Lamb Loin Chops with Macaroni

I saw lamb chops at Trader Joe's. I used to hate lamb. I don't know why. Something about my being a Ram under the Chinese zodiac made me really paranoid about eating lamb when I was growing up. I felt like it was bad luck or something. Like I was somehow going to be damned for eternity. I highly regret that I felt that way. I love lamb. It is delicious. And I was getting awfully tired of microwave-meat. I like the taste of lamb by itself, so I didn't do much to them in terms of seasoning. I was more than satisfied.

Macaroni:

- Cook the macaroni in boiling water (about 7 minutes) until al dente.
- Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Drain macaroni. Put macaroni back in pot.
- Place pot on stove on medium high heat and add salt and pepper to taste as well as a little butter and cheese.
- Once it is heated through, take off the stove and add some mayonnaise to taste (you really do not need that much).
- Place to side (or in fridge if you prefer) until the lamb and vegetables are done cooking. I usually start it all at the same time, so my macaroni ends up a bit over room temperature if I toss it in the fridge for a little.

Easy Lamb Loin Chops:
- Pat lamb chops dry with a paper towel.
- Using a fork, GENTLY poke each side of the lamb chop a few times (I do ten quick pokes) to tenderize.
- Sprinkle salt and black pepper on both sides, and spread it evenly with the fork.
- Heat up oil in a pan. Once hot, place seasoned lamb chops in and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side. I cook on medium high heat to achieve a chop that is medium to medium rare.
- After both sides are cooked, turn the loin onto its bone so the meat on the side of the bone can cook as well. (I like to make sure my meat is fully cooked). You do not need to cook it for too long, just until it is no longer pink (maybe a minute more or less).
- Let sit for five minutes to finish cooking.
- DO NOT TOSS THE FAT THAT WILL COOK OUT OF THE LAMB.

Vegetables:
- Chop some vegetables into bite-sized, somewhat uniform pieces.
- Toss into the pan that you used to cook the lamb and saute until cooked through. The lamb fat will somewhat infuse into the vegetables and make them extra yummy.
- Sprinkle some salt to taste.

Plate lamb, macaroni, and vegetables, grab a fork, and dig in!

Spaghetti Alfredo with Herb-Cheese Bread

I realize that I make a lot of pasta and rice. What can I say, I love carbs. So I decided to try something out of the ordinary today and try my hand at some Spaghetti Alfredo. I know, its so simple, but for some reason, my spaghetti always comes out sub-par. I was actually very pleased with the way this dish turned out though. I'm quite proud of myself.

Ingredients:
Spaghetti (as much as you want to eat)
Meat, cut into bite-sized pieces (I used leftover salami)
Vegetables, cut into similar bite-sized pieces (I used broccoli)
Alfredo Sauce
Black Pepper (to taste)

Directions:

- Bring a pot half full with water to a rolling boil.
- Add the spaghetti and let it cook until al dente (roughly 7 minutes for me on medium high heat).
- While waiting, saute the meat and vegetables in a small pan until cooked through.
- Butter a piece of bread and sprinkle Parmesan cheese and  herbs (I usually have left-over Parmesan herb mix from refrigerated pastas). Pop in toaster over (or conventional oven) for a few minutes. (Should be complete around the time the noodles are warming up)
- Drain the noodles and quickly rinse with cool water to stop noodles from cooking further.
- Place drained noodles to the side and heat up the alfredo sauce in the pan.
- Once sauce begins to warm, pour in the spaghetti and stir.
- Once noodles and sauce are warmed through, put it on a plate. Top with the vegetable and meat mixture. Add the bread.
- Enjoy!