spring pasta

i got this recipe from a local cooking class many, many years ago. it tasted so delicious then, but i never got around to making it until today. the recipe says it serves 8 -- that would be as a main dish, 12-15 as a side dish. today i used spaghetti, a few pinches of dried thyme, and a diced roma tomato because that's what i had on hand. i think i'll cook up some chicken breasts and serve this for dinner.

ingredients:

1 pound linguini pasta

sauce:
juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons white wine
1/3 cup olive oil
1 stick of butter
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 teaspoons cavender's greek seasoning (found in the spice aisle at any grocery store)

1 bunch fresh asparagus (1-1/2 lb.)
1/2 lb. grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced
1/2 bunch of green onions, finely chopped
1 can olives, coarsely chopped
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

cut woody ends off asparagus. boil asparagus for 5 minutes then run them under cold water. cut into 1" pieces. sauté the mushrooms in a tablespoon or two of butter until golden brown, set aside. prepare sauce in a food processor, all ingredients except butter. transfer sauce to a small pan, add butter and heat until the butter melts, but do not boil. meanwhile, cook linguini according to package directions, drain. add all vegetables and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese to the pasta. pour warm sauce over pasta and vegetables, toss. sprinkle remaining cheese on top and serve immediately.

*jessica's note* i love this pasta dish, but am not a big fan of raw garlic. so the next time i make this recipe, i will either sauté the garlic with the mushrooms, or use roasted garlic. see how to roast garlic here.

breakfast burritos

we have a hard time with leftovers at our house. no one wants to eat them, but i feel bad when food goes to waste. the other night i made some tasty street chicken tacos. we had quite a bit of
tortillas, rice and beans left over so i had to come up with a good use for them. these breakfast burritos are quite delish and are a great way to start the day out with some protein. i may just keep rice and beans in the fridge from now on.

breakfast burritos
-serves 1

2 - 5-6" corn tortillas
1 egg, scrambled
4 tablespoons cooked black beans
4 tablespoons cooked rice
2 tablespoons salsa
2 tablespoons sour cream or plain yogurt

warm the tortillas on both sides in a hot, dry pan. warm up the rice and beans for a few seconds in the microwave. divide the egg, beans, rice, salsa, and sour cream evenly between the two tortillas. roll them up (if you can) and enjoy.