cooking
together
By Lisa Holderness Brown Photos by Blaine Moats
Food styling by Dianna Nolin
4 Sunda� Dinners
Penne with Grilled Italian Sausage
and Sweet Peppers (recipe, page 8)
Sunday dinner with the
Lewis family often means
place settings for parents,
siblings, nieces, and
nephews. Andy and
Jennifer are grateful for the
camaraderie and help in
the kitchen from even the
youngest sous chefs.
Opposite: Jennifer Lewis and brother Josh Holderness chat while
Stella Holderness gives a helping hand. Above: Stella and mom
Shara play as brother Cash helps corral the peppers.
Sunda� Dinners 5
Penne with Grilled
Italian Sausage and
Sweet Peppers
Pictured on page 7.
Start to Finish: 35 minutes
16stalks fresh asparagus, trimmed
16ounces dried enriched multigrain
pasta (such as Barilla brand)
Salt
212-ounce packages cooked sweet
Italian chicken sausage links
2medium orange and/or yellow
sweet peppers, seeded and
quartered
dish It up
Abby Lewis, 18,
helps herself
while her dad,
Andy, makes
a Fizzy Juice
Drink. Abby
looks forward
to a houseful of
family since her
one sibling, Jack,
is now 21. She
likes buffet style
dinners so she
can decide how
much to take,
especially when
trying something
new the first time.
6 Sunda� Dinners
1cup whole fresh mushrooms
2to 3 tablespoons olive oil
1cup beef, chicken, or vegetable
broth (preferably organic or all
natural, reduced sodium)
1 ⁄4teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 ⁄3to 1 ⁄2 cup coarsely snipped fresh
basil or Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano or
Parmesan cheese (about 1 ⁄2 cup)
1.In a Dutch oven cook the asparagus in
a small amount of boiling water for 3 minutes.
Drain well and transfer to a plate. In the same
Dutch oven cook pasta with a pinch of salt,
according to package directions; drain.
Return pasta to pan and keep covered.
2.Meanwhile, cut sausage links in half the
long way. Brush asparagus, sweet peppers,
and mushrooms with olive oil.
3. For a charcoal grill, grill sausage and
sweet peppers on the rack of an uncovered
grill directly over medium coals for 7 to
8 minutes or until sausage is browned and
peppers have charred spots, turning once
halfway through grilling. (For a gas grill,
preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place
sausage and sweet peppers on grill rack over
heat. Cover and grill as directed above.)
4.While the sausage and sweet peppers
are grilling, add asparagus and mushrooms
to the grill. Grill for 3 to 5 minutes or just
until tender and starting to brown, turning
once halfway through grilling.
5. Bias-slice sausage into 1-inch pieces.
Cut asparagus and sweet peppers into bitesize pieces and slice or quarter mushrooms.
6. In a large skillet combine broth and
crushed red pepper. Bring to boiling. Add
sausage and vegetables. Cook for 3 minutes.
Remove from heat. Pour over pasta; add
basil. Toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with
cheese. Makes 8 servings.
Per Serving: 391 cal., 12 g fat (3 g sat. fat), 69 mg
chol., 643 mg sodium, 44 g carbo., 5 g fiber,
27 g pro.
Caesar Dip with
Vegetables
Start to Finish: 25 minutes
16ounces cottage cheese
1 ⁄2cup grated Parmesan cheese
3tablespoons lemon juice
1tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 ⁄ teaspoons garlic salt
1 2
1 ⁄2teaspoon salt
1 ⁄2teaspoon anchovy paste
(optional)
1 ⁄2teaspoon bottled hot pepper sauce
1 ⁄8teaspoon ground black pepper
1 ⁄3cup olive oil
Ground black pepper (optional)
12cups cut-up raw vegetables for
dipping (such as carrots, sweet
peppers, zucchini, radishes,
string beans, broccoli, and/or
cauliflower)
1.In a food processor combine cottage
cheese, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice,
Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, salt,
anchovy paste (if desired), hot pepper sauce,
and black pepper. Cover and process about
2 minutes or until well mixed.
