No Ordinary Spaghetti Dinner

Most of my life consists of ordinary days.  The type of day where I get up, go to work, come home, have dinner with my husband, play with our dogs, and then go to sleep.  Of course, there are certain days that are consumed with attending marching band competitions to watch Melissa perform, entire afternoons filled with anticipation of a new Mad Men episode, or planning trivia nights with new friends.  But these can be few and far between so Tim and I have settled into somewhat of a quiet routine with one another.  I can't complain--I'm lucky. 

I suppose some of my initial interest in blogging was to throw myself out there a little bit more, mix things up, have some new experiences.  And this little blog hasn't let me down.  I was able to attend an awesome luncheon on canning at Local 127; I have challenged myself to cook and bake things I've never made before; and I have started some new food traditions in my family that I look forward to continuing. 

But even with all of these new and interesting opportunities and foods, often the weeknight dinners are the meals that I love the best.  I like just being home with Tim and that makes an ordinary night special just because we are together.  Cheesey--I know--but it makes workdays pass a little more quickly and it makes me want to turn an ordinary spaghetti dinner into something with a little more "za za zu."

Because really, my life with Tim is no ordinary life.  It's a good life, and it deserves some good food to go with it. 

Baked Spaghetti and Mozzarella
adapted from Everday Food Magazine
serves 4

Ingredients
3/4 pound spaghetti
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
2  28oz cans of whole peeled tomatoes
2 cups basil leaves, torn or coarsley chopped
salt & pepper
3/4 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add tomatoes and bring to a boil.  Cook at a simmer until tomatoes break down, using a wooden spoon or potato masher to break up pieces of tomatoes, about 12-15 minutes or until the sauce thickens.  Salt & pepper to taste. 

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook pasta about 5 minutes.  It should still be slightly crunchy.  Drain pasta and return to pot.  Add tomato sauce, basil, and half of the mozzarella and toss to combine.  Transfer mixture to a 3 quart baking dish and top with remaining mozzarella.

Bake until cheese is golden and edges are bubbling, about 25 minutes. 

A Picky Eater and Weeknight Pasta

I would not consider myself a picky eater.  That being said, I do have a list of things I will not eat or generally avoid.

Jen's "I prefer not to eat" list

1. Anything fennel flavored
2. Mushrooms on pizza
3. Corn that's not on the cob
4. Venison
5. Canned salmon
6. Snails
7. Yogurt

I'm sure there are more things, but these are foods I have tried or been asked to try but declined because of their gross factor.  I would say many people may agree with my list or may agree with a few but also have a few of their own to add.  Is there anything you absolutely do not eat?

Overall, I would not consider myself a picky eater.  I like spicy food and I'm fairly adventurous with my choices.  I will try just about anything once (except, again, for things with a big gross factor).  I can't remember if I was picky as a child, but I do know that I didn't like sausage patties or links at breakfast and I wouldn't go near green peppers.  I believe that as we grow older we either appreciate more diverse flavors or we can just taste things less and therefore things are more palatable.

I know that something I cook passes the Picky Eater Test if my stepdaughter will eat it.  She is the ultimate (and increasingly) picky eater and it's important to me to find things she will like.  I mentioned to my friend K.C. (who got married in this past July) that I was trying to find new meals to make and she passed along a recipe that was Picky Eater Tested by her husband and stepson.

I'm forever grateful to K.C. for giving this recipe to me because not only was it well-received by my picky eater, but it was extremely quick and easy to prepare.  I appreciating having a friend who really gets where I'm coming from.

I threw in some grape tomatoes that our friend Luke gave us last week.  The tomato added a nice flavor and a pop of freshness that balanced the creamy sauce.  My stepdaughter didn't eat the tomatoes, but this pasta was a nice compromise between Adventurous (me) and Picky (her). 

Linguine with Romano and Mascarpone
loosely adapted from Thirty Minute Pasta (though I've never seen the original) 
serves 4 as a main course and 6 as a side dish

Ingredients
8 oz of linguine (or any pasta)
4 tbsp mascarpone
3 tbsp grated Romano cheese, plus more for garnish
1 egg yolk
1 tsp fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme)
salt & pepper
pasta water
1/4 pound grape tomatoes

Bring a pot of water to boil.  Cook the linguine to al denté.  In a large bowl, mix together mascarpone, Romano cheese, egg yolk, and thyme.  Add 1-2 tbsp pasta water to the cheese mixture until sauce is creamy.  Drain pasta and add to the bowl with cheese mixture.  Salt & pepper to taste.  Slice grape tomatoes in half and toss with pasta.

Serve warm with grated Romano cheese.

Not All Mushrooms are Created Equal

I spoke too soon and jinxed it.  The rain did not go away.  In fact, we had been enjoying warm, sunny weather for most of April and the beginning of May until I decided I wanted to actually do something outdoors, and Mother Nature really showed me who's boss.  Saturday and Sunday's forecasts are looking promising though. 

So instead of sitting around on my behind, I took matters into my own hands.  I could show Mother Nature who was really boss of my house.  I could cook up a storm and serve it to my husband, inside our warm, dry home, while she had to stay outside alone with her watering cans. 

But the problem was, I hadn't really planned on cooking a feast.  Our fridge was filled with an assortments of bits and pieces of previous meals.  I considered leftovers--there were some from my husband's favorite meal (aka meatloaf).  But with my renewed energy to fight back against the dreary weather, I'd have to make do with what we had.  

Pork chops, fresh rosemary, Parmesan cheese, and cremini mushrooms practically raised their hands to volunteer for dinner.  Eat me today while I'm still fresh!  

I'm not a huge "mushroom" person, but I can appreciate the complexities that the rich flavor of mushroom can add to a dish.  Tim on the other hand--HUGE mushroom person.  Loves them on and in everything.  But I will be the first to admit that not all mushrooms are created equal, and I will take cremini's over white button mushrooms any day of the week.  

Cremini mushrooms have many aliases including crimini, baby bellas, and portabellinis (because they are in fact immature portabella mushrooms), but by any name, they are equally as delicious.

To go along side our rosemary pork chops, I whipped up this Parmesan Orzo with Cremini Mushrooms, and trust me, you won't ever think all mushrooms are the same again! 

Parmesan Orzo with Cremini Mushrooms

serves 4


Note:  This side dish was definitely enhanced by the drippings already in the pan from frying our entrée, rosemary pork chops, but if you are the type who preserves bacon drippings, that would be a good option as well.  Otherwise, additional butter or olive oil will still do the trick, but you will definitely be missing out on a little "something."  I suggest additional seasoning or tossing in some herbs like rosemary if you start without drippings.

Ingredients 
1 tbsp fat drippings

1 tbsp butter

1 small onion, diced

2 cups of cremini onions, rinsed, patted dry, and halved
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup uncooked orzo
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt & pepper

Cook orzo according to the directions on the box until al dente.  Drain and toss with 1 tbsp olive oil and set aside.  In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and drippings.  When the butter is melted and just begins to simmer, add the diced onion.  Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occassionally, and then add the mushrooms.  Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, careful to continue to stir and adjust heat so as not to burn the onions.  Turn up the heat to medium-high and add the wine, scraping the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to remove any accumulated bits.  Allow the wine to reduce down to 2 tbsp.  Add the orzo and Parmesan, tossing together.  Salt & pepper to taste.