One Pan Mexican Quinoa

I was looking for something new on pinterest today, and found this recipe.  I had almost everything.  I didn't have jalapenos,  or a can of rotel.  So I used a can of diced tomatoes and a can of green chiles.  I suppose the recipe as is would be a bit spicier.  I also didn't have any more canned black beans so I had to cook some (the pressure cooker is so great for that), and it didn't get done in time to add while it was cooking, so I added it at the end.  It still tasted great, and was already warm since it had just been cooked.  I didn't have any fresh cilantro, but that would have been great!

 One Pan Mexican Quinoa

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapenos, minced
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 cup corn kernels
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and jalapeno, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Stir in quinoa, vegetable broth, beans, tomatoes, corn, chili powder and cumin; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until quinoa is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Stir in avocado, lime juice and cilantro.
• Serve immediately.

Butternut Squash with Black Beans and Walnuts

This was delicious, but it didn't make nearly enough for leftovers! The "I" in the recipe was Aaron.

 Butternut Squash with Black Beans and Walnuts

Ingredients:

• 2 cups butternut squash/pumpkin peeled and cubed ( I used 4 cups)
• 2 tsp ground cumin 
• 1 tsp ground ginger, (3 tsp fresh if you have it )
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 hot green peppers (I did not add this)
• 1.5  cups cooked black beans, drained 
• 2 tsp red chili powder
• Salt
• crushed red pepper (dash of cayenne)
• fresh lemon
• 6 Tbsp lightly toasted walnuts (I used 6)
• fresh cilantro for garnish

Preparation:

1. Heat oil, cumin and hot pepper in a thick bottomed pan or skillet; when the seeds sizzle, add the ginger, butternut squash/pumpkin cubes. Increase the heat to high and cook the squash/pumpkins tossing them frequently till they are light brown on the sides.
2. Now add the beans, salt, red chili powder and 1/4 cup of water to the pan with the squash/pumpkin and cover and cook till the squash/pumpkin cubes are fork tender but firm.
3. Uncover and check to see if done. If there are any remaining water, increase the heat and let the water dry off. This is a dry dish. If done, add the crushed the red pepper and walnuts; toss to combine well.

Pressure Cooker Black Bean Soup

 We have been scouring the internet for all sorts of Pressure Cooker recipes.  Here's one that Aaron made.  He found it on dadcooksdinner.com .  His post gives all sorts of hints and tips for cooking with a pressure cooker.  If you are new to using a pressure cooker you should check it out.

Pressure Cooker Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dried black beans
• 1/4 cup table salt
• 4 quarts water
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 1/2 tbsp dried oregano

For Cooking the beans:

• 5 cups water
• 1 bay leaf
• Optional - 1 tbsp olive oil

• 2 limes, juiced
• 1 tsp salt 
• pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp parsley 

Directions:

1. Sort, rinse, and brine the black beans: Sort the black beans, removing any stones, clods of dirt, or bad looking beans. Rinse the beans, put them in a large container, cover with 1/4 cup salt and 4 quarts water, and stir to dissolve the salt. Let the beans soak for at least 8 hours, or overnight. 

 2. Saute the aromatics and spices: Heat 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil over medium heat in the pressure cooker until shimmering. Add the onion and red pepper, and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Saute until the onion and peppers soften, about 5 minutes. Make a hole in the middle of the onions and add the garlic, cumin, coriander and oregano; let sit in the pan for 1 minute or until you can smell the garlic cooking, then stir into the onions. Cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes, until the onions show a hint of browning.

 3. Cook the black beans: Drain the black beans, rinse them thoroughly, then add them to the pressure cooker. Add the water, bay leaf, and 1 tbsp olive oil, stir, then scrape the bottom of the pan to make sure none of the onions are sticking. Bring the cooker up to high pressure, then pressure cook the black beans for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, and let the pressure come down naturally, about 15 more minutes.
*Check the beans to make sure they are cooked through and tender. If not, either bring the pressure cooker back to high pressure for another 3 minutes, or simmer for ten minutes, until cooked to your liking. 

