Saturday, 29 November 2014

New Kreation: Onion-n-Garlic Pasta with Mussels and Other Yummy Stuff





Some people get bored; others get creative. Being all alone yesterday on Thanksgiving Day in Venice Beach, California and all the shops were closed, I had no other option but to go to a nearby grocery store to buy and make my own dinner.

I first biked to Whole Foods (one mile away) to get some fresh ingredients, but I found it closed. Then I thought I'd eat out, but every single place in the area was closed too. So I thought I would call Ralphs before heading there. And yep, it was open.

"Hi, thank God you're open. I'm really hungry and everything is closed." I must have sounded so desperate. 

"We're open, come on right down," the man answered me.

So after biking that one mile back to where the house and\ closed shops are, I biked in the opposite direction for another 2.2 miles to Ralphs. All the ready food and the sandwiches area were already shut by the time I went at 8 pm. I got the pasta, some spices, and the pre-cooked mussels for a change. And then another 2.2 miles back home.

Once in the kitchen, I put some Albert King/Stevie Ray Vaughan, poured me a glass of rosé, and made the pasta as I always do.

As you can see from the borders of the plate in the featured photo, some of this tasty food has already been devoured. The first thing I did when the dish was ready to be eaten. Then, it was so good that I thought why not share it with you and went to get the camera to take this photo. 

OK, so what's in this dish, you may be wondering?

Well, I took a simple vegetarian/vegan recipe for onion and garlic pasta — which I love by itself — and added some random ingredients for it to end up as a real yummy final outcome.

Now let’s start by the initial Ingredients of the onion and garlic pasta:

  • 1 pound (450 gm) any kind of pasta
  • 1/2 cup (1 cup = 16 tblsp, so 1/2 cup = 8 tblsp) olive oil
  • 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup (4 tblsp) finely chopped onions (white or red, both were tasty)
  • 1 tblsp salt
  • Pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup (8 tblsp) toasted bread crumbs

And the Preparation:

  • Prepare the pasta according to the package directions.
  • Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and sautee until soft, about 5 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper.
  • Drain the pasta, reserving 1/3 cup (6 tblsp) of the cooking water. Pour the cooking water into the oil and garlic mixture and cook over low heat for one minute.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the pasta and garlic sauce. Toss, then sprinkle on bread crumbs and serve.

The above is what I have made many times and it was one dish I enjoyed. A few times I added shrimps/prawns, other time was calamari. There is also another one with calamari and tomato sauce, shown in Cooking My Catch, Finally ― Pasta with Calamari [With Video and Recipe]. All equally tasty.

THEN, as a new creation and because I’m not afraid of trying new things, I added 1/4 cup of water, two green onions, and the precooked muscle meat to the onion and garlic mixture on Low-Heat. After ten minutes of gentle stirring, I added everything to the portion of pasta [in a larger pan] and sprinkled very little:

Arugula
Lettuce
Baby spinach
Feta cheese
Dried cranberries
Walnuts
Balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup of rosé wine
1 tsp of Dijon mustard

I stirred it all for another 5-7 minutes, still on Low-Heat. Then I ate like a king... Albert King.


When I was about to take my first bite, three girls came into the house, visiting us. Though I couldn’t do anything but to offer them some and to keep eating. It really was yummy and the novelty made it all worthwhile. I hope you enjoy it too.


ALSO VIEW:

New Kreation: Veggie Pasta

New Kreation: Sliced Baked Potatoes with Herbs

Cooking My Catch, Finally ― Pasta with Calamari [With Video and Recipe]

Arugula: The Healthy Ancient Aphrodisiac

The Difference Between Mandarin, Tangerine, and Clementine  


How I Dropped Two Waist Sizes in a Few Months


Kicking That Sweet Habit: Why and How to Drop Sugar
 
What’s the Story with Blue Balls (and Blue Vulva)? 

The Intertwining of Music and Sexuality ― A Djembefola’s Tale

 
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