Whole Wheat Pasta

We didn't love whole wheat pasta last time we tried it. I guess it depends what sauce you make with it. Red sauce just didn't work for us. Turns out we prefer a garlicky broth kind of sauce with the whole wheat. Very light sauce. I tried to duplicate a dish we get at one of the local Italian restaurants that we like. This is the one on the pasta list that has the little heart ♥ next to it, meaning it's heart healthy.  The restaurant version has black olives, chopped tomatoes, mushrooms. I threw a little bit more into mine. Broccoli, mushrooms, red peppers, yellow tomatoes and fresh peas that somehow weren't eaten all up. And no black olives. Lots of garlic. And a splash of sherry for good measure. I would call this "empty out your refrigerator" pasta and it was really good. Although on the restaurant menu it had a nice long Italian name and it sounded much better than a clean the frig (or fridge, if you prefer!) pasta. But I have a nice cleaned out refrigerator for now.

Empty Out Your Refrigerator Pasta ♥ or Healthier Pasta Primavera
Recipe by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

olive oil for the pan
1 pound whole wheat pasta, cooked al dente according to package directions
(2) 8-ounce packages cremini mushrooms
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 red pepper cut into chunks
1 yellow tomato, cut into chunks
1/2 cup fresh or frozen green peas
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
splash of Sherry
salt and pepper, to taste
crushed red pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Prepare the pasta according to the package directions. Do not overcook.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms; sauté about 3 minutes. Add broccoli, salt, pepper, and garlic; sauté for 2 -3 minutes. Add the red pepper and tomato; sauté for another 2 minutes more. Stir in a splash of Sherry and the broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil and simmer for a couple minutes. Add the peas and cook another minute or so. Taste for seasoning and then add the pasta and a little bit of Parmesan cheese; stir well to coat. Remove from heat; and serve with additional cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

Use any vegetables you like, any pasta you like.

Joining 

Beth at Beth Fish Reads for her fun Weekend Cooking Party. Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share! Go on over and see some fun posts.
 

AND

 Mosaic Monday  at the Little Red House.

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Wordless Wednesday: Mushrooms!

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Celery Root

What to do with a celery root? It's not the greatest looking thing. It was a gift from a friend who went upstate and stopped at a Farmer's Market. She never saw one and had no clue what it was, but got two for me to try and do something with them. I made mashed potatoes with the first one. Just okay, we didn't notice much flavor from it. The next one will become a slaw, or maybe even just roasted.

Celery Root and Potato Puree
Adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe 

3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes (keep the cubes in a bowl of cold water until ready to use)
1 large celery root, tough outer parts removed, cut into cubes
1 cup heavy cream, half and half or milk (I used milk)
1/2  stick cold butter, cut into pats
salt, to taste

Special Equipment: food mill, food processor or a potato ricer

Place the potatoes in a large pot. Make sure to add enough water to cover vegetables by 2 inches and season generously with salt. Bring the water to a rapid boil. Add the celery root and cook until both vegetables are tender. Strain the celery root and potatoes.

Put the cream in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. Put the celery root and potatoes through a food mill or a ricer over a large bowl. Add about the hot cream and butter. Stir until the cream and butter are thoroughly combined. Taste for seasoning. Keep warm until ready to use.

Joining 

Beth at Beth Fish Reads for her fun Weekend Cooking Party. Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share! Go on over and see some fun posts.
 

AND

 Mosaic Monday  at the Little Red House.

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Wordless Wednesday: Root Vegetable

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A fairy tale...

Once upon a time there was a little old blogger, not really that old, who occasionally cooks and frequently has takeout. This lucky blogger left a comment on a fabulous blog and was awarded with a gift. I just love a good fairy tale ending.

One of my regular blog stops is at Savoring Time in the Kitchen. I love seeing what's going on in Susan's kitchen, so what a nice surprise to see that back in July, Susan was visited by the Fairy Godmother!  And she had an invitation for everyone to leave a comment and maybe the Hobmother would pay a random visit to a lucky blogger and spread more smiles and more joy!  Yeah, yeah, I've heard that before. So what a cool surprise to find that the Fairy Hobmother actually paid me a visit! Just showed up one day and whacked me right on the head with a very nice Amazon gift card. And she could visit you!

Free clip art from Crafty Jenny 

Now I am sharing my good fortune with you, all you have to do is make a wish and leave a comment and a wish! An Amazon kind of wish, not sure a Fairy Hobmother can grant world peace or a cure for the common cold, but she does wonders with appliances. She lives here, at this place, it may look like an online appliance center in the UK, but it's really a secret meeting place for Fairy Hobmothers, who like doing laundry with ecobubbles! So cross your fingers, wish on a star, a lucky penny, throw a coin in the fountain or just leave a comment and a wish, an Amazon.com kind of wish and you just may get a visit. I did. Now to decide just what to get, my wishlist is HUGE!

