Asparagus Pasta with Mint Pesto

This is a very quick, fresh-tasting pasta dish...perfect for summer dining. While the pasta is cooking, you blend together the ingredients for the sauce. So in the time it takes to cook the pasta, it will be ready.

Asparagus Pasta with Mint Pesto (based on a recipe from BBC Good Food Vegetarian Magazine - Summer 2010)

400 g farfalle (bowtie pasta)
85 g fresh mint leaves (I used a 30 g package)
250 g ricotta
25 g parmesan cheese (plus extra, to serve)
200g asparagus, woody ends removed and cut into 3-4 cm pieces

* Boil the pasta in salted water, dropping in the asparagus pieces 3 minutes before the cooking time is up. While the pasta is cooking, blend together the ricotta, parmesan, mint leaves and 2 tablespoons of pasta cooking water until smooth. Season the pesto with salt and pepper. When the pasta and asparagus are cooked, drain, and return to the cooking pot. Pour sauce over the pasta,mix thoroughly and serve.

Pound Cake (with a secret ingredient)

Vegetable Curry

Brownie Cupcakes

Brownie Cupcakes (adapted from "Kitchen For Kids" by Jennifer Low)

*This recipe makes 6 cupcakes, but can be doubled.

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips + 30 chips for decorating

1/4 cup butter, cut into small pieces

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

pinch of salt

1 egg

18 mini marshmallows

* Preheat oven to 350F. In a saucepan, on medium heat, melt the 1/2 cup chips and butter together until just melted. Take off the heat and stir in the vanilla and sugar. Add the egg and mix well. Stir in the salt and flour. Divide the batter among 6 muffin cups. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool 5 minutes. Top each cupcake with 3 mini marshmallow and 5 chocolate chips. Return the pan to the oven for 5-6 minutes until the marshmallows are golden.

Blueberry Muffins

Blueberry Muffins (from "Modern Classics 2" by Donna Hay)

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup sour cream

2 eggs

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel (optional)

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

* Preheat oven to 375F. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and sugar. In a separate bowl, stir together the sour cream, eggs, oil and optional lemon peel. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry only until just combined. Mix in the blueberries (do not overmix). Divide the batter among 12 muffins cups. Sprinkle with a bit of sugar before baking if desired. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

Almost Famous Cheese Biscuits

One of the traditions in my family is to go to the restaurant "Red Lobster" when a birthday is celebrated. At the restaurant, they serve "Cheddar Bay Biscuits" that are a big hit with my sons. They always ask for extras!

I was so happy to see a recipe for these biscuits in the current issue of Food Network Magazine. I tried them and the boys said, "Make these again!" I agree they were delicious and they were also quite easy to make. At the restaurant, they serve these with a glaze of garlic butter on top. I didn't do this at home and they were still very, very good.

Cheddar Biscuits (based on a recipe from Food Network Magazine, October 2009)

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons baking powder

2 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons vegetable shortening, room temperature

4 tablespoons, cold unsalted butter, cut in small cubes

1 1/4 cups grated cheddar cheese

3/4 cup milk (not skim)

* Preheat the oven to 425F. In a food processor, pulse together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add the shortening and pulse 4 or 5 times. Add the cheese and pulse 2 or 3 times. Pour in the milk and mix just until the dough comes together. Do not overmix. Drop about 1/4 cup of the dough onto a greased baking sheet. There should be about 15 biscuits. Bake 15 - 20 minutes until the biscuits are golden brown.

Easy tomato sauce

Part of my classroom program is to introduce my students to cooking. I see it as a life skill that all people need to learn, and throughout the year, food and cooking will be integrated with all subjects in the curriculum.

This week, we used the beautiful fresh tomatoes of Ontario to create a simple tomato sauce for pasta. The children each washed and chopped a tomato to add to the pot. They stirred the sauce and grated the cheese. We cooked some pasta and served it with freshly grated Italian parmesean cheese. Ms. Mantello, who is Italian, said our tomato sauce was delicious!

Simple Pasta Sauce (for about 450g package of spaghetti)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 or 2 cloves garlic, sliced

4 large or 8 small tomatoes. chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt,or to taste

1 teaspoon sugar,or to taste

* In a large frying pan, on medium heat, add the olive oil and garlic and cook the garlic until it starts to turn golden (but be careful not to burn the garlic). You may choose to remove the garlic pieces now or leave them in the sauce. Add the tomatoes and let cook for at least 15 minutes. You can cook it for an hour or more to reduce the liquid in the sauce. At salt and sugar to taste.

Serve the tomato sauce on hot, cooked pasta with a generous sprinkle of freshly grated parmesean cheese.