Audioslave ~ Jewel Of The Summertime
Beth Hart ~ Monkey Back
Foo Fighters ~ Rope
Buckcherry ~ Liberty
Court Yard Hounds ~ Delight
Faith Hill ~ There You'll Be
Foo Fighters ~ Cold Day In The Sun
Joan Jett ~ Bad Reputation
Dead Sara ~ We Are What You Say
Jose Carreras ~ Puccini: La Boheme
The Eagles ~ I Can't Tell You Why
Caro Emerald ~ Paris
Chely Wright ~ The River
Tina Dico ~ Do Something
Music and cooking makes my heart beat...nope no biology happening here...lol. I have long since given up on that so now I just surround myself with the things that keep me ticking over until my health concerns start to pick up. It's a slow process but I am hanging in there. So when I am well enough to get my ass in the kitchen to cook...I get my Pod set up and playing...set up my kitchen counter...and then I am lost in my own little capsule with the four legged fella pottering in and out from the garden...he licks my ankle to let me know he's keeping his eye on me and then crashes out in his bed or disappears back outside to sleep on the railway sleeper in the yard area. And as I'm not well enough or wealthy enough to do my third 'heart beating' activity..travelling..I travel via my substantial cookbook collection. I make up vegan dishes from around the world. It's all about finding your happy where you can...eh?
My kitchen cupboards are crammed full of all kinds of stock items and I have many spice and herbs boxes...all packed to the hilt with common, rare and wacky ingredients. But there are a few items that I never seem to use much. One of them being mustard...I always have a jar of Dijon and Multigrain mustard in my fridge door which get used in the usual dressings etc. And in my All Kinds of Everything spice box...and yes it does have a label with that written on...Hush!..my kitchen..not yours! lol...I have three versions of English Mustard but as it's my least favourite...that's where it stays! lol. As I've never eaten meat I've never understood the whole English Mustard and Beef pairing. *shudder*
I was secretly introduced to mustard during my time in New York. My friend would buy the bagels that were still warm from cooking then she would sprint home with them and make us a fantastic brunch with sesame seed bagels, a Swiss cheese, an American cheese, crisp lettuce and a mystery ingredient. I was still vegetarian back in those days so I devoured these bagels and it never occurred to me to enquire about the mystery ingredient. We never cooked...she used the oven as a magazine rack and plant stand and had a draw filled to the brim with takeout menus. One day we were sat having brunch in the Village and the very attentive waitress offered me mustard to go with my brunch. I balked at the idea but politely refused only to find my friend laughing. She then explained that she had been smearing a Dijon/mayo blend on my bagel and that was the mystery taste. I was stunned and sure enough Dijonaise was indeed in our fridge. Up until that point I had hated the regular mayo...I was a salad cream kind of a gal. But all this became redundant when I became vegan. A closed chapter food wise.
Mustard since the vegan days has always been simply an ingredient in a list that makes something else. And then I found this recipe...it intrigued me. Three items are on my foodie favourite list...linguine, broccoli and cauliflower but mustard sauce for pasta, had me gripped. I clicked on the link for the entire recipe and was surprised by the simplicity of this sauce...and I had everything in my stocks and fridge to make it straight away. So linguine was cooked, broccoli and cauliflower was steamed and set to one side. I sat at my kitchen counter and minced the shallots and garlic...finely chopped the remaining half of a punnet of baby plum cherry tomatoes and then sat patiently sauteing until I had a intensely aromatic mustard sauce. I also used multigrain mustard instead of plain Dijon mustard which satisfied my visual foodieness.
Oh wow...oh my goodness...food of the food goddesses...did I say wow? lol This simple pasta dish when assembled developed into a one serious powerhouse of flavours and textures. The mustard wasn't overwhelming which I was relieved to find and it blended into the shallots, garlic, tomatoes and balsamic vinegar perfectly. The freshness of the veggies and the comfort of the linguine just added with the mustard sauce almost brought this foodie to my knees with respect. I wish I knew who created this because I would be shouting out credit from the roof of my kitchen. I think this might even be tying in first place with my ultimate comfort food of spaghetti and tomato & garlic sauce. So good....try it...please?
 |
| Linguine with Broccoli & Cauliflower Florets and Mustard Sauce |
Linguine with Broccoli & Cauliflower Florets and Mustard Sauce Serves 4
(Posted by anon on the web)
1 tbsp olive oil (I used canola/rapeseed oil)
1 cup of shallots, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup chopped tomatoes (I used baby plum cherry tomatoes)
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp country style Dijon mustard (I used multigrain mustard)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Cooked linguine for required amount of people, kept warm to one side
(use your preferred linguine be it wheat or Gluten Free)
2 cups of broccoli, small florets
2 cups of cauliflower, small florets
Cook linguine to the package or your preferred method of cooking and drain well and set to one side covered to keep warm.
Steam the broccoli and cauliflower until just tender and then add to the linguine and toss to combine. Recover to keep warm.
Heat the oil in a small skillet over a medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and saute 2 minutes. Add tomato, parsley, mustard, vinegar and pepper and cook for three minutes or until thoroughly heated.
 |
| Gratuitous close up on the sauce..see those little mustard seeds...yum! |
Add the sauce to the linguine and veggies and stir gently to make sure they are coated in the sauce and then serve...
Enjoy!
Thanks for stopping by and I hope your week has started well...
~Red~
NB This is not my recipe so therefore I take no credit for its creation. But i send my thanks and respect out into the foodie zone to whomever is responsible and I would be happy to update this post if you recognise this as yours. Many thanks...~R~
