pesto pasta salad

Its christmas and I decided to make a pasta salad to bring to chistmas lunch. Wheat pasta,asparagus,red bell pepper, baby heirloom tomatoes, kalamata olives, pesto and goat cheese. Then a whole bunch of fresh basil on top. Amazing!

soup tonight?

So, it has been a while since posting, and I guess I can only blame finals and craziness for that, and the fact my camera broke and I can't upload any pictures, and half the fun of sharing food is how good it looks.  And, unlike a lot of people, I still have a REALLY basic phone, so the pictures I take with it are actually quite horrible, but if I get around to making soup tonight, instead of studying through all meal times as I have been doing,  I will use my phone camera, because it is all I have.  I am planning on making bean with bacon soup, which is one of my all time favorites.  Homemade is definitely better than canned (as with everything) but when I was little Campbell's made a pretty descent one, as far as I can remember (at least it was really salty/smoky flavored and I'm a salt addict).  So, hopefully this soup will come about, as I rather be cooking than studying any day.  Check back for details and some really great grainy pics!

pasta night

Today Haley and I visited the North Park farmers market, the first time in a while.  We used to go weekly, as we had a share in a CSA with our old roommate Lauren and would pick up our produce box there and in addition would leisurely browse the booths that had amazing food and crafts. 

Going today was a delight as always and we stopped at my favorite booth, the one that sells homemade pastas, pesto and hummus.  Although I have a pretty well stocked fridge and pantry at the moment, I wasn't able to pass up the fresh pasta (lemon basil fettuccine), and one sample of the walnut basil pesto had me ripping money out of my wallet.  Remembering that I had a plethora of veggies at home, I got out of the market relatively cheaply, but still had a great time looking, and sampling. 

At home I cut up zucchini and yellow squash and put them in a wok with a bit of olive oil and sea salt and a splash of balsamic vinegar. I cooked these until browned and a bit caramelized. 

I also found a portabella mushroom in the far reaches of the veggie drawer and cut it up in thick slices, mixed together olive oil and balsamic vinegar and let it sit in the mixture for several minutes before cooking it on medium high heat until both sides were browned.

Because I was using fresh pasta, it only takes a minute or two to cook, so once everything else was done, I put the pasta in the boiling water, pulled it out soon after, and liberally spooned the pesto over it to finish.  Delicious. 

julie and julia

Last night I watched Julie & Julia for the first time, and besides loving the movie, found it quite inspirational and am seriously contemplating replicating Julie Powell's experiment of cooking her way through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  Although, if I did partake in this adventure, it would have to be after I move, but it might serve me quite well in Portland in the winter months, as eating all the extra butter might help keep me warm if some pounds were added to my frame.  It is just a thought, but one that gives me tingles and makes me think that one day it would be amazing to just cook for a living.  Until then...I will cook, and write about it, and most of all, eat and enjoy :)

thanksgiving!

Normally for Thanksgiving i go home and my sisters and i cook most of the food at my Gramma's house.  this year i didn't visit my family and just had a potluck with friends and only contributed a few dishes.  this made it a little less fun, as i LOVE cooking all the yummy dishes of this feast day, but cut down drastically on the stress.  next year i am hoping to host and make most everything myself, with some new recipes as well. 

for the potluck i made deviled eggs (thanks so much Haley for helping peel those eggs!), green bean almondine, and pumpkin pie.  i also brought cranberry macadamia nut stuffing, but my friend Haley put that together mostly, and it was delicious.   deviled eggs are like candy to me.  every Thanksgiving and Christmas either i or one of my sisters make these and they go fast once they are on the table.  i don't even like mustard or mayonnaise, but for some reason, when it is mixed in with the egg yolks and maybe some vinegar for some extra tang and a bit of paprika on top, i cant stop myself, they are quite addicting. 

green bean almondine is one of my favorite sides and it is so simple, yet has really complex and unexpected flavors.  i sautee fresh green beans in olive oil, salt and pepper (fresh ground is best) and cook for maybe five minutes before adding the almonds.  i always buy raw whole almonds and chop them roughly for this dish, it always seems to taste better.  i add those and cook until they are browned and roasted, and have a slight meaty flavor.  all the components in the dish really compliment each other. 

pumpkin pie is one of my favorites, and i make it quite a few times between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  i normally just use the recipe on the back of the pumpkin puree can, but to really pull the flavors out, use fresh ground spices.  you will be amazed at how much difference this makes.  every time i make pumpkin pie i always want to make homemade whipped cream as well, but i don't own a mixer. that is next on my list to buy once i have a few extra dollars. 

hamburger patty with sauteed asparagus

i bought some hamburger patties at the store the other day, and now it seems like I've been eating beef non stop, as it is not something i regularly eat in my diet.  but i did make something quite delicious for lunch, and for some reason, eating beef seems to go well with colder weather in my mind, so this works out well. 

as they were already in patties, i just threw them in a skillet on the stove with a bit of salt and pepper and let them cook on medium.  meanwhile, i sauteed the asparagus with some olive oil, salt and pepper.  i cook mostly with basic ingredients and that way you can actually taste the food you are eating, not just what you put on to it.  after everything was cooked i served the patty with a bit of goat cheese and avocado and asparagus on the side.  SO good. 

egg breakfast sandwich

this is what i normally eat for breakfast if i have everything on hand.  it is also easy and fast so i can make it while i am getting ready for school in the morning.  i use Ezekiel 4:9 bread, toast it while i am cooking the egg (over medium), spread hummus on the toast when it pops, then put slices of avocado on top of the hummus, and then the egg right on top when it is cooked.  this time i had it with a side of blackberries to round it out and of course some coffee :) 

i used to hate runny eggs of any sort, and would cook the life out of mine any time i would eat them.  but a couple of summers ago i was in New York with my dad and had eggs Benedict for the first time at a great little restaurant and it was amazing.  since then, i love having the yolks run.  it is amazing to me how food preferences can change over time, even if a certain one has been ingrained since childhood. this just reinforces the idea that i should always try new things, food and otherwise.