Happy Halloween!!  Sorry for the rush in the day but i have 17 things to do this morning and only about 45 minutes to do it.  Including getting my costume on for work.  Depending how I look I may share a photo or two on Wednesday!

OK OK – the weekend is over and it is back to the normal weekday grind.

On Sunday morning I had some time to prepare lunch as the rest of the gang was out.  I knew I wanted something simple cause we had to be on the move shortly after 1:00 so I came up with a simple pasta dish.  Mrs. Zesty loves pasta and mushrooms - so what better way to use up some mushrooms than kick them up a notch with both some heat and some noodles.  As I was looking around the fridge and pantry, I noticed some white wine that was begging to be finished as well as some fresh arugula and some button mushrooms.

My mind was made up and we were good to go.

Ingredients

• 1 handful Fettuccine
• 10 -12 Mushrooms ( chopped)
• 1 Tsp. Red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 12 Grape tomatoes
• 1/2 Cup white wine
• 1 Cup Arugula
• 2 Tbsp. Butter
• 1 Tsp. Olive oil
• Salt and Pepper
• Parmesan cheese

Method

1. Bring water to a boil in a sauce pan; salt and add pasta.  Cook according to directions and drain.
2. In a large pan, turn on medium heat and olive oil and half the butter.  Add mushrooms and begin to cook down – 4-5 minutes
3. Season with salt and pepper, add red pepper flakes and cumin.  Cook another 3 minutes
4. Add tomatoes and cook for about 5 more minutes.
5. With heat still on medium, toss in the white wine and cook down for 1 minute.  Add remaining pat of butter and stir.
6. Toss in the arugula and let wilt for 2 minutes.
7. Add cooked drained pasta and toss gently.  Shred Parmesan cheese before serving.
8. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: For the sauce, if you are finding it too dry, add a little bit of the reserved pasta water before draining down the sink.  This will bring a nice starchy salty flavor to the sauce and give it a nice balance.

OK there you have it.  A simple yet rich dish great for a Sunday lunch or any meal throughout the week.  Nothing special but a nice hearty dish to serve with a hunk of homemade bread and a tall glass of mil to battle the heat.  I hope you have a super Monday and I will see you in 48 hours.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

2 Days until Christmas!!  Good morning and welcome to another exciting blurb from yours truly.  Today is the day we have been waiting for the last six months – We are moving in TONIGHT!  The Upholstery cleaning team did their thing and we are good to go.  We worked at the house until about midnight last night trying to get the bedrooms prepped and I think we are ready to take the plunge tonight.

As promised from yesterday’s post – I told you I would get a little closer with a fantastic dessert delivered to the party by a “zesty” cousin.  I am a pretty huge fan of bread in general but when you throw it into a bread pudding dessert, I pretty much fly off the handle with excitement.  When I caught a glimpse of the bread pudding and  heard rumblings that it was in the kitchen I went scouting with the camera around my neck, snapping pictures left and right to get a good shot for you. 

Cranberries inside the bread pudding is so festive and exciting.   It was so delicious, moist and the sauce was crazy good.  Check it out below: 

Ingredients

Pudding

• 1 Quart milk
• 2 Cups sugar (I use 1 white, 1 brown)
• 1 Cup dried sweetened cranberries
• 6 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons vanilla
• 1 Tsp. baking powder
• 1 Tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 Loaves of white bread (Cut off all crust, cube andf then dry the cubes out on a baking sheet in a low 200 degree oven)

Sauce

• 2 Cups brown sugar
• 1 Cup cream
• 3/4 Cup butter
• 1/2 Tsp. Vanila

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 13X9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Combine 1 quart milk, 2 cups sugar, cranberries, eggs, vanilla, baking powder and cinnamon in large bowl; stir until well blended.
3. Add bread and toss to blend thoroughly.
4. Pour mixture into prepared dish.
5. Bake 50 to 70 minutes or until golden and knife inserted into center comes out clean.
6. For sauce, mix sugar,cream and butter; bring to a boil in small saucepan.
7. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until butter melts and sugar dissolves.
8. After about 3 minutes and the sauce begins to thicken add vanilla.
9. Remove from heat.
10. Cut bread pudding into squares.
11. Spoon sauce over each serving.
12. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Feel free to use raisins instead of cranberries if you want to go the more traditional route.  Nothing else in the recipe has to change to accommodate the raisins.

I want to thank my zesty cousin so much for a great recipe and the oppurtunity to share it with you.  It tasted fabulous and by all means if you try it – let me know through the comments or email.  Have a great Wednesday and I will talk to you tomorrow.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty