Here's whats for lunch

Pasta with Fresh mozzarella and cherry tomatoes is a delicious and healthy lunch. Pasta can be very heavy and very filling but this dish is very light and can be enjoyed warm or cold. I use penne pasta and mix it with chunks of fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil. I toss the whole dish with a little bit of garlic infused extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. It is my quick and easy version of warm pasta salad. Try this recipe out and enjoy!






Ingredients:
1/2 a box penne rigate
1/2 container cherry tomatoes rinsed and cut in half
1/2 a ball fresh mozzarella cut into cubes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove of garlic whole
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper
5 basil leaves torn apart into small pieces

Preparation:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Heat up the olive oil with the clove of garlic until it is warm. (be careful not to burn the garlic). Drain pasta and add into a large bowl, add split tomatoes. Whisk olive oil,lemon juice, salt and pepper into a small bowl then pour over warm pasta. Combine all ingredients together then add in basil leaves. Toss once again and enjoy!

Recipe of the day

Today's "30 Minute Meals" is all about being indulging and getting stuffed. It is all about pasta, after the whole low carb movement pasta was like an omen, everyone steered clear of it. Well time to get back into eating pasta. Spinach and Hot Ham Fake-Baked Pasta with a Crispy top is delicious and very satisfying. It is fake baked because it will look like it was baking in the oven all day just like the traditional baked ziti would be. The hot ham is spicy capicola ham which is a traditional Italian favorite. The crispy crust comes from mounds of melting parmesan cheese that bakes into a golden crust on top of pasta, and of course to feel a little less guilty throw some spinach in there. To balance out the meal there is a salad involved. Celery and Portabella salad makes you feel better about eating heavy cheesy delicious pasta. Don't worry about the carbs for one night, sit down and enjoy this deliciously cheesy pasta. Almost makes your mouth water. Yummy!!!!!!!!!

Rachel Ray's 30 minute meals is one of my favorite shows on television. I try to watch it everyday at 2:30. For me cooking is fun it is a valid reason to play with your food. It gives you a chance to explore and learn new things by using all five of your senses. Rachel Ray makes cooking fun and easy. I will admit she seems like she is a little crazy, I mean come on no one can be that happy and goofy all the time, but her technique and shortcuts make it easy to create a meal in under 30 minutes. She can make something as ordinary as pasta and turn it into a fancy and tasty meal in no time. Her shortcuts would never let anyone know you made a dish in half an hour that should have taken 3 hours to prepare. Some of my favorite recipes include Spaghetti all' Elsa, Mushroom Lovers French Bread pizza, and Grilled honey lime chicken sandwiches. These dishes are simple and delicious to make. Her shortcuts such as keeping a garbage bowl next to where you are cooking sounds ridiculous but it truly saves a lot of time. It is a great show to watch and replicate to have a great meal every night.