. It's such a happy holiday and it's all about family and food. No one is out looking for the perfect gift or hoping to fall in love so that they have someone to celebrate the season with. Here's my mother's table, set for Easter brunch:

And here's the dish that was my absolute favorite (and my brothers' favorite and my sister's favorite...) growing up:

One bite of this and I feel like a kid again, in a scratchy fancy dress and white Mary Janes, listening to the grown ups chatter and dreaming of what treasures I'll find during the egg hunt. It's funny, this recipe isn't like anything we cook these days-- the only canned foods we use are beans, tomatoes and tuna-- but come Easter and I need a spoonful of this cheesy casserole. Sometimes, you just have to admit that cream of mushroom soup can be magical.

UPDATE: My mom was cruising my blog and called to make some modifications. A little less soup, a lot more butter and sour cream!

Ingredients
12 big russet potatoes, baked, pealed and sliced
4 cups shredded sharp cheddar
2 cups shredded jack cheese
1 brown onion, diced
1 regular can cream of mushroom soup*
1 regular can cream of chicken soup*
2 cups of sour cream
1 stick of butter
/21 box of corn flakes

How To
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine the onion, potatoe and cheese in a big bowl. Heat the soup, sour cream and 1/2 of the butter in a sauce pan until the butter melts. Pour over the potatoes, mix well with your hands and pour into a large rectangular baking dish and place in the oven.

While the potatoes warm, melt the butter in a deep stock pot. Once the butter in melted, add the corn flakes and stir until the cornflakes are well coated in the butter. Take the potatoes out of the oven and top with the cornflakes. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cornflakes are toasted.

*I know! Seriously, I know.

Beet and Fennel Salad

Our dinner last night was one of the best we've had at home. My husband slow-smoked our boneless rib-eyes after seasoning them with his homemade beef rub. I made mashed potatoes with sauted garlic and shallots and a beet and fennel salad that stole the show.

Ingredients
2 raw beets, any color. (The golden beets were wonderful here. Just so you know-- red beets will turn your salad pink.)
1 medium fennel bulb
1/2 cup feta cheese
1 tablespoon poppy seed dressing

How To
Roast the beets, let them cool, peel them and chop them into bite-sized pieces. Clean and chop the fennel bulb as thinly as possible. Toss the fennel, beets and dressing together. Refrigerate until ready to serve. You can leave it in the fridge for as long as 6 hours. Just before serving, toss with the feta cheese.

Avocado time...

This post is for my friend, Jennifer, who confessed she doesn't know how to cut open an avocado. This reminded me of a story one of my professors in college told. She'd grown up on the east coast and came west to attend UCLA. At a party, she had her first taste of guacamole. She asked the host for the recipe and went to try making her own batch.

Because she didn't know, she bought hard unripe green avocados. Remembering the softness of the guacamole, she decided to boil the avocados in their skins. After 20 minutes of boiling away, one exploded, plastering her apartment's kitchen with green mush.

So, start with a ripe avocado. A ripe avocado has a black skin that gives easily when you hold it in your hand and press your thumb in. Get a nice sharp knife and cut the avocado in half by slicing it down the center and rolling the avocado around the pit until you've come full circle.

Put down your knife and take the avocado in both hands with one half in each palm. Give it a good twist.

Voila!

Now, how do you get that blasted pit out? You can dig it out with a spoon, but the most elegant and economical way to remove the pit is to use a knife.

This part takes a little faith and a little practice-- thunk your knife blade deep into the pit of the avocado. Don't worry if you have to strike it a time or two.

Pick up the avocado in one hand and the knife in the other and twist them in opposite directions. The pit will stick in the knife and lift neatly out. Whee!

Cut each half into quarters for easy pealing. If you're looking to have fancy-schmancy avocado cups for crab salad or what have you, take the more difficult path and don't cut.

Peel the skins back carefully. It should come off in one big piece and leave you with a lovely chunk of avocado meat. If your avocado is very ripe, the skin might come off in crumbly bits that you have to pick at.

Slice your avocado up and squirt with lemon if you're not planning to serve it right away-- lemon will keep it from turning brown. If you're planning to eat it right away, all you need is a little salt and pepper.

Steamed Artichokes

I could eat a huge artichoke every day. I don't even need the butter to dip it into if it's cooked just right. In spite of my love for them, I waited a long time to try cooking one on my own. Those giant, pointy orbs in the grocery store just didn't look like the open flowers served to me at Houston's. After learning how to prepare and steam one, I had what can only be described as the "I-coulda-had-a-V8" moment of forehead smacking. It's the perfect food-- fancy without too much fuss. And a little dish of melted butter served along side ain't bad either.

