A Friendly Nudge

...because we all could use a little encouragement!

Have you started feeling a difference yet?

If you haven’t noticed it yet, be patient, it’s coming.

The “it” that I’m talking about is subtle, but deceptively powerful.

Part of it is mental and part of it is physical.  

The physical part is a little extra spring in your step. 

A little more energy and a growing realization that you’re stronger and more resilient than when you started.  I love that feeling.

But for me the best part is the mental part.  It’s when you start seeing yourself differently.

A little more motivated,more capable, more invested in seeing where this new habit can take you.

Feeling better is delightfully habit forming.

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Let’s cook: Tuna Puttanesca Pasta

I love finding simple ways to dramatically improve a dish and this week’s meal will give you a powerful cooking hack that chefs everywhere use to add depth to their creations. Bon Appetit Magazine calls it their secret ingredient.

Anchovies.

Don’t freak out on me.

I love this quote from Niki Ackitoff-Gray, part of The Serious Eats team. “Everyone loves anchovies…it’s just that some people don’t know it yet.”

Anchovies by themselves are definitely a lot, but when they get dissolved into a sauce they lose their fishyness and instead bring a rich, umami elevation to the dish.

This is another one of those meals that I just keep the ingredients on hand, so when the urge strikes, this is ready in a hurry.

Ingredients:

1 large can diced tomatoes

1 small tin anchovies - chopped (save the olive oil)

¼ cup capers - rinsed and chopped

¼ cup green olives - rinsed and chopped 

1 jar or can of olive oil packed tuna (regular water packed will work but Ortiz or Tonnino oil packed will take this dish to the next level)(save the olive oil)

Large pinch of red pepper flakes

3 cloves garlic - chopped

1 large shallot - chopped

1 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Large handful of parsley- chopped (curly or flat leaf)

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Your choice of pasta - I used a heart of palm angel hair, but you want a couple of servings of pasta to add to the sauce towards the end of cooking time.

Hold off on adding any extra salt since some of these ingredients are salty. You can adjust to taste at the end.

If you’re cooking pasta, time it to have it ready to add when the sauce is nearing completion.

Put 2-3 tbsp of olive oil from the anchovies and tuna into a skillet and over medium heat cook the garlic, shallots, red pepper flakes and anchovies. You want the garlic lightly browned but avoid burning the garlic. The anchovies will begin to dissolve.

Add the capers and olives and stir to combine

Add the tomatoes and stir in and flake the tuna.

Add the pasta and stir to combine and add the chopped parsley and cheese.

Plate this incredible dish and garnish with additional grated cheese and just a touch of parsley.