Oddball salad

It's sweet, savoury, spicy and oddly delightful. This will definitely win no cooking competitions. I think most people wouldn't even try it but I love it so here it is:

Oddball salad


Makes 2 meals


Ingredients:
120g uncooked pasta
1 1/2 cup pumpkin, thinly sliced
1 cup mushrooms, generously sliced
1 medium capsicum, sliced
1 medium apple, cut and de-cored
1 medium tomato, cut into wedges
1 stalk spring onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder (unsweetened)
Cream-based salad dressing (no-sugar added)
Handful of walnuts
Herbs and pepper to taste

Preparation:
Boil pasta and set aside. Preheat oven to 120 degrees. Spice apple slices with cinnamon. Arrange apples, pumpkin, capsicum and mushroom on baking tray and bake. After 15 minutes, check mushroom, apple and capsicum. Remove from oven if cooked. Continue cooking pumpkin for a further 10-15 minutes or until cooked and slightly crispy. Add baked ingredients and walnuts to boiled pasta. Mix in salad dressing and garnish with spring onion. Add herbs and pepper to taste. Can be served hot or cold.

Now the question is : Would you try it?

Tuna Pasta

I first had tuna pasta three years ago when I stayed in an Italian lady's house. Before that, I have never heard of fish cooked with pasta before, except the occasional smoked salmon in creamy sauce. But boy, the lady was a whiz in the kitchen and got me instantly hooked on this dish. It's so simple that I wanted to cry and beat myself up for not making it more often.

Tuna pasta in tomato sauce


Serves 1 meal


Ingredients:
150g cooked pasta
1 small can tuna (approx. 95g per can)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 small onion, chopped
3 bulbs garlic, chopped
1 tomato, roughly sliced
3 medium mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon olive oil

Preparation:
Heat oil in saucepan. Brown onion and garlic. Cook mushrooms. Add tomato and tomato paste. Add tuna. If sauce becomes too dry, add some water. Stir and remove from heat. Serve with pasta.