60-plus minute meals

I've heard one definition of foolishness as doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results.

This is true of me when it comes to Rachel Ray's 30-minute meals. Long ago, I discovered that her meals never take 30 minutes, usually have far too many ingredients to be considered "simple," and nearly always call for 20 leaves of fresh basil, which is in season, oh, about 2 1/2 months of the year, max, and overpriced the rest of the year.

So for a while, her cookbook collected dust and I busied myself with other more manageable weeknight recipes.

However, for some strange reason, I remain a sucker for her TV show, even though every time she says, "How good does that look," or "YUMMO!" I want to splash EVOO all over the television. I guess there's just something about how quick, easy and delicious she makes everything look that entices me.

A few weeks ago we had friends over for dinner and I decided to give Rachel's "Cheddar-Studded Tex-Mex Meatloaf Patties" a shot. Big mistake. This was one of her variation recipes that works off of a master recipe, but swaps out a few ingredients for a different flair. Well, the recipe just didn't explain the swaps all that clearly, I got a late start, didn't do a very good job of cooking and chatting with our guests simultaneously and the patties turned into a greasy meatloaf mash.

Still, a few days later, I tried yet another one of her variation recipes, determined to get it right and to make up for Saturday night's defeat. And now I am proud to say that Ricotta Pasta with Grape Tomatoes, Peas and Basil has become a new house favorite. It actually is quick, easy and delicious, I've even come up with my own variation, adding diced ham.

Of course, I still don't have the stomach to pay for overpriced basil that's out of season, but Trader Joe's frozen basil isn't such a bad substitute.