Category Archives: Vegetarian

Jul 27 4 comments
Chocolate, Dessert, Recipes, Vegetarian

Nutella and Strawberry Mini Pies

finishedpie

Last week I made a panna cotta tart to share with you. I did not have the pretty rectangular tart pan that Martha Stewart used for the recipe and I pulled out the only tart pan I own. It’s round, it’s old, it’s German and it was my Oma’s. Deep down I knew the pan was too large, but I proceeded. Of course my fears were realized and I created the thinnest tart ever. In all seriousness I don’t think the inside (crust and filling) was more than 1/8 inch thick. It was still delicious, but not photogenic. The sweet tart dough I used made enough for two applications, though, and my mind raced with all of the possibilities for this second half of dough. Then I remembered these gorgeous mini pies and decided this was the best way to bake up the crust. The classic strawberry/Nutella combination was too tempting not to try here and a mini pie was born. These were heavenly! Sweeter than I usually prefer dessert, but oh so good. I recommend serving them warm because I liked the way the Nutella melted into the middle, but you can keep them in the refrigerator for a few hours or up to overnight. We tried them warm and cold and every bite was enjoyed thoroughly.

patesucree

Pate Sucree

Recipe from Martha Stewart’s Cooking School

2 1/2 C. all-purpose flour

3 T. sugar

3/4 t. salt

1 C. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

1/4 C. ice water, plus more if needed

1. Pulse flour, sugar and salt in a food processor to combine (or whisk together by hand in a bowl).

2. Add butter. Process until mixture resembles coarse meal, 10 to 15 seconds. The butter pieces should be 1/8 inch or smaller, with no pea size pieces remaining. (Or cut in butter with a pastry blender or your finger tips).

3. Add yolks; pulse to combine (or stir with fork by hand).

4. With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube until dough just holds together. Do not process longer than 20 seconds. Check by stopping machine and pressing some between your fingers. Do not wait until dough comes together in machine. (If mixing by hand, slowly add water and stir with a fork until mixture just comes together.)

5. Divide in half and shape into disks. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to overnight). It can be frozen up to 1 month. Defrost in refrigerator overnight before using.

nutellaandstrawberries

Nutella and Strawberry Mini Pies

My own concoction, inspired by The Honey Eater

1/2 of above recipe for Pate Sucree

4 T. Nutella

5-6 strawberries

1. Grease 4 ramekins and put on a half sheet pan lined with parchment or a silpat. Roll out pate sucree on a lightly floured surface. Roll out to an 1/8 inch thick circle with a rolling pin (like you would roll out a pie crust), making a quarter turn with every roll to ensure an even circle.

2. Using a small knife, cut into 4 equal pie-shaped pieces. Tuck the dough into the greased ramekins and try your best to make a decorative crust on the edge. Poke the crust with a fork to form tiny air holes. Put the sheet pan with ramekins into the freezer.

3. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Wash and slice the strawberries and get your Nutella ready. By this time the oven should be preheated and the pie crust should be firm. Put the crust into the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the outer crust is golden brown. If outer crust browns too early, you can cover it with foil as the inside continues to bake.

4. Put one tablespoon of Nutella in the warm mini pie crusts and top with sliced strawberries. Continue with all 4 mini pies. I really enjoyed trying these when they were slightly warm and the Nutella was slightly melted.

finishedpieinramekin

Jul 08 3 comments
Main Dish, Recipes, Side Dish, Vegetable, Vegetarian

Panzanella

panzanellaindish

Ah, panzanella. I’ve wanted to make you for so long. Ideally when I have just let a boule cool on my counter, but the oven is dead to me.  The temperature keeps rising and the weather is trying to coax us into calling an air conditioning company. Yet, we survive with our oscillating fan I purchased several years ago. It has become a dear friend and we’re very close to giving it a name. Instead of baking bread, I went to the Farmer’s Market and picked up fresh cucumber, tomato, onion, peppers, basil and a sourdough boule. I did have to use the stovetop briefly to crisp up the bread cubes for this recipe and I am happy to report that it was worth it. This is the Barefoot Contessa’s famous recipe with some minor tweaks. It made a huge batch that you can take to a barbecue or nibble on all weekend. It’s light and full of vibrant vegetables. A light summer dinner during these steamy times in the Midwest.

