Category: Main Dish

Recipes for main dishes.

Categories
Main Dish

Everyone will polish off their plates with this sheet pan meal

A Polish sheet pan dinner is easy to make in short order, with fresh cabbage and onions, along with frozen pierogi and smoked sausage. It’s all topped off with a freshly made beer cheese sauce and some bacon to make a real crowd-pleaser for supper.
A Polish sheet pan dinner is easy to make in short order, with fresh cabbage and onions, along with frozen pierogi and smoked sausage. It’s all topped off with a freshly made beer cheese sauce and some bacon to make a real crowd-pleaser for supper.

While watching random cooking shows over the years, I picked up the advice from several chefs that if you’re cooking with wine, you should choose a bottle you would actually want to drink, or it isn’t worth using in your recipe.

I have never heard the same advice for beer.

I have used some of the lowest quality, icky beers I’ve ever tasted in baking and cooking over the years, and it’s never seemed to mess up the recipe. In the end, the breadiness of the beer remains, and whatever bitter nonsense that was there before seems to evaporate.

That was the case for this week’s recipe, as well, as I used a cheap domestic lager to create some darn good beer cheese sauce.

The recipe I tried comes from the Instagram account “foodcreationsforyou” by Ryan Pauly. You can look him up there; he has a ton of recipes. I added lots of extra seasonings and also an onion into my version below.

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Polish Sheet Pan Dinner

A Polish sheet pan dinner is easy to make in short order, with fresh cabbage and onions, along with frozen pierogi and smoked sausage. It’s all topped off with a freshly made beer cheese sauce and some bacon to make a real crowd-pleaser for supper.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Polish
Keyword 30-minute meal, bacon, basil, beer, beer cheese, cabbage, chicken broth, cream cheese, easy dinner, frozen pierogi, garlic powder, lager, onion, onion powder, oregano, parsley, pierogi, rope sausage, sharp cheddar cheese, smoked paprika, smoked sausage, yellow onion

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 1 small head cabbage chopped
  • 1 small yellow onion sliced
  • 14 ounces smoked sausage sliced into bite-sized pieces
  • 16- ounce package frozen pierogi
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Olive oil to coat ingredients

Beer Cheese Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup lager- or ale-style beer
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • 4 ounces cream cheese cubed
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese freshly shredded
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 slices bacon cooked and chopped, divided

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and prepare a large, rimmed baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
  • Dump the cabbage, onion, sausage, pierogi and spices onto the sheet, and drizzle olive oil over everything. Mix with a spoon or with your hands until the oil and spices are well distributed over all the ingredients.
  • Bake for 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until everything is cooked through and the pierogi are lightly browned.
  • While the sausage mixture cooks, add all of the beer cheese ingredients, except for the bacon, into a small pot and heat over medium heat, stirring regularly until the cheese mixture is melted and well combined. If you want a looser sauce, add a bit more chicken stock to the mixture.
  • Add in two of the chopped slices of bacon and remove it from the heat or set it to low.
  • For serving, scoop the sausage mixture into a bowl and top it with the beer cheese and more bacon.

This was a great dinner for a cooler evening, and the leftovers reheated well, too. There was also a decent amount of the cheese left over that we used up with other meals. It would be amazing with a freshly baked soft pretzel.

The meal itself had a great combination of flavors, from the smoked sausage to the roasted cabbage and onions and the pierogi. The beer cheese and bacon on top were excellent, and I was glad to once again prove that you can buy some pretty cheap, awful beer and end up with an excellent, delicious meal.

This piece first appeared in print Nov. 6, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

Making this for someone special could create a ‘meat’ cute

Sunday casserole is extremely easy, roasting in the oven for a few hours and yielding a rich, delicious beef dish that creates its own gravy and tastes perfect over mashed potatoes, noodles or rice.
Sunday casserole is extremely easy, roasting in the oven for a few hours and yielding a rich, delicious beef dish that creates its own gravy and tastes perfect over mashed potatoes, noodles or rice.

I first met Joey when I was 19 years old, and even then, he was forced into being my recipe guinea pig.

