It was just me for Meatless Monday! today.

I was hungry for pasta, which I rarely eat, and I wanted to keep it simple and fast.

I also didn’t want to shop for any ingredients. So, Meatless Monday! was a really low carbon footprint meal.

Let me also add that the peanut butter which I use is a no sugar added, natural brand made from roasted Valencia peanuts; that’s it!

I scavanged the pantry and the freezer for what was available.

I just happen to have a basil plant on my patio.

I am sure that there is a better peanut sauce recipe but I improvised with what I had.

Ingredients:

Whole wheat pasta

1 cup frozen peas

5 scallions

1/2 cup broccoli florets

Sauce:

1 Tbspn peanut butter

1 Tbsp Bragg’s Aminos

1/2 lime, juiced

1 Tbspn crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup fresh basil chopped

Method:

Boil the pasta.

Chop the veggies.

Mix together the peanut butter, Bragg’s Aminos, lime juice and crushed red pepper.

Place veggies in the colander and pour linguini and water over veggies and allow to drain.

Mix the sauce and chopped basil into the pasta, mix and enjoy!

I like the idea of gently “scalding” veggies with the pasta water. It brings out the flavors of the veggies and warms everything nicely.

Just me, dining al fresco!

A cool cucumber salad with red onion complimented this meal and tamed the heat a bit.

It’s a warm sunny day in October and I am sitting at a sidewalk café with my bff M. having coffee and crepes.

This area of town is one of those,” up and coming” neighborhoods which has been going through the gentrification process for as long as I can remember. And quite frankly, I like that it is still rough around the edges and not too tidy or crowded with the stroller set.

It’s a rare opportunity in the Midwest to dine outside in October and the mood was festive. The couple behind us was drinking Champagne in the middle of the afternoon. I felt practically continental!

This place is very small and definitely has a European flair. The crepes are their signature dish and they come both in sweet and savory varieties. I must say that the dessert crepes take the prize.

We had café ole and a Nutella, banana, peanut butter crepe! Need I say more?