Scallops in Orange Sauce and Dried Herbs

These scallops, in a simple orange sauce, are so intense and flavorful that you won't believe how easy they are to make.  We loved them.  I've adapted this recipe from "Urban Italian", the wonderful cookbook Andrew Carmellini came out with this fall.  He's the chef responsible for the award winning Italian food at A Voce, in New York City.  In his recipe, he calls for the smaller bay scallops, but I used sea scallops because that's what I had on hand.

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Sausage with Peppers and Onions (Healthy Style!)

When it comes to southern Italian food, this is a very traditional dish. It's usually made with delicious Italian pork sausage and regular pasta. It's not the kind of thing you want to eat when you're trying to eat light or just healthier. But when you substitute turkey sausage for the pork sausage and when you use whole wheat pasta instead of regular pasta, this dish can be very healthy. There's a lot of great whole wheat pastas out there that not only are high in fiber, but are high in protein. Barilla Plus pasta is very high in protein because it contains legumes - specifically, lentil and chickpea flours. Bell peppers are incredibly healthy - they are high in fiber and contain more Vitamin C than an orange.   

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Italian Pizzelle Ice Cream Sandwiches

"Seize the moment. Think of all those women on the 'Titanic' who waved off the dessert cart." - Erma Bombeck

I had to start you off with that quote so you would feel better about this post.  This is real indulgence.  My husband and kids love these ice cream sandwiches.  You can make these with store bought italian pizzelle cookies, but it's so fun to actually make the cookies yourself.  Pizzelle cookies can be made in any flavor and shaped when still warm, allowing you to make little waffle dishes or cones.  But my guys' favorite way to eat them is to smear them with their beloved Nutella, cut slices of ice cream and make a sandwich out of them.  Of course, you can also just eat them alone, as a cookie, but what fun is that?

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