Simple spaghetti aglio e olio

Tomorrow, my son heads back to school.  For us, it's the unofficial signal that summer is over...and, as usual, the feeling is a little bittersweet.  

I'll miss the freedom of summer, that attitude of not taking anything - from schedules to "to-do" lists - too seriously.  We trade that in for a world filled with a little more structure and routine once again. I'm not altogether against that so I have mixed emotions.  What I resolve to do is accept and appreciate.  I actually enjoy the change in seasons, having different things to look forward to at different times of the year.  And as we all know, the clock continues to tick (quickly) and given the inevitability of it, it's best to simply embrace it.

It's time for simple - simple and easy meals like spaghetti with garlic and oil

While I'm sorting out all my feeling and organizing schedules, I thought I'd drop in here with a simple pasta dish.  Spaghetti aglio e olio, or spaghetti with garlic and oil, is one of my all-time favorites.  This version calls for anchovies and I think it's all the better, more flavorful, because of it.  It's one of those almost-pantry pasta dishes that I love to whip up when I want something easy yet hearty and comforting to eat.  I call it "almost" pantry pasta because of the parsley - it's kind of a must-have in this dish and for me, that often requires a trip to the grocery store.  Since I go to the grocery store several times a week, it's not much of an issue for me.  

All the talk about spaghetti carbonara recently had me thinking about this simple pasta - inexpensive and quick, yet tasty and reliable enough for company or just as a quick dinner when you're busy like we all will be heading into the Fall.

The pasta is really flavorful all on its own but add more protein if you like

The last time we had this, about a week or so ago, I had some meatballs on hand so I plopped a few on the side for the fellas.  This pasta is great with some protein but I love it just as it is, with nothing else.  The anchovies and garlic, not to mention some good olive oil, packs the pasta with a lot more flavor than you might expect.  

Maybe this is already a family favorite of yours...or maybe you have other quick-easy-and-delicious dishes up your sleeve for the busy months ahead.  If that's the case, please share!

A simple lunch: chilled soba noodles

Somehow this baking blog has been serving up more savory items lately, something I didn't intend to do when I first started this little spot but now feels like a natural progression as I play around more in the kitchen in general.  So here's to mixing up some more savory with all the sweet...

I thought I'd post this simple soba noodle dish that I've been making in the past few months.  It's a nice summer lunch or even dinner option to consider since it's pretty quick and easy to put together - and I think those are the kinds of recipes most of us want for our everyday lives, particularly in the summertime.  

I've mentioned before that I like to watch Nigella Lawson's cooking shows.  Well, I've seen Nigella make these soba noodles many times (re-runs) and I'm glad I finally got up and started cooking this for myself.

You need some basic pantry ingredients to dress the soba, and then you can add to it as you see fit.  Make it and leave it in the refrigerator so that it's ready when you want it.  It makes a great meal or side dish during the warm months when you want something filling but not too heavy.  I often make extra so that I'll have lunch for a couple of days.

These soba noodles are lightly dressed with rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and a little sugar for a nice balance of flavors.  I was actually surprised by how restraint this Nigella recipe is in terms of dressing.  If you prefer more dressing on your noodles, feel free to make more but I like it this way.  It keeps the dish light, and I think there's just enough dressing to give it flavor.  A generous amount of toasted sesame seeds and fresh scallions add crunch and great flavor to the dish.

I love to add sauteed shiitake mushrooms to these noodles; I think shiitake mushrooms just go really well in many Asian dishes.  And to make more of a meal out of it, I sometimes eat it with some sauteed shrimp.  Salmon or leftover chicken are also excellent proteins to pair with it.  It's a whole lot easier to think about and whip up the add-on's when you already have the noodles in the fridge!  I recently picked up a simple method of poaching chicken breast from America's Test Kitchen (another cooking show) and I've been poaching a few at a time, dicing it, and keeping it in the fridge to eat with noodles like this one or with salad.  

Anyway, noodles of all kinds are my idea of everyday food and this is a good one to add to the rotation.