I decided that I wanted to make a fancy meal for him one weekend, so I hunted for some ideas and came up with a brisket dish for two, and I decided to pair it with mashed potatoes and some veggies.

I was living at home still, and while I felt perfectly comfortable mashing potatoes, roasting some meat and cooking peas, I was terrified of making gravy.

I have to admit that my mom had to step in and give me an assist before she and Dad made themselves scarce and I was able to set the table with my big dinner, complete with candles for the ambiance.

At this point, I don’t know if Joey even remembers that night, but for me, it was formative, not only because it was the first time I put myself out there and cooked for someone I really, really liked, but also because that was the day I learned a gravy-making skill that I still use regularly.

Well, except for this week, because the recipe I tried was not only delicious, but it made its own gravy, too.

This recipe is one that my wonderful mother-in-law shared with me quite awhile ago. I’m officially mad at myself for not making it sooner. I did, however, add carrots and garlic and some seasonings in my version below.

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Sunday Casserole

Sunday casserole is extremely easy, roasting in the oven for a few hours and yielding a rich, delicious beef dish that creates its own gravy and tastes perfect over mashed potatoes, noodles or rice.
Course Main Course
Keyword carrots, chuck roast, cooking sherry, cream of celery, dry sherry, fresh garlic, garlic powder, minced garlic, onion, onion powder, stew meat

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds beef stew meat or roast cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces
  • 3 10.5- ounce cans cream of celery soup
  • 1 yellow onion sliced
  • 3 large carrots sliced into bite-sized coins
  • 3/4 cup cooking sherry
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • prepared mashed potatoes noodles or rice for serving

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
  • In a deep nine-by-13-inch pan, add everything but the last ingredient (the stuff for serving), and stir to coat the meat and vegetables.
  • Spread everything out evenly and bake for three hours or until the meat and vegetables are cooked through.
  • Serve over mashed potatoes, noodles or rice.

This was so flavorful and really good.

We opted for mashed potatoes, and like I said, the dish magically created a thick, tasty brown gravy in the oven that was perfect to pour over the top of everything.

It was like a Sunday roast, but it was all ready to serve straight out of the casserole dish.

And the leftovers reheated really well, too, which was nice.

Plus, it let me think back to the very start of my relationship with Joey. (This was pre-beard, if you can imagine it.) I still like cooking for him, and we cook together quite often, too.

They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, but honestly, it might just be all about the gravy.

This piece first appeared in print Oct. 16, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish Soup

Turmeric-based veggie soup will help you feel golden

For a great low-calorie and vegan meal, vegetable noodle soup packs a ton of flavor with lots of delicious spices and fresh vegetables.
For a great low-calorie and vegan meal, vegetable noodle soup packs a ton of flavor with lots of delicious spices and fresh vegetables.

Every time I use turmeric in a recipe, I remember back to the time I ruined the one and only manicure I’ve ever had while using it in a delicious Jamaican recipe.

Knowing it has the ability to stain everything, I have been diligent about wearing an apron when cooking with it ever since (although I’m still very willing to sacrifice my nails for the cause).

This week’s recipe featured turmeric, so I paid careful attention to what I was doing while stirring, watching the broth turn a beautiful yellow color.

I managed to get through the cooking process completely unscathed.

But then, when I sat down with my steaming bowl of soup, I realized that my capacity to make a mess went beyond the kitchen and into the dining room as I managed to spill it directly down my shirt.

So typical.

But also so worth it.

This recipe comes from the blog “Munch Meals by Janet.” You can find the original post at https://munchmealsbyjanet.com/2020/11/09/vegan-vegetable-noodle-soup/. I added extra seasoning, broth and ingredients in the version below.

