Monday Morning This and That

A nickel will get you on the subway, but garlic will get you a seat.  

Old New York Proverb

And a good Monday morning to you all. We're blessed to have another week ahead of us. Let me begin by wishing all of you a Happy St. Patrick's Day.  March is passing so quickly I almost forgot to take my green out yesterday.  Can you imagine all the households that will be eating corned beef and cabbage today?  Not ours, though.  I never liked corned beef although I do love the potatoes and the cabbage. 

I had a nice, quiet weekend, this the last weekend of Winter,  and am looking forward to going to the Center today. I sure do hope they aren't serving fish like last Monday. Hopefully they learned their lesson when almost everyone walked out and went somewhere else last Monday. After all, some people are allergic to it. I'm not allergic, but I don't like it. I think a lot of that stems from being 'forced' to eat it when I was young. My mom and dad always forced me to eat everything on my plate, even if it was a food I didn't like. The two foods I hated the most were liver and asparagus which always made me gag. The liver I used to cut up in wee pieces and swallow like a pill.
 

Needless to say, dinner time was torture for me whenever any of these foods were served, and I grew up hating them. At 66, there are still many foods I cannot stand the sight of. When my sons were born, I vowed I would not make dinner a time of dread. So, I didn't try to force them to eat those foods they didn't like. And you know what? When my sons grew up they began eating everything because they actually LIKE the foods now.

Which brings me to the Daily Prompt I chose for today... 

What’s the one item in your kitchen you can’t possibly cook without? A spice, your grandma’s measuring cup, instant ramen — what’s your magic ingredient, and why?

There are actually several  items that I couldn't possibly cook without, but only one that stands out.  Garlic.  I cannot cook without my garlic.  I use it in everything, including vegetables.   One of my favorite dishes is broccoli sauteed in garlic and oil. I also love taking a recipe I find, tearing it apart, and making it my way.  Here's a new experimental recipe I tried just yesterday.  Very simple and cheap to make. I served it with chicken cutlets, but it is a dish that can stand alone.

8 oz cooked linguini
3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Chopped fresh garlic (I use lots of it)
Fresh parsley
1 can  pink beans* (I don't drain.)
Black pepper
Salt

Cook pasta and drain in colander.  Reserve about 1/4 cup of the liquid. 

Heat oil and garlic until garlic is slightly browned.  Add  a wee bit water and parsley. Cover and simmer about 5 minutes.  Add can of beans, pepper, and salt.  Simmer until tastes blend together.  Add pasta to pan and mix.  Sprinkle remaining pepper.

*You may use any kind of bean you want.

When baking, follow directions.  When cooking, go by your own taste.  

Laiko Bahrs