My Go-To Recipe

Do you have a go-to recipe? You know the kind...when there is nothing in your fridge, your pantry is paltry, and you are STARVING? Well, this is my go-to in a jam recipe because it requires few ingredients, and these are usually staples I have on hand anyway, (even in a barren- fridge-kind-of-situation). It's Giada's Lemon Spaghetti - because it always turns out great, and it's unbelievably easy!

The main ingredients are: pasta, lemon juice, lemon zest, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt, and pepper. It calls for basil, but let's face it, how often do you have fresh basil on hand? I mean, I rarely do. I literally make this at least a few times a month, because it really is so light, simple, and always ends up tasting great!

So now my question is...what is your go-to recipe? This could be a meal you make frequently, or an dinner you resort to because it's continually easy and delicious...I'm very curious as I could use a little variety in my go-to recipe routine.

Giada's Lemon Spaghetti

Ingredients

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the oil, Parmesan, and lemon juice in a large bowl to blend.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss the pasta with the lemon sauce, and the reserved cooking liquid, adding 1/4 cup at a time as needed to moisten. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with lemon zest and chopped basil.

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Raise the Flag

Before I jet off to Italy and Croatia next Tuesday, I'm going to do my part in honoring our country by making this delectable Flag Cake for my friends and I at our 4th of July BBQ. Looking forward to sunshine, sparklers, and a whole lotta red, white, and blue!

Any fun plans? Fill me in, what are y'all up to on our this lovely independence day?

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Foodie Friday - Key Lime

There's something tart and tangy about the flavor of Key Lime. While most associate it with the meringue topped pie, the flavor is multi-faceted and can be a fabulous flavor infusion to other dishes, including this - grilled swordfish skewers with coconut, key lime, and green chile sauce. Now this is the way to keep it tart and spicy!

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Foodie Friday - Key Lime

Here's another great key lime recipe, pack the extra limes and your seafood and prepare for a 4th of July feast with grilled salmon with key lime butter for a simple yet flavorful marinade.

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Foodie Friday - Root beer

Here's another great root beer recipe - pumpkin pancakes with root beer syrup, apparently root beer is quite the glaze when reduced for 40+ minutes. Depending on how long I sleep in Sunday morning, I may attempt to make these this weekend!

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March Madness Munchies

With the NCAA Final 4 just around the corner, I'm anticipating get-togethers with friends to watch the final big games (my money is on underdog UCLA). Since sporting matches always call for comfort, stick-to-your-ribs fare, I scouted out some killer recipes that go hand-in-hand with an edge-of-your-seat evening.

Kicked Up Chicken Wings with Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce

Emeril Lagasse, 2002

Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds chicken wings, tips removed and cut in half at joint, rinsed and wiped dry

1/2 cup red hot pepper sauce

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 cups vegetable oil, for frying

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Essence, recipe follows

Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce, recipe follows

Directions:
In a large shallow, non-reactive bowl combine the chicken, hot sauce, pepper, and salt, and toss well to combine. Cover the chicken with plastic wrap, refrigerate, and let marinate, for at least 1 hour, and up to 3 hours. In a heavy pot, heat the oil to 360 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and 2 tablespoons Essence. Remove the chicken from the marinade and add to the flour 1 at a time, tossing to coat evenly. Add the chicken in 2 batches to the hot oil and cook, turning occasionally, until brown on all sides and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the chicken wings from the fryer with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with the remaining Essence and serve immediately with Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce.

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container. Yield: about 2/3 cup

Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce:

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup heavy cream

8 ounces blue cheese

1 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire

1/2 teaspoon salt

Place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and process on high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour into a decorative bowl.

Enjoy with friends!

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Sweet Potato Fry

Sweet potato fries appear to be new trendy, healthier alternative to French fries. The last time I was in LA for my friend Lindsay's birthday, she took me to The Counter, a popular Santa Monica gourmet burger bar, where sweet potato fries were the fries du jour, and delicious they were!

Imagine my surprise when my fave Food Network Star - Giada De Laurentiis - whipped up a recipe of "Sweet Potato Fries with Basil Salt and Garlic Mayonnaise." Not only do they sound amazing, but perfect for a summer BBQ or picnic. Try your hand at these!

Sweet Potato Fries with Basil Salt and Garlic Mayonnaise

5 sweet potatoes, cut into about 1 by 5-inch "fries"
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the sweet potato "fries" on a foil-lined baking sheet and toss with the olive oil. Bake until golden, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile combine the basil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. In another small bowl combine the mayonnaise, garlic, and lemon juice, and stir to combine.

When the sweet potato fries come out of the oven, sprinkle with the basil salt. Serve with the garlic mayonnaise alongside for dipping.

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