Proper Ingredients

"Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity."

~Voltaire

I have never been much of a "cook". I enjoy baking, but I have never really enjoyed cooking or creating a dining-masterpiece. I have always wondered what my problem is. I should love it, right? Right.

Well . . . after a conversation with Charles we decided it is time to start EATING RIGHT. I am not just talking healthy, but rather, we want to eat GOOD FOOD.

Food had become kind of boring. It has been the same old stuff, for a LONG time: spaghetti, bland rice and beans, enchiladas, cheese sandwiches (you know the tight-budget drill). But we have had nothing truly exciting, nothing really flavorful. Food was dull. It was not something to look forward to -- making or eating.

If you "are what you eat" . . . we are bland, cheap, and boring.

(Sounds about right!)

We want to change. We are tired of the same ol' same. We are attempting to have our meals planned out ahead of time (I know, what a novel idea!) so that we can get all the right ingredients and have a more pleasant dinner experience with the family. And maybe we might remind our taste-buds that they still exist!

An Awakening

A few months ago Charles brought home some California Rolls with Wasabi. I had tried them a bunch of times before, with just soy sauce -- but I had never been brave enough to try the green blob. He told me I had to try it . . . so, reluctantly, I did. BAM! Fire and spice! (And watery eyes.) It was AMAZING!

It was like my mouth was asleep and Wasabi woke it up!

I LOVED it.

I have been thinking about Wasabi ever since. :-)

I have realized my taste-buds have been asleep, bored, tired and I really want to wake them up!

I want to add some SPICE to my life!

MY FIRST ATTEMPT

Last night -- for the FIRST TIME EVER -- I used garlic, fresh basil and lemon zest in a recipe -- who knew? As I was browning the garlic (never done that before!) I knew it was going to be good. The new aroma was invigorating! It did not take very long to make either, super-fast and fairly simple.

Lemon Zest . . . no idea what it was. Now I know!

(Thank goodness for the internet!)

Fresh Basil . . . what a pretty little thing!

The kids all hovered around the new flavor filling the air and when Charles got home he mentioned how yummy the house smelled. Something new, something different. The kids were EXCITED to eat dinner, wondering what it might taste like -- rather than knowing what to expect. Dinner was gobbled-up without a scrap left behind, even William loved it. (I did not think he would!)

So here it is . . . my very first attempt at being a real "cook" using real ingredients.

It was AMAZING!!

Fettuccine with Shiitake Mushrooms & Basil

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/fettuccine_with_shiitake_mushrooms_basil.html

From EatingWell: Fall 2004, The EatingWell Diabetes Cookbook (2005)

EatingWell reader Sidra Goldman of Washington, D.C., contributed this fresh-tasting whole-wheat pasta recipe. Lemon zest accents the basil beautifully.

4 servings, 1 1/2 cups each | Active Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced (1 1/2 cups)
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice, juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 8 ounces whole-wheat fettuccine, or spaghetti (see Ingredient note)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, (1 ounce)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, divided

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil for cooking pasta.
2. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over low heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute. Add mushrooms and increase heat to medium-high; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 9 to 11 minutes or according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
4. Add the pasta, the reserved cooking liquid, Parmesan and 1/4 cup basil to the mushrooms in the skillet; toss to coat well. Serve immediately, garnished with remaining basil.

YUMMY!!

The proper ingredients make ALL the difference!

Wish me luck in turning food into a pleasure, rather than a pain!

Happy Cooking!

(Five-spice Turkey and Lettuce Wraps tonight!)