Where did we leave off last time? Ah, yes… making our own chicken stock! That was so easy, wasn’t it? You can use that stock in any recipe that calls for chicken broth, but why not use it to make some thick, chunky chicken noodle soup? This is not the thin, watery stuff that you get out of a can when you’re sick. This is thick, flavorful, hearty soup that warms your soul on the coldest of days.

If you thought “scalloped potatoes” and “healthy” couldn’t go in the same sentence, you were probably right. However, Cooks Illustrated (there I go talking about them again) has come up with a lighter version that I think, with a little tweaking, is absolutely fantastic. I cut back on the amount of onions they originally called for, changed the topping a bit, and added some cubed ham. I grew up eating ham in my scalloped potatoes, so the thought of omitting it was unfathomable but if you’re  vegetarian, by all means, the dish will taste just fine without it. My dad likes adding chopped roasted Anaheim chili peppers to his scalloped potatoes, so if you enjoy a little extra kick, feel free to toss in some of those when the recipe says to add the ham.

You need to slice those potatoes with a food processor or mandolin or they won’t cook evenly. Try as you might, you won’t slice them this thin with a knife, and even if you could, it would mean being in the kitchen all day. Notice that when I am done, my slices are thin enough that you can almost see through them.

Sometimes simplicity is what’s for dinner. And with this sauce, simplicity shines.

It’s not often that you can whip up dinner with only 5 minutes of prep time and have it taste as good as this. The secret is great tomatoes and lots of fresh basil! Oh, and lots of garlic. And Parmesan cheese. Okay, so there are lots of secrets to this dish.

My husband and roomie magically appeared the minute the pasta was fully cooked. It’s funny how these things happen… do they have a “dinner is done” radar? Oohs and ahhhs issued immediately. I guess they’ll keep me around as the house chef for a little while longer!

I got this recipe from Christopher Kimball’s The Cook’s Bible. I haven’t used any other recipes from here yet, but I’ll be sure to let you know if I come across more winners like this one!

If you’re a biscuit lover, you’ll love these. They’re everything you love about a biscuit (buttery, flaky, delicious plain or with your favorite topping) and yet, shhhhh, they’re low in fat compared to all their biscuit companions. Don’t tell anyone. They won’t believe you anyway.

And if you don’t like biscuits, these biscuits could quite possibly convert you into a biscuit fiend. I have had many, many people tell me that they don’t like biscuits, which is something that I can’t even begin to comprehend, but then they obligingly eat these biscuits and their faces light up and they begin to ooh and ahh about how great they are. Sometimes I have to remind them to swallow first and then share their comments. Otherwise, things can get a bit messy.

My husband and I love these plain or with jam. My friends like them with honey (new to me, but hey! I won’t argue!). I eat them for dinner and then reheat any leftovers for breakfast. That is, if there are leftovers.

If you’re cooking for two, as I often do, half the recipe. Then you can justify making fresh biscuits again in a couple days. Nothing beats fresh biscuits.

Above: If you think you’re seeing double, it’s because you are. One day I decided to make these for dinner, but also felt that they would make a great offering at a party the following day. Obviously, I wasn’t going to serve leftover biscuits at the party, so I started two batches and cooked one that night and cooked the other the next day. If you want to do this, do not add the buttermilk until just before baking, and store the flour mixture with pea-sized butter in the fridge until you’re ready to bake.

By the way, I shamelessly stole this recipe from Cook’s Illustrated The Best Light Recipe. If you like this recipe, you should check out their book. It is full of delightful surprises like biscuits and cobblers and soups and entrees that you’d never know were low in fat and calories.