The Recipe that Never Was

If you're a long time reader you know that my ability to "follow" a recipe is not one of my strong suits. That's why I cook and not bake. I have mad skills in the kitchen and I know how to swap out ingredients and am relatively confident something good will come out of it.

This last weekend I had some friends over on Sunday. I had a menu and knew what I'd be making. I knew I had all the necessary ingredients and I was all set.

Then I watched the Food Channel. One of the shows the host was making a pasta salad that I just had to make. It didn't seem all that off from the pasta salad I already had on my menu. I ran upstairs and pulled off the recipe.

I started cooking.

Here's roughly what I came up.

Jenn's Somewhat Following A Recipe Pasta Salad

• 1 cup of uncooked small pasta - like small shells, orzo, tiny spaghetti pieces.
• 1/2 cup give or take, grape tomatoes
• 1/2 cup give or take sliced black olives
• 1 small can of corn, drained
• A bunch of basil - chiffonade
• 1/2 red onion, diced fine
• A hefty handful of slivered almonds - toasted

Dressing:

• A hefty squirt of Dijon mustard - probably about 1 T
• Juice of one lemon
• A hefty spoon full of sugar
• 2 T give or take of a finely diced shallot (or small white onion)
• Olive oil to emulsify the dressing - probably like 1/2 cup

Toss it all together - chill and serve.

This is literally what I wrote down. As I read it back I laughed at myself and my "give or take" measurements. Still in the end, the salad was outstanding and I'd make it again in a heartbeat.

Now - here's the real recipe.
Gina's Orzo Salad

Only a few common ingredients. Still my point is - I had something to start with, but adding the Jenn touch and ended up with a pretty darn good pasta salad that I'll make again...someday. Maybe today.