Asparagus Penne

Asparagus season is still in full swing, so we have to take advantage while we can! Go to your local farmers market or supermarket and seek out a bunch of skinny asparagus stalks. Buy them. Bring them home. And make this meal.

Here we have a creamy pasta with almost no actual cream in it. It's the magic of flour, my friends, and making a pan gravy in lieu of a straight cream sauce. This is actually a very nutritious meal, in spite of its apparent decadence. Also, it's another choose-your-own-adventure dish when it comes to the herb. I used sage, just to keep things a bit interesting. Rachael recommends tarragon. I think thyme would also work nicely. My vote is that you keep at least two or three types of fresh herbs on hand at any given time, and that way you're bound to find one that will work in whatever dish you choose to make.

This meal comes together nice and fast, so definitely file this under the weeknight category.

Asparagus Penne
adapted from Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book
serves 3

INGREDIENTS:

salt
1 bunch thin asparagus, trimmed
6 oz. whole wheat penne pasta
2 teaspoons EVOO
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large garlic clove, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
1/3 cup low sodium vegetable stock
1/2 cup skim milk
splash of heavy cream (about 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped (about 4 leaves)
juice of 1/2 lemon
grated parmesan for serving

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add salt. Drop the asparagus in and cook for about 2 minutes, then remove, drain, and chop into 2-inch pieces. Add pasta to the hot water and cook to al dente, about 8-10 minutes.

2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the EVOO and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the garlic and cook gently for 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle the flour into the pan and cook for 1 minute, stirring.

3. Whisk in the stock, milk, cream, mustard, and lemon zest. Season with salt, pepper and sage, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until thickened. Add lemon juice, and gently toss the asparagus and pasta with the sauce to coat. Remove from heat and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve with grated parmesan.

Simple and delicious. Enjoy!

Savory Carrot-Thyme Tart

This tart is an excellent spring meal, whether for brunch, lunch, or dinner. It helped me to kill two birds with one stone - make use of the gorgeous carrots I got at the farmers market, and take another leap toward making a real pie crust from scratch. I'm starting to think it's not so difficult after all, as the crust for this recipe came together very easily. And it's even fairly healthy, too!

I think the recipe speaks for itself, but I'll just mention this would be delicious with any herb of your choice, just about, so long as it complements carrots nicely. The original recipe called for tarragon, but I had a stash of fresh thyme just waiting to be used. Rosemary would also be excellent. Whichever herb you use, serve this alongside a simple salad and you have a delicious meal. It's a bit of a labor of love for a weeknight meal, but it was quite enjoyable. Almost as enjoyable as eating it.

Savory Carrot-Thyme Tart
adapted from Eating Well Magazine
serves 6-8








INGREDIENTS:

The Crust
1 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup EVOO
1/4 cup low fat plain yogurt

The Filling
2 tablespoons EVOO
1/2 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups grated carrots (about 4 medium-large carrots)
2 tablespoons dry sherry, divided
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup grated sharp white cheddar
1/2 cup low fat plain yogurt
1/2 cup skim milk
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
pinch salt and freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 9-inch tart pan with cooking spray and place it on a cookie sheet. Set aside.

2. In a food processor, pulse flour, thyme, and salt for crust. Add butter one piece at a time, pulsing once or twice after each addition, until incorporated. Add 1/4 cup oil and 1/4 cup yogurt and pulse just until dough starts to come together. Transfer the dough to the prepared tart pan (it will be crumbly), and spread evenly and press firmly into the bottom and up the sides to form a crust.

3. Bake crust until set but not browned, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

4. Prepare the filling: heat 2 tablespoons EVOO in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until onions are softened. Stir in carrots and 1 tablespoon sherry and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

5. Spread mustard over the crust. Sprinkle with cheddar, then top with the carrot and onion mixture.

6. In a medium bowl, whisk 1/2 cup yogurt, milk, eggs, thyme, remaining 1 tablespoon sherry, pinch of salt and pepper. Pour into the tart pan, evenly covering the carrot and onion mixture. Bake 45 minutes, or until filling is firm and edges are golden brown. Cool 15 minutes before slicing.

I am very proud that my first flour-based pie crust came out so well - and the filling is delicious too! This is a dangerous discovery...

Enjoy!

Pasta della California

I consider myself a pretty adventurous eater. I also consider myself a faithful lover of the avocado. Yet I'll admit to some skepticism when I first saw this recipe. Pasta with avocado in it? Get out. But wait, what's that you say? It also has lime juice? Garlic? Red pepper flakes? Crunchy broccoli? Arugula? Maybe you can stay.

