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Cheesy Shells and Beef

Cheesy Shells and Beef

After being sick and not able to eat real food, along with this cold weather…put me in the mood for some comfort food! I found that if I just made mac ‘n’ cheese it would not be satisfying as a meal, needed something more! I thought some ground beef would go great with it! I can’t believe I am admitting this, but once upon a time I loved Hamburger Helper! Yes me!

Growing up with a working mom, you learn how to cook at a young age, but you need some help….that is when that came in handy among other convenient food items! Beefy Noodles was my favourite! Truth is, if someone offered me a bowl right now, I probably wouldn’t say no to the offer, I mean its not a bad thing! Just wish the ingredient list wasn’t all so bad. 

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Spinach and Orzo

Spinach and Orzo

Gjellë pronounced gel, means dish or food and then you list whats in it, so this would be gjellë me spinaq dhe klitharaq literally translates into dish with spinach and orzo . In Albanian cuisine we make a variety of different pot foods, everyone makes their own kind of food using a variety of ingredients.

You may have seen my spinach-and-rice  post, this is similar but this is with orzo. My mom and grandma always make spinach and rice with veal or beef, I am not a big fan of that, I prefer it without meat or with a little ground beef for lezet, which means flavour, or taste…it can have a variety of meanings depending on how you use it.

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Spaghetti with Homemade Sauce

Spaghetti with Homemade Sauce

This sauce turned out amazing that I had to share it! The tomato sauce is my homemade-tomato-sauce with ground beef and veggies. It turned out so delicious! I think I know why….I had some extra filling  (I used a cups worth) from my veggie pide, and cooked it up with the mushrooms, the fact that it was in the fridge for 2 days made it taste so much better, all the spices and flavours infused in the veggies.

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Homemade Manti

Homemade Manti

For our anniversary I surprised my hubby with homemade manti….see I have always made them with wonton wraps… I was terribly intimated by making them from scratch…wonton wraps are just easier and take less time…but after making the dough , its not as bad as I thought! Sure its extra effort but well worth it…will be making manti like this from now on!:)

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Chicken Drumsticks and Noodles

Chicken Drumsticks and Noodles

This is a simple and fast meal, perfect for a dinner for two! My kids wanted tacos for dinner, my mom was over and she is not a big fan of tacos so we made something that was just enough for her and who ever wanted to try some. The seasoning in this is simple and the flavours I grew up with, you can add any spice or seasoning you like.

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Homemade Mac and Cheese

Homemade Mac and Cheese

I remember walking home for lunch and preparing my lunch everyday from grade 6 till grade 8  and most times it was that same old blue box of mac’ n’ cheese….I honestly couldn’t get enough of it! 2 teaspoons of butter and a bit of milk stirring in that powder cheese, oh ya I was all gourmet even then;)

I still could go for a box of that stuff every now and again…but I would much rather have it made with love & wholesome ingredients! 

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Rigatoni with Beets

Rigatoni with Beets

I was out in my backyard this morning when I noticed some of the beets were coming out from the ground, they looked small but if I didn’t pull them out I am sure something would get to it before I did…so I pulled out 3 bunches of beets!

I just love beets, when I was pregnant with my son one of my cravings was pickled beets!

The great thing with beets is that not only is the bulb edible but all of it is! The stems, leaves are edible and delicious! Its the perfect veggie that goes a long way….you can even use the liquid from the beets after boiling….haven’t decided yet what will become of that….I will keep you posted….stay tuned!

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Veggie Lasagna

Veggie Lasagna

This is a delicious veggie lasagna! My hubby actually prefers it over the one with meat sauce! It is filled with flavour, and its best when the veggies are in season!

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Pasta with Spinach

Pasta with Spinach

This is a simple and fast dish perfect for lunch or a side dish for dinner.

My grandmother and mom always make this, either with zucchini or spinach, I personally prefer with zucchini but I had spinach in the fridge today, so I thought I would finish it off.

You can make it with any pasta you have, I happen to have shells so that’s what I used today.

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Lasagna

Lasagna

Another family favourite….lasagna! When I was a kid I would eat half of the pan of lasagna….I just loved it! Ask my Mom or Aunt Angela…they’ll tell ya! Probably could now too….but I won’t! My appetite isn’t as big as when I was younger! I once was a very active kid that blew the calories off like it was nothing! Ah the joys of being a kid! Wish I had that metabolism and energy now! 

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