Seafood Linguini with Leeks

I love reading cook books and you all know I love Trader Joe's.  So what could be better than reading a cook book that uses all TJ's ingredients?  I got the I Love Trader Joe's cook book for Christmas and it's full of lots of yummy, easy recipes.  It has pretty pictures, too!

I've been wanting to try this recipe for a couple of months but something held me back - I hate leeks.  Or at least I thought I did.  I recall eating a potato leek soup when I was a kid and hating it so I never tried leeks again . . . until now.  And guess what?  I DO like leeks.  Just goes to show you, you should always give foods you hated as a kid a second chance as an adult.   I'm glad I tried this - it was really good!

Ingredients (adapted from the I Love Trader Joe's cook book):

• 1 lb linguini, cooked and drained
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 2 leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced (I actually used a bag of frozen leeks from TJ's)
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 5 oz crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced, optional
• 1/2 vegetable broth
• 1/2 lb. seafood (the original recipe calls for shrimp, but I used a shrimp/scallop/calamari blend from TJ's)
• Salt & pepper

The original recipe calls for a "handful" of arugula.  I didn't feel like buying a whole bag of arugula for one handful, so I didn't.  I think I will next time.  It would bring a nice nutty/spicy flavor.  The original also calls for 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese but since I'm off dairy, I obviously didn't use it. 

To make:

• Heat olive oil and butter in medium saute pan
• Saute leeks until tender, about 5 minutes
• Add garlic and saute 1-2 minutes, until fragrant
• Add mushrooms, if using, and saute until tender 
• Add broth and bring to a boil
• Simmer for about 5 minutes to slightly reduce sauce
• Add shrimp/seafood and cook just until shrimp turns pink
• Toss mixture with cooked pasta
• Add arugula and Parmesan, if using, toss and season with salt and pepper