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Vegetable Noodle Soup

For a great low-calorie and vegan meal, vegetable noodle soup packs a ton of flavor with lots of delicious spices and fresh vegetables.
Course Main Course, Soup
Keyword bay leaves, carrots, celery, fresh garlic, garlic powder, minced garlic, onion, oregano, pasta, potatoes, turmeric, vegan, vegetable broth, vegetable stock, vegetarian, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 4 ribs celery diced
  • 4 large carrots diced
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
  • 6 to 8 cups vegetable broth
  • 4 teaspoons oregano
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons turmeric
  • 2 bay leaves
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 large potatoes cubed
  • 16 ounces pasta something tubular; I used cavatappi

Instructions

  • In a large stockpot or Dutch oven with a lid, heat the oil over medium heat.
  • Add the onion, celery and carrots, and saute until everything is softened.
  • Add the garlic and saute for a couple minutes, just until it’s starting to be fragrant, and add in six cups of broth, oregano, garlic powder, turmeric, bay leaves, salt and pepper, potatoes and pasta, and stir to combine.
  • Cover the pot and raise the heat slightly. Let the soup come to a gentle boil.
  • Lower the heat to keep the soup at a simmer, and leave the lid on for 14 to 15 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through and the potatoes are fork tender. Add more salt and pepper, if desired.
  • Fish out the bay leaves and discard them, and then serve.

This had so much flavor. The turmeric added an earthy, peppery flavor, and the combination of all the vegetables in the broth made it an excellent, hearty dinner.

And luckily, my stain treatment managed to slay the turmeric, and my shirt is good as new.

Next time I pull that bottle off my spice rack, I’ll have to remember that I don’t just need my apron—I might need to get a bib, too.

This piece first appeared in print Sept. 25, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

Nothing about wine-braised ribs falls short

Braised short ribs are seared to perfection before being slow cooked in the oven with lots of vegetables and seasonings, along with wine and beef stock, to create a rich sauce.
Braised short ribs are seared to perfection before being slow cooked in the oven with lots of vegetables and seasonings, along with wine and beef stock, to create a rich sauce.

I am generally pretty useless when it comes to remembering the different cuts of meat.

If I’m ordering a steak, I know that a t-bone will have, well, a t-shaped bone in it, but I forget which cut has the best marbling or is the leanest, etc., etc.

But after this week’s experiment, I now understand a new one: the beef short rib. And I also know that I really enjoy eating them.

If you’re like me and have no idea what a short rib is, the easy answer is that it’s literally a short piece of rib.

According to a post from the Lake Geneva Country Meats website, short ribs come from the area between the chuck section of a cow (where we get chuck roasts and a variety of steak cuts) and the rib section. The pieces aren’t big enough for steaks, so they get to be their own cut.

They’re extremely flavorful and are a favorite of a lot of chefs. And now me, too.

The recipe I tried comes from the blog “Good Food Baddie” by Capri Lilly. You can find her original post at https://goodfoodbaddie.com/red-wine-braised-short-ribs/. I added extra seasoning in my version below and changed some of the directions around.

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Braised Short Ribs

Braised short ribs are seared to perfection before being slow cooked in the oven with lots of vegetables and seasonings, along with wine and beef stock, to create a rich sauce.
Course Main Course
Keyword beef broth, beef stock, black pepper, cabernet sauvignon, carrots, celery, dry red wine, fresh garlic, jalapenos, minced garlic, onions, oregano, parsley, short ribs, slow cooking, smoked paprika, thyme, tomato paste, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
  • 3 pounds bone-in short ribs
  • 1 medium onion diced (I used yellow)
  • 4 large stalks celery diced
  • 4 carrots diced
  • 2 to 4 jalapenos diced
  • 24 to 30 cloves garlic about two large heads, minced
  • 4 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 4 teaspoons fresh ground pepper plus extra for seasoning the meat
  • 2 teaspoons salt plus extra for seasoning the meat
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 750 ml dry red wine I used cabernet sauvignon
  • 3 to 4 cups beef stock or broth