2.With machine running, slowly add oil
through feed tube, processing for about
1 minute. If desired, top dip with additional
black pepper; serve with vegetables. Makes
2 1 ⁄2 cups.
Per 1 ⁄4 -cup dip: 128 cal., 10 g fat (2 g sat. fat),
11 mg chol., 505 mg sodium, 2 g carbo., 0 g fiber,
7 g pro.
Fizzy Juice Drink
Start to Finish: 5 minutes
1 ⁄3cup cranberry juice cocktail
(juice blend)
1 ⁄4cup orange juice
1 ⁄4 cup sparkling water with berry
flavor or plain sparkling water
Lime or lemon wedge
Maraschino cherry (optional)
Chopped Romaine
Salad with Spring
Garlic and Tarragon
Vinaigrette
Prep: 35 minutes Bake: 20 minutes
Oven:  300°F
3hearts of romaine lettuce,
coarsely chopped
Sourdough Croutons
2cups halved grape tomatoes
2to 3 stalks spring (or green)
garlic or green onions (white and
light green parts), thinly sliced
Tarragon Vinaigrette
1 ⁄4cup pine nuts, toasted (optional)
1.Place chopped lettuce in a large bowl.
Add Sourdough Croutons, tomatoes, and
spring garlic.
2.Stir Tarragon Vinaigrette (see photo,
page 7). Drizzle vinaigrette over lettuce
mixture; toss gently. If desired, sprinkle with
pine nuts. Makes 8 side-dish servings.
Sourdough Croutons: Preheat oven to
300°F. Cut five 3⁄4-inch-thick slices sourdough
bread into 1-inch pieces (4 1⁄2 cups); set aside.
In a small saucepan heat 1⁄3 cup butter until
melted. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in
2 finely chopped garlic cloves, 1⁄8 teaspoon
salt, and 1⁄8 teaspoon ground black pepper.
Add bread pieces, stirring until bread is coated
with butter mixture. Spread bread pieces in
a single layer in a shallow baking pan or
rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes;
stir. Bake about 10 minutes more or until
bread pieces are crisp and golden brown;
cool. If desired, store in an airtight container
at room temperature for up to 24 hours.
8 Sunda� Dinners
1.In a tall glass combine cranberry juice,
orange juice, and sparkling water. Squeeze
juice from lime wedge into glass and add lime
wedge. If desired, garnish with maraschino
cherry. Makes 1 (8-ounce) serving.
Per Serving: 76 cal., 0 g fat, 0 mg chol., 5 mg
sodium, 19 g carbo., 0 g fiber, 0 g pro.
Tarragon Vinaigrette: In a bowl combine
1 ⁄ cup red wine vinegar, 2 or 3 tablespoons
4
Dijon-style mustard, and 2 tablespoons
snipped fresh tarragon. Gradually whisk in
1⁄ to 1⁄ cup olive oil. Season to taste with salt
4
3
and ground black pepper. If desired, cover and
store in refrigerator up to 3 days.
Per Serving: 191 cal., 15 g fat (6 g sat. fat), 20 mg
chol., 401 mg sodium, 13 g carbo., 2 g fiber,
3 g pro.
Playing at the Table
Make dinnertime valuable family time and keep
everyone gabbing with the help of creative conversation
starters and games.
The Gather ’Round Dinner Game
This combination of mini games, such as humming a song
for everyone to guess or naming as many red foods as one
can, offers 132 activities and conversation initiators to get
all ages talking and laughing. Push the button to spin for
your question and play as few or as many games as you like.
$24.95; ftfgames.com
Family Dinner box of questions
Share a laugh as you discover which TV family your kids think
your family most resembles, or bond over a story about
important lessons your parents taught you. The
82 questions in this box dig deeper than simply,
“how was your day?” $19.95; theboxgirls.com
Jennifer’s go-to dessert—
Cheesecake. It’s make-ahead and
everyone adores it.
Kid Duty
The secret to
getting siblings
Stella and Cash
excited about
dinner is to get
them involved
with a task that
seems exciting.
Kids love to play
with water, so
washing the
berries for the
dessert is a
natural. Their dad,
Josh Holderness,
supervises and
high-fives a job
well done.
