A Summery Pasta Dish!

One for the books. This was also really, really simple and tasted GREAT!

Ingredients:
Penne (I used whole-wheat, of course)
Half or whole tomato, depending on size
About 2 tbsp of julienned basil (fresh, preferred)
1 – 3 tbsp of parmesan cheese (use as much as you like, honestly!)
Salt and Pepper for taste
1/2 cup of herbed breadcrumbs (Tip: I used whole wheat Ritz crackers, and it was divine! But, good Italian breadcrumbs will do JUST fine!)
1 – 2 cloves of garlic infused in a good amount (varies amongst person to person) olive oil (It mellows out the garlic flavor and makes it nice and sweet and complements the basil and fresh, cold tomatoes)
2 tbsp of butter (Gives the pasta a nice little coating for everything to stick to and gives it a little rich flavor, but you can omit if you want! I wouldn’t!)

Boil a pot of water, salt it generously and add the penne. Cook until al dente. You want a little firm bite to it because you want it to go along well with the breadcrumbs you will be adding to it. Drain well and add the 2 tbsp of butter to the pasta and stir until coated and melted beautifully. Add the diced tomatoes and julienned basil and stir. Top with breadcrumbs and the delicious garlic-infused olive oil. Garnish with your parmesan cheese and enjoy your summery treat! 🙂

Also, this is optional, but I added some sliced almonds over the top for another crunchy, HEALTHY bonus! 😉

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Garlic-Infused Oil, Spinach, Mint and Basil. Oh my!

Inspired by Giada DeLaurentiis, a simple pasta that you can have for any meal when you’re just not in the mood for a heavy marinara sauce.

Ingredients:
1 pack of whole wheat spaghetti
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp or more of red pepper flakes
Salt and black pepper for taste
2 – 3 tbsp of spinach julienned
2 – 3 tbsp of mint julienned
2 – 3 tbsp of basil julienned
2 cloves of garlic

Cook whole wheat spaghetti as per package. In a pan, heat oil and garlic and cook, but do not let the garlic turn brown or it will be bitter. Drain spaghetti right when you want to add oil or else spaghetti will dry up and not soak up the oil properly. Add the spinach, mint and basil and stir thoroughly adding the red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Enjoy!

Sooji Ka Halwa – A Cream of Wheat Delicacy.

A sweet dish made of Cream of Wheat that is a wonderful dessert for those days when you need something warm and comforting.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of Sooji/Cream of Wheat
1/3 cup of Sugar
1/2 tsp of Cardamom
1/4 tbsp of Butter or 1/2 the stick of Butter
1 1/2 cup of Water
Almonds for garnish

In a saucepan, put the water, cardamom and sugar to boil. Let boil softly on medium-low until a simple syrup forms. In another pot, melt the butter on low (make sure it does not turn into brown butter or it will give a poor taste) and when the butter properly melts, add the sooji/cream of wheat. Roast until golden brown for about 5 – 8 minutes. Add the simple syrup mixture slowly and carefully as it may splash. It may appear that there is too much water, but not to worry, just continue stirring and turn off the heat and the sooji ka halwa will start to solidify. Serve hot while still soft… and moldable, if desired. Garnish with roasted nuts or simply with some sliced almonds. Toasted coconut may also be added for an exotic flavor, as well as a splash of rose water. Enjoy!