Tomato-Basil-Pine Nut Penne

The original recipe did not list a number of servings, but judging from the suggested quantities of pasta, I suspect the goal was to feed a full high school gymnasium.

I've attempted to reduce more or less proportionately, with some variance for personal taste (and that of my wonderful wife). 

8 ounces of penne pasta

2 cups of grape/cherry tomatoes

1/4 cup of kalamata olives, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup of olive oil

1 tablespoons of lemon juice

1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup of pine nuts

1 teaspoon of basil

Salt, pepper, to taste


Cook pasta according to directions on the package. This is not the time to be a rebel.

In a large bowl, add the tomatoes, olives, garlic, oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Toss gently. 

Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan over medium-low heat, frequently giving them a shake. Once they have browned a bit, set to the side. 

Once the pasta is done, drain and dump into the big "sauce" bowl. Mix well, add pine nuts and basil, mix some more, and serve!

For once, I didn't have to chop a friggin' onion. This one moves up the list of favourites of that basis alone. 

Black-Eyed Peas 'n' Pasta

This one was originally found in a book of "easy" recipes for "beginners", but I've simplified it further.

At least I think I did. There may have been a misprint in the instructions, or my understanding is flawed, so future updates may be required.

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 cup of green pepper, chopped

1/2 cup of chopped onion

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 can crushed tomatoes

3 cups of bow tie pasta (uncooked)

1 can of black-eyed peas 

1 teaspoon sugar

Salt and pepper to taste.


Warm the oil in a large pan.

Cook the onion, pepper, garlic and jalapeno until the onion is soft.

Add the tomatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes, uncovered.

While that's going on, start cooking your pasta. 

After the simmering period, add your remaining ingredient to the tomato mixture and bring to a boil. 

Strain your pasta, add it into the sauce mixture, and give it all a good mix. 

The original recipe called for a couple of ingredients that I was reluctant to include. They are...

--Cilantro (1 to 3 tablespoons), avoided because I loathe it.
--1 teaspoon of cider vinegar, because the crushed tomatoes normally are plenty acidic, so it seemed like overkill.

No call for a generic Cajun spice blend but I might give it a couple of shakes and see if that improves things.

Sweet Potato Chili

This was among the first meals I made when I decided to start to learn how to cook something other than popcorn or ice. It's easy, packs plenty of flavour, and most importantly at the time, easy to put together. 

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 medium red onion

2 cups vegetable broth

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into small cubes

1 14 1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 15 oz. can black beans, well drained

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 medium zucchini, diced

salt and pepper to taste

 

Heat olive oil in heavy medium sauce-pan over medium heat.

Add red onion and sauté until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Then add the chili powder and stir for about a minute.

Add 1.5 cups of the veggie broth and the sweet potato cubes. Cover pan and simmer until potato is almost tender, 10-12 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, beans, garlic, and spices and give it all a good mix.

Add zucchini and the remaining half cup of veggie broth.

Simmer uncovered until chili thickens and potato is very tender, about 10 minutes.

The original recipe called for cilantro, but since 90% of people hate it, and the other 10% are wrong, I don't include it. Same reason I don't call for adding soap shavings.