Story and Photos by Bre Cruickshank
They say food is the one true way to a man’s heart; and it’s true – at least that’s what my boyfriend told me over scrambled eggs this morning. I love cooking, but I haven’t always been a whiz with food. When I started college my freshman year, you could pretty much count on me burning your eggs for breakfast or, in bouts of culinary exploration, exploding boiling homemade tomato soup all over the kitchen from my resistant (and rightfully so) blender.
So what’s changed? Not a lot. I just stuck with it. Cooking is all about experience. Once you find your niche, you can create your own mouth-watering masterpieces and simply rely on your senses to tell you what to do. I know this is true, because I saw it in the Disney movie Ratatouille:
“Anyone can cook!”
I focus on creating simple, fresh, and healthy dishes that are mainly vegetarian or pescetarian. If you are a meat-eater, simply add some shrimp or sausage to this dish while you sauté; both options work well. This meal is easy to make (done in about 15 minutes), impressive, and more than capable of charming your boyfriend or girlfriend into stupor. Enjoy!
Zucchini Spaghetti with Goat Cheese
(Serves 2) 
INGREDIENTS

• Spaghetti noodles (whole wheat is best)
• 2 zucchinis
• ½ cup sundried tomatoes
• ½ cup walnuts, chopped
• 10-15 large kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1.5 tsp lemon juice
• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
• Goat cheese, crumbled (to taste)

1. Bring water to a boil for noodles, cook until desired tenderness (usually around 10 minutes)
2. Put 1 tbsp olive oil into skillet with minced garlic, walnuts, sundried tomatoes and chopped zucchini on low heat for about 4 minutes; stir throughout
3. When done, combine in mixing bowl with strained noodles
4. Add ½  tbsp of olive oil, lemon juice, fresh basil leaves, salt & pepper to taste
5. Mix delicately until well combined
6. Transfer to serving plate and crumble goat cheese over top