BLT Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

8 slices bacon
1/2 baguette, sliced into 1/4 in. cubes (about 4 cups)
2 Tbs. olive oil
Salt and Pepper
1/3 C buttermilk
3 Tbs. mayonnaise
2 Tbs. apple-cider vinegar
1 scallion, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 pound romaine hearts, coarsely chopped
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

Preheat oven to 375. Arrange bacon in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake until browned and crisp, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Cool, then crumble into large pieces.

Meanwhile, make croutons: toss baguette cubes with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, tossing croutons halfway through, 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, mayonnaise, vinegar and scallions; season with salt and pepper. Add romaine, tomatoes and croutons; toss to coat with dressing. Sprinkle with bacon. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 as main course
Prep time: 20 min. Total time: 55 min.

From Martha Stewart's Everyday Food Cookbook

*Real bacon is really evil, so I subbed soy bacon. I also used fat free mayonnaise and I saved a bunch of time by broiling the bread cubes.

Chicken with Tomatoes, Olives and Cilantro

Wish I had a picture of this one because it was beautiful! Sadly, my camera was out of batteries... but I promise you this recipe is a keeper.

1 Tbs. olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt and Pepper
1 onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 C pitted green olives, halved
1 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1/4 C packed fresh cilantro

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-low. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper, and cook until lightly browned and just cooked through, turning once, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate; cover loosely with aluminum foil.

Raise heat to medium; cook onion, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add tomatoes and olives; cook until tomatoes soften and release their juice, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in lime juice and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Serve chicken topped with tomato mixture.

Serves 4
Prep time: 30 min. Total time: 30 min.

From Martha Stewart's Everyday Food Cookbook

*I broiled fresh mozzarella on the top of the chicken after it was cooked and I doubled the tomato and olive mixture because I am a toppings kind of girl.

Grilled Pizza

1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
sliced mozzarella
2 Tbs. dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
pizza crust
basil leaves

You can make a pizza crust for this if you want to, but I failed miserably at grilling dough (it fell through the slats of the grill and stuck miserably). The pre-made crust worked wonderfully. Alternatively, you could make a crust and bake it until it is almost done... Anyway, the sauce for this is super simple:

Cook the garlic in olive oil until just fragrant and translucent. Add the crushed tomatoes and oregano and heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the sauce thickens slightly.

Meanwhile, brush both sides of the crust with olive oil and place on a medium grill. Grill one side until it starts to brown and flip it over. While the bottom cooks, top the other side with the sauce and the sliced mozzarella. Grill until the bottom is brown and crispy and the cheese is melting on top. Garnish with basil leaves.

Makes 2 Servings

Inspired by Martha Stewart's Everyday Food July/August issue

My husband and I adore this sauce. It sounded like nothing special but once we tried it we couldn't get enough! So much flavor for so few ingredients. Enjoy!

Spaghetti Puttanesca

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 lb. spaghetti
1 Tbs. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
2 Tbs. capers, drained and rinsed
1/2 C. kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

Bring a pot of water to a boil; add a generous amount of salt. Cook pasta until al dente. Drain pasta; return to pot.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, until garlic is fragrant but not browning, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, capers and olives. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally, 5 to 10 minutes.

Add sauce to pot and toss with pasta to combine; season with salt and pepper. Reheat over medium-low if necessary before serving.

Serves 4 to 6
Prep time: 10 minutes Total time: 30 minutes

From Martha Stewart's Everyday Food Cookbook

Ranch Mac 'N Cheese

1 pkg. (16 oz.) elbow macaroni
1 C milk
1/4 butter or margarine, cubed
1 envelope ranch dressing mix
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp lemon-pepper seasoning
1 C shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 C shredded Colby cheese
1 C sour cream
1/2 C crushed saltine crackers
1/3 C grated Parmesan cheese

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a dutch oven, combine the milk, butter, dressing mix and seasonings; heat through. Stir in Monterey Jack and Colby cheeses until melted. Stir in sour cream.

Drain macaroni; stir into cheese sauce with the saltines. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Yield: 8 servings

From Taste of Home February and March 2010 edition

I served this with a salad tossed with Morning Star farms Chik'n Strips and the kids went crazy. I cut fat any way I could by using fat free sour cream, low sodium/fat saltines, soy cheeses, skim milk, wheat macaroni, margarine and a tad bit of tofu (don't tell the husband, though he never noticed).

Tomato and Olive Orecchiette

Coarse salt and pepper
1 lb. orecchiette or other short pasta
1/4 C olvie oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 lb. cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 C kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
1/4 C chopped fresh parsley
1/4 C grated parmesan

Cook the pasta until al dente; drain. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, and cook, stirring, until just golden, about 1 minute. Add the cherry tomatoes, oregano, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring, until the tomato juices run, about 3 minutes.

Add the pasta, olives, parsley, and 1/4 C parmesan to the skillet and toss to combine. Serve with more cheese, if desired.

This recipe went over well with the whole family. The kids liked how simple it was (nothing icky to pick out) and my husband and I liked how light yet satisfying it was. The leftovers kept well and tasted great at room temp.

From Martha Stewart's Everyday Food cookbook.