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Heat the oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or pot with a lid. Meanwhile, sprinkle the short ribs on all sides with salt and pepper, to taste, and once the oil is hot, sear each rib on all sides. You will have to do this in batches.
  • Remove seared ribs to a plate on the side.
  • Add the onion, celery, carrots and jalapeno to the pot, and stir regularly, sauteing until the vegetables are starting to soften. Add in the garlic and saute for another couple of minutes, just until it starts to be fragrant, and stir in the tomato paste, parsley, pepper, salt, smoked paprika, rosemary and thyme. Continue stirring for about two minutes, letting the tomato paste brown slightly and incorporate with all the vegetables.
  • Pour in the wine, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to get all of the browned bits incorporated.
  • Raise the heat to bring the mixture to a boil, and then lower it back to medium and simmer, stirring regularly, until the wine mixture reduces by about half. (This will take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes.)
  • Pour in three cups of beef stock, and stir to combine. Return the ribs to the pot. You’ll want to make sure the meat is covered in liquid, so if it isn’t quite covered, add the other cup of the beef stock and supplement with some water until they are.
  • Let the liquid come back up to a simmer, put the lid on the pot and put it in the oven for about three hours or until the meat is falling off the bone.
  • For serving, the recipe author suggests straining out and discarding the vegetables, but we served ours as a part of the meal. Be sure to remove the bones, and then serve the meat, along with the sauce from the pot. We served ours over mashed potatoes.

This was heavenly. I love a good pot roast, and this was one step above that. The deep flavors of the wine paired perfectly with the tomato and beef to create a rich, fabulous dinner.

We ended up halving the recipe when we made it, so I was pretty bummed it was a single serving meal. I would have loved to have some leftovers.

But now that I am firmly aware of what a short rib is, I’ll be on the lookout for it in our local grocery store and butcher shop. This is definitely worthy of a permanent place in the recipe box.

And hopefully, by the next time I end up at a steakhouse, I can educate myself on the difference between a filet and a strip, too. If not, I may just have to order the chicken instead.

This piece first appeared in print Sept. 18, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

Cajun pasta shapes up to be an excellent, quick dinner

Creamy Cajun sausage pasta is made with a cream cheese sauce and plenty of fresh onion and bell pepper to create a satisfying meal that is also reheats really well for leftovers.
Creamy Cajun sausage pasta is made with a cream cheese sauce and plenty of fresh onion and bell pepper to create a satisfying meal that is also reheats really well for leftovers.

I recently watched a video that explained why there are so many different shapes of pasta out there.

I always assumed it probably had a practical purpose and it wasn’t just because of ancient pasta makers’ boredom and creativity. And it does. If you’re wondering, it all comes down to the sauce.

Have a thinner sauce? Use a thin pasta.

Have something thick and meaty? Use a wider pasta.

It’s all about making sure that whatever pasta you choose is a good vehicle for whatever you’re pouring over top of it.

I thought about that video when I grabbed ingredients for this week’s recipe. Its only direction was to use “pasta,” but knowing that it would have plenty of sausage and veggies, along with a thick, cheesy sauce, I wanted to choose something that could stand up to all of that.

After looking over the choices at our local grocery store, I landed on bowties. Why not? They’re wide and they’re fun—perfect for a spicy pasta dish.

This recipe is from the blog “Skinny Spatula.” You can find the original post at https://skinnyspatula.com/cajun-sausage-pasta/. I increased the amounts of several ingredients in my version below.

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Creamy Cajun Sausage Pasta

Creamy Cajun sausage pasta is made with a cream cheese sauce and plenty of fresh onion and bell pepper to create a satisfying meal that is also reheats really well for leftovers.
Course Main Course
Keyword 30-minute meal, bowtie pasta, cajun seasoning, cream cheese, fresh garlic, grated parmesan cheese, ground sausage, minced garlic, onion, oregano, parsley, quick dinner, red bell pepper, red pepper flakes, spicy sausage, tomato paste, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces pasta
  • 1 pound ground sausage
  • 1 medium onion diced (I used yellow)
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 4 to 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 8 ounces low-fat/fat-free cream cheese
  • 1/3 cup parmesan freshly grated
  • red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Boil the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve two cups of the pasta water when you drain it.
  • Heat a Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Add in the sausage, onion and bell pepper, and saute, breaking apart the sausage as you go, until the sausage is cooked through and the vegetables are soft.
  • If there are pools of grease in the pan, spoon as much of it out as you can before the next step.
  • Add in the garlic, Cajun seasoning, oregano and parsley, and saute until the garlic becomes fragrant.
  • Stir in the tomato paste, along with one cup of the reserved pasta water.
  • Stir in the cream cheese until it’s completely melted. Do the same with the grated parmesan.
  • Dump in the pasta, and stir everything to coat it well. Add more pasta water if the sauce isn’t as loose as you’d like, and add red pepper flakes (if desired) and salt and pepper, to taste.
  • Serve immediately.

