pasta, peppers, and fish

This meal is better set for a warm spring or summer night than the last day of the year but when you're ringing in the new year I think you can do whatever you damn well please.  Spaghetti aglio e olio is a simple classic and the recipe varies by the cook or family, I chose arugula because I love the peppery flavor it has while still tasting light.  I chose to use the simple dressing for the salmon because it is a little tart and tangy thanks to the rice vinegar and goes well with the pungent flavor of the garlic and parmesan in the pasta.  Momma would be displeased if there wasn't a vegetable on the table so I cooked bell peppers to round out the meal.  Just a little salt and balsamic is all I threw on the bell peppers and that's all they need, the strong flavor of the balsamic vinegar is a divergence from the pasta and fish that is complementary but also provides a flavor that helps keep all three tasting unique and separate.

Also I made the baguette with brie, pear and pepper again because there's nothing wrong with making the same thing several times in a week especially if it's cheese and bread.  It can actually help you work out the kinks in a particular recipe.

Bell pepper with balsamic vinegar

2 red bell peppers

1 tbs balsamic vinegar

Pasta with arugula and garlic

1/2 lb rotini

1/2 lb arugula

1 cup parmesan (plus more to taste if you want)

1 tbs red pepper flakes

1/2 stick unsalted butter

5 cloves garlic (I generally add one extra for good luck)

Salmon

1/2 lb salmon (mine was 1.5 lbs because I can't comprehend small portions)

3 tbs olive oil

1.5 tbs rice vinegar

salt  (to taste)

cracked pepper (also to taste)

Baguette with pear, brie and cracked pepper.  With photos this time.

1/2 baguette

1 green pear 

1/3 lb of brie

Infrastructure

1 cutting board

1 big knife

2 roasting trays

1 big pot

1 saute pan

1 big bowl

Details:

- Start a pot of water boiling for pasta

- Chop arugula and throw it in a bowl with parmesan and red pepper flakes

- Melt the 1/2 stick of butter in a saute pan on low

- Mince 5 cloves of garlic and brown in butter

- Add browned garlic to bowl with arugula, red pepper flakes and parmesan

- Set bowl aside until pasta is finished

- Mix rice vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper

- Set salmon in oil and vinegar

- Turn on the oven to high broil

- Wash and halve bell peppers

- Begin to blacken the skin of the red peppers

- Rinse your saute pan and put it back on the stove, set the heat to high

- Your pasta water should be boiling, start boiling your pasta

- Set salmon in the oven

- Cut the baguette hot dog style

- Wash and thin slice the pear and halve the slices, lay on the baguette

- Make sure the bell peppers aren't sticking to the pan, continue to blacken them

- Cut the brie into slices and lay on the pear

- Throw baguette in the oven

- When the peppers have burnt on the back turn the heat off and flip them to let them cool

- After the peppers have cooled the skin should peel off easily

- Salt the peppers and pour one tbs of balsamic on the peppers

- Once the pasta is cooked, drain and toss with the arugula, parmesan, red pepper and garlic

- When the salmon has begun to crisp and char on top remove from the oven

- Remove the baguette from the oven after about 7 minutes or when the brie has melted fully

- Eat

Music Selection:

Kanye - Only One

Ok Go - There's a fire

Aesop Rock - Daylight

Ratatat - Everything from Classics