panzanellavegetables

Panzanella

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten

Serves 12 as a side

3 T. extra-virgin olive oil

1 small French boule, cut into 3/4 inch cubes (6 cups)

1 t. coarse salt

2 large ripe tomatoes, cut into 3/4 inch cubes

1 cucumber, unpeeled, seed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (your choice of colors, I used orange and green)

1/2 red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced

8 oz. fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

20 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped

3 T. capers, drained

Vinaigrette

1 t. finely minced garlic

1/2 t. Dijon mustard

3 T. aged balsalmic vinegar (or your favorite)

1/2 C. extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 t. coarse salt

1/4 t. freshly ground pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large saute pan or cast iron skillet and add the bread cubes and salt. Cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently for 10 minutes or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed.

breadcubes

2.  Whisk all vinaigrette ingredients together.

3. In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, red onion, basil, mozzarella and capers. Add the vinaigrette and stir ingredients together. At this point you can add the bread cubes, season with salt and pepper and serve immediately or alternately, add half of the bread cubes and refrigerate for 1 hour. Add the rest of the bread cubes right before serving and season with salt and pepper.  This gives you some bread cubes that have soaked up the vinaigrette and some crisp bread pieces. This recipe originally called for 1 inch cubes of most of the vegetables and at the risk of sounding ridiculous, I found that a bit large and thought 1/2-3/4 inch is better for enjoying this dish.

Jun 29 4 comments
Recipes, Salad, Side Dish, Vegetarian

Grilled Corn Salad

grilledcornsalad

I first discovered this grilled corn salad last labor day and it just tastes like summer. The corn is nutty from the grill, the fresh vegetables are crisp and the easy lime dressing adds a tangy sweetness. Now that summer is here and the barbecue is getting fired up regularly, I’ve made this twice already. Sometimes I have trouble finding a side dish that will please everyone, but this is great for that purpose. My husband loves this salad, even though he doesn’t care for cilantro and red onion. I made it for my parents, brother, sister-in-law and recently for friends of ours and it always disappears quickly. The vibrant colors entice even the pickiest eaters to give it a try.

Grilled Corn Salad

Recipe slightly adapted from RecipeGirl

Serves 6

6 ears corn on the cob, shucked

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 small red onion, minced

1/2 C. chopped fresh cilantro

1 medium jalapeno, seeded and minced

1/4 C. mayonnaise

1/4 C. rice vinegar

3 T. sugar

3 limes, zest and juice

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Put dry corn on a high-heat grill with oiled grates. Watch the corn carefully and turn corn frequently until some of the kernels start to blacken. Place on a plate or rimmed baking sheet to cool until you can handle them. When corn has cooled, use a sharp knife to remove kernels from the cob and put in a large bowl. Add red pepper, red onion, cilantro and jalapeno.

2. In a separate small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, lime juice and zest. Whisk to combine and season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Pour about half of the dressing over the vegetables and toss. Determine whether more dressing is needed.

This salad is great if made the day before. If I know I’m making it, I’ll make sure we grill something the night before and grill the corn with that meal. I make the rest of the salad and stick it in the refrigerator until its debut.

Jun 22 6 comments
Appetizer, Recipes, Vegetable, Vegetarian

Fresh Refrigerator Pickles

picklesinjar

I saw this easy recipe a few months back and have been patiently waiting for some beautiful pickling cucumbers that I could turn into perfect pickles. At the Farmer’s Market last weekend I saw these in their crisp green glory and knew it was time to dig out the recipe.

pickleingredients2 picklesandgarlic

A little bit of chopping and a few minutes later I had the prettiest jar of pickles. We tried our first spears last night and they are so fresh and crisp. We could only wait the minimum of 24 hours to get our first taste and I look forward to eating them as they continue to sit in the sweet, salty and spicy brine. They have a vinegary kick and not much heat, but I look forward to the flavors concentrating. I can already tell I’ll be making these all summer long.

Flavor update:  After 24-48 hours the flavor was mild and the spears are fresh and crisp. After 4 days in the refrigerator, the pickles are very flavorful with some good heat. Still crisp, fresh and now taste like the super-hero cousin of your grocery store dill pickle.

