Not So Guilty Pleasures

Oh, so good. I got hooked on Mad Men several weeks ago after catching a repeat on AMC and promptly queued all the DVDs in Netflix. Needless to say I've been waiting for tonight and nerdily marked it on my calendar so I wouldn't forget!

Dinner was simple to use up some mushrooms and asparagus that were in a use-it-or-lose-it state with some whole wheat rotini. I made sure to have dinner ready early enough to allow my stomach to make room for dessert along all the fashion eye candy on Mad Men as well as time to clean up. This is a great easy weeknight meal that could just as well accommodate some chicken or shrimp if you felt inclined.


I just cooked up some sliced shitake 'shrooms in a bit of butter and lemon juice until they were slightly browned and added the asparagus for the last couple of minutes, along with a bit of vegetable broth and a dash of the pasta water to create slightly saucier dish. Normally I'd top it with some Parmesan but for the first time ever (what WAS I thinking?) I am out! No worries - the cheese drawer is always stocked and I added a couple chunks of feta for creaminess.

After cleaning up and painting my nails I sat down to indulge in my non-guilty pleasures. I'd seen a recipe in the latest SELF magazine for a blueberry-basil granita and knew I had to have it. Between this and the banana "soft-serve" that's been all the bloggy rage this summer who needs ice cream? This involved about two more steps than the soft-serve, which is to say that it took 3 minutes instead of 1. Really. Just add blueberries, a bit of basil, a couple tablespoons of honey, a little bit of water, and a pinch of salt to a food processor and blend. Once smooth, pour into an airtight container and freeze for a couple of hours.


Nevermind the lovely container - this was sooooooooo tasty. The clean flavors of basil and the sweetness of the blueberries made it feel considerably more decadent than it truly is. Plenty of other flavor combinations are a-brewing in my mind already.