It's been my lucky day so I'm going out now to pick up a Mega Millions Lottery ticket, hey, you just never know!

DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE YOUR WISH IN THE COMMENTS FOR WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE AT AMAZON FROM THE FAIRY! My wish came true, now it could be your turn.

 Good luck!

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Wordless Wednesday: Another favorite herb

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Brown Rice with Mushrooms and Peas

I had leftover peas from the chicken dish I made the other day. A small half bag. Destined to be lost forever in the freezer, squished in and passed over for the corn, the string beans or whatever else was in there, only to be found a year later, a solid block of green freezer burn. So I had to use those vibrant green beauties.

I'm getting a bit tired of potatoes, lately we've had them roasted, frenched, baked, boiled, mashed and smashed, it was time for rice. And I had mushrooms that looked perfect but I just didn't feel like stuffing them. Not to mention I was out of kitchen practice and didn't feel like getting involved. A roasted chicken with rice was easy enough. So made it even less fussy and cheated. Boil in bag rice. Brown rice. I still tried to be somewhat healthier even if I cheated. Ten minutes in the micro. No crunch. Have I mentioned that I am rice challenged? My family was getting used to crunchy rice by the time I discovered this gem. Really is perfect for a last minute decision. And this was very last minute. My fingers were just about to dial that takeout number. Good thing, too, because this dish went perfectly with the roasted chicken and was a HUGE hit. Even with the pickiest.

Brown Rice, Mushrooms and
Recipe by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

olive oil, for pan
1/4 cup shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups brown rice, cooked to package directions (4 cups cooked rice)
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
10 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 cups frozen peas

Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add shallots, garlic, and thyme. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook until the shallots soften and start to brown.  Raise the heat to medium-high, add a little more olive oil, if needed, and then add the mushrooms.

Stir occasionally, until the mushrooms are cooked and slightly browned. Add the wine and chicken broth and stir. Reduce the broth and wine for about five minutes. Season to taste. Stir in the cooked rice and cook until the juices are all absorbed into the rice. Mix in the peas, leave on the heat for another minute or two and then serve.

Joining Beth at Beth Fish Reads for her fun Weekend Cooking Party. Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share! Go on over and see some fun posts.

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Wordless Wednesday: Classic!

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Back to cooking...

Finally! It's been so long I almost forgot how.  And I finally made something to blog about! Been on the to try list since before the summer of heat waves, torrential downpours, an earthquake and a hurricane. Have to say a hurricane is enough to make you forget how miserable the heat was. Pretty scary when you have to evacuate. We were very lucky to come home and not to have any damage. Extremely lucky!

School starts tomorrow so we can all get back to some kind of routine here. My routine will definitely include cooking. There is nothing left to order in, so I tried Chicken Vesuvio Chicago Style from Cathy @ Wives with Knives (original recipe by Marie @ Proud Italian Cook) and it is a great way to get back into cooking. Delicious!

Easy recipe, except I did have some issues with browning. Zero patience. Couldn't wait to get it browned in batches, so I got it sort of browned and then threw the whole thing in the oven. So it might not look so browned and pretty or even close to perfect but it sure does taste fantastic. Very forgiving recipe. I added a can of artichoke hearts and some sliced shallots. It did brown in the oven, but presentation isn't my strong suit! They're just happy to have a home cooked meal finally. Let's see what tomorrow brings :)

It's been a very long summer here. But remind me when I start complaining about blizzards. Anyway, it's good to be back.

Chicken Vesuvio
Source: Cathy @ Wives with Knives
Author: Marie @ Proud Italian Cook
Adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (I cut the breasts and thighs in half)
salt and pepper
dried oregano
granulated garlic
potato wedges, about 4 russets or 6 reds
equal parts white wine and chicken broth (1-1/2 cups of each)
10-12 whole garlic cloves
1 cup frozen peas (I used a bit more)
*I also added 2 sliced shallots and a can of artichoke hearts

Season chicken with salt, pepper, oregano and garlic.

Coat the bottom of a large, heavy skillet with olive oil and brown chicken pieces and potato wedges. Remove to a large roasting pan.

Add garlic cloves and shallots to the skillet and cook until golden brown.

Deglaze pan with wine, then add chicken broth. Cook down for several minutes and pour over chicken and potatoes. Add peas and artichokes the last 15 minutes of cooking.

Bake at 375°F until chicken is cooked through, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

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