Mocha-Chocolate
Chip Cheesecake with
Strawberries
This triple chocolate cheesecake can be frozen
for up to a month. Thaw in the refrigerator for
24 hours and top with berries to serve.
Prep: 35 minutes Bake: 45 minutes
Cool: 2 hours Chill: 4 hours Oven:  350°F
3 ⁄ cups finely crushed chocolate
1 4
wafer cookies (about 32 cookies)
1 ⁄3cup butter, melted
5ounces semisweet chocolate,
chopped
1ounce unsweetened chocolate or
semisweet chocolate, chopped
38-ounce packages cream cheese,
softened
1 ⁄ cups sugar
1 4
2tablespoons all-purpose flour
1teaspoon vanilla
4eggs
1tablespoon instant coffee
crystals
1 ⁄4cup milk
3 ⁄4 cup miniature semisweet
chocolate pieces
2cups fresh strawberries, halved
or quartered
2tablespoons sugar
1 ⁄2teaspoon shredded orange peel
Sweetened whipped cream
(optional)
1.Preheat oven to 350°F. For crust, in a
medium bowl combine crushed cookies and
melted butter. Press mixture evenly onto the
bottom and 1 3⁄4 inches up the side of an
ungreased 9-inch springform pan. Chill while
preparing filling.
2. For filling, in a small heavy saucepan
combine chopped semisweet chocolate and
unsweetened chocolate. Cook over low heat
until melted, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly.
3. In a large bowl combine cream cheese,
1 1 ⁄4 cups sugar, flour, and vanilla. Beat with an
10 Sunda� Dinners
electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.
With mixer running, slowly add melted
chocolate, beating on low speed until combined.
Add eggs all at once. Beat on low speed just
until combined. Stir coffee crystals into milk
until dissolved. Stir milk mixture and miniature
chocolate pieces into cream cheese mixture.
4.Pour filling into crust-lined pan. Place
springform pan in a shallow baking pan. Bake
for 45 to 50 minutes or until the center
appears nearly set when gently shaken.
5.Cool in springform pan on a wire rack
for 15 minutes. Loosen crust from side of pan;
cool for 30 minutes more. Remove side of
pan; cool completely on rack (about
11⁄4 hours). Cover and chill for at least 4 hours.
6. Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine
strawberries, 2 tablespoons sugar, and
orange peel. Cover and chill for up to 4 hours.
7. To serve, top cheesecake with
strawberry mixture and, if desired, whipped
cream. Makes 12 servings.
Per Serving: 587 cal., 37 g fat (21 g sat. fat),
147 mg chol., 339 mg sodium, 59 g carbo.,
2 g fiber, 9 g pro.
Chocolate-Almond Cheesecake:
Prepare as directed, except omit chocolate
cookies and melted butter. For almond crust,
use 2 teaspoons butter to grease the bottom
and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Press
1 cup finely ground toasted almonds on
bottom and 1 3 ⁄4 inches up sides of prepared
pan. Chill crust. Continue as directed in Step 2.
Per Serving: 522 cal., 34 g fat (18 g sat. fat),
135 mg chol., 214 mg sodium, 49 g carbo., 3 g fiber,
9 g pro.
Cooks Unite
Jennifer didn’t follow in her foodie
family’s footsteps: Her mom teaches
high school foods classes, brother Josh
owns a restaurant, and a sister is a
food editor. But she loves to cook. Here’s
how she makes dinner a family affair.
Invites. Jennifer calls family
members, sets a date with a starttime and end-time, and welcomes
whoever can come—no mandatory
appearances.
Dinner. A simple menu is best. She
chooses some dishes she can prep
ahead and includes kid-friendly foods
so everyone looks forward to coming.
Prep. The key is that everyone helps.
The focus is on togetherness not
perfection. All ages work, chat, and
joke in tandem, making the kitchen the
happening place to be.
Vibe. The Lewises like things casual.
Jeans are the norm, and music helps
everyone relax. The goal is creating
fond family memories and yummy food.
Sunda� Dinners 11