Italian lunch/8 recipes

A desert that tastes like a creation of an award winning chef...

A great Sandwich maker and a light Summer Main Dish with a side salad, or as a salad topper, or stuffed into a Wrap or Tomato. Best served next day as flavors will have blended better.

Easy, delicious and packed with goodness. They are great for breakfast, lunch or snack.

This is lovely, fresh, simple, quick and easy pasta dish that can be served as fast as the spaghetti can cook. Fresh Italian flavor rings through and the ingredients are perfectly matched.

These homemade salmon patties are made with fresh salmon for a crispy exterior and tender interior. Learn the secrets for the best salmon patty you've ever had.

A very different twist on tradional pasta/macaroni salad. Loaded with ingredients, this could be a meal in itself.

In Italian, “crostini” means “little toasts.” Crostini are made by slicing a French or Italian bread stick or baguette. Then rubbing with garlic and olive oil and toasting or grilling until crisp. The crostini may be drizzled with olive oil and salt and served plain, or they may be dressed with a variety of toppings and popped into the oven or broiler until warm.

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It's the season of Swiss chard and kale. We got lots of these fresh leafy greens from our CSA farm, and I was trying to come out an idea to use them up, surfing the internet, found a recipe in New York Times, it's a chard and feta phyllo tart. Definitely got the inspiration, I used both chard and kale, instead of feta, I used cheddar; and I sauteed some fresh mushrooms and added some toasted pine nuts, which worked very well. Also, I used a pie plate instead of a tart pan, and it was a great success, absolutely flavorful and delicious. The phyllo crust came out flaky and crispy. Have definitely become one of my signature recipes :)

I was out of Tofurkey Italian Sausage tonight and needed to substitute something else because I can't buy it. I had a cupboard full of Bob's Vital Wheat Gluten and some TVP, so I figured I'd try making it. When my hubby came home, he tried it and immediately said "Write it down! Write it down!" I guess he liked it!

The family will love you for this

"A tall, impressive cake that showcases the flavors and smells of the holidays. A three-layer extravaganza with a touch of molasses and shredded apple to keep it moist. It fills the house with a fragrance that beats the most expensive holiday-scented candle. It will be talked about long after the party is over." Source: The Pastry Queen Christmas, by Rebecca Rather

This is the best lassagna I have ever tried, basil-pesto definitely gave the whole lasagna tons of tasty flavor, also used low-fat milk and cheese, reduced the amount of fat, but the sauce was still creamy, asparagus was tender-crispy between the layered creamy stuffed noodles.

An Italian style pinwheel bread with olives sprialiing throughout the loaf. Impressive and delicious at the same time.

The blackend chicken breast came out tender, juicy and flavorful, and the cajun sauce was delicious, really bound all the flavors together. It was reasonably quick and easy to make as well, an ideal supper for a busy weekday.

These cherry cream cheese bars were divine. The cream cheese added the rich creaminess; I made my own cherry pie filling, which was packed with cherry flavour and not super sweet, also did a few changes to make these bars healthier (see the linked recipe below) but still decadent.