Tastes Like Homemade

 Sometimes it's hard to make meals from scratch.That's where packaged ,boxed and jarred foods come in handy. Yet there's always something lacking in their flavors. what to do? Add some home made touches and flourishes.

One of the easiest foods to amend is tomato sauce. Some are good and don't need any extras. Yet once in a while there is one that nneds a pinch of this or a dash of that. Adding a tablespoon of olive oil helps to create a smoother sauce.I did this with Shop Rite's Bowl an d Basket brand sauce. This is a little better than other in house brands because it's made in Italy.

A small can of mushrooms were also added for a more heartier taste. You could add oragano or pepper for more flavoring (don;t add salt, there's enough sodium in these processed foods)

It was served with this fusilli but it can be used for any kind of pastas from gnocchi to even ravioli. The same is true with certain baked mac packages too. You could easily add in some crumbled bacon or even minced ham to accentuate the cheese flavor. Any plain pizza can be upped a notch with a smattering of fresh veggies on top or a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.Even ramen soup can be jazzed up Korean style with a fried egg or some chopped scallions. Add a packet of soy sauce  for more flavor. 

Yes, it's easier to use packaged foods but they need just a dash of something. Give them that homemade flavor by adding a dash of something. It'll make for a quick yet flavorful meal.

Sheet Pan Dinners With A Twist

One of the latest trends in home cooking right now is sheet pan meals. These are an easy cook and mix of the main meal and sides. Now there's another layer added to this - pasta. It gives a new texture and taste to a popular dish.

Melissa Clark decided to tackle this and write about it in her A Good Appetite column in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Any sheet pan meal is an easy make.It's just spreading out your desired ingredients on a baking sheet that's usually reserved for cookies and square  pizzas. She makes a roasted broccoli pasta. This is unusual in the sense that the main ingredient isn't a meat such as chicken or pork but pasta. Ms. Clark uses chiocciole , a  macaroni shaped kind, however, home chefs can also use fusilli or ziti.Using pasta does require the extra step of boiling it, but then it's really no different than boiling the wide noodles for lasagna. Vegetables are a must for any sheet pan meal. Broccoli is used because it roasts well,,with the florets becoming crispy. That and the pasta, which will become crisp too will pair nicely with the addition of fresh ricotta.The cheese will burnish and caramelize.Ms. Clark also adds a good sprinkling of Parmesan spiked breadcrumbs and lemon zest for more zing.

Even novice home chefs can create this tasty dish, perfect for a weekday dinner or weekend lunch.It does start off with a very hot oven. Ms. Clark recommends a 425 degree Farenheit oven Use a rimmed baking sheet. The broccoli is tossed with olive oil along with red pepper flakes, a pinch of sea salt  and cumin for flavor( you can swap out the pepper if it proves to be too spicy). Roast until tender and brown between eighteen and twenty-five minutes. Toss halfway through to make sure that all the florets are evenly cooked. The sheet pan is removed from the oven and it's time to turn on the broiler. At this point, the pasta should be boiled and then drained.It's also at this time that the
 breadcrumbs have to be spiced. Ms. Clark uses panko bread crumbs but I don't see why regular or homemade ones can 't be used. Toss the breadcrumbs with the grated Parmesan,  lemon zest and salt and pepper. The pasta and broccoli are then tossed together on the pan then dollops of  the ricotta is added..It's then sprinkled with the breadcrumbs , along with getting a generous drizzle of olive oil. Broil for about two to three minutes or until browned and crisped. It's served with a squirt of lemon juice. Other veggies such as cauliflower and eggplant can be subbed in for the broccoli  while Camembert can be used for the ricotta.

A sheet pan meal is an easy meal. Add pasta to make it special and tastier. It's a nice spin on a new trend.

Garden Fresh Dishes

Gardens all over are starting to yield the first harvests of the season.This is a boon for home chefs.The ingredients are not only organic and fresh but versatile.They can be made into a plethora of different dishes, from sauces to sides. Both David Tanis of A City Kitchen and Melissa Clark of A Good Appetite know this and wrote about using fresh garden veggies.Mr Tanis has an excellent recipe for using smaller tomatoes such as cherry and grape in a easy to make sauce.This is a neat take on primavera style.The tomatoes are cooked in olive oil until they burst.This gives the edges a nice caramelization along with a rich browning.Red pepper flakes are added in to give the sauce an arrabiata vibe but you can nix them if you feel he sauce will be too spicy.Mr.Tanis also add the salty pancetta bacon for another flavor burst and again this this optional He uses fusilli but again you can use any kind of pasta you want.Add this to the sauce and then add three tablespoons of butter for richness and more flavor.The pasta with sauce is then spooned into individual bowls and topped with a dollop of ricotta and a mix of scallion and mont.If this is too much just have a light sprinkling of Parmesan on top of the finished dish. Melissa Clark also discovered how good fresh vegetables ,are ,especially in a soufflé.Zucchini and squash are in season as well.The first is incredibly versatile.It can be fried,steamed sautéed or as Ms.Clark did, fold it into a soufflé.She also incorporates squash blossoms, again another versatile part of the squash.These are excellent made Piedmontese style ,dipped in batter and fried or stuffed.Ms.Clark also incorporates them in her souffles. The souffles themselves are rich , having béchamel sauce along with half and half and four s Large eggs.This is a labor intensive recipe with separating the eggs and prepping all the other ingredients.If you still hankering for squash? Ms. Clark recommends an easy steamed recipe that just calls for the squash with butter salt, and water.Other easy recipes are are zucchini coins, breaded slices fried crisply along with zucchini pancake.Both are nice easy ways of enjoying the squash's verdant, refreshing flavor. Serve with a tangy remoulade sauce for a summery appetizer. Take advantage of the great harvests that summer brings. tomatoes can be made into delicious sauces while squash can be turned into regal souffles or tasty coins.Go to your garden or farmer's market and pick up a basket of either today to enjoy fresh flavor.