GOOD FIND: blender bottle

I love this thing.  It's made to shake up your protein mix with water or milk but use it to bring soups to work, to mix your batter for pancakes, waffles or even to scramble a couple eggs without the mess if you're apartment living.  Dishwasher safe and the come in a medium and large size.  I got mine at Whole Foods but I've seen them at GNC and a couple other places where heath and exercise products are sold.

broccoli rabe and sausage

My mouth is watering just thinking about the bitter greens with the savory sweet sausage.  YUM! Wash your broccoli rabe (2-3 bunches), with a small knife trim the tips of the stems and slightly split them where they're thickest (just so they cook evenly). Then boil (or steam) with a touch of salt.  When they're tender drain and set aside. In a large pan or a wok, throw in 4-5 links of chopped sausage and garlic and simply cook that over medium to low heat till it's all golden brown.  Mix the sausage with the broccoli and VOILA, just drizzle a bit of raw olive oil over the top and serve with cracked red pepper. This can work as a side or a full meal on its own!

pepper and gorgonzola crostini

Another Angela Abrusci masterpiece.  These are great warm but delicious cold so theyre still great to make or at least prep in advance.  Get at least 2 red and 2 yellow bell peppers, and to roast'em, wash them and throw them in the broiler turning as they start to blacken.  After they're evenly blistered and partially charred, let them cool then remove the stems seeds and the black skin (I like to leave some black). Slice them into strips and set them aside.  Then again in the broiler, on a cookie sheet quickly toast a loaf of sliced French bread. Just before you're ready to serve, add a fork full of peppers on each piece of bread still on the cookie sheet, add a little crumble of gorgonzola cheese, drizzle with olive oil and throw it back in the broiler (or a hot oven) for a few seconds only till the cheese starts to melt.  Plate and SERVE!!!! so delicious!  Feel free to substitute a goat cheese or even leave without dairy and just sprinkle with salt.

easiest pizza ever

My sister Angela just did this for my niece's birthday and it's seriously an no brainer and works every time.  Its fantastic if people are coming and you need just a little something extra, it's great to make early in the week to bring to work for lunch, awesome for picnics and even a great idea to take a couple pieces for road trips.  So, you make your standard pizza dough OR honestly, if you don't have time I know Trader Joes and a bunch of other grocery stores sell them already made, or just swing by almost any pizzeria and they'll sell you enough for a pie of like 2 bucks.  Spread it out in a buttered cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil, push in a bunch of halved cherry tomatoes, spread a chopped onion on top and season with sea salt.  Maybe let it rise another couple minutes at room temperature then throw it in the oven at 375 for about 20 minutes or until its golden brown.  (tip: cut pieces with kitchen scissors instead of a knife) Great if you're looking for low cholesterol low fat meal and much nicer than serving plain bread.

sesame soy vodka chicken over a bed of roasted sweet and hot peppers

This dish was fantastic with a little prep work and just a couple minutes to cook.  I picked up a a flat of chicken thighs from Whole Foods.  They come debonned so its a flat piece of meat much like a thin chicken breast.  An advantage of cooking with the thigh is that it won't dry out but stay nice and juicy.  Throw them in a bowl and cover with about half soy sauce and half vodka* and then add the juice of 2-3 limes.  Let that marinate refrigerated at least one half hour but leave it over night if thats easier.  Next, from the store buy one or two of every pepper you see, long, short, red, green, yellow and orange.  Put them over some foil and in the broiler till they start to blacken (note: they're going to roast at different times since they're different shapes and sizes), take them out and after they cool cut them into strips removing the seeds and stems but keeping the blackened skin and toss with a touch of salt, olive oil, chopped garlic and some parsley. When you're ready, spread some sesame seeds on a little dish, and one at a time take the chicken out of the marinade, coat them in the sesame seeds and gently lay them in a hot lightly oiled skillet.  If you like, for some extra flavor, add a few teaspoons of the marinade over the chicken as it cooks but be careful as it can burn after it caramelizes. Cook the chicken over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until they're golden brown, plate over a bed of the roasted peppers and enjoy!  This goes great also with some seasoned rice, avocados and an Asian salad with ginger soy dressing.  This will DEFINITELY impress!

*one advantage of marinating and cooking with alcohol is that it will bond with the fatty and water based molecules so it can draw the flavors from your marinade deep into the meat.