Five Silly Reasons Why I Love to Cook (and another leftover makeover)

1. Nothing beats a free and easy food steam facial (just remember to stick your face out when you lift that lid of simmering stew or draining a pot of cooked pasta on the sink -  low enough so you get the blast of steam but not to the point of scalding your skin!).

2. I get to recycle (leftovers), reuse (tried and true recipes) and reduce (my stress level). Am a green hero! (sort of...).

3. I can eat whatever I want, whenever I want. Provided I have the ingredients of course, I can make chicken adobo for breakfast, or a small bowl of hot noodles with peanut sauce for a midnight snack.

4. Because I don't have to dress up, drive (or ask someone to drive me) and pay $50 just to eat something I want. Okay, sometimes it is good to do those things and I do get lazy (this is me admitting that I do eat microwaveable meals, too - something that I promised to do away with this year!). But how can you beat eating Pan-fried Scallops with Mushroom Risotto in your pajamas? I can also get as crazy as I want with my food and not have some chef huffing out of the kitchen indignantly asking me why I just doused his Sirloin Steak with soy sauce and sugar (my dad's seasoning for everything!).

5. Cooking and plating food that looks appetizing and actually tastes awesome is my way of saying I can be a Picasso or a Mozart in my own kitchen. I have never been good at painting or drawing however much I tried (my sisters made all my art projects in school!). I tried my hand at piano and violin but they both gave up on me (yes that's my story and am sticking to it!). But when I cook and I am able to bring the symphony of flavors together and a plain plate becomes a canvas with colors and life, then I can say my hands are creative after all.

And I take a bow amongst my pots, pans and a sink full of unwashed plates.
---------------------

Call me a leftover diva. Wherever I live, it seems my fridge would always have that one piece of pork chop left, two slices of bacon saved in plastic wrap or a small tub of unused tomato sauce. I don't like the idea of just throwing them away, so I come up with ways to use them and still have a brand-new dish!
Here's something I made out of 1 1/2 pieces of Chicken and Gouda cheese sausages (seriously!), 1/4 box of farfalle (or bowtie pasta), half an onion and a pepper. Of course if you are cooking for your family, you have to adjust the portions accordingly so I am leaving out measurements this time.

Easy Chicken Sausage, Onions and Pepper with Farfalle Alfredo
Cook farfalle in boiling water and salt, according to package instructions (or until al dente, usually around 10-12 mins).

Slice the sausages thinly and diagonally. Slice the onions into thin slivers. Do the same for the pepper (you can add more onions and pepper if you want).

Heat up about 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan. Add onions and some minced garlic and saute until the onions are translucent. Add the sausages and cook until the onions turn soft and caramellize. Add the peppers and season with salt, pepper, oregano, basil and thyme.

Add 1/2 cup of heavy cream, 1/3 cup of grated parmesan and stir until the cheese starts to melt in the sauce. Taste and adjust salt and pepper at this point.

Top the farfalle with the sauce.

Enjoy with some crusty garlic bread and a glass of white wine!