Vegetable Pasta Toss

I have found that Danny will eat any shape of pasta and will gobble up just about every type of pasta dish I make. This pasta toss is quick and easy and something the whole family can enjoy. I used 2 cloves of garlic but you can certainly use more or less. I would have topped this with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese if I had any but oops!!!!!   I forgot to put it on the shopping list.  Oh well, there's always next time.  Just pretend there is some grated cheese on there!

Olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 zucchini, diced

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

2 plum tomatoes, diced

Several leaves of fresh basil, chopped

8 oz of any shaped pasta, cooked(I like to use twists...very kid friendly)

Add olive oil to large skillet(I do 2 turns around the pan) and heat. Add onion and garlic and cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Add zucchini and mushrooms and cook for about 5-6 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Stir in tomatoes and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Stir in pasta and basil. Stir well before removing from stove to ensure pasta is evenly coated.

As you can see, this pasta dish made Danny very happy.   That's our dog's nose on the bottom corner.   Murphy was hoping that Danny would throw some to him.   Alas, poor Murphy went hungry this time.   

This made 3 adult sized servings and 2 toddler sized servings.

Quick Vegetable Soup

One of my go-to lunches is this vegetable soup. It takes less than 10 minutes to make and the ingredients are so simple. This is one of my eyeball the amounts recipes. All amounts are estimated. I usually season it to taste. You don’t have to add the baby spinach. I just like how it looks and Danny loves spinach. I like to top it with a little bit of cheese for some extra flavor. Today I used mozzarella because that’s what I had in the refrigerator. I served it with some veggie straws on the side.

¾ cup of chicken broth

2 tablespoons of small seashell or any small pasta

2 tablespoons of mixed frozen vegetables

Small handful of baby spinach leaves (optional)

1 tablespoon of tomato sauce

1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning

Shredded cheese(optional)

Bring broth to a boil. Add pasta, tomato sauce, and Italian seasoning. Keep at a boil for about 5-6 minutes or until pasta is tender. Add frozen vegetables and spinach. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until vegetables are warm and spinach is wilted. Top with shredded cheese if desired before serving.

I usually use chicken broth but I have made it with vegetable broth too. You can make it with any frozen vegetables. I like mixed vegetables using the best but have used peas and carrots and sometimes just green beans.

Danny devoured 2 toddler sized bowlfuls. There was enough left over for him to have it again for lunch tomorrow.