Whole Wheat Pasta with Asparagus and Shrimp

Look what Thundercat and I found this morning:



They were frolicking around the back yard and nibbling on dandelions. I guess they can stay if they'll only eat the weeds! Needless to say, Thundercat was delighted. It's a good thing she's not an outside kitty!

Did y'all have a great weekend? We did--it was very low-key and very relaxing. I love those kinds of weekends.

Today I'm off to help a friend. Her mother passed away in the wee hours of Saturday morning. It wasn't unexpected, but still. We'd actually gone to visit her Friday afternoon--I'm so glad that I went. We were the last visitors to see her alive. The funeral is today, so I'll be attending that and setting out refreshments at the home while the family attends the burial.

Thank God for the slow cooker! I've thrown in some sort of concoction so that Mr.W has something to eat later. Rice, cream-of-something (I make it myself--it's not from a can; basically a roux thinned with chicken broth to make a white, quivering mass which can then be thinned with milk or whatever, just like in any recipe), onions, a half chicken, salt & pepper and a couple slices of bacon. I've never made something like this before so I hope it turns out okay. I definitely don't consider it up to my regular standards, but it's something I can throw together. Let's pray for the best, shall we?

Meanwhile, I have a tasty, tasty dish to share with you. I ate it over the weekend, and to my delight. Mr.W, of course, didn't go near it--asparagus, you know--but that was fine. More for me.



I got my hands on some fresh asparagus at the Farmer's Market. They were lovely if a little on the short side. No matter. Only a few were fat enough to require peeling--the rest were small. I steamed them in the microwave while the pasta boiled, tossing in the frozen shrimp & frozen corn niblets during the last few minutes. When the pasta was done, so were the shrimp & corn--they were drained and tossed in a bowl with the steamed asparagus. I drizzled the whole with a dijon vinaigrette I whipped up--just a little bit. After a few tosses it was ready to eat.

I realize it's not quite a recipe. This is something you can make to your own preferences. Pasta for 2, 10 shrimp, veg as desired. Or pasta for 6, a pound of shrimp and more vegetables--you decide. When adding the vinaigrette, just taste as you go.

This is great hot or at room temperature.