15-Minute Zucchini Pasta w/ Poached eggs and Quick Heirloom Cherry Tomato Basil Sauce.

So I don’t technically live on a farm.

But oh man, it sort of feels like I do. Or at least a little. There are no cows or horses, but I do have a chipmunk (that the cat chased in) hiding in my pantry right now. I can actually hear him squealing as I type and there is nothing I can do about it. I put a box in the corner where he is and I just hope he runs in there soon so I can get rid of him before the cat really gets to him.

I feel I should also mention that there are talks of a possible cow coming to live with the Gerard’s. You see when I sometimes mention that my family is hillbillyish –  and slightly crazy, I am really not joking.

Aside from the chipmunk in the house, there are the chicks. Oh the chicks, chicks that are looking more and more like chickens. Yep they are no longer the cute little fluffy chicks they once where. Oddly, I still kind of like them, but you guys these chicks are STUPID.

They run into things, walk through their own poop and flap their wings at me like they are want to come out with me or something. It’s weird.

Normally I do not have anything to do with the chicks, but since my parents are in Mt. Hood for the next month, I am on full-time chick duty. It’s really not that bad. To be honest, I actually don’t mind taking care of them. Maybe it is the motherly instinct in me, but changing their water and feeding them morning and night is not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Which is good, because I had my brother put them to bed last night, but when I went to let them out of their little house this morning I realized that they had escaped. At least they can’t get out of their fenced in area, but they did not have access to their heat source. So I am kind of thinking that maybe I better stick to taking care of the chicks.

But umm…you should see me trying to round the chicks up at night. Getting them into their little pen/home thing is hard. One, catching them is almost impossible, or maybe I just need more practice. And two, since I have a hard time grabbing them I try to shoo them in. Seriously, I must look like a crazy person in there trying talk the chickens into their pen…like they actually know what I am saying.

Apparently Asher has no problem at all getting them into their house. It is kind of her little thing with my dad. But as for me, I have to use my legs to kind of bounce them back and forth until they get in. Come to think of it, it actually works pretty well, so maybe I am not all that bad.

Horses. Well there aren’t any yet, BUT horses are a possibility in the future as well. My dad says he is gonna get a cow before a horse though. Of course Asher wants the horse now. I can already see it – cat, chickens, cow, horses – all complete with little varmints (picture marmots, chipmunks and mice). Wow, as if we weren’t already a crazy enough family.

Anyway, with most of my family gone, my normal duties have kind have been doubled. Thus leaving me even less time than before, which I already thought was impossible.

It’s ok. I really like being busy. I do. I do. And that’s just what I keep saying every time I think otherwise. It’s working.

And it means I get to come up with 15-minute meals like this one that literally blow my socks off.

When dishes only have a few ingredients and take me no time to make, I can sometimes underestimate their deliciousness. I feel bad that I didn’t spend longer making the dish and just assume that it can’t be good. I did that with this pasta, but was put in my place upon first taste. It was so good.

I used a spiralizer like this one or this one to make the zucchini pasta. Spralizers are great for making spiral slices from firm fruits and vegetables. If you don’t have a spiralizer just thinly slice the zucchini into matchsticks.

Next I added a handful of real pasta and mixed it together with my zucchini pasta to give it some more substance and make it a little more meal-like. Of course, you can do whatever you like. I loved the different textures, so it worked for me. But if you want to keep this low on the carbs feel free to make up the difference with more zucchini pasta. But let’s be real, that is really more of a salad. Either way, it’s awesome.

The heirloom cherry tomato sauce is all kinds of incredible. I really do not like cooked tomatoes unless they have been simmered and cooked down for hours and hours. But, when tomatoes taste like they do right now, why would ever want to cook them? So I wanted to keep the tomatoes fresh. Best decision ever because this sauce is a new favorite and it takes maybe five minutes total. You will love it.

Then there is the egg. If you are not into eggs or poached eggs, just try it this way. Pretty please?!?

The poached eggs create another layer of flavor and coats the pasta. Thus creating a creamy, cream-less, no cook sauce. And so healthy! Which after this weekend I am thinking that a lot of us are probably looking for something a bit healthier right about now.

This works perfectly, and I am telling you, this is honestly the best thing ever. And I really mean it.

This is what a Monday after a long 4th of July, three day weekend needs. Trust me on this one.