Spicy Dill Pickles

Recipe from Eating S/F

about 8 to 10 kirby cucumbers, quartered

1 1/2 T. fine sea salt

2 T. sugar

1 1/2 C. distilled white vinegar

2 T. coriander seeds

8 garlic cloves, peeled and halved

3 jalapenos, halved with seeds mostly removed

8 dill sprigs

1. Pack the dill sprigs, cucumber spears and jalapenos into a clean 2 qt. glass jar.

2. In a container with a tight sealing lid (I used a small ball jar) combine salt, sugar, vinegar, coriander seeds and garlic halves. Seal the top and shake vigorously until the sugar and salt dissolves.

3. Add brine to the jar with the vegetables and pour 2 cups of water in as well. Add more water until vegetables are completely submerged.  Seal tightly.

4. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours before eating and store up to one month.

topofpickles

Jun 08 4 comments
Appetizer, Recipes, Vegetarian

Caramelized Onion Hummus

Caramelizedonionhummus

Boy, do I love hummus. It is super easy to make and completely delicious. I photographed the hummus with crackers, but my new favorite hummus dipper has become sliced red peppers. They add the perfect amount of sweetness and then I don’t feel guilty because I’m not dipping carbs into my hummus. Did you know that red pepper has more vitamin C than citrus fruit? Crazy, but true.

I was in charge of providing hummus for the second bridal shower for my sister-in-law and since it was a special occasion, I felt it warranted special hummus. I made two varieties and while both were a hit, the caramelized onion hummus seemed to be the crowd favorite. I also preferred the nice combination of the sweet caramelized onions and the kick from the roasted garlic. The roasted red pepper and feta hummus was good, but unfortunately the red pepper and feta flavor was not very apparent. Maybe next time I’ll decrease the amount of garbanzo beans  to bring out the other flavors. Marc preferred the roasted red pepper hummus, though. It was smoother and would be very tasty on a veggie sandwich. Try these unique hummus recipes the next time you’re ready to change things up.

Caramelized Onion Hummus

Recipe from Messy Vegetarian Cook

Serves 8-10 as an appetizer

Caramelized Onions

2 medium sweet onions, thinly sliced

3-4 T. extra-virgin olive oil

Hummus

15 oz. cooked or canned garbanzo beans

2 T. tahini

juice of 2 lemons (about 6 T.)

3-4 gloves garlic, still in paper

1/3 C. extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 t. coarse salt

1. Put cloves (that are still in their paper) in a dry skillet over medium heat. Let cook until blistered on the sides. Peel and set aside.

2. Put 3-4 T. of extra-virgin olive oil in the skillet and heat over medium to medium-high heat and add thinly sliced onions. Toss to coat in the oil. Stir frequently for 20 minutes, watching closely so they do not burn. Cook until uniformly brown and allow to cool a bit.

3. In a blender or food processor combine all of the ingredients including onions until smooth. If you like very smooth hummus you can add water for a smoother consistency. I would not recommend using oil since there is quite a bit already in the hummus. Chill for a few hours or overnight for best results.

4. Sprinkle with smoked paprika to garnish, if desired. Serve with pita, tortilla chips or my favorite, red pepper strips.

Redpepperhummus

Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Hummus

Recipe adapted from h420ad

Serves 20 as an appetizer

3 cloves garlic

2 (15 oz.) cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1/3 C. tahini

1/3 C. lemon juice

1 red pepper, roasted

1/4 t. dried basil

8 oz. feta

salt and pepper to taste

1. Take a fresh red pepper and put in a skillet or directly onto a gas burner until all sides are blackened. Put pepper in a bowl and cover with foil tightly. After about 15 minutes or when the pepper has cooled, pull the stem out and peel the skin off. The steam will have loosened the skin. Remove seeds and pulp. Roughly chop the roasted pepper and set aside.

2. In a food processor or blender, combine garlic, garbanzo beans, tahini and lemon juice. Process until mixture is smooth. Add roasted red pepper, basil and feta; process until the peppers are finely chopped. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Transfer hummus to a bowl and chill until ready to serve.

Jun 01 2 comments
Main Dish, New Food, Pasta Entree, Recipes, Vegetarian

Green Garlic Pesto

pesto

I have sadly been too busy this month to get to the Farmer’s Market since it opened on Saturday mornings, but luckily we have a really great Whole Foods nearby and they feature fresh produce from local farms. I wanted to pick up some groceries and I spotted some green garlic that was 2/$4 for a generous bunch. I had no idea what I would do with it, but I remember hearing so much about garlic scapes last year and wondered if it was similar.

cleangