I've been on the hunt for a yummy and quick pasta recipe that I can whip up mid-week but isn't as fattening as the one pot bacon and brie pasta we both love! After browsing Pinterest, I came across Half Baked Harvest's recipe for Caramelized Balsamic Goat's Cheese pasta. The pics and description sounded delicious so I was excited to make this.
Yay or Nay: Nay
Massive FAIL for this recipe. The styling in the photos were deceiving - we were both in agreement that we did not like this recipe at all. I was expecting something tangy and rich, but it was more like a dessert pasta dish - sweet and cloying. I think the recipe would have been better without the balsamic sauce/dressing as the mushrooms, garlic and thyme were tasty on their own. I don't think I would try this again with a different kind of balsamic as the dish itself was not good at all.
After eating so decadently I needed a bit of a break from rich and moreish dishes. As soon as I was back home I spent most of the morning trying to save plants from the dead and unpacking. I realised that I had no food in the fridge so had to quickly think of some things to eat for the week. In the muddle of jetlag I flicked through Amelia Freer's book Cook. Nourish. Glow. and picked out a few recipes that I could rustle up without searching far and wide for ingredients.
The one plus of going away was that I came home to a jungle of herbs, berries, peppers and tomatoes which I knew I would utilise this week for sure. For the Mediterranean 'Pasta' I had 90% of the ingredients bar the courgette/zucchini and olives so I knew this would be easy, but would it be tasty?
Yay or Nay: Nay
I love the idea of zucchini/courgette noodles and all that but it never really lives up to expectations - I did have an amazing bowl of noodles in, of all places, Prague but I've never really had anything close to that since. There's always that weird taste when it is raw so knowing that this was cooked appealed a little more. Once the noodles cook down it does have a better aftertaste and the zest of lemon adds freshness but it was overall kind of bland and boring. Plus there was no mention of seasoning it! I'm not a big salt person but even I knew to add salt and pepper for at least some flavour!
Everyone loves the weekend papers, going section by section, picking out the articles that pique your interest and then savouring every word! Moving across the pond I often yearn for a good weekend newspaper, namely The Guardian. The features are well written and researched, regulars that hook you in and fashions spreads that are attainable.
I often look at the website version of the paper and this feature for 12 of he Best Summer Salads caught my eye. The Stuffed Conchiglioni by Eleonora Galasso reminded me of stuffed shells popular here in the US and this version looked less heavy, more fresh, light and summery.
Yay or Nay: Yay
I wasn't expecting much from this when I was making it, however, I was tasting as I was cooking so had my chef's delight! This is a really amazing alternative to the stuffed shells; light and healthy. It was pretty easy to make, the hardest part was the chopping but now I'm just nit picking!
I made a different version of this pasta salad for Mother's Day but I pretty much made it the regular way, i.e. buying a jar of pesto and adding it to cooked pasta. This time I wanted to make my own as I have an over abundance of basil from my windowsill garden and why not?! If it doesn't work out then at least I can say I tried right?
I found this recipe (and there are countless on Pinterest) in Ruby Roth's book 'The Help Yourself Cookbook For Kids'. Judging by how easy her other recipes are (I mean, they're for kids - how hard can they be?) I knew this could be a winner.
Yay or Nay: Yay
I don't know if you've tried other vegan/veggie pesto recipes but this is AMAZING! It really does taste like real pesto - which kind of makes me question what is actually in those supermarket jars of pesto. Don't bother with them, make this NOW!
TIP: I used cashews instead of the traditional pine nuts (which are extortionately expensive - why exactly?!) and Ruth does give other options for nuts.
There's nothing better than a surprise right? By chance someone at work had left a pile of old Bon Appetit magazines on the communal table. Honestly I have never flicked through the magazine or considered reading it, but seeing as there was nothing else to do during lunch I figured it can't hurt. The surprise was, they were pretty informative and definitely inspiring for mid-week meals. Yes they probably require a little more work or ingredients you can't quite get your hands on but it's worth a try!
The recipe for Passport Pasta intrigued me as it sounded as delicious as a meaty pasta I usually make but switched up with harissa and Merguez sausage.
Yay or Nay: Yay
It was better than I expected, the chorizo gave it a kick and the feta added a nice salty element. I do have to say that actual merguez sausage probably would have elevated this but could not find it for the life of me! Next time I might make my own sausage based on Ottelenghi's recipe in this weekend's Guardian instead.
I watched this recipe on Jamie's 30 Minute Meals years ago and somehow remembered it when I was craving something Italian and Ragu-ish. Jools' Pasta promised to be flavourful and quick which is a plus in anyone's book. Obviously I didn't make the accompanying parts of the menu, too much work! This post is missing a picture of the finished dish as a late night at work rendered my brain MIA.
Yay or Nay: Yay
This surpassed my expectations, I really do think you need all the ingredients for this as the spices make a difference. I had made it without the spices and it lacked that je nais se quois! Despite my own advice I didn't use a carrot as I didn't have one but substituted it with a pepper. It still tasted delicious, even better the day after as leftovers!