I used hot ground sausage for this, and I ended up adding quite a few red pepper flakes, too, which gave this a fabulous kick. It was creamy and flavorful. And the leftovers were awesome. They reheated really well.

And the bowtie pasta was great for this. A rigatoni or ziti would have been good, too, but there’s something about the fun pasta shapes that I really like.

There’s no reason your dinner can’t be practical and pretty all at the same time.

This piece first appeared in print Aug. 21, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

There’s barely a shred of evidence of veggies in this dish

Spicy beef and Brussels features ground beef and chili sauce to match your favorite spice level, along with fresh Brussels sprouts, onions and mushrooms. It’s a great combination to serve over rice for dinner.
Spicy beef and Brussels features ground beef and chili sauce to match your favorite spice level, along with fresh Brussels sprouts, onions and mushrooms. It’s a great combination to serve over rice for dinner.

One of the downsides of spending as much time on food blogs and looking through recipe books as I do is I often discover that the photos are not a good representation of every recipe.

That was definitely true with this week’s recipe.

This was one Joey shared with me after finding it on social media.

It was really pretty, featuring large, halved Brussels sprouts nestled in a bed of seasoned ground beef.

But I chose to follow the recipe, which means (as you can see if you look at my photo) that the gorgeous Brussels basically disappeared into my beef mixture after I shredded them.

It was really good, though, and I think shredding them contributed nicely to the texture of the meal, but it certainly wasn’t as pretty.

This comes from the influencer “Tory Recipes.” You can find the original post by searching for her on Facebook. I added extra garlic powder and mushrooms in my version.

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Spicy Beef and Brussels

Spicy beef and Brussels features ground beef and chili sauce to match your favorite spice level, along with fresh Brussels sprouts, onions and mushrooms. It’s a great combination to serve over rice for dinner.
Course Main Course
Keyword 30-minute meal, Brussels sprouts, chili sauce, easy meal, fresh mushrooms, garlic powder, green onion, ground beef, hot sauce, sesame seeds, soy sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef I used 80/20
  • 1/3 cup green onions thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 1 pound Brussels sprouts shredded
  • 8 ounces fresh mushrooms sliced
  • 1/2 cup chili sauce your favorite flavor and spiciness
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • sesame seeds and prepared rice for serving

Instructions

  • In a large skillet, brown the ground beef, along with the onions, soy sauce, garlic powder and hot sauce, until the beef is cooked through.
  • Transfer the beef mixture to a plate.
  • Remove all but one tablespoon of grease from the skillet (if there isn’t that much or things start sticking, add a bit of neutral oil).
  • Add the shredded Brussels sprouts and mushrooms and saute for several minutes until they are soft and starting to brown.
  • Turn the heat to low, add back in the ground beef, and stir in the chili sauce, lime juice and salt and pepper, and heat until everything is warmed through.
  • Serve over rice, topped with sesame seeds.

We really spiced our version of this up by using both a potent hot sauce and a pretty spicy chili sauce. If you’re not really into spice, get a sweet chili sauce instead and skip the hot sauce altogether, and I think you’ll still be happy with the result.

And if you need to hide Brussels sprouts in a family meal to get a few extra vitamins into someone at the table, I can tell you from experience that it’s pretty tough to identify them in the mixture.

That doesn’t make for a pretty photo, but it does make for a pretty good meal.

This piece first appeared in print Aug. 7, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

Oh my squash! A fresh, simple dish will wow your dinner guests

Garlic parmesan summer squash pasta is a great light summer recipe that features fresh basil and summer squash that is lightly seasoned and served with a from-scratch parmesan sauce.
Garlic parmesan summer squash pasta is a great light summer recipe that features fresh basil and summer squash that is lightly seasoned and served with a from-scratch parmesan sauce.

For two days last week, a huge, beautiful summer squash graced my kitchen counter.

It took me a bit of time to mull over what I wanted to do with it.