4. Finish the soup: Thicken the soup by pureeing 2 cups of the beans. I use a stick blender directly in the pot; moving 2 cups of beans and liquid to a blender also works. Add the lime juice, then taste for seasoning, and add salt pepper and parsley.

Garden Vegetable Enchiladas

We have an abundance of yellow (crookneck) squash this year, so we are finding a variety of ways to use it here's one of our favorites this year.

 Garden Vegetable Enchiladas

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
3 cups coarsely chopped zucchini and/or yellow crookneck squash
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels or frozen, thawed
1 4-ounce can diced mild green chilies
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 cups (packed) grated Monterey Jack and/or sharp cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces)
8 8-inch warm flour tortillas

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and onion and sauté until vegetables are just tender, about 4 minutes. Mix in 1 cup corn, canned chilies and 1/4 cup cilantro; season filling with salt and pepper.
• Melt 3 tablespoons butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in chili powder, flour and cumin; stir 30 seconds. Gradually whisk in milk. Cook until sauce is thick and bubbling, whisking occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups cheese; whisk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
• Spread 1/4 cup sauce in bottom of 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Mix 3/4 cup sauce into filling. Place generous 1/3 cup filling in center of 1 tortilla; roll up to enclose filling. Place enchilada in baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling. Cover enchiladas with remaining sauce, then sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup corn and 1/2 cup cheese.
• Bake vegetable enchiladas until heated through, about 45 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cilantro and serve.

Lentil Stew with Ham

We cooked up a ham on Sunday, and had plenty of leftovers.  I didn't have any split peas on hand, so I found a lentil stew recipe.  The original recipe was for a crockpot, but I didn't have that much time.  It was delicious!

Lentil Stew

• 1 cup dried lentils
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups diced cooked ham
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 32 ounces chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 8 teaspoons tomato sauce

In a 4 quart or larger pot combine the lentils, celery, carrots, onion, garlic and ham. Season with basil, thyme, oregano, the bay leaf and pepper. Stir in the chicken broth, water and tomato sauce. Boil for 15-20 minutes.  Then simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Discard the bay leaf before serving.

Butternut Squash Soup

I have an abundance of butternut squash (I only planted one seed).  Now that we've had a light frost the plant is dead, and I finally have some ripe squash.  Aaron found this recipe and it is so simple and delicious!  We liked it really thick and didn't add any extra stock.

Butternut Squash Soup

2 Tablespoon butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
2 medium potatoes, cubed
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 (32 oz) container chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large pot, and cook the onion, celery, carrot, potatoes, and squash 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Pour in enough of the chicken stock to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 40 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender.
2. Transfer the soup to a blender (I use an immersion blender and blend it right in the pot), and blend until smooth. Return to pot, and mix in any remaining stock to attain desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Chile Rellenos

When we visited a new family in the ward, the mom gave us some fresh peppers - they have peppers, onions and cucumbers on their farm.  I've never used poblanos, but she suggested making chile rellenos.  So I searched for a recipe.  After searching through several this is what I came up with.

• 8 Poblano chile peppers, charred and peeled
• 1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
•  2 eggs, separated
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour for coating

1. Remove seeds and membranes from peppers. Stuff each pepper with cheese.
2. In a small bowl combine milk, the 1 cup flour, egg yolks, baking powder, baking soda, salt and canola oil; mix well to make a batter.  Beat egg whites until soft peaks form.  Slowly fold into batter.
3. Pour enough oil in heavy frying pan to reach 1 inch in depth and heat over medium-high heat. Roll each pepper in the remaining flour and dip in the batter. Fry until lightly browned on both sides. 

