Mixed Mushroom Pasta

1lb pasta
1 onion chopped
½ lb bacon (lean) chopped
1 package mixed mushrooms chopped
1 c. white wine (not chardonnay)
½ c cream
1 tsp minced garlic
Salt and pepper

Just a note on the bacon before I start. I used the Gwaltney 40% less fat bacon. It is just a less fatty bacon which appeals to me, however you have the same flavor. If you use regular bacon, remove about half of the oil after cooking bacon.
Start water to boil, add pasta.
Meanwhile, cut bacon and fry in pan. Once done, remove bacon from pan and set aside. Add onions to bacon grease and cook over low heat to caramelize. Once caramelized add mushrooms and sauté for 3 minutes, add wine, garlic and salt and pepper. Once you add wine, your pasta should almost be done (2 minutes or so, if not set sauce aside until your pasta is almost done Cook sauce on low until pasta done.)Remove pasta from heat, and take 1/2c. of the starchy water and add to sauce. Turn heat up on sauce to simmer. Drain pasta and put pasta back in pot. Once sauce thickens (about 2-3 min) add cream, cook an additional minute. Toss with pasta and serve.
Now of course you know I am a truffle oil freak, so of course I added about 2 tbs to the entire dish before serving. It was wonderful but I think the sauce will be just as good without it. Enjoy!!

Green Tomato Pasta

Tis that time of year again. Green tomato season! So here is another attempt at using up those green tomatoes. Not bad!
1/2 lb pasta
5 medium green tomatoes chopped
1 small onion diced
¼ lb chopped pancetta (you can get this at Trader Joes!!)
1 c. marinated artichoke heats
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs lemon zest
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of red pepper

Sauté tomatoes, onions and pancetta in olive oil for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile boil the pasta. When pasta is almost done, take one ladle full of the water and add it to sauce. Add artichokes and seasoning. Sauté for about 5 minutes or until sauce thickened a bit. Add lemons zest and cook one more minute. Drain pasta, toss immediately and serve.

Tilapia with Tomato, Feta and Capers

4 filets of Tilapia
½ c feta
14oz diced tomato
1/8 c. caper
3 tbs lemon
1tbs olive oil
¼ onion diced
Salt and pepper filets. Add olive oil to pan and diced onion. Add filets and cook. Remove filets a little early (cook about 2 -3minutes each side over medium heat) keeping onion in the pan/ Drizzle 1TBS lemon over filets and set aside. Add tomato, capers (the caper are variable it depends on how much you like, I love them, so personally add much more, but if you don’t love them or the salt add a little less and keep adding until you are happy with the flavor). Cook until most of water from tomatoes cooks off. Reduce heat. Add filets back to tomato mixture, and put crumbled feta on top. Increase temperature until liquid is bubbling hard. Cover and turn off heat. Let pan sit for 5 minutes. Serve.

Black Bean Salad/Salsa

Black bean salad/dip

This is good as either a chucky salsa or as a “salad.”

2 16oz. cans black beans
¼ onion chopped
1 red bell pepper diced
½ bunch cilantro chopped
½ jar of Herdez salsa ( I really recommend Herdez)
½ tsp of cumin
salt and pepper

mix together and chill. Corn is also a good addition.