experimenting pays off...

I was stuck on what to make for dinner the other night. I try to stay out of the "it's Tuesday, so it must be chicken night" kind of thing, but with working outside the home full time, it's tough to be creative when I have limited time to get things made. (the days when I can work at home, and start dinner prep in the afternoon are different - it's all about time).

So, on my drive home the other night, I'm trying to figure out what to make. Pasta. Ok, but what kind? I didn't feel like a tomato based meat sauce. (too bad, because I had some that I had frozen last week). We had had chicken the night before. A primavera type? Possibilities - I had some fresh spinach, onions and mushrooms in the fridge, and some frozen peas... okay, but Husband needs a protein - not a vegetarian, this guy. I had some shrimp in the freezer, but that just felt a little too rich with the cream based sauce I was thinking of... I hit the grocery store for a couple of things, and saw it. Wild Pacific salmon. Yeah, that might work.

So I got home, fed the boy (at age nine, waiting more than 10 minutes for dinner is hell for him - and then he's hungry again 15 minutes after eating. Can we talk Growth Spurt??), and started in. Cooked up some penne. Then the sauce - start with the onions and mushrooms in a little olive oil, add some garlic, then the peas, spinach and chunks of salmon. Throw in the cooked penne, some cream, some Parmesano Reggiano...

In reality, this was much brighter looking - a great contrast of bright greens, the pink of the salmon and the ivory of the coated pasta. 30 minutes, start to finish.

And as much as I hate to brag... quite delicious. And great for lunch the next day.

Hmmm, if it's Wednesday, it must be salmon pasta night. - Sounds good to me...