I hunted the Internet for ideas, finding lots of savory applications, as well as a few sweet ones I could use it in, but I finally landed on a recipe that I decided I must try.

First, it looked insanely quick to make, and since we’ve been meeting ourselves coming and going lately, that was very appealing.

Second, I only had to fire up my stovetop, and with the temperatures being in the triple digits lately, I was extremely happy to leave my oven alone.

The recipe I landed on comes from the blog “Food Meld” by Jackson Walker. You can find the original post at https://foodmeld.com/garlic-parmesan-summer-squash-pasta/. I added extra garlic in my version.

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Garlic Parmesan Summer Squash Pasta

Garlic parmesan summer squash pasta is a great light summer recipe that features fresh basil and summer squash that is lightly seasoned and served with a from-scratch parmesan sauce.
Course Main Course
Keyword easy meal, fettuccine, fresh basil, fresh garlic, light lunch, linguine, minced garlic, parmesan cheese, spaghetti, summer squash, vegetarian, yellow squash

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces long pasta I used fettuccine
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 medium yellow summer squash sliced thinly
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil torn into pieces
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

  • Boil the pasta according to the box directions, and be sure to reserve at least one cup of the pasta water.
  • While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet.
  • When the oil is hot, add the squash, and saute for several minutes until it is soft and just starting to brown. Add in the garlic, salt and pepper, and saute until the garlic starts to become fragrant.
  • Add the drained pasta, parmesan, basil and about one-quarter cup of the reserved pasta water, and stir to combine and melt the cheese. If you want your sauce looser and creamier, add a little more pasta water, stirring between each addition, until you have the consistency you like.
  • Remove the skillet from the heat, and stir in the lemon juice. Serve immediately.

This was a very simple, lightly seasoned dish that I really liked. I wasn’t sure about the lemon juice, but it just acted as a flavor enhancer. You couldn’t detect it on its own.

The combination of the parmesan and garlic, along with the squash made for a really nice, light meal, despite being a pasta dish.

If you wanted to make it a heartier meal, adding some grilled chicken breast would be good, too.

And now that I have my big list of squash recipes, I’m probably going to need to grab another one…or two…before the summer is over. The good news is that with summer gardens in full bloom, I’m guessing it won’t be too hard to find.

This piece first appeared in print July 31, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

Get ready for ‘summer’ all the hot weather with this pasta

Lemon ricotta pasta is a fabulous summer dish, featuring a light flavor of lemon combined with creamy ricotta and parmesan. It can be customized with a variety of proteins or eaten as a vegetarian dish.
Lemon ricotta pasta is a fabulous summer dish, featuring a light flavor of lemon combined with creamy ricotta and parmesan. It can be customized with a variety of proteins or eaten as a vegetarian dish.

After spending a few days out at Camp Mennoscah last week, hanging out with a rambunctious group of 8-year-olds and sweating profusely, I decided I wanted something light and refreshing when I went to cook dinner back at home.

I spent way too much time going through recipes online, convinced that there had to be something that fit the bill that wasn’t just a normal, old salad.

As it usually does, the Internet finally provided me with exactly what I was looking for: a light, lemony pasta dish.

I had to change it a bit, since our local grocery store didn’t have everything I needed, but since I’m so thankful to have the opportunity to shop locally for my food, I was definitely still buying my supplies there. And the good news is it was still absolutely delicious.

This comes from the blog “Olive and Mango.” You can find the original post at https://www.oliveandmango.com/lemon-ricotta-pasta-with-arugula/. I substituted spinach in my version, because I couldn’t get arugula, and I also added extra ricotta and some chicken.

