Blogger Returns with NEW Delicious Recipe!

Wow!  I can’t believe how busy I have been.  I’m working on a couple of other web projects and recipes and gardening — life just gets in the way sometimes, doesn’t it?

I cooked something new the other day: rice pasta.  This was the first time I had tried it;  I used the angel hair pasta and I like it!  It’s a bit tricky on the cooking time – my box said 5 to 7 minutes, and I went a bit longer, which made it too soft.  I cooked more later and stopped right at 8 minutes and it was just right.  The water turns opaque white, so don’t be alarmed.   The rice pasta doesn’t have the usual pasta flavors we are used to –  it doesn’t taste like a wheat noodle, maybe closer to the lack of flavor of a white flour pasta, but with it’s own rice flavor.  I like them — I’ll continue to buy them.  I’m still using up my farmer’s market veggie finds, too!  Here’s what I made:

Rice Pasta with Zucchini, Patty Squash & Kidney Beans

olive oil
1/2 zucchini
1/2 yellow patty squash
1/4 large white onion
1 clove garlic
cracked black pepper
1/2 can stewed tomatoes
1/2 cup organic pasta sauce
cinnamon
rice pasta – angel hair spaghetti
1/2 can kidney beans

Start your water boiling for the rice pasta.  Chop the onion and slice the squashes, then saute along with garlic and cracked pepper in olive oil until vegetables are browning slightly.  In the meantime, add pasta to water and cook the recommended time, rinse with cold water.  Return the pasta to the pan and add the kidney beans to it;  stir slightly to mix.   To the vegetable saute add 1/2 can stewed tomatoes, 1/2 cup pasta sauce, and a dash of cinnamon (or two).    Stir until heated through.  Put drained pasta with beans onto a plate and top with some of the cooked mixture.   It’s delicious! 

I always use organic ingredients, but the choice is yours. 

If you haven’t discovered glass storage containers yet, have a look at the small one in the photos below.  It measures about 3 x 4 x 4 inches and is so handy for storing canned foods when I only use a portion of the can’s contents.  These containers come in all sizes, but I have been using this small size every day to put stuff in my fridge. 

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Fusion Hummus: A Mediterranean Twist

 

ONE THING I LOVE ABOUT cooking is occasionally you think you are out of food, then you discover if you just throw a few things together you can make something delicious.  That’s what happened to me today.   I had a can of chickpeas, so I did an online search for recipes and found Fusion Hummus at allrecipes.com.  Since I only had one can of chickpeas on hand, I exactly halved the recipe.  I also used dried rosemary, 1/4 teaspoon crushed, instead of the fresh.   After putting all the ingredients into my blender, I shook a few dashes of salt and pepper on top, and blended.  A few pieces of whole grain flatbread made for a very delicious lunch.

I think the tanginess of this hummus makes it a perfect side dish for a cookout or picnic.   It will be perfect alongside potato salads, pasta salads or other Memorial Day type foods.   Serve with chips, crackers, or breads.

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Mother’s Day Appetizer – Radicchio & Goat Cheese

Tonight I made this tasty, interesting appetizer, and I almost made it like the original recipe.  The only things I did different, which are minor, are that I left the garlic in the oil when I added the herbs and pepper and I served it with dark rye toast points, not french bread.

Here is the original recipe from Epicurious for Baked Radicchio and Herbed Goat Cheese.   The flavors are so different, with the marjoram, basil and rosemary in one dish, along with garlic, goat cheese and radicchio.  The blend of aromas when it’s baking makes the house smell sooooo good!   This is a good recipe for an appetizer, but could also be served as a side dish to a meal.

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