Pretty much, I'm relatively handy in the kitchen, but I can not claim to be a "composer" of meals in any way. I am an arranger. I need a recipe. I don't know enough yet to putter through my kitchen or wander through the produce section and have a dish assemble itself in my mind. I'm good at recognizing a quality recipe, and I can add touches of my own to what's already there, but I just can't start from scratch.
But I'm improving. I'm learning things. I'm finally figuring out which ingredients I need to measure meticulously and which ones I can eyeball. I'm learning which substitutions are acceptable in a pinch. And I'm getting solid at the techniques I need to do all the basics.
However, this dish I sort of threw together myself a few months ago and it's become a staple. Pretty simple. Loads of veggies, doused liberally with olive oil and dotted with butter, roasted in the oven until they're soft and browned up. This time I used zucchini, squash, onions, some peppers we roasted earlier in the day, some carrots, and some peas. Broccoli would work too, or anything you like. Throw some garlic in there too, hit it with some of Colonel De's Washington State Solar Evaporated Sea Salt, and some Italian seasoning of your choice.
Yum.
Boil up your favorite pasta, and top it with a heaping gop of the veggie mixture and some parm.
Kids love it. Hannah even asked for some extra veggies without the spaghetti.
So, the question is - what do I call this? I want something catchy, more exciting than "Veggie Spaghetti". Any suggestions? I'll give you a writing credit....