Rice and Veggies

So, if you stuck with me through that last post, thanks.  I used to have a notebook where I let things like that out, in very much the same voice I now use for blogging.  Maybe I've always been a blogger at heart.

Anyway, after all that thinking, where does that leave me?  Still in summer housing, still at the same college, still kitchenless.  Maybe the whole not having a kitchen thing is what is making me so thoughtful.  Apparently, that's my other option if I can't cook.

Tonight's dinner was decent for dining hall food.  It was excellent for inspiration.  I wouldn't be surprised if you hear about chicken, pesto, peppers, tomato, tortellinis and spinach before the summer is through.

However, I have some tricks up my sleeve.  Well, they weren't originally intended to be tricks, but there were some things I made in the past month or two that I just never had time to write about.  They were yummy, and totally worth it, but they just seemed to slip between the cracks.  So, forgive me while I backtrack a little.  It has to do with food, maybe even a recipe or two, if you can believe it!

I like rice.  Especially with pasta sauce.  I'm not exactly sure how I ended up with this combination.  I think I was eating dinner in the dining hall one night and the only thing that sounded good was pasta sauce, but the pasta didn't look so good.  But how can you mess up white rice?  So the combo was born.

Also, when you are moving out of an apartment, and thusly emptying a fridge (or failing to do so, as it ended up being), some combinations are born of necessity.  The original plan was to saute some mushrooms to put in the sauce.  Well, at least the mushrooms that didn't end up being eaten while I was waiting for the rice to cook.  This started as a full package.

However, there were baby zucchini and fresh baby spinach (straight from the farm, I think!) in the fridge.  I had so many good intentions for making stuff that last week of school, but it always seems like that last week is full of free food and dinners.  So I had stuff to use up.

Anyway, I chopped up the zucchini and mushrooms (well, they came sliced) and sauted them in olive oil till they started to soften.  Then, I added the spinach and let it wilt.

Then, I added some spaghetti sauce (check -- one thing out of the fridge!) and poured it over the rice.  Served with plenty of shredded Parmesan cheese?  It's yummy and simple.

Then, I used the leftover veggies and rice for the next few nights with some sweet and sour sauce as a stir fry. Nothing like varying the theme!

Also, if you remember my obsession with all things British and the Royal Wedding, this will not surprise you.  I have a favorite British store, and NES and I went last night.  I found this tea towel (another one of my apparent budding collections) and, being a once in a lifetime opportunity, I had to get it.   Who knew that William and Kate's faces would end up on a tea towel?  Why am I surprised?

 Last but not least, this is a sneak preview for this weekend:   This is all you get for now.

I had a nice discussion about why I was buying so many cookies and candy with the bagger at the grocery store.  It ended with him asking me, "are you a professional baker?"  My answer: "no, but sometimes I wish I was. "