Tag Archives: spaghetti

Aug12

Not So Successful Spaghetti Sauce

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Not So Successful Spaghetti Sauce

Hello! My dad has the most bountiful, wonderful garden that is jam packed with flowers and veggies. His tomato harvest is coming in hot and I promised him that I would help to make spaghetti sauce. Unfortunately, it turned out SO salty and I genuinely have no idea why because I followed the recipe to the T minus adding some tomato paste. Check it out:

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^^^ This recipe was found in The Cabbagetown Cafe Cookbook by Julie Jordan.

It has been a long while since I made homemade spaghetti sauce and I was in the zone while doing prep work. While my sister is a formidable baker, I love to cook and there is nothing better to me than whipping up tasty meals for people to enjoy. I also had the luxury of cooking in my mom and dad’s beautiful kitchen, which was a nice change of pace from my apartment!

For this recipe, I used fresh tomatoes, of course, and altered nothing but the tomato paste and way more garlic than needed. However, I’m thinking that the tomato paste on top of the 1/2 teaspoon of salt that I added might have been too much. This is the only thing that would make sense as to why the saltiness was through the roof.

Maybe I’m making this up but isn’t it a thing that a good cook tastes their sauces while they’re making it? Lol, it’s definitely a thing, right? I probably should have been more proactive about this too but I just didn’t feel like it after making a huge dinner of baked ziti the night before! On the bright side, I did use up a decent amount of the tomatoes on the kitchen windowsill so I guess that was a somewhat victory haha.

Even though my spaghetti sauce didn’t turn out great, now you all know what not to do if you choose to make the recipe. Also, be careful if you use squeeze tomato paste because I ended up getting it all over my shirt SMH!!!!

What have you been cooking recently? What do you like to make with fresh veggies? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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Jul15

Spicing Up Spaghetti

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Spicing Up Spaghetti

Hello!! I absolutely LOVE cooking in my new apartment and have the best time making delicious meals for me and Johnny. I try to cook an actual dinner at least a couple of nights per week but sometimes nothing hits better than an oven pizza or a simple spaghetti dinner. This past Monday, I was craving spaghetti something fierce and whipped up a pot of angel hair and some oven cheese filled bread sticks. While Johnny just wanted Alfredo sauce, I made a little something extra for me to spice up the dish:

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Pesto is my absolute favorite pasta topping and I had a lone tomato sitting in my crisper drawer. So, I decided to make a super easy addition to my spaghetti with four ingredients: tomato, mozzarella cheese, basil, and a light drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Of course, fresh mozzarella and basil are the best but I only had shredded cheese and dried basil so you work with what you’ve got!

All I did was slice the tomato, top it with cheese and basil, and poured some balsamic on top. Then, I let it broil in the oven until the cheese browned and bubbled and the tomatoes were tender. This process took about ten minutes in total and I couldn’t believe that I haven’t done this all the time when I make spaghetti.

I have made this pasta add on a few times before in the past and it was just as good as I remember it being. It was a little something that I dreamed up but I am sure you can find fancier recipes on Pinterest. Next time I make it, fresh mozzarella and basil will be the way to go but what can you do when your supplies in the fridge are minimal?!

There are so many ways to spice up a classic spaghetti dinner and this is just one of them. Fresh veggies and cheese go a long way in making a no fuss meal something to blog about!

What is your favorite pasta topping? How do you improve upon classic dishes? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul5

Summer Spaghetti Recipe

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Summer Spaghetti Recipe

Hello! On our last day of staycation in Lexington, Kentucky we had a great big cookout. My sister’s boyfriend, Ramon, was the grill master for all of the guys and I was in charge of the vegetarian dish for the ladies: Spaghetti. At first, I was fine with just heating up some sauce and calling it a day. However, Ramon was creating grill magic and I wasn’t going to be caught dead just serving spaghetti with red sauce!

So, I got to work. And, I must say, thanks to the friendly competition, I think I created a masterpiece that I would definitely serve for myself and Johnny again. My entire family loved it and I think all of you will, too! Check it out:

Ingredients:

  • 1 box spaghetti
  • 7 cloves garlic
  • 1 eggplant
  • 2 medium zucchinis
  • 1/2 of a large, red onion
  • 2 lemons
  • Butter
  • Olive oil
  • Red wine vinegar
  • Salt, pepper, parsley, oregano

Directions:

We all know how to make spaghetti so we are going to talk about the saute I made to put on top of it. I wanted the dish to be really light so I didn’t want to go with a heavy sauce. So, I created a dressing in the vegetable saute by doing the following:

  1. In your frying pan, add butter and olive oil and season it with the herbs of your choosing. I kept it light with salt, pepper, parsley, and oregano.
  2. Once your mixture is all melted, add the vegetables. Then, squeeze the juice from one full lemon over top. If the mixture still looks dry like mine did, add more butter and olive oil. To top it off, add five to six splashes of red wine vinegar and continue seasoning to your heart’s content.

By now, your vegetables should be frying away in its own sauce, which is going to make them literally burst with flavor. I kept mine cooking on a medium to high heat until the last five minutes or so when I brought it down to a simmer. I wanted to make sure they were all thoroughly cooked but I also didn’t want them to shrink away into nothing!

3. Once your pasta is cooked, simply add your saute to it and mix it well. Then, you’re going to take the juice from another full lemon to add in as well as any additional seasoning to taste.

