I've decided that Monday is the perfect day off from blogging. I mean if Chinese restaurants and hair salons do it why shouldn't I? For me Monday night dinner can often be a hard one to get excited about. I try to have a few easy pieces in my repertoire for days just like this.
One common go-to of mine is the pasta dish. The right combo of veggies, sauce in a jar, grated cheese and I'm ready to go. We are so lucky to have a huge selection of pasta sauces to choose from, they even make Vodka sauce(one of my fancy restaurant favorites) in a jar now. Not to mention the plethora of whole grain pastas (I know what you're thinking but just stay with me here) on the market. If you just feel like you're taste buds can't stomach the whole grains try an angel hair or thin spaghetti, because they are so slight you really don't get that whole grain flavor.
If you're not loving the sauce just doctor it up, I like to add garlic salt, oregano, basil(fresh herbs are best but dried work too), red pepper flakes, onion powder, just let your intuition guide you. My mom likes to put sugar in hers, hey she's not from this country so give her a break, she doesn't have the sugar hang-ups we do. I only do this if I'm feeling particularly frugal and I buy canned pasta sauce which usually needs all the help it can get.
Finally, take it to the next level with some sauteed veggies. Start with olive oil and coarsely chopped onions in a big skillet then just go crazy with whatever veggies you need to purge from your refrigerator. I like to add red/yellow/orange bell pepper, summer squash, mushrooms, corn, broccoli and cauliflower (steam first), potato (trust me it's good but boil first)...etc. Add spices that compliment your sauce or if you're feeling lazy just use some seasoning salt or garlic salt. Once your veggies are ready just add some of the sauce to the skillet, mix and then add contents along with the remaining sauce into a pot of cooked pasta. Maybe grate some parmesan or romano (I sometimes get the "freshly" grated kind from the deli section at Smith's) over each portion. Easy peasy.
Serve with a salad (see my last post) and, if you have to do it, a delicious crusty bread. Monday's not so bad.
-Natasha
One common go-to of mine is the pasta dish. The right combo of veggies, sauce in a jar, grated cheese and I'm ready to go. We are so lucky to have a huge selection of pasta sauces to choose from, they even make Vodka sauce(one of my fancy restaurant favorites) in a jar now. Not to mention the plethora of whole grain pastas (I know what you're thinking but just stay with me here) on the market. If you just feel like you're taste buds can't stomach the whole grains try an angel hair or thin spaghetti, because they are so slight you really don't get that whole grain flavor.
If you're not loving the sauce just doctor it up, I like to add garlic salt, oregano, basil(fresh herbs are best but dried work too), red pepper flakes, onion powder, just let your intuition guide you. My mom likes to put sugar in hers, hey she's not from this country so give her a break, she doesn't have the sugar hang-ups we do. I only do this if I'm feeling particularly frugal and I buy canned pasta sauce which usually needs all the help it can get.
Finally, take it to the next level with some sauteed veggies. Start with olive oil and coarsely chopped onions in a big skillet then just go crazy with whatever veggies you need to purge from your refrigerator. I like to add red/yellow/orange bell pepper, summer squash, mushrooms, corn, broccoli and cauliflower (steam first), potato (trust me it's good but boil first)...etc. Add spices that compliment your sauce or if you're feeling lazy just use some seasoning salt or garlic salt. Once your veggies are ready just add some of the sauce to the skillet, mix and then add contents along with the remaining sauce into a pot of cooked pasta. Maybe grate some parmesan or romano (I sometimes get the "freshly" grated kind from the deli section at Smith's) over each portion. Easy peasy.
Serve with a salad (see my last post) and, if you have to do it, a delicious crusty bread. Monday's not so bad.
-Natasha
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