FEBRUARY RECIPE CHALLENGE!

HELLO! It's RECIPE CHALLENGE TIME!

What was this month's secret ingredient? LEMONS!

This month, I made Lemon & Basil spaghetti which can be found here:

Vegan Lemon Basil Pasta

This was a fairly easy recipe to make. Cook the pasta, make the sauce while it cooks, combine pasta and sauce and DONE. EAT. DONE.

So easy.

When taking everything out for my "mise en place" shot, I realized two things.

1. These ingredients are so simple and there aren't that many to the recipe.

and

2. Once again, I accidentally put something in the photo that isn't supposed to be there. I'm lookin' at YOU, Rachael Ray veggie broth!

Derp.

To provide extra support, I invited my friend Oatmeal Stout to join the party.

Yes, I was indeed drawing with a marker back there before cooking. I am 12.

So...while the pasta was boiling away all crazystyle, I sauteed the garlic in vegan margarine. This probably created one of the most pleasing aromas I have ever experienced in my life. To put it lightly.

Can I just eat this? Like on some bread? Hello?? PLEASE???

Once that was nice n' toasty, I added the lemon zest, juice and coconut milk. I CAN'T EVEN DESCRIBE HOW PHENOMENAL THIS SMELLED. It was like a CANDLE and a DELICIOUS PASTRY got MARRIED and had an EDIBLE CANDLE PASTRY BABY that started dating BASIL as a REBELLIOUS ACT to ANGER ITS CANDLE PASTRY PARENTS and this metaphor has really gone too far.

I love you so much it hurts.

At that point, the pasta was done. Taking a look at my colander, I began to doubt if it could really fit all 16 ounces of noodles within its tiny little bowl.

"I may be small in stature, but I am large in spirit and can-do attitude!"

Actually, it all fit. All of it. Easily.

Such a magical moment.

Once COMBINATION happened, I had something lovely and creamy and wonderful. At the very end of the recipe it stated "garnish with remaining basil" and that was when I realized I didn't have enough basil. Oy vey. However, if you imagine some extra chopped basil on top this looks quite pleasant.

The basil is IN YOUR MIND.

Let me tell you. This tasted damn awesome. It's creamy from the coconut milk, yet the lack of dairy and the fresh lemon flavor makes it very light. Plus the basil! Oh! Basil! OMG!

If you live somewhere with cold winters, this would be an excellent dish for spring or early fall. If you live where the weather is nearly the same all year like I do, YOU CAN MAKE THIS ANY FREAKING TIME YOU FEEL LIKE IT. WOO!

Here's a fork shot.

"I'm a temperate climate dinner SUPERSTAR, bitches!"

GO MAKE THIS! NOW! It is SO GOOD!

Here are the other deliciousnesses!

Recipe Happiness
According to Kiki

Ok! Bye! See you next month and maybe a little bit before!