Epic Failure

I tried a new recipe last night - a heart-healthy, fresh-vegetable-focused pasta. It sounded delicious. And it was quick and easy to make.

It was an epic failure. (So much so that I refused to take a photo of it for the blog!)

The Niece helped me with dinner - and, NO. The failure wasn't her fault. In fact, she helped with the portions of dinner that were a success (salad and garlic bread).

The recipe called for halved grape tomatoes, fresh basil, olive oil, chicken broth, garlic, salt and pepper. The tomatoes and garlic were cooked in the olive oil over medium heat. After a few minutes, the directions called for adding the broth and remaining ingredients.

In theory, the tomatoes should have wilted into a nice brothy-like sauce.

In reality, they looked like halved grape tomatoes, sitting pretty-as-you-please in chicken broth.

I tried to redeem the sauce by adding sauteed fresh mushrooms. It didn't work.

It's not that the meal tasted awful. It just didn't taste like much of anything. (Or, as The Boy said, This isn't the sort of meal I like. It doesn't have any flavor.)

I told The Niece, I don't often have a meal that fails.

She said, It doesn't seem to happen to you ever.

Me, Well, when it does happen - on that rare occasion - it's an epic failure.

Let's just mark last night as my epic failure for 2010.