A lesson in charring the peppers:  I would use a gas grill.  Turn up the heat and turn them about every 3 minutes I would turn them a bit until everything was charred and blistered.  It took about 10-12 minutes.  Then I put them on a plate and cover it with plastic wrap and let them steam for about 10 minutes.  After that it was easy to peel the skin off.  I had to be really careful cutting open just one slit to remove the seeds and membranes.  Sometimes pulling the membranes out caused another side to rip, so I would use a sharp knife.  
PS it doesn't take long to pan fry them - 1-2 minutes per side.

Minestrone Soup

This is the soup I made for the Relief Society dinner.  I did use vegetable broth, but it would be good with chicken broth as well.  I didn't use quite as much cabbage as it called for., and I substituted garbanzo beans for the kidney beans, and shell pasta for the orzo pasta, and I didn't have any zucchini.  Wow, I didn't realize I'd changed the recipe that much.  But it was delicious!

Minestrone Soup

Ingredients

• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
• 1 large potato, cubed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 large head cabbage, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans
• 3 cups fresh corn kernels
• 1 large zucchini, sliced
• 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large soup pot combine the vegetable stock, the undrained tomatoes, potato, onion, celery, carrot, cabbage and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for about 15 minutes.
2. Stir in the beans, corn, zucchini and pasta; simmer for 10 to 15 more minutes until the vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Vegetarian Penne

Here's another Zucchini dish with pasta.  I thought this was really good.  I did happen to have some whipping cream, so it might work with just milk, but I haven't tried it yet.  I used more like 1/3 cup of cream.  I also used 1 cup of mushrooms instead of 1/2 cup.  I didn't have yellow summer squash, just lots of zucchini.

Vegetarian Penne 

Ingredients

• 2 cups uncooked penne or medium tube pasta
• 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 small yellow summer squash, sliced
• 1 small zucchini, sliced
• 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the onion, summer squash, zucchini, mushrooms and garlic in butter until tender.
2. In a bowl, whisk the flour, seasonings and cream until smooth; add to the skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until thickened. Drain pasta and add to vegetable mixture. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.

Angel's Pasta

Yet another awesome zucchini recipe! This time with pasta.  I didn't have any ripe tomatoes, so I used a 14 oz can of diced tomatoes.  Next time I will use fresh - mmm!  I also don't have any fresh basil :(.  I need to get some. 

Angel's Pasta

Ingredients

• 8 ounces angel hair pasta
• 1 tablespoon crushed garlic
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 zucchini, sliced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tomatoes, chopped
• 12 leaves fresh basil
• 4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Meanwhile, heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Pour in oil and saute garlic until golden. Stir in zucchini, salt and pepper. Saute 2 minutes, then mix in tomato and cook a few minutes more. Chop basil and add to vegetables right before mixing with pasta.
3. Combine pasta and vegetables. Serve topped with mozzarella.

Zucchini Parmesan

This is not really like an eggplant Parmesan (it doesn't even call for Parmesan cheese), but it is really good.  I've always just made my own spaghetti sauce (but a jar would work nicely here).  I didn't slice mine really thin, maybe 1/4 inch.  And it was a pretty big zucchini (that's what happens when you leave for 5 days).  We sprinkled Parmesan on top for fun.

Zucchini Parmesan

Ingredients

• 2 large zucchini, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (16 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a large pot boil the zucchini until tender; drain. Meanwhile, in a medium frying pan heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the onion and garlic until the onion is tender.
3. Combine the zucchini, onion and garlic in a 9x12 inch casserole dish, and mix well. Pour the spaghetti sauce over the mixture and stir well. Top with mozzarella cheese (use more or less depending on your preference).
4. Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until heated through and cheese is bubbly.