I bought Veganomicon on a whim, thinking it would be fun to have in my collection, but that I'd hardly ever use it. Well I was wrong. This recipe came straight out of the pages of that beautiful, high-school-chemistry-textbook-looking book, and I have to tell you. It's absolutely delicious. Everything I've made out of this book so far has been a winner. This one is the best yet.

Creamy avocado, tangy lime, spicy garlic and red pepper flakes...well I don't need to tell you the ingredients again. But I promise you. Make this. Please. My plate was empty after an embarrassingly short period of time.

Pasta della California
adapted from Moskowitz & Romero's Veganomicon
serves 2-3

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 pound whole wheat spaghetti
1 head broccoli, chopped into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
zest of 1/2 a small lime
pinch red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons white wine
1/2 cup low sodium vegetable broth
juice of 1 lime, divided
pinch black pepper
2 cups loosely packed baby arugula
1 avocado, peeled, seeded and cut into large bite-size pieces

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prep all your ingredients during this time, because this recipe goes fast! Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package directions, probably about 8 minutes. When one minute is remaining in pasta cooking time, you will add the broccoli. So be ready.

2. Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add EVOO, garlic, lime zest, and red pepper flakes, and gently heat, stirring often, for about 2 minutes, careful not to burn the garlic. Pour in the wine and bring to a boil, to reduce the wine, about 2 minutes. Add broth, 1/2 the lime juice, and pepper, and bring again to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and wilt in the arugula.

3. By this point pasta should be almost done, so add the broccoli to the boiling pasta and cook for one more minute. Drain all into a colander, then add it to the skillet with the wilted arugula and sauce.

4. Toss everything together with a pasta spoon to distribute garlic and spices evenly. Cook for about 3 more minutes. Add the avocado and turn off the heat. Gently toss for another minute to incorporate the avocado without smushing it, just until it is warmed through.

5. Serve drizzled with remaining lime juice, if you want that extra lime kick.

If you're too skeptical to try avocado in your pasta, well, I'm sorry. You're really missing out here. For those of you bold enough to try it, enjoy!

Italian Wedding Soup

Here is a delicious, light version of the traditional Italian wedding soup. It's quick, tasty, healthy and satisfying. Exactly what I look for in a recipe, as you may have noticed if you read this blog fairly regularly.

The broth is light and flavorful, and packed with greens. The meatballs are so tasty that they absolutely steal the show. This is one of those feel-good soups to keep in the back of your mind for a rainy day, or the next time flu season rolls in. Or if you just feel like some yummy soup. That is a feeling I am very familiar with, myself.

Italian Wedding Soup
adapted from Everyday Food magazine
serves 2-3

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 pound lean ground turkey
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
1 medium egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup plain dried bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1/2 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 large tomato, diced
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 head escarole, cored, trimmed, and coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, combine turkey, garlic, egg, breadcrumbs, parsley, parmesan, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Combine with your hands. Form small meatballs, about 1 inch in diameter or smaller.

2. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened (3-4 minutes). Add broth and diced tomato (with juice); bring to a simmer.

3. Add meatballs; cook, without stirring, until meatballs float to surface, about 5 minutes. Add as much escarole as will fit, and continue adding as it wilts down until all is incorporated into the broth. Cook, stirring often, another 5 minutes, until all escarole is wilted and meatballs are cooked through.

4. Taste soup - add salt and pepper as needed. Thin out broth with water if you like. Serve.

Enjoy!

Potato-Leek Flat Bread

Often, when I cook, I fantasize that I am actually cooking not only for my husband and myself, but for a whole dinner party. I'm not too lofty with my fantasies - I usually only imagine two or three other people joining us at the table. And usually my fantasies don't involve specific people. But this meal, I have to say, I imagined I was cooking for my sister Anna-Lynne, who is a vegetarian, and my sister-in-law Sarah, who lives in France.

I know, the ways of my mind are not that mysterious. This meal is vegetarian. This meal has several traditionally French ingredients. Mystery solved. But it was so incredibly easy and quick to make, and remarkably delicious. It officially went from fantasy-dinner-party fare to yes-I-want-to-make-this-for-my-sisters fare. So come on over, sisters. I have a delicious, easy, Frenchy vegetarian meal waiting for you.

I probably wouldn't serve this at just any dinner party, since it seems almost *too* easy. But it would make a great first course if you reduce the size a bit - it could be like an extra-fancy salad or appetizer. If you have it as is, it is plenty of food for a whole meal. The flavors are delicate without being boring, and definitely subject to tweaking. It would be delicious with the addition of pine nuts, or even substituting the Gruyere with chevre. Brainstorm away, folks. This one is easy enough to make again and again, a little bit different every time.

