Weekend Cooking – Gotta Love It

Hey It’s Jet Here.

colorblindWhile Little Miss Color Restricted and I cannot fully grasp the color green due to evolutionary constraints Paw-Jet, Mom makes up for both of us!  This week, her weekend cooking sessions highlighted green all over the place.   Having had quite enough of orange vegetables since leaving the hospital, she segued Paw-Jet to another band of the rainbow with Dr. V’s permission.  You may have learned in science class that when one sense has limits, another sense shines.  In K9 world, we rock smell, hearing and enjoy taste quite a lot!  With that in mind, Little Miss Kitchen K9 and I secured our kitchen locations for Mom’s cooking endeavors.

Remember Mom’s fascination with fennel a while back? Well, when she asked Dr. V about greens, Dr. V recommended soft greens.  Mom piled the red kale, zucchini, Italian parsley, basil and baby arugula into her cart.  Did I mention ARUGULA?  Yeah, the stuff has like 3 names: arugula, rocket, roquette.  Mom has a new fascination… yes, she’s enjoyed the veggie before, used it in her Kitchen Counselor classes, etc… however this weekend, she put the stuff in EVERYTHING!

Little Miss Show Off/Whoops What Did I DO ate a whole leaf and then casually dropped it on the tile – not enough crunch.  Mom tried again removing the small stems; we liked that idea better.  Oh, I forgot to mention that Ruby participated in one of the cooking sessions!  Little Miss Puppy Dog Face and I LOVE when Ruby hangs out in the kitchen; more tidbits than usual seem to find our chompers!  Ruby wanted to see if we liked parsley!

Pasta with Arugula, Cherry Tomatoes and Walnuts  2-23-13 027

Pasta with Arugula, Cherry Tomatoes and Walnuts  2-23-13 028

Pasta with Arugula, Cherry Tomatoes and Walnuts  2-23-13 029

Arugula-Caraway Pesto Pasta

  • Arugula Caraway Pesto 2-23-13 0161 cup arugula leaves
  • 1 cup fresh parsley leaves
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds (Mom used whole almonds she already had.)
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tablespoon McCormick® Caraway Seed, finely crushed
  • 8 ounces periatelli pasta or thick spaghetti (Mom didn’t prepare this part of the recipe.)
  • 2 cups thinly sliced red Swiss chard (cut crosswise into thin strips) (Mom didn’t prepare this part of the recipe.)

 1. Place arugula, parsley, oil, almonds, Parmesan cheese, garlic and caraway seed in bowl of food processor; cover. Process until smooth. Set aside.
2.  Meanwhile, cook pasta as directed on package. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Return pasta to saucepot.
3.  Stir Swiss chard into pasta on low heat until greens are wilted. Add pesto; toss to coat well, adding small amounts of reserved cooking water until desired consistency. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired. 

Mom’s taking the Pesto to the biscuit earning place today with a grilled chicken breast.  Check out her FB album to see the step-by-step process.

Another great day in the kitchen with Mom and Ruby.

Thanks to Sugar and Kol for initiating Tasty Tuesdays, today is our forty-second participating post!

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52 thoughts on “Weekend Cooking – Gotta Love It

  1. So glad that your mom is adapting and learning about the best foods to eat for her condition. Those of us (like your Mom and I) who have conditions that prevent us from eating certain foods, need to learn all that we can about those foods that we CAN eat!

  2. YUM YUM!! I’m definitely trying this recipe. We’re big into veggies here, and this is a great-sounding take on pesto. I’m glad mom’s diet is expanding, that makes things in the kitchen so much easier!

    • Hey Daisy, Jet here.

      Whoo hoo… let us know when… send Mom a pic on her Kitchen Counselor FB page. 🙂 You’ll find lots of goodies there, too.

      So true, Daisy and way more fun for Little Miss Kitchen Companion and me, her faithful Kitchen K9s.

  3. Woof! Woof! Mom LOVES pesto and never thought using arugula … Golden Thanks for a great idea recipe. So happy you decided to join TT. Continue to send Golden Healing Thoughts to your mom and I know you are giving her lots of love n care. Lots of Golden Woofs, Sugar

    • Hey Sugar, Jetty here.

      Oh you know we LOVE TT! Last week, Mom had a 3/4 of a post done and then, she realized she couldn’t get the recipe up in time… (no longer available online.) Then stuff happened and she … (hey Sugar,, I don’t like to write negatively about Mom… however,) got distracted and then Tuesday was Thursday! So, we made her focus 4:30 a.m. this morning until 5:45 a.m. when she finished with the photos and all that stuff.

      Mom says that your golden healing thoughts are priceless… she sends thanks to your Mom and sends you belly rubs! 😉

  4. Great minds think alike Jetty 🙂 Momz made a parsley, almond and garlic pesto yesterday…I had tastes and it was pretty good…*HappyTuesdaySnoogles* to you, JJ and Miss Lori

    • Hey Giz, Jetty here. Hi Miss JG.

      Oh indeed the Moms have great minds alright and we get to benefit from their good thinking!!! BOL. Sending Jetty manly man chest bumps to you and kisses to Miss JG.

      Mom and JJ offer you hugs and belly rubs for your snoogles!

    • Hey Mollie, Hey Alfie, Jetty here.

      Long time no communicating…all on our side. So nice to see you!

      Yippee, see, we’re K9s in a pod! Mom just ate the pesto and loved it! (she didn’t taste it the other day!) How does your Mom make rocket?

      BTW, just visited Savannah’s Monday Meowsie post and saw your pawesome mouse pads. Wowee wow wow! We especially loved the one with Savvy’s favorite time transport tunnel! Way to go! Sending Jetty kisses and JJ hugs; belly rubs from Mom.

    • Hey Kroten, Hey Papoe, Hey Kurome, Jet here. Hi Miss Novroz.

      Oh yes, there are tons of versions, usually basil based with pine nuts and cheese, that’s why Mom was intrigued with this one!

  5. Hi sweet Jetty – so happy when I see your posts and happy Mom is doing better. looks like a great recipe your Mom is super talented. Lucky Ruby that gets to hang with you in the kitchen!

    sending thinking about you often goodnight hugs and kisses xoxoxox

    • Hey it’s Jet here. Hi Miss Wendy.

      🙂 Mom’s doing better because of lovies from friends like YOU! Mom’s blushing at the talented thingie…

      Sending likewise Jetty kisses and JJ hugs to you, Mr. David, Jacob, Cassie and Rex xoxoxoxo

  6. me hates vegetables! Me does not mind the occasional grass nomming, and me can inhale catnip and honeysuckle, but veggies – yuck! But the hairy slobbery sisters loves them! Mommy makes their foods And they eats lots do different ones.
    Kisses
    Nellie

  7. Hey Jets, Jack here. Mom bought a bunch of that Arugula stuff and gave me some. I did what JJ did and spit it on the floor. Sid, the sugar glider likes it though. I would like to play with Sid, he looks kinda like a flying squirrel in a flight suit but Mom says no. She is afraid that I will play rough. Seeing what I do to my stuffed squirrels, she may be right. U mm, Jets, could you have your Mom send my Mom your phone number again (I kinda ate the other one). Kisses to the lovely JJ, Bro hugs to you and Mom sends hugs to all.

  8. It will be a learning experience for mom, but she will get through it. I’m pulling for her and know that she CAN do it. I bet she is able to add more and more to her diet, which will help make her feel better too! Thank goodness she has you and Little Miss Happy Feet to keep her on her toes!

  9. Om nom nom nom nom. Jet, tell mom that looks like a winner! Did mom’s skin turn orange eating all the orange food? My first baby turned orange because she liked sweet potatoes, carrots and squash so much.

  10. Hey Jet, Tell your Mom that the arugula recipe sounds pretty good! As a rule I don’t like it, but the almonds must add a nice touch of sweetness. Sure am glad she’s feeling better! Happy Sunday!

  11. That recipe sounds delicious! But way out of my grilled-cheese league. Someday I’ll learn, I’m sure. In the meantime, the husband makes up for it – he’s the good cook in the house.

  12. Yow Jet you makez us laugh wif yer different names for JJ…..Little Miss Diz n Dat….best part of da blog, MOL!!!!
    me asked Mum what she thought of da green food n she just kind of shivered???? Iz she scared of green food?? What do ya fink???
    Lub Nylablue xo

  13. oh our mommy ADORES arugula – and she mixes half arugula and half basil that she grows in the summer to make a yummy pesto, too! She sez thanks, that caraway is a good idea and she’ll hafta TRY it! YUMMMM!

  14. Your so lucky that your mom likes to cook! Our mom doesn’t like to cook so much! Hope your mom is feeling better…our mom has been busy and we haven’t been able to get on the computer as much. Thinking about you guys!

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