on the fly dinner

i go from being super planned out on our weekly dinners, to being super fly by the seat of my pants, which doesn't always pan out so well.

last night was a "crap, i need to make SOMETHING for dinner" and with my picky crew that can just be an enormous pain. so i grabbed a bag of trusty pasta, grabbed some veggies out of the fridge an we were off!

The kids prefer their pasta plain w/ olive oil & "butter" (Earth Balance), so after the pasta was done i just scooped out some for hub and i and then dressed the rest w/ the above.

pasta w/ green yumminess

1 lb. pasta (divided to go w/ this sauce & some plain for kids)
cook as directed (but don't over cook!)

sauce:
olive oil (a few times around the pan)
onion (diced small)
garlic (couple cloves minced)
2-3 smallish zucchini (small dice)
fresh broccoli (mine was a small bunch of organic, which was about 3 smallish stalks)
few handfuls black beans (canned/rinsed)
hot pepper flakes
salt/pepper
water (or wine or veg broth)

i heated the oil, sauted the onions to my liking, then added the garlic & zucc & cooked a bit, then i added in the chopped brocc. stalks (NOT the florets yet, they cook too fast), then i added the hot pepper flakes & water and brought the temp of the pan up so it would reduce a bit. then i added in the brocc. florets (don't overcook!). i also drained a can of black beans and added about 3 handfuls to the pan. i also add salt and pepper as i go along to my liking. When everything was done, i threw some of the pasta right into the pan and let it finish cooking down a bit.

SO yummy and easy! i'll definately whip this up again!

OH AND another good thing..... DH didn't even look at his plate and say "where's the meat?!" like he usually says ;)

Now to figure out what to have for dinner TONIGHT..........

xo

Chili con Chickpeas

I'm newly addicted to my pressure cooker after hearing Lorna Sass, author of Cooking Under Pressure, on the radio. I immediately hopped on Amazon and bought both her book and a pressure cooker.

I'm slightly freaked out to venture off on my own recipes w/ the pressure cooker though, so i've clung to the book thus far. Here is what we had for dinner tonight....

Chili con Chickpeas

2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp whole Cumin Seeds (all i had was cumin in powder form)
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 large Onions, coarsely chopped
1 large Green Bell Pepper, coarsely chopped
3 c Water
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
3 Carrots, cut in 3 or 4 pieces, peeled (i used 4 huge ones)
2 medium zucchini, diced (i used 3 smallish ones)
2 c dried Chickpeas, picked over and rinsed
1 Tbsp Chili powder (i was shocked to find i had NONE in the house so i dumped in a can of enchilada sauce)
1 tsp dried Oregano
Cayenne Pepper, optional (i forgot it)
1/2 cup finely minced fresh Cilantro (i HATE cilantro, so i left it out)
Salt & pepper to taste

Heat the oil in the cooker. Add the cumin and sizzle for 10 seconds, stirring constantly. Then add the garlic, onions, and green pepper, and saute until the onions are soft, about 3 minutes. Then mix in your water, chickpeas, carrots, & spices, then top w/ canned tomatoes (don't stir). Lock the lid in place and over high heat bring to high pressure. Adjust heat to maintain high pressure and cook for 35 to 40 minutes. Let the pressure drop naturally. Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to allow any excess steam to escape. If the chickpeas are not quite done, replace the lid and simmer over low heat for a few more minutes. Stir in the zucchini and salt, cook for another 10 minutes over medium heat. Adjust seasonings, and serve. (I served it over rice which was really yummy!)

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Husband Rating: C+
He said it had no flavor (and no meat!) ;) he did think it was filling though.

My Rating: B+
Yeah, I could definately tweek the flavoring a bit, but overall I really enjoyed this. It was hearty and filling.... definately comfort food! I bet it would be amazing with some diced sweet potatoes in it too! mmmmmm!

xo