Cooking with Courtney

I am so excited. My new cookbook arrived today! It is "Everyday Italian" by Giada de Laurentiis. I had heard rave reviews about this cookbook as it was wonderful Italian food that wasn't as heavy and was simple to prepare. After looking through the cookbook, I have to agree. There were a few recipes with odd ingredients, but for the most part it was everyday stuff. I am going to have to find a place that sells good prosciutto as this is an Italian staple. She even has a section on leftovers and how to use them to make wonderful new dishes. On my menu for the next two weesk is Chicken Parmesan (without breadcrumbs), Chicken Saltimbocca, Braciola (a flank steak wrapped around spinach and cheeses), Stuffed Mushrooms, and of course I must make some homemade marinara. The thing I really liked about the cookbook is that you see the same ingredients over and over - marinara sauce, tomatoes, parmesan, prosciutto, romano, celery, onions. I will have to let you all know how it goes!

Last night I did my cooking for the four nights that I am working (except they called me off tonight) and I cooked chicken, 2 bags of red rice and beans mix (from the spanish section), then added a can of diced tomatoes, some chili beans and voila - what a yummy dish that I just made up (it's even better with some cheese). I also made some pumpkin chip muffins from my Light and Tasty Cookbook - oh so tasty they are. Maybe I should start a recipe blog (but that might get into copyright issues).