Vegetable Quesadillas

I made these on Thursday night.  I didn't have any peppers or yellow squash, but it was so good.  I can't wait to try it with the full recipe!  Granted I used full fat cheese, and white flour tortillas, but mmmm!!!
Vegetable Quesadillas

• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped zucchini
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow squash
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• cooking spray
• 6 (9 inch) whole wheat tortillas
• 1 1/4 cups shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese

1. In a large nonstick pan, cook red pepper, zucchini, yellow squash, onion, and mushrooms in olive oil over medium to medium-high heat for about 7 minutes, or until just tender. Remove vegetables from pan.
2. Coat the same pan with cooking spray, and place one tortilla in pan. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheese evenly over tortilla, and layer 3/4 cup of the vegetable mixture over the cheese. Sprinkle another 1/8 cup of cheese on the vegetables, and top with a second tortilla. Cook until golden on both sides, for approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove quesadilla from pan, and repeat with remaining ingredients. Cut each quesadilla into 8 triangles with a pizza cutter. Serve hot.

Orzo and Potato Parmesan

This was a pretty good dish. Although it is more of a side dish than a main dish. It was too salty though, so I would suggest going light on the salt, and reducing the Parmesan cheese as well. I only used 3/4 cup of Parmesan, and it was more than enough. Oh and I used chicken bullion instead of vegetable bullion.

Orzo and Potato Parmesan

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 cups water
• 1 cube vegetable bouillon
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in orzo and garlic, and saute until lightly browned. Place potatoes, carrot, and onion in the saucepan. Continue to cook and stir until tender. Season with dried Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
2. Mix water into the saucepan. Stir in vegetable bouillon until dissolved. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 12 minutes, or until orzo is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Top with Parmesan cheese to serve.

Greek God Pasta

So I forgot to take pictures again. Oops! This was a pretty good recipe. It think it needed more cheese throughout, not just on top. I used more feta than that. I don't know how "Greek" this really is except for the feta cheese. I just used what ever pasta I had on hand - farfalle I think. I scaled the recipe back a little, because it made a lot. We had leftovers for a few days.

Greek God Pasta

• 1 (16 ounce) package whole wheat rotini pasta
• 1 (16 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes, drained
• 2 tablespoons chopped green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion
• 3 cups tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 cup sliced black olives
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add rotini pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and pour into a deep casserole dish.
3. Stir tomatoes, green pepper, green onion, olives and tomato sauce into the pasta. Season with basil and oregano and mix until evenly blended. Sprinkle mozzarella and feta cheese over the top.
4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until cheese is melted and bubbly. Let stand for a few minutes before serving.

Baked Fettucheesy

I made this a few weeks ago, but never posted it. It also called for Romano cheese, but I didn't have any. I also didn't have any heavy cream, but I figured whole milk would work. I thought it tasted great! There were not many leftovers.

Baked Fettucheesy

• 1 (16 ounce) package dry fettuccine pasta
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
  
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium casserole dish.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
3. In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter, and cook the onion until tender. Stir in the fettuccine, heavy cream, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup Romano cheese, salt and pepper. Transfer to the prepared dish. In a bowl, mix the remaining Parmesan, remaining Romano, and mozzarella. Sprinkle the cheese mixture over the fettuccine mixture.
4. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until bubbly and golden brow.

Skillet Nachos

This is from Better Crocker's Quick and Easy Cookbook. I changed a few things because I didn't have chili beans in sauce. I used a can of chili and it worked. I didn't use the full cup of salsa, but I think it could have used a little more spice. My kids ate it so I won't complain. Also, Aaron wasn't here and we ate the whole thing, so it barely fed 3 and a toddler - who ate about a 1/4 cup of the beans.

1 Tbsp olive or vegetable oil
1 medium green pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 small zucchini, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 cup chili beans in chili sauce (from 15 oz can - I used the whole can)
1 cup thick and chunky salsa
4 oz tortilla chips
1 1/2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese (6 oz- again I used Cheddar Jack)
Sliced olives, if desired - oh we did!

1. Heat oil in 12 inch skillet over high heat. Add bell pepper and zucchini, stir-fry about 2 minutes or until crisp tender. Stir in beans and 1/2 cup of salsa; cook until hot. (I skipped the next step)
2. Remove mixture from skillet. Wipe skillet clean. Arrange chips in single layer in skillet. Spoon vegetables over chips. Sprinkle with cheese.
3. Cover and cook over medium-high heat about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with olives. Serve with remaining salsa.

