Linguine Parmesan (A.K.A. a foodie quickie)

I have been seriously desperate to blog of late, but alas, my school and work schedule has taken over my life for the next few months again. I can find humor in the fact that whilst I toil away learning about Occupational Therapy ( helping others to learn to use occupations to be and become well again from a various array of maladies) I have to put all of my passions on hold for a few months and stress myself into oblivion.

But while all my paint brushes, pastry bags and Kindle collect dust until May, I am finding time to do some baking and cooking for my lovely  little virtual bakery here, and hope to get into a rhythm soon that will allow for time to blog my little heart out again.

Whatever it is that keeps you busting a move in life is an excuse not to cook and bake well for yourself and family. This is a habit we all get into due to any number of excuses. We are all trying to get the most out of our day and still cook a decent meal that will nourish and sustain us, and put smiles on our faces at the same time.  

I recently out of a combination of laziness and perhaps a bit of cheapness, purchased a number of things I would never usually buy: tater tots, canned veggies, and frozen egg rolls. Or shall I say, ick, ick and ICK.....

Now, if you enjoy these things, more power to you. I don't want to come off as a food snob, which my family and many a friend has often cajoled me about. 

But truthfully, the fact is, I am a food snob. I love delicious ingredients. I can tell if my lettuce is conventional or organic, I don't eat High Fructose Corn Syrup or things with the word "nugget " attached to them,and if my chocolate is waxy it will end up in the trash rather than in my cheesecake. This is probably a combination of working with amazing and fresh organic ingredients for a number of years, and having grown up with garden vegetables and fruit my whole life.

I don't feel bad for wanting things to be delicious. Choking things down that taste like metal and plastic isn't something I enjoy, whether because it's cheap or easy.

That's one of the ideas I've had in trying to come up with some recipes that are easy, quick and healthy ( or can be served with sides that are healthy) I had a package of Annie's Mac and Cheese in my hand the other night, (which is great if you're in a pinch) and I decided to concoct something a little more exciting for our Tuesday night dinner blahs. I grabbed a bunch of stuff from the fridge and made a version of a recipe I had for a linguine tossed with Romano and olive oil. It turned out really awesome, and it's things most of us have in the fridge already!

Linguine Parmesan
- 1/2 lb Linguine, cooked to desired tenderness
-1 clove of garlic
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
-1/3 cup olive oil 

-1 bunch of basil, chopped

-1/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
-1/2 cup parmesan cheese

- pinch of salt 

-1/4 t. coarsely ground pepper

Directions: In a medium saucepan, combine onion, olive oil and garlic. Cook until onion is translucent. Turn off heat and toss with chopped basil and walnuts. Drain cooked linguine and toss with parmesan to melt. add onion mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve immediatley.

Simple, cheap, delicious. Way more exciting than boxed mac and cheese, although it has a certain nostalgic awesomeness that I sometimes crave that can't be met in any other way...

The melted cheese has a nutty and delicious flavor,but it should be consumed soon after mixing so they don't get gluey. The flavors are quite elegant despite the simplistic recipe. If you  serve this with a green salad, a glass of wine and a crostini,  you have a lovely and simple dinner.

 Let's be realistic, the helping hands of hamburger helper aren't helping anyone. They're wreaking havoc on your stomach and filling you up with salty nastiness. I'm trying really hard to make meals that fit my busy schedule that are going to be good for my mind and my body, and having a decent home-cooked meal makes me feel a lot better about everything in my life.

The more I learn about people and health, the more convinced I am of the old adage of "You are what you eat".  If you eat gross, salty, frozen crap all the time, you're going to feel like gross, salty, frozen crap. If you eat fresh veggies, fruits and foods you cook on your own, you can be the one in control of what's going into your body.  I think eating fresh food made with love makes you feel like a superstar, ready to take over the world with a bunch of chard in your hand. Or maybe that's just my secret superhero alter-ego, Chard grrl... (I think I'm tired now....)   xoxo