Ingredients
1 fat artichoke per person
1 garlic clove per person
a lemon
salt

So here's how I prepare my artichokes for steaming. I hope you enjoy my decapitated demonstration. First, I wash them and then hack off the stem to make a flat bottom. Here, I cut a little too much and sacrificed some of the precious choke (oops!):
Next, cut the top off the the artichoke. This little bundle of leaves at the top is all thorns; you're better off without them:
Viola!
Then use kitchen shears to trim the remaining thorns from the big leaves (note my tricky photography-- the bottom of the artichoke is still there. Shock horror! So, the order isn't that important.)
Now that your artichoke is ready to go, how do you cook it without turning it into a soggy and bland mess?

Pour about an inch of water and generous salt into a stock pot and place a steamer in the bottom of the pan. Cover the pan and bring to a boil. I used to think steamers like these were too old fashioned. Surely, there was something better out there. Sorry, nope! Every home kitchen should have a steam basket.
Put your prepped artichokes in the steamer and squirt with lemon juice. I like to "open up" my artichokes by putting my thumbs in the middle and pulling gently. I then crush a garlic clove in the center of each, sprinkle generously with salt, then cover and walk away, letting them simmer gently until a leaf from the center comes out easily. This can take an hour. Don't let all that water boil away!

And then all your hard work is rewarded. Yum:

Dutch Baby

My husband says this is like having Yorkshire Pudding for breakfast. This dish looks quite impressive but is actually easier than pancakes.

Ingredients
1/4 cup butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

How To
Turn your oven up to 425 degrees. Place the butter in the bottom of a medium-sized dutch oven and place it in the oven. While the butter melts and the dutch oven heats, combine your other ingredients very well in a bowl. Once the butter in melted and a little foamy, pour in the batter. Let bake for 20-25 minutes or until the mixture is puffy and golden brown. Remove and let cool for a moment or two (the center will fall, so you might want to whisk it out to the table at this point if you're trying to impress someone.) Serve in slices like a pie and top with maple syrup or powdered sugar.

Apple Crumble

I'm not a huge pie person. I guess I've had too many wooden pie crusts that left me wary. Besides, the star of any pie is the filling, right? I'd rather have a big portion of lovely fruit with a crunchy salty-sweet topping any day. Besides, then you don't have to feel guilty about pairing this with some vanilla ice cream. Yum.

Ingredients
For the filling:
6 medium apples, peeled, cored and chopped into large chunks (I like to use granny smiths)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter, melted

For the topping:
3/4 cup old-fashioned oat meal
2 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons of cold butter

How To
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Combine all the ingredients for the filling and mix well, then pour into a pie dish. Place in the oven and let bake for 15-20 minutes or until the apples begin to soften and become fragrant.

While the apples bake, combine all of the ingredients for the topping, save for the butter. Combine very well. Chop the cold butter into small chunks and add to the topping mixture. Use your hands to incorporate the butter until the mixture is very crumbly. Once the apples are ready, sprinkle the oat mixture on top and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the oats have a nice, golden color. Serve warm or hot.

Roasted Baby Tomatoes

I'll admit it-- I made a batch of these a few days ago for my husband and I to have with dinner and I gobbled them all up before he came home.

These tomatoes are delicious served warm from the oven but are also wonderful pizza toppings or combined with buffalo mozzarella and basil as a twist on the classic caprese salad.

Ingredients
1 pound cherry tomatoes (or any small tomatoes you can find)
6 garlic cloves, pealed and coarsely chopped
1/4 onion, chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

How To
Combine all the ingredients while preheating the oven to 400 degrees. Spread the tomatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes or until the tomatoes wilt and collapse in on themselves and everything caramelizes a bit. Serve warm or let cool for future use.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cupcakes

Yummy. If you're looking for a lower-calorie option, bake this up in a bundt pan and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Bonus: your home will smell wonderful as they bake.

Ingredients

1 box of spice cake mix
2 eggs
2 cups canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
8 ounces (1 box) cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon orange juice
the zest of one orange
1 pound (1 box) of powdered sugar

How To

Preheat your oven according to the directions on the cake mix box. Combine the cake mix, eggs, pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice. Mix well and pour into cupcake holders in a cupcake pan. Bake according to the directions on the box. They may take slightly longer than stated on the box. Be sure to check them with a toothpick to make sure they are done.

After the cupcakes are baked and cooled, mix the remaining ingredients together to make the frosting. Frost and refrigerate to set the frosting.

Savory Apples

I'm making these for Thanksgiving! The sauce is lovely. Be sure to not overcook your apples and to use fresh rosemary. Good as a side dish or served with roasted chicken or over pork loin. Serves 4 but can be doubled and tripled as needed.

Ingredients
2 large apples, pealed and sliced
1 cup apple cider or hard cider
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon fresh, chopped rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup dried cranberries (optional)

How To
Combine all ingredients (except for the apples and cranberries) in a large saucepan. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the apples and cranberries. Cook until the apples are soft and the cranberries are plump. Remove the apples and cranberries, then bring sauce to a boil and let thicken. Pour over the apples and serve warm.