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Lemon Ricotta Pasta

Lemon ricotta pasta is a fabulous summer dish, featuring a light flavor of lemon combined with creamy ricotta and parmesan. It can be customized with a variety of proteins or eaten as a vegetarian dish.
Course Main Course
Keyword fresh lemon, fresh spinach, grated parmesan cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest, penne pasta, red chili flakes, ricotta cheese, rigatoni pasta, summer pasta, vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces tubular pasta ex. penne, rigatoni
  • 15 ounces whole milk ricotta
  • 1 cup freshly grated parmesan plus more for serving
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 cups baby spinach or arugula
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • red chili flakes for serving (optional)
  • cooked chicken shrimp, etc. (optional)

Instructions

  • Cook the pasta in a stock pot according to the package directions. Reserve one cup of the pasta water and drain the rest.
  • In the same pot, off the heat, add the ricotta, parmesan, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and stir them well.
  • Whisk in about 1/2 cup of the pasta water, stirring until the sauce is smooth. If it’s not as loose as you’d like, add more water, a little at a time, until it’s to your desired consistency.
  • Add in the spinach/arugula, and stir to coat and let it start to wilt.
  • Stir in the pasta (and any cooked protein you’re adding), and coat it with the sauce, as well.
  • Serve immediately with more grated parmesan and a sprinkling of red pepper flakes.

With the cheese sauce and pasta, you would think this dish was super heavy, but the lemon flavor made it taste really light and summery.

We opted to add chicken to our pasta, but we discussed how great it would be with some seared shrimp, a grilled steak or even some grilled salmon. It would be an easy one to customize, and if you’re looking for a vegetarian dish, it was awesome without the meat, too.

Between this great pasta, a few loads of laundry and some quality time in air conditioning, I’m pretty sure I’m fully recovered from my time at camp.

And now I know exactly what to have on the menu when I do it all again next year.

This piece first appeared in print July 3, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

You’ll ‘loaf’ this lightened-up classic dish for dinner

It isn’t a fancy meal, but turkey meatloaf is a lighter version of the down-home classic, and with some added garlic, onions and herbs, it makes for a tasty dinner.
It isn’t a fancy meal, but turkey meatloaf is a lighter version of the down-home classic, and with some added garlic, onions and herbs, it makes for a tasty dinner.

There are a few dishes that feel specifically American.

Meatloaf is one of those, despite it also being the butt of many sitcom jokes over the years.

According to an article by Erica Martinez for “Food Republic,” meatloaf has been on recipe cards since the 1870s, but it may be even older than that.

“[F]ood historians believe that the concept of meatloaf has been in existence since the fifth century, when medieval Europeans would dine on a dish made of diced meat scraps combined with fruit, nuts, and spices,” she writes.

Regardless of its origins, I still think we can claim it as our own here.

Unfortunately, it needs to be a “sometimes food” for most of us, considering its higher fat content, which is why this week’s recipe, which subs in ground turkey, is a great meatloaf to try.

This comes from the blog “Recipes by Lucy.” You can find the original at https://www.recipesbylucy.com/turkey-meatloaf-2/. I added extra garlic and seasonings in my version. I also rounded up the amount of ground turkey to two pounds, since I thought that made more sense.

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Turkey Meatloaf

It isn’t a fancy meal, but turkey meatloaf is a lighter version of the down-home classic, and with some added garlic, onions and herbs, it makes for a tasty dinner.
Course Main Course
Keyword basil, black pepper, catsup, dijon mustard, fresh garlic, ground turkey, ketchup, light recipe, meatloaf, minced garlic, onion, oregano, panko, parsley, tomato paste, Worcestershire, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ground turkey
  • 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup yellow onion finely diced
  • 4 to 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 rounded teaspoons dried parsley
  • 2 rounded teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 rounded teaspoons dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper (hang some over the edges for easier removal), and set it aside.
  • In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, parsley, oregano, basil, pepper and salt.
  • In a small bowl, beat the milk and egg together with a fork or whisk until they are well combined, and pour those into the bowl with the other ingredients. Mix with a large spoon or your hands until everything is just incorporated. (Don’t over mix, or you could end up with a less-than-awesome texture.)
  • Add the meat mixture into the prepared loaf pan, and spread it out evenly.
  • Prepare the glaze in a small bowl by adding the ketchup, tomato paste, dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir until it is well combined.
  • Spread about half of the glaze mixture over the top of the meatloaf, and put it in the oven to bake for 45 minutes.
  • Spread the rest of the glaze on top, and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meatloaf reaches at least 165 degrees.
  • Let the meatloaf sit for five to 10 minutes before carefully removing it from the pan, slicing and serving.

