Test Kitchen | Bruschetta Pasta with Balsamic Spinach

I had some stuff in the fridge I needed to use from a week of Italian groceries -- cooked pasta, basil, mozzarella, etc. I really wanted to just gobble down pasta and cheese, but more reasonable brain cells prevailed, and decided it'd be best to add some vegetables to the mix. I was also tired from work, and didn't feel like taking lots of time or making loads of dishes. So, I did this all in one pot. I impressed myself with the yumminess-to-laziness ratio on this one.

Recipe | Riso Parmesan with Mushrooms

The original recipe called for shaved truffles. I decided I don't want to break the bank over dinner, so I make mushroom chips instead. I looks a little like white rice in the picture, but I use riso pasta and it's a very flavorful recipe.

Recipe | Chipotle Marinade

This marinade is smokey, sweet and spicy. I found this recipe on So Delushious. This is the perfect marinade to keep in your freezer, its great meat, seafood and veggies! Its a simple marinade, in which you may already have most of the ingredients at home: brown sugar, vodka, ketchup, olive oil, garlic, cilantro and canned chipotle peppers.

Recipe | Mango-Lime Cheesecake

Because I don't own a mixer, my cheesecake comes out a little less than smooth sometimes, but it's no less delicious. And because it's one of few baked goods that doesn't require an arsenal of kitchen appliances, I actually enjoy making it. The key without a mixer is to get the cream cheese at least to room temperature. I was in a rush here because we had people coming over, but if you have the patience to let the cream cheese really soften up you can do it all by hand and have it come out perfectly smooth. Appliances or not, take advantage of all the mangoes on sale lately!

Recipe | Irish Blue Cheese Soup

I was in Panera the other day and a woman told the cashier that she didn't like soup. The cashier made a funny face and asked who doesn't like soup! Personally, I wouldn't affiliate myself with someone who doesn't like soup. Blasphemy! The Old Man was sick last week so I decided to make a soup that had some flavor, but was quick and easy to make.

Recipe | Pasta a la Grad School

The basis for this recipe comes from an Italian cookbook, The Food of Italy, that I got from Borders in the bargain section a long time ago. (It was not $65! It wasn't even $15. RIP Borders.) I really like fresh tomato sauce recipes and it's not as difficult and time-consuming as you'd think (especially is you don't spend time peeling and de-seeding the tomatoes).

Recipe | Sweet Potato & Quinoa Salad

This is my first time cooking with quinoa, and this recipe turned out fantastic!

I came across this recipe just the other day, and since I had already had most of the ingredients at home, I decided to try it out.

Recipe | Joce's Green Juice

I try to add more greens into my diet. Juicing in one of my favorite ways of doing so. I made a large serving of this super green juice. The taste is mildly sweet and fresh. I try to juice 2-3x a week (the worst part of juicing is the machine clean up).

Yo Mama | Macaroni & Cheese

I love my mom and grandma's macaroni and cheese, and most everyone I know does too. In high school, I once tried to make myself and it came out horrible! I've never made it again for fear of what would come out of the oven. I figured it's time to try again. However, this time I did it under my mother's supervision. I apologize for my worse-than-usual picture quality, I only had my camera phone when I was in LA. It may not look like here, but you'll want to make a pan of it everyday if you can.

Product Review | Sambazon Smoothie Pack

Have you tried an Açaí bowl or smoothie yet?  I like to make smoothies for breakfast a few times a week, and recently bought the Sambazon Smoothie Packs. You can find it in the freezer section. It comes with 4 packs of açaí puree for around $6.