• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed, plus 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 (8 ounce) cans chopped tomatoes in their juice
• 1 (8ounce) bottle clam juice
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups plain couscous
• 2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
• Chopped parsley leaves, for garnish

In a large pot, heat 1/4 cup olive oil. When almost smoking, add onion, carrot and 1 clove smashed garlic and saute until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes and their juice, clam juice and white wine. Bring to a boil and simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes, uncovered. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Carefully pour tomato mixture in the bowl of a food processor and puree. Add a couple of tablespoons of water if needed - you want to end up with a broth. Check for seasoning.

Return broth to the pot. Add 1 cup of water and 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add 2 cups couscous. Cover pot and remove from heat. Let rest for 10 minutes, allowing the couscous to absorb all the liquid. Fluff with a fork and season with salt and pepper.

In a large skillet, add the remaining 1/4 cup oil and the 2 cloves of minced garlic. Heat the oil, making sure not to burn the garlic. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp and stirring occasionally, cook the shrimp until they start to turn pink, about 5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp or they will become tough. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice, red pepper and chopped parsley. Check for seasoning.

To serve, mound the couscous in the center of a platter and top with the shrimp.

This all came about after stumbling upon this video.  I really love the chef (and his accent!  Just love the way he says "potato" he he).  This is not as easy as he makes it look.  First, the potatoes have already been riced which is time consuming.  I would definitely rice these by hand because if you have ANY lumps, it will be gross.  Also, he approximates a lot of the ingredients and directions because it's clear he's made this about a thousand times.  But that makes it a little harder for those who haven't.  I recommend watching the video because his tips are invaluable (e.g. use cold potatoes, use a stand mixer, don't overcook the pasta).  By the way, I'm pretty sure I DID overcook the pasta because I was afraid mine were too big and some were bigger than others.  I just say, grab them all when that first one floats.  The sauce was good - go ahead and add the chili flakes or you'll end up with a bland dish.  Overall, nice and amazingly filling (after about 5 gnocchi, I was DONE!).  

http://shine.yahoo.com/shine-food/potatoes-101-perfect-gnocchi-214300981.html 

Recipe by Fabio Viviani 
Ingredients:

• 3 lbs. russet potatoes, baked
  
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
  
• 1 ½ tsp. nutmeg
  
• salt and pepper to taste
  

Bake the potatoes the night before and let them sit in the refrigerator for a few hours, overnight if possible.  Peel and chop the baked potatoes. Push the potatoes through a ricer or a food mill.

In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, mix the flour, cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Add the potatoes to the mixer and work for 5 minutes.

Remove the dough and shape into a fist sized ball. Press out any air bubbles. Roll into a tube and cut the gnocchi in about 1 inch pieces with a sharp knife.

Place the gnocchi in boiling water to cook. All the gnocchi is ready when the first pasta rises to the top of the boiling liquid.

Serve as desired.

MANGIA!

This recipe is a little lighter on the cheese and manages to sneak in some vegetables and protein.  I make mine with whole grain tortillas to make it even healthier.  This recipe majorly cuts down on the fat and calories.  Ole!

Source: Rachel Ray Mag

• 8 6-inch corn tortillas
  
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 1 1/4 pound bunch  broccoli, cut into small florets, stems peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 15 ounce can  cannellini beans, rinsed
• 12 ounces reduced-fat cheddar cheese, shredded (about 3 cups)
• 1 cup store-bought salsa verde
• 1/4 cup plain low-fat Greek-style yogurt

Directions

1. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees . Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. On a cutting board, brush the tortillas with 2 tablespoons olive oil, then stack and cut into quarters. Arrange on the baking sheets in a single layer; season with salt and pepper. Bake until crisp and golden, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the broccoli and 1/3 cup water and cook, stirring, until the water is cooked off and the broccoli is tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in the beans and cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
3. Sprinkle 1 cup cheese over each tray of chips; spoon the broccoli mixture on top, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake until melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with the salsa and yogurt.

Source: Giada De Laurentiis 

 First, you need to make Mariana sauce (or buy it):

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 small onions, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 2 dried bay leaves

In a large casserole pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste. (The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.)

Next, turn it into vodka sauce (you will have several cups of the above sauce left over.  I froze mine for next time.

• 1 quart Simple Tomato Sauce
• 1 cup vodka
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 pound penne

Simmer the tomato sauce and vodka in a heavy large skillet over low heat until the mixture reduces by 1/4, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Stir the cream into the tomato and vodka sauce. Simmer over low heat until the sauce is heated through. Stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted and well blended.

Finally, if you are going to spend over two hours making sauce, PLEASE don't put powdered, processed "parmesan" on top of your creation!  This calls for freshly grated cheese.  I love this little gadget I got for about ten bucks on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Zyliss-11370-Classic-Rotary-Style-Cheese/dp/B000FDZJG2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331423707&sr=8-1

Basil Baked Tilapia
Source: recipezaar.com (which is now food.com)

• ½ cup white wine
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves
• 4 thin fish fillets , like tilapa
• 1 lemon, juice of (3 tablespoons)
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• 2 tablespoons plain breadcrumbs (I use Panko if I have them on hand)
• paprika
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450*.
2. Pour wine and butter into glass measuring cup and microwave on high until butter begins to melt, about 1 minute.
3. Spread basil leaves over bottom of 9 X 13 glass baking dish, reserving a few large ones for the top of the fish.
4. Place fillets over the remaining basil.
5. Remove the wine mixture from the microwave and add fresh lemon juice.
6. Stir or whisk the wine mixture and pour over the fish.
7. Season the fish with the salt and pepper.
8. Sprinkle the onion powder and bread crumbs evenly over the fish, then add paprika.
9. Cover the pan with aluminum foil, place in lower third of preheated oven, for 12 minutes.
10. Uncover fish and continue to cook until fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork, about 2-3 more minutes.

Sweet Potato Fries
Source: My own

• 2 big sweet potatoes
• About 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 425F. 
2. Peel the potatoes.  Slice them lengthwise, then cut into long strips.  Half lengthwise once more.
2. Drizzle with just enough olive oil to coat all sides of the potatoes when tossed.  Sprinkle with salt and cinnamon.  
3. Place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
4. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn each fry over.  Bake for an additional 10 minutes until tender when pierced with a fork. 

Source: RealSimple.comIngredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 2 medium onions, chopped 
• 1 medium squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces 
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped sage 
• 6 large eggs  
• 2 cups whole milk (I used skim) 
• 3/4 pound soft French or Italian bread, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 7 1⁄2 cups) (I used whole grain bread) 
• 1/2 pound Gruyère, grated (2 cups) (could probably get away with 1.5 cups) 

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375° F. Oil a 2 ½- to 3-quart baking dish.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the squash, season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, and cook, tossing frequently, until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes more. Stir in the sage. Let cool for 10 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Add the bread, cheese, and squash mixture and toss to coat.
4. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and bake until golden brown and set, 55 to 60 minutes.