This was pretty darn good. I felt like I could have thrown even more herbs in there, if I wanted to, but this meatloaf certainly didn’t lack flavor. The glaze was especially good.

It was also the perfect companion to some homemade mashed potatoes. It was definitely a great nostalgia meal. And, if you’ve ever been accused, as Rodney Dangerfield’s wife was, of making a meatloaf that was so bad that it glowed in the dark, then it’s time to try a new recipe.

Honestly, I think Dangerfield should have been happy his wife was making him such a time-honored recipe. No wonder that guy didn’t get any respect.

This piece first appeared in print June 26, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Air Fryer Appetizer Main Dish Side Dish

Wrap up your dinner plans with crispy lumpia

Lumpia is a Filipino dish that can be made by either deep frying or air frying. They’re full of ground pork, cabbage and spices.
Lumpia is a Filipino dish that can be made by either deep frying or air frying. They’re full of ground pork, cabbage and spices.

There are many times when I silently curse my past self for inconveniencing me in the present.

I’ll fail to put something away correctly or decide I’ll totally remember we’re out of something rather than putting it on the shopping list, etc.

But the past couple of weeks, I have been pretty proud of past me for making my life slightly easier.

About a month ago, I found myself with several inches of leftover fresh ginger, and rather than letting them go to waste in the refrigerator, I peeled them (something I really don’t like doing) and put them in the freezer.

Now, when I just need an inch, I have pre-peeled ginger at the ready. I’ll be sad when I use it all up, but in the meantime, it definitely came in handy with this week’s recipe, which turned out really well.

This comes from cookbook author Rasa Malaysia on her website. You can see her original post at https://rasamalaysia.com/lumpia-filipino-spring-rolls-recipe/. I added extra garlic and cabbage in my version.

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Lumpia

Lumpia is a Filipino dish that can be made by either deep frying or air frying. They’re full of ground pork, cabbage and spices.
Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Filipino
Keyword air fryer, cabbage, chicken bouillon, deep fried, egg roll wrapper, eggs, fresh garlic, fresh ginger, ground pork, lumpia, minced garlic, soy sauce, spring roll wrappers

Ingredients

  • 1 package lumpia egg roll or fry-able spring roll wrappers
  • 2 pounds ground pork I used a pork/beef combo
  • 8 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 inch ginger minced
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 crushed chicken bouillon cube or 1/2 teaspoon bouillon powder
  • 2 eggs
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 6 to 10 ounces green cabbage shredded
  • cooking oil if deep frying or cooking spray (if air frying)

Instructions

  • If your wrappers are square, cut the stack down the middle so that you have two stacks of rectangular wrappers to use. (It’s a good idea to keep these under a damp paper towel while you work so they don’t dry out.)
  • In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, bouillon, eggs, salt and pepper, and cabbage, and mix well to combine.
  • Fill a small bowl with some water, and lay one of the rectangular wrappers in front of you, with one of the short sides facing you.
  • Using your fingers, dipped in the bowl of water, wet the last half-inch or so of the short end furthest from you. Add a couple tablespoons of the mixture at one end of the wrapper, and then roll it tightly, careful not to let the filling squeeze out the sides, until it’s completely rolled up, pressing lightly to seal the wrapper. Set it aside.
  • Repeat until all the filling and/or wrappers are used.
  • If you’re deep frying the lumpia, heat about one-half inch of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry them, a few at a time, turning them to get them golden brown on all sides, and then transfer them with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel lined plate. (You may want to temp them to make sure they are at a safe internal temperature, too.)
  • If you’re air frying them, preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees, lightly spray your lumpia with cooking spray and air fry for about nine to 12 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meat is 160 degrees.
  • Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.

Joey mixed up a spicy, mustard-based sauce for us to eat these with. Honestly, these would be a great side dish for an Asian meal, but we just ate them as our main dish.

They were lightly flavored, which made them an especially good vessel for a nice sauce, but they were also crispy and very tasty.

And I didn’t even have to peel any ginger to make this particular dinner work. If only past me hadn’t decided to put off doing the dishes until the next day, too, her planning would have been perfect.

This piece first appeared in print June 19, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

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