On March 5, 2008, 5:21 pm peggy said It's easy enough to slap a steak on the grill for dinner; but just a little extra work turns a humble hunk of beef into an actual "recipe" that should make your friends or family sit up and take notice. The uncooked steak is cut into thin slices, seasoned, and quickly stir-fried in herb-infused oil; then the pan is then deglazed with a touch of vinegar. The arugula requires no special attention, if you buy the packaged kind that is already rinsed clean. This flash-in-the-pan dinner is on the lighter side, so you may want to begin with a simple vegetable soup--like red bell pepper or mushroom--and offer cheesy garlic bread throughout the meal to satisfy any big appetites at your table. If dessert is on the menu, consider affogato--a shot of hot espresso poured over an ice-cold scoop of vanilla bean gelato.

On March 30, 2008, 12:59 pm foodieprincess said I didn't color Easter eggs with my little girl this year but my six year old cousin Amaya gladly shared a few of hers with me. The only thing I ever do with leftover hard boiled eggs is make Egg salad (I know, not very original) but I love Egg Salad and I'm always looking for a new twist on it. This recipe is a winner, but like always I have to tweak it just a bit. In this one I omitted the mustard, used lemon juice instead of lime juice and dill instead of cilantro. The end result was heaven.

On March 30, 2008, 1:00 pm foodieprincess said I love Eggs, any time of the day and made in any way. I've tried other Ranchero recipes before but none has been this simple or this tasty. Great to prepare for overnight guests or for Sunday Brunch.

On March 5, 2008, 5:19 pm peggy said Instead of resorting to the jar of marinara kept on hand for harried weeknight dinners, this recipe offers a quick romesco sauce (sometimes called "the pesto of Spain") from bottled red peppers and other fairly standard ingredients. The sauce is easily assembled in the time it takes to cook the pasta, and provides a welcome change of pace. (If you are used to eating heavily-sauced pasta, you may want to double that part of the recipe--but I thought it was just fine.) I also incorporated two of my new favorite ingredients by using a good-quality multi-grain pasta and adding a 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika to the sauce. (If you have not yet tasted Spanish smoked paprika, definitely give it a try. It is a very different animal from the stuff your mother used to sprinkle over deviled eggs.) Every Spanish-inspired meal deserves good bread or rolls; and then maybe a soothing flan for dessert.