12 August 2014

Something new

I get tired of eating the same old things... what's worse is that I get tired of making the same old things over and over again.  I've decided that once a week, I'm going to attempt a new dish - either from my favorite Better Homes and Gardens "Celebrating the Promise" edition Cook Book or from Gordon Ramsay's Ultimate Cookery Course... and today is the day!

I've decided on "Fresh Tomato and Arugula Pasta with Chicken", found on page 425 of the BH&G cookbook.  The only thing I'm lacking is the arugula so I'm going to sub out broccoli instead. I'm also 86ing the pine nuts because I simply don't have any.  The other things is, I'm going to make this as economical as possible, meaning I'm going through my pantry with what I have on hand, so that means instead of actual onions and garlic cloves, it will be minced onions and garlic from the spice cupboard.

This is the bit I'm not sure about - I don't have any tomatoes on hand so I'm debating on whether or not I can simply substitute a bit of condensed tomato soup instead.  They basically stew the tomato to release the juices so if I can get the right consistency, this might work.  Granted, I will have to doctor the soup to get the sweet out of it but that's not hard.

My noodle selection consists of penne, rigitoni, and elbow macaroni.  The recipe calls for ziti or mostaccioli so I'm going with my garden rigitoni to add some color.  I've got the crushed red pepper, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese on hand so that's good.

I'm excited to try this - I think it will turn out really well... and if not, there are fish filets in the freezer as a back up plan!  Always have a back up plan on Experimentation Nights.  Hopefully Hobbit will enjoy it.  I know Pokey will eat anything so I never worry about trying new things on him.  It's mostly Hobbit - and me - that have a challenge with new foods.  I know it's odd, considering how much I love and appreciate food, but there is a difference between appreciating food and actually enjoying some of the tastes and textures of the dish.  I'm trying to step outside my comfort zone and expand my palette to match my passion.

I'll let you know how it turns out.  In the meantime, let's groove...


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