Thursday, January 13, 2011

on top of old smokey

Spaghetti is a go-to meal in my house. The carnivore is especially fond of it. As my father likes to say, he only likes to eat it when he's by himself or with somebody on days that end in Y. To see how we normally make this dish just click here.

In many cases we each have a simple red sauce, pasta, and meatballs (or fake meatballs in my case). And while I have found that the fake ones are pretty good, sometimes while he is having his regular meaty main dish, I like to try some veggies he won't touch. Recently, I sauteed some baby bella mushrooms (that I cleaned and halved) along with some fresh spinach leaves in olive oil and garlic powder. Tossed with a tomato alfredo sauce  and topped with grated parmesan the dish was divine. (The sundried tomato pesto on my french bread wasn't too shabby either.) The mushrooms were earthy and mixed well with the strong spinach, both of which stood up well to the sweet sauce and buttery cheese. (Also, as my Real Simple just recently reminded me that the mushrooms are much lower in fat and calories. Good for a new mom trying to drop that baby weight.)

Other ideas I have tried out are grilled eggplant and sliced red peppers, roasted broccolini and fresh tomato chunks, and whole green olives and goat cheese crumbles. My point is this, if you are in a family with a veghead like me and a carnivore, think outside the box. Don't think the vegetarian has to have a facsimile of meatballs to be happy. In fact, fresh veggies are often preferable. See whats in season and give it a try. We really won't miss that meatball, even if it rolls on the floor (BTW in my house the dogs would make quick work of that and the song would have been much shorter).

What combos can you think of? Let me know below.

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