Easy Peasy Meatless Monday (or any day)

This is my take on ajvar, a pepper-based sauce popular in Croatia and surrounding countries. Shelter in Place continues to promote my resourcefulness in the kitchen, which is why I've added some marinara to the sauce and used walnuts instead of pinenuts.

• Whole roasted red peppers - 2 from jar
• Garlic - 1 clove
• Marinara sauce - 2 tablespoons of favorite store bought or homemade
• Walnuts - 1/4 cup 
• Spaghetti - 1lb
• Pasta water - 1/4 cup
• Kalamata olives - 6oz, pitted and smashed
• Chopped Parsley - 1 tablespoon for serving
• Grated Parmesan Cheese - 3 tablespoons for serving

Blend first four ingredients together until smooth. Set aside. Cook spaghetti according to package. While pasta cooking, add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a small saute pan and heat over medium high. Add olives and fry until heated through and slighty wilted looking. Before draining pasta, ladle 1/4 cup of water into the pepper sauce and mix well. Drain pasta, and toss sauce through. Scatter olives over then sprinkle Parmesan cheese and parsley 

Arugula Salad

• Washed and dried arugula
• Pickled red onions (recipe below)
• Olive oil
• Pomegrante molasses
• Salt 
• Pepper
• Grated cojita cheese (or other hard cheese)

A TV show chef once described seasoning as making sure every bite has flavor. With that in mind, throwing dishes together becomes more about thinking through the eating experience rather than needing a clear playbook. Here, you put a big mound of arugula on a plate. You add enough picked onions for all diners to have some. Then you eyeball the drizzle of olive oil. You eyeball the pomegrante molasses. Salt and pepper are added to taste, as is the cojita cheese. 

Pickled Red Onions
1/2 cup apple cide vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 large red onion, thinly sliced

Add vinegar and salt to a mason jar large enough to hold the onion slices. Shake very well. Add onion slices and mix gently. Allow to sit at room termperature for an hour. Then keep in the refridgerator for up to 10 days.