"Grilled" Asparagus

People always rave about my asparagus and it's one of the easiest things on earth to prepare. Generally, I throw it on the grill alongside whatever we're grilling that night, but you can also pop it in the oven.

Ingredients
1 bunch asparagus with the tough, woody part snapped off
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon granulated garlic (fresh garlic can scorch and turn bitter easily on a hot grill)
salt and pepper

How To
Take two sheets of aluminum foil and lay them across one another so they form an X. Place the asparagus in the center. Drizzle with olive oil. Season with the granulated garlic and lots of salt and pepper. Wrap the seasoned asparagus tightly in the foil. Grill or bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Onion Pie

My sister taught me this recipe. This is a real love-it-or-hate-it dish but if you love it, you really, really love it. It's great as a side dish or as a light meal when you pair a slice with a green salad.

Ingredients
1 uncooked pie crust
1 6 ounce jar Dijon mustard
2 large, white onions, sliced thinly
1 tablespoon butter
1 can crushed tomatoes, very well drained
1 1/2 cup gruyere cheese, shredded
fresh ground black pepper

How To
Melt the butter in a pan and add onions. Saute until the onions are very soft. As the onions cook, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spread the Dijon mustard thickly across the bottom of the pie crust and set aside. Once the onions are cooked, combine with the tomatoes and a good dose of pepper. Spoon the onion and tomatoes into the pie crust evenly. Sprinkle the gruyere over the top. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the crust is golden and the cheese is very brown.

Your kitchen will smell amazing. Let cool slightly before slicing. Delicious warm or cool.

Baby Green Beans with Macadamia Nuts

Ingredients
baby green beans, two handfuls for two servings
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
a generous splash of white wine
a splash or two of soy sauce
1/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts

How To
Saute the garlic and oil until garlic is soft. Add beans and gently toss. Add wine and soy sauce and let bean cook until cooked through. Add macadamia nuts and toss. Serve hot.

Can-Be-Hammy Spinach

This is one of those recipes that I can't come up with a good name for. It's a quick imitation of the spinach gratin I like to make for potlucks and holidays (I add ham to mine, but it's optional.) In short, it knocks people on their collective asses, but sometimes I want the flavors without all the work. This is my quick version. Not quite as creamy, not quite as rich, but very tasty. My husband doesn't like cooked spinach, but he gobbles this stuff up.

Ingredients
1 clove chopped garlic
1/2 chopped white onion
1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
8 ounces frozen spinach
1/2 cup chopped ham steak (I like Neiman Ranch's. Vegetarians can skip this without fear.)
1/4 cup shredded gruyere
pepper

How To
Saute the garlic, onion and ham in the butter or olive oil until the ham is "toasted". Add the spinach and stir until the spinach thaws. If you have a little white wine on hand, add a splash. Add the cheese and stir until the entire thing is hot and bubbly. Season with pepper and serve. Great with steak.

Tortellini and Peas

It's only May, but it was close to 100 degrees here yesterday. Dealing with the heat means modifying our diets. Turning on the stove in the late afternoon is a big no-no around here, so I cook in the mornings when things are cool, then serve a cold dinner that soothes the sweaty beast. I like this pasta dish because it's hearty but not not heavy and it can be popped in the microwave if one likes it cold and the other likes it hot.

Ingredients
tortellini from the refrigerated section of the grocery store, any variety you like
1 1/2 cup frozen peas
pesto
crumbled, crisp bacon (optional)

How To
Cook the tortellini according to the package directions, being sure to salt your water. While the pasta cooks, measure out your peas and put them in the colander you plan to strain your pasta through. There's no need for you to cook or even thaw your peas-- the hot water from the pasta will cook them perfectly. Drain the pasta with the peas well. Transfer to your serving dish and toss with 1-2 tablespoons of pesto (don't overdo it!) and plenty of bacon.

You can either serve immediately or pop it in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Butter Sauce

I learned this recipe a long time ago from who knows where. It's so easy, it seems like it shouldn't be delicious, but I prefer this to most other tomato sauces. The basic recipe is easy and malleable, two traits I love in the food I create.

Ingredients
1 can diced tomatoes
1 onion, cut in half, width-wise
1/2 stick butter
salt

How To
Place the onion halves in the bottom of a sauce pan. Pour the tomatoes over the oven and pop that big chunk of cold butter on top. Simmer everything together for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Salt to taste (I love my food salty, but I add very little to this.) Remove the onion and serve over pasta. Yum.

Variations
If you've got any of these on hand, try adding some fresh basil, fresh garlic, black olives, meatballs, grilled sausage or shrimp... it's a great "what's in the fridge?" recipe.