Instead of putting the chips on the bottom of the skillet, I just added the cheese and olives, and melted the cheese. Then I let the kids put the chips on their plate and I spooned the mixture over the chips. Then the chips aren't hot and soggy.

Penne Primavera

I have used this recipe several times. I'm surprised I haven't posted it. It's a great summertime recipe. The only change is that I add the garlic to the vegetables after they are sauteed. Yes, you really do use only 2 cups of broth! After you put the lid on the skillet it will cook into the pasta, and there will be a tiny bit left in the pan when it is done.

Penne Primavera

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 medium carrot, julienned
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 (8 ounce) package penne pasta
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat the olive oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat. When garlic is tender, remove from skillet and set aside. Place the broccoli and carrot in the skillet, and cook 2 minutes, just until heated through.
2. In a pot, bring the vegetable broth to a boil. Stir in the penne pasta and heated crushed garlic clove. Cook for 5 minutes, or until pasta is almost al dente. Remove and discard garlic clove.
3. Transfer the partially cooked pasta and broth to the skillet. Mix in the peas. Cover skillet, and continue cooking 10 minutes over medium heat, or until pasta is al dente and vegetables are tender. Toss with the Parmesan cheese to serve.

Polenta with Italian vegetables

I got this recipe from my Better Crocker Quick & Easy Cookbook. It was so yummy. Amy loved the polenta. It called for shredded Swiss cheese, but I didn't have any, so I used mozzarella instead. My can of artichoke hearts was 12.4 oz. And it was a big zucchini, so I chopped it instead of slicing it.

1 c. corn meal
3/4 c. cold water
2 1/2 c. boiling water
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 c. shredded Swiss cheese
2 tsp. olive or vegetable oil
2 medium zucchini or yellow squash, sliced (4 cups)
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)
1 small onion, chopped (1/4 cup)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 c. chopped fresh or 1 Tbsp dried leaves
1 can (about 14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained

Beat cornmeal and cold water in 2-qt saucepan with wire whisk. Stir in boiling water and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cheese until smooth; keep polenta warm

Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook zucchini, bell pepper, onion and garlic in oil about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetable are crisp-tender. Stir in basil and artichoke hearts. Serve vegetable mixture over polenta.

angel hair pasta with fresh basil, avocado and tomatoes

I got this recipe from my friend Nadine, but then I also found it in my Betty Crocker quick & Easy cookbook. It's really fast and delicious - although Aaron doesn't like it - oh well.

angel hair pasta with fresh basil, avocado and tomatoes

8 oz pasta (angel hair cooks fast, but you can use spaghetti, or something else)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 close fresh garlic, finely chopped
3/4 c chopped fresh basil
1/2 - 3/4 large avocado, peeled and cut into small cubes
4 medium tomatoes, cut into small cubes
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Cook and drain pasta as directed on package
While pasta is cooking, heat oil in 3 qt- sauce pan over medium heat. Cook garlic in oil about 5 minute, stirring occasionally, until garlic is tender but not brown; remove from heat.
Stir basil, avocado, and tomatoes into garlic in sauce pan. Toss vegetable mixture and pasta. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Pasta with Sweet Peas

I double this recipe and it's gone quickly. With 16 oz of pasta there are plenty of leftovers. It's really quick. I even cooked up some chicken breasts to go along with it. I sauteed them in the butter and sprinkled the red pepper (I didn't use that much- just a few sprinkles) on them and then added it to the pasta. It would be better with frozen peas, but I had canned, so I used them. This isn't my picture, and those aren't farfalle pasta noodles.

Pasta with Sweet Peas

• 4 ounces farfalle pasta (bowtie noodles)
  
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
• 1/4 cup canned green peas
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

1. In a small pot cook farfalle pasta with the 2 cups of water. Add chicken bouillon and boil until water has reduced.
2. Stir in butter and peas. Add red pepper flakes, if desired.
3. Serve with sprinkled parsley on top.