The end result? A light, lemony pasta dish that is amazing on its own or, according to the meat eaters in my family, fabulous with chicken over top. I would have snapped some pictures of my creation but, by the time I thought to do it, the pasta was long gone. Lol, WHOOPS. 😀

My entire family agreed that another cookout needs to happen this summer and, this time, Ramon and I agreed that he will make the chicken and I will make the pasta again because it was such a hit. Bon appetit! ❤

How do you like to get creative in the kitchen? Have you had any cooking success or failures lately? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May30

Fine Dining At Home: So Much Spaghetti Edition

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Fine Dining At Home: So Much Spaghetti Edition

Hello! My method of grocery shopping has always been to just do one big monthly haul and be set for the next four to five weeks. This technique has proved especially beneficial while in quarantine because it minimized the amount of times that Johnny and I have been in a grocery store exponentially. But, once we get to the point of needing another trip to the store, it is super slim pickings in our kitchen. And, in those trying times of feeling like I have “nothing” to eat at home, I say a special little thank you to the spaghetti and noodle family.

Johnny and I will make a pot of spaghetti with garlic bread once or twice a month. It is never not delicious and it also gives us a lot of leftovers, which is always nice. And, it’s also nice to share a bottle of wine with your Italian dinner! My pantry has a ton of spaghetti staples to help complete the meal and I love trying out different sauces when I go to the store. We currently are working with the following in our pantry:

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Spaghetti has been a Mushenheim family go to meal for as long as I can remember and it has forever been one of my favorites. I never say no to Alfredo, pesto, or tomato sauces and tend to have at least one of each kind at the ready in my cabinets. There is nothing better than plain old spaghetti with sauce but the best part of the noodle family is all of the delicious pasta salads that you can make!

When I have fresh veggies at home, I love to chop up a selection of colored bell peppers, zucchini, onions, and garlic to saute over the pasta. Then, I add fresh mozzarella and balsamic vinegar for a tasty summer salad that I enjoy throughout the year. 😉 Don’t forget the garlic bread, bread sticks, focaccia bread, or baguettes. And only the finest Barefoot Peach Fruitscato wine (which is my obsession right now) for a delicious, easy meal.

What are some of your favorite simple dinners to make? Which meals can you make stretch for infinite leftovers? (Mine is baked ziti!) I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr9

Dinner For Two Pt. 2

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Dinner For Two Pt. 2

Hi! On April first, Johnny and I celebrated seven months of PASSIONATE LOVE with each other. Thankfully, neither of us said April Fools and it was easily the best day I’ve had since all of this self-isolation business. If you recall from previous posts, I love cooking for my boyfriend. And if you recall from a very previous post, Johnny surprised me with dinner he made a few weeks ago when I came home from work.

Just when I thought that he couldn’t top himself, he raised the bar as he always does. On our seven month, we both got dressed up and when I got home from work I couldn’t believe my eyes when I opened the door. As I stepped in, I heard music playing on our record player, smelled garlic bread, and saw a fireplace screensaver burning brightly on the TV.

The best sight of all, though? Definitely seeing Johnny standing in the kitchen in a button down top and skinnies stirring a huge pot of spaghetti. We ate a delicious meal that he got stressed out cooking at our coffee table that he cleaned off special for the occasion. Then, we drank champagne and listened to all of our favorite songs. I lied when I said it was one of the best days of self-isolation because it was one of the best days of my life.

This has been a very stressful time for both of us and it was so nice to escape those feelings of unease for the day to celebrate our relationship. Johnny’s theory was that he wanted to make the dinner special because he couldn’t take me out to a restaurant. He succeeded with flying colors and, to me – a night in like that trumps going out on the town any time.

How have you celebrated special occasions in self-isolation? How have you kept your spirits up during this difficult time? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov16

Monday Update: Really Good Recipe Edition

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Monday Update: Really Good Recipe Edition

Helloooo everyone and happy Monday! As you guys know, I really enjoy cooking and once or twice a week I like to make dinner at home. This past weekend I made one of my all time favorite recipes that I just had to share – it’s that good. If you’re a fan of unique, bold, and slightly spicy dishes then you’re going to love my Peanut Noodles! This recipe is directly from the Quick Vegetarian Pleasures cookbook by Jeanne Lemlin and if you can get your hands on a copy then I urge you to do so! It’s an excellent cookbook for fast and healthy vegetarian eating. Here’s the step by step guide to making a Peanut Noodle dish of your own:

       Ingredients:

  • 1 pound spaghetti
  • 4 tablespoons oriental sesame oil
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter (I use crunchy PB but creamy will do, too!)
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or sherry
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar or other vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced (I use 6)
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced
  • Note: The sauce is a bit too bitter for my liking so I add about 3 teaspoons of white sugar to balance it out

Directions:

  • To make the sauce, combine 2 tablespoons of sesame oil with all of the other ingredients except the cucumber and scallions. Beat until well mixed and refrigerate.
  • Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the noodles and toss with the remaining two tablespoons of sesame oil.
  • This dish can be served hot or cold so you could refrigerate the noodles if you choose or eat it hot after the spaghetti is cooked. I prefer it hot but it’s still very good cold as well!

My mom started making this recipe forever ago and it remains one of my favorites to this day. I made the Peanut Noodles this past Friday and was left with only a small dish of leftovers which I annihilated for lunch the next day. Almost everyone in my family is a big fan of this recipe and I hope you guys enjoy it too! It’s a quick and easy dish to whip together but it tastes like you spent hours cooking it. Peanut Noodles have been my go to dinner to make for a few boyfriends and many a night when there seems to be “nothing to eat” in the house. If you like trying out somewhat “different” recipes to change things up at home then this is the recipe for you!

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: Really Good Recipe Edition. Once again, if you can snag a copy of Quick Vegetarian Pleasures – DO IT!! Who is going to give the Peanut Noodles recipe a try? What is one of your go to dishes to make at home? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah