Last night I made pasta con aglio with sauteed scallops and shrimp. Very easy and delicious.

You will need pasta, much fresh chopped garlic, much olive oil, fresh herbs (rosemary and basil for me) fresh scallops, fresh (or steamed shrimp), pepper mill and a wedge of parmegiano or romano, crusty bread.

I used angel hair, the scallops are quite delicate and I find the light pasta works best, but use what you like. Cook according to package directions - do not overcook pasta - drain and set aside (toss in a bit of olive oil in to keep from drying out)

Sautee garlic in olive oil, don't burn it, add scallops and shrimp, cook through, again be careful not to overdo it or seafood becomes rubbery. I like to add a little fresh rosemary and cracked pepper as the seafood cooks. (my rosemary came from Arcosanti near Sedona! woohoo) If you are unsure about the seafood, try cooking over medium to med high heat, turning the scallops only once, giving them about 3 mins per side. If using raw shrimp, it should cook about same rate as scallops. You can see the change in the texture and color as the seafood cooks, when it becomes opaque, it's done.
You can also use steamed shrimp or cocktail shrimp - if your shrimp is precooked, add in the last minute or so just to heat and coat with oil and herbs. (I like to leave the tails on the shrimp, adds to my dining pleasure)

Remove seafood from skillet and set aside, add more olive oil and garlic to skillet, toss in cooked pasta, add fresh basil and fresh cracked pepper (and more rosemary, or oregano if you prefer), heat through, then pour the seafood mixture over top, sprinkle with fresh grated parmegiano or romano and serve with crusty bread.

This recipe is quick - and oh so tasty.

Pasta con Aglio simply means pasta with garlic, omitting the seafood and adding mushrooms and/or various veggies makes this an awesome vegetarian dish.

Well, the angel hair and veggies is really simple. Try this with yellow squash, zucchini and chopped, seeded roma tomatoes.

As you're heating the water for the pasta, blanch the veggies for no more than 2 minutes in the hot(not boiling) water. (Make sure the water has salt...use Kosher if you can find it...the difference it taste is astounding.) Note...do not blanch tomatoes...that would be bad.)

Then, while the pasta is cooking, flash saute the veggies in olive oil and a small amount of butter with garlic. (Again, cook no longer than about 3-4 minutes...you want the veggies firm to the tooth.) Remove veggies from heat, and add herbs to taste...for squash/zucchini/roma tomatoes, I recommend basil/rosemary/greek oregano.

Pour veggie mix on top of cooked pasta, drizzle a little more olive oil if necessary, top with freshly grated Parmesan...voila...15 minute dinner, including prep.

You might also consider Bruchetta...

Bake or buy hard crusted bread. (If baking the bread, put a bowl of water on the bottom rack of the oven...it'll create a much harder ""shell"".)

Preheat oven to about 400 degrees F. Put 3-5 whole, peeled garlic cloves on a plate in the oven to heat while you do the next part.

Get a selection of ripe tomatoes...I usually go for a red and a golden...just for plating presence. Cut, seed and salt the tomatoes and leave them to drain on paper towels. You don't want them to be soggy or wet. You want just the firm fleshy part.

Once drained, place in a bowl big enough to toss, and sprinkle with Balsamic vinegar and a tiny amount of olive oil. Add fresh, chopped basil. Toss and let sit while you do the next part.

Cut the bread. Brush with virgin olive oil. Lightly toast in the oven.

Retrieve the garlic. Holding firmly, rub, rub, rub against the bread. The garlic will start to dissolve as you rub it. That's good. You want that.

Once the garlic has been applied, spoon the tomato mixture onto the bread. Top with fresh Parmesan. (That weird stuff in the plastic tube...never use that...that stuff is just wrong.)

Put in the oven, turn on the broiler...do NOT close the door all the way...watch carefully...you just want the cheese to melt. Theoretically, the tomatoes shouldn't get hot...just slightly warmed.

Pull baking tray out, and there you have it...so good...so very, very good.

Bulgar Wheat Pilaf

This is a very simple pilaf. It's very tasty, and is very healthy, as well.

You'll need:

Hardware)
A 10" fry pan
Spoon of some sort, to stir stuff around

Software)
1 cup of bulgar wheat
half an onion, diced
half a bell pepper (mixed colors are very nice), diced
few cloves of garlic, minced
1 or 2 ripe tomatoes, dice OR a can of diced tomatoes, drained of liquid
16oz of chicken broth (I like the organic, free range stuff you get in the cartons)
handfulls of cheese, grated (asiago is great here, as is cheddar, feta, or any soft creamy cheese)

Heat some olive oil in your pan over medium heat and sweat your onions and garlic, but not all the way until they are soft. This is NOT a saute. Add your peppers after a few minutes. You remembered to add kosher salt, right? Once they are almost cooked translucent, add some more oil, raise the heat to medium-high and toss in the bulgar. You want to toast the bulgar for about two minutes. (Pilaf is a method, and a dish. This toasting is the method part. You can do it with rice too - you'll never go back to just plain steamed again) Toss in the tomatoes and the broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and cover for 20 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, red pepper, maybe some herbs if you like. Mix in the cheese while it's still hot. It should have a really creamy consistancy. Enjoy!

*note* Mushrooms are also really good in here. Add them when you add the peppers. You want them to let off juice, so the bulgar can absorb it when you toast.

Egg Fried Rice

I scoured the internets looking for a good fried rice recipe and tweaked it to my own tastes (namely to be less greasy and not have any goddamn onions). Most fried rice recipes call for one egg but also include some other feature. This recipe is for when it's eggs or nothin, baby. Feel free to add just about anything to this recipe but be careful of adding anything with its own spices or too strong a flavor.

For best results, prepare in a wok with a wooden spoon. If you don't have these (or if the idea of a wooden spoon with all its fungus-encrusted crevaces makes you go ewww), normal frypans and a plastic/metal spoon/spatula will work fine. Just be aware that the lower the sides of the pan, the harder it'll be to stir without spilling.

- 2 cups cooked white rice (preferably freshly cooked and still hot so it doesn't clump)
- 2 large eggs (thoroughly blended)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons peanut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil (sesame oil is pretty expensive and powerful so it's not essential)
- Salt and pepper (to taste)

Add 2 tablespoons of peanut oil to your pan and set the heat for a little below medium (I prefer 4/10). Add the eggs, making sure they cover the bottom of the pan as best as possible. Once the egg solidifies (it's OK if it's still a little liquidy on top), add the 2 cups of cooked rice. Pour the third tablespoon of peanut oil, the soy sauce and the sesame oil on top of the rice. This is also a good point to add your salt and pepper if you know you're going to use some. Immediately start mixing the contents of the pan, making sure to break up the egg so you don't end up with any large pieces still on the bottom of the pan. The soy sauce will color the rice, giving you a good indication of how well it's been mixed. It won't reach a uniform color but once it's properly mixed none of the rice will remain white.

Allow the rice to cook for about five minutes, stirring frequently. If you prefer firmer rice, cook longer. If you like some of your rice to actually be crispy and "fried," stir less. When finished, spoon into a separate bowl and cover (do not leave in pan to keep warm).