| If you are wondering what to prepare for dinner | | | | tight fitting lid. (Visions is nice for this cause you can |
| tonight, then you can always try these easy recipes. | | | | see what's going on inthe pot.) Get a bag of normal |
| It's quick and affordable. | | | | ol' long grain rice++not Rice-A-Roni or Uncle Ben's or |
| Menu | | | | anyof that "converted" stuff. Dump as much into the |
| Meal: Chicken Spaghetti | | | | pot as you like (one cup dry makesabout three cups |
| Salad: Spinach Salad | | | | cooked). |
| Dessert: Lemon Sorbet | | | | Other Itallian Meals |
| Chicken Spaghetti | | | | The island of Sardinia perhaps most quickly conjures |
| Ingredients: | | | | up the idea of sardines. A small island off of the |
| 1 cup Chopped onion (about 1 large) | | | | western coast of Italy, it certainly incorporates |
| 1 cup Water | | | | seafood in to much of its regional cuisine. However, |
| 1 tsp Dried oregano leaves | | | | Sardinia has such a rich and various history that it |
| 3/4 tsp Dried basil leaves | | | | bears little resemblance to the traditional idea of |
| 1/2 tsp Dried marjoram leaves | | | | Italian cooking. Like many other Italian regional |
| 1 tsp Sugar | | | | cuisines, Sardinia's regional taste is often a surprise |
| 1/4 tsp Dried rosemary leaves | | | | for a palette that is expecting red sauce and |
| 1 clove Garlic, crushed | | | | parmesan cheese to be the beginning and end of |
| 1 Bay leaf | | | | traditional Italian cooking. While it is a region of Italy, |
| 1 (8-ounce) can Tomato sauce | | | | Sardinia's history is shared with explorers of many |
| 1 (8-ounce) can Tomato paste | | | | European nations, such as Greece, France, and Spain. |
| 1-1/2 cups Cut-up cooked chicken or turkey | | | | This diverse history of people shows in the traditions |
| 4 cups Hot cooked spaghetti | | | | and culture of this isolated island destination. |
| Instructions: | | | | While, being an island, seafood, especially shellfish, |
| Heat all ingredients except chicken and spaghetti to | | | | plays a large part in the regional cuisine of Sardinia, |
| boiling in 10-inch skillet; reduce heat. Cover and | | | | very few Sardinian meals do not incorporate lamb, a |
| simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken. | | | | rich resource in the mountainous inland of the island |
| Cover and simmer 30 minutes longer, stirring | | | | of Sardinia. In addition to the lamb's meat, a favorite |
| occasionally. Remove bay leaf. Serve sauce over | | | | of Sardinian chefs, very few meals are complete |
| spaghetti. | | | | without the company of sheep's milk and wild fennel. |
| Note: All three Italian recipes in this article yield 6 | | | | Stews and roasts are popular choices for the people |
| servings. | | | | of Sardinia. Looking at any Sardinian recipe, it is easy |
| Spinach Salad | | | | to see that the cuisine of this hilly island is a veritable |
| Ingredients: | | | | stone soup of the many different cultures that have |
| 2 or 3 cups Raw spinach | | | | passed through the island over the years. |
| 3 slices Bacon | | | | The seafood traditions of the Greek isles can be |
| 1 whole Avocado, sliced | | | | found in the mussel stews and roasted lobster dishes |
| 12 strips Pimiento | | | | that keep the island's fishermen busy. Malloreddus is a |
| Salt and pepper, to taste | | | | Sardinian pasta that can be found in many stews and |
| 1/2 cup Italian olive oil | | | | pasta dishes accompanying chicken or rabbit basted |
| 1/4 cup Vinegar | | | | in fennel or saffron. Malloreddus is a grooved pasta |
| 1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese | | | | that very much resembles gnocchi in taste and |
| Instructions: Wash spinach well, and remove stems. | | | | texture, and is made of semolina flour and |
| Dry. Fry bacon crisp and then drain. Chop or crumble | | | | sometimes seasoned lightly with saffron, while most |
| into small bits. Toss the spinach with remaining | | | | gnocchi is made with potato. |
| ingredients. | | | | Stews are very popular in the regional cuisine of |
| Lemon Sorbet | | | | Sardinia, and even meat and poultry dishes are |
| Ingredients: | | | | served in rich cooking sauces that could just as easily |
| 2-1/4 cups Fresh lemon juice | | | | be served as soups. For this reason, accompanying a |
| 1-1/2 tbsp Grated lemon zest | | | | Sardinian entre with a hearty crusted bread or a side |
| 4-1/2 cups Simple syrup | | | | of potatoes makes for a very filling meal. Pasta, in |
| Simple Syrup: | | | | the traditional sense is not as large a part of Sardinian |
| 3 cups Sugar | | | | cooking as in other regions of Italy. The pastas of |
| 6 cups Water | | | | Sardinia are more commonly associated with Middle |
| Instructions: Combine the ingredients and freeze in an | | | | Eastern cuisine. Hearty grains and fusilli more |
| ice cream maker. Alternatively, place in a bowl set | | | | commonly accompany the dishes of Sardinian regional |
| within a larger bowl holding ice cubes and salted | | | | cuisine, as opposed the lasagna, spaghetti or linguine |
| water. Beat the mixture with a portable mixer or | | | | that Americans more commonly associate with Italian |
| wire whisk for several minutes until it begins to be | | | | cooking. |
| thoroughly chilled. Cover and place in the freezer until | | | | Between the diverse history of Sardinia's people, |
| frozen, stirring occasionally. | | | | from France to the Middle East, and the various |
| Simple Syrup: Place the sugar and water in a stainless | | | | different landscapes and resources that can be found |
| steel or enameled saucepan and boil for 5 minutes. | | | | throughout the island, it is hard to put Sardinian |
| Strain through a sieve lined with a damp cloth. Cool.his | | | | cuisine into one category. One thing is for sure |
| is gonna seem so simple that you won't believe that | | | | though, while you will find many different types of |
| it will work, but it does. | | | | food on the island of Sardinia, it is unlikely that you |
| The thing with rice cooking is that folks tend to | | | | will find anything like it anywhere else in the world. |
| make it too hard. Get out a nice heavypan with a | | | | |