Potato-Leek Flat Bread
adapted from Real Simple Magazine
serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

4 teaspoons EVOO
1 leek, halved and thinly sliced length-wise (white & light green parts only)
1 medium red potato, thinly sliced
leaves of 1 sprig fresh thyme
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
4 whole wheat pitas (I like Sahara brand)
4 tablespoons grated Gruyere
1 cup (tightly packed) baby arugula

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat 3 teaspoons EVOO over medium-high heat in a medium skillet. Add leeks, potatoes, and thyme. Cook, stirring frequently, until leeks are browned and potatoes are starting to soften and brown. Season with salt and pepper, and remove from heat.

2. While the potato mixture is cooking, preheat oven or toaster oven to 400. Place pitas on a baking sheet and divide the potato mixture evenly among them. Top each pita with 1 tablespoon grated Gruyere, sprinkled evenly. Bake for about 8 minutes, until potatoes are fully cooked, cheese is melted and pitas are starting to get golden brown.

3. Top each flat bread with a handful of baby arugula. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and drizzle remaining EVOO over the arugula. Serve.

I sliced mine in half, topped it evenly with arugula, and (I'm not ashamed to say) ate it with my hands. Yum yum yum. Enjoy!

Rosemary White Bean Mash with Steak

When naming a meal, it is somewhat unorthodox to lead in with what most people would consider the side, and follow it with the meat. But this is a side dish so delicious and easy that it deserves first billing. If I had been aware of this side dish when I was in college, I probably would have eaten it as a main course.

Sure, the steak is pretty great too. But in my opinion, the white bean mash seriously outshines it. So go ahead, heap the beans onto your plate and give yourself a small serving of steak. We had ours with lightly sauteed baby broccoli, cooked for only a minute or two so as to preserve its crunch. It felt like a real nuclear-family type meal, but with a modern twist, thanks to Nigella.

Rosemary White Bean Mash with Steak
adapted from Nigella Express
serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

1 teaspoon + 2 tablespoons EVOO
salt and pepper
1 medium-large sirloin steak (about 3/4 pound)
1 clove of garlic, minced or pressed
1 14 oz. can cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained and rinsed
1 sprig fresh rosemary
zest and juice of 1 small (or 1/2 large) lemon

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium skillet, heat 1 teaspoon EVOO over high heat. Season steak with salt and pepper. Add the steak to the pan. Cook for about six minutes on each side, or until desired doneness. You may need to reduce the heat if it is getting too dark on the outside.

2. When the steak is about 3 minutes from done, put 2 tablespoons EVOO, garlic, and lemon zest into a small pot over medium heat. Warm through, then add the
beans. Mash them with a potato masher until mostly smooth, but with some texture remaining. Add the rosemary sprig. Stir and cook until heated through. Add a little more EVOO if it looks too dry.

3. When the steak is done, remove it from the skillet and turn off the heat. Squeeze lemon juice into the skillet to incorporate it with the juices from the meat. Serve the steak with this sauce drizzled over it, accompanied by the beautiful beans.

I'd recommend a bit of horseradish with the steak if you like that sort of thing. (I most certainly do!) And a bit of green veg never hurt anyone. Go ahead and throw it in with the steak while it's cooking.

Enjoy!

Lemon Yogurt Cake

I'm not doing a lot of cooking for a few days, as we have all sorts of dinners planned and all of them are away from our home. But I had to make this cake today, for two reasons: I couldn't stay out of the kitchen any longer, and I had about a million tiny lemons that my parents gave me from their tree. The logical choice was to make a lemon cake, and the logical chef to turn to for the recipe was Ina Garten.

This is her delicious, tangy, fluffy and sweet lemon yogurt cake. It's magnificent. I changed up a few ingredients to make it more my style. I have recommended using lowfat Greek style yogurt, but feel free to use the yogurt of your choice. I was a little low on yogurt so I made up the difference with skim milk, and the cake came out perfectly just the same.

The glaze is very tart, and nicely complements the sweetness of the cake. This cake just screams out "afternoon tea." That, and "eat me!"

Lemon Yogurt Cake
adapted from The Barefoot Contessa at Home
makes one loaf cake

INGREDIENTS:









1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plan lowfat Greek yogurt
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (approximately 1 large lemon)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate large bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer, mix the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

3. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a knife or toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

4. Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 lemon juice and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a small pan over medium-high heat, until sugar dissolves and mixture is clear and smooth. Set aside.

5. When cake is done, cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a cooling rack over a baking sheet. Drizzle the glaze over the loaf and spread it with a pastry brush to evenly distribute. (You might want to brush the sides of the loaf as well). Let cool, and serve.

This brings back so many memories for me, of the lemon tea cake my mother always used to make (and still does), and of the fact that the only type of yogurt I would eat as a kid was lemon flavored. Go figure.

Enjoy!