Recipe of the Week - Vegetarian Curry Pasta

This is the first recipe that I made up all by my lonesome to hit the internet. It is my... drum roll please...

Vegetarian Curry Pasta Salad!
and can I say YUM! Serves 2-3 as the main course, may go further if used as a side dish. Can be eaten warm or cold.

You'll need:
1/2 box whole wheat spaghetti (break noodles in half before cooking)

1garlic clove or 1 tsp diced garlic
1 small green or red pepper, 1/2" dice
1 medium "meaty" tomato or 2 Roma, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 cup pre cooked butternut squash, 1/2" dice
1/4 cup corn (fresh or frozen that has been thawed)
2tsp yellow curry powder
1pinch ground corriander (optional)
1 tbs orange marmalade (prefer using mandarin orange marmalade, but regular will work too)
3 tbs butter
1tbs olive oil
salt to taste

Pasta: Start a pot of water with a pinch of salt on the stove (at least 2 qts) and bring to a boil. Once boiling, place spaghetti noodles and cook until just past al dente, about 10min). Drain and set aside. You can time this so you will be able to add the noodles directly to your curried vegetables when they are done too, just wait to put noodles in the water until your veggies have all been prepped.

Curried Vegetable: On med/hi heat, place oil and 1 tbs butter in a large sauce pan, add garlic, celery, and green pepper. Once they start to soften, add corn, tomato, squash, curry powder, corriander, marmalade, and salt to taste. (if using unsalted butter, make sure to taste before adding noodles) Once the tomato is starting to soften and the marmalade has completely melted into the veggies, turn off the heat, and pour the cooked spaghetti in the pan. Put in the remaining 2tbs of butter and stir until melted and noodles are well coated in curried vegetable goodness!

I hope you like it! I have no doubt other veggies would taste great too, broccoli and cauliflower, yum!

Dinner Meal Plan for July 31-August 6 2011

My idea is to meal plan off of what is on "sale" that week at the grocery store, so not only is it a ready meal plan for everyone, but budget friendly too. Well, budget friendly for those folks who live in Tucson *wink*.  I want to warn you all now that, this is a learning experience for me! I love to cook, I'm just not that organized and on track with meals for myself. So humor me until I find my groove. lol. Post comments if you have any suggestions, questions, or if I didn't explain something well enough. Now onto the Meal Plan...

I'll also post one recipe for the week, unless you would like me to post more. I like to play in the kitchen and experiment, so... I will keep recipes I made up or saw updated with what worked and did not work for me

Sunday: Curry Pasta Salad (See Recipe of the week)

Monday: Vegetable Stir Fry with wild rice

Tuesday: Sliced Ham with glazed carrots and mashed potatoes

Wednesday: Chicken Fajitas with homemade tortillas and Spanish rice

Thursday: Warm bean salad with a side of couscous

Friday: Stuffed potatoes! Broccoli, green onions, cheese, etc.

Saturday: This is the Saturday before Fast Sunday (which is a day of fasting observed by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints), and I will be fasting from this dinner. To know more about fasting, ask me, a member of the church you may know, or visit lds.org

My Plan

Hello All!

Thanks for checking out the blog! This is one amazing life adventure I am going on. I want to introduce myself and my obsession with food!

My name is Sarah, and I love food! Not only eating it, but shopping for it, smelling it, feeling it, planning menu's with it, cooking it, and just in general experimenting with it. I have been in love with learning about and cooking food since I was about 16. Right around the time The Food Network was created! I do remember watching Graham Kerr when I was in elementary too though... so maybe I've always been in love with learning about food...

I have had the chance to work in a professional catering kitchen as a prep cook. I also have had the chance to teach kids to cook in a fun summer cooking class, but the most fun I have is in my own kitchen. I am not a trained cook, but self taught and encourage everyone to try their hand in the kitchen! It is an amazing de- stresser!

I try to cook with fresh ingredients (not always organic, but fresh) as much as possible and I try not to use anything that is highly processed. So, this blog is to help me on my adventure of personal/family menu planning and a place for me to share ideas and recipes that I've come up with.

I hope you enjoy it coming on this adventure with me!

Sarah