Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Brussels Sprouts and Mushrooms

This is my first dish from Giada's cookbook, which, may I say, I am extremely excited about! When we requested that I review her book a few weeks ago, we figured it would be a "no" since she is so well known, and I've never reviewed a cookbook before. Two weeks later, I still didn't have an answer, so I requested the other two books I am reviewing. Shortly thereafter I got an email that Giada's was approved and I have now spent hours pouring over all of the books, making a plan of action for the summer.

I have made many of Giada's dishes in the past and I'm rarely disappointed. This dish pleased everyone who ate it and I'll admit, I was nervous. I have a tendency to steer clear of brussels sprouts, mostly because when I was a kid my mom hated them, so she never made us eat them when she would make them for our dad. Funny thing, that wasn't true with anything else--we even had to eat liver when she made it. But brussels sprouts? Nope. In my mind that meant they were worse than liver--not true.

The key to using brussels sprouts here is cutting them into thin strips, that way it isn't as though you are eating an entire head of little cabbage. Along with the lemon and mushrooms, this dish, in the words of my husband, "tasted like summer". I added some ground turkey to the portion I made for my boss, and they ate everything I left for them. Even the little one loved it--just stuck his in the food processor until chunky. Parmesan is expensive (use fresh, not the shelf stable dried cheese), so I only used a little more than half of what is called for. Using an entire cup would be phenomenal!

To get around my copyright worries, I am linking directly to the recipe. Giada is great like that, with most of her recipes online, I can give credit where credit is due! Play around with the recipe if you want, but it is great as written. Adding a little meat is also great (I hear), but the vegetarian version is really yummy. Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Brussels Sprouts and Mushrooms

Cooking through three Cookbooks

In an attempt to set goals for this summer and see myself as being productive as well as enjoying myself, I am currently reviewing three different cookbooks and cooking from each of them at least twice a week. Joshua will be gone for two separate weeks this summer on top of studying for the Bar almost every day. Each weekend day and evening is now an adventure in finding ways to occupy and enjoy myself.

Cooking is not always an evening activity, often it is my afternoons at work as Little One sleeps, but with many evenings free now, there is no better time to try out new recipes for our lunches and snacks.

The three cookbooks I am reviewing are Weeknights with Giada by Giada De Laurentiis, Meals that heal Inflammation by Julie Daniluk, and Cooking from the Farmers Market by Jodi Liano, Tasha DeSerio, Jennifer Maiser. Over the next several weeks I'll try to post how we liked each recipe. I'm still trying to figure out the copyright stuff--my conscience doesn't feel great about posting full recipes that belong to someone else who just printed a cookbook. As soon as I figure that out I'll let you know, but if you are interested in any of the books, click the links above and feel free to get a copy. The pictures in the first and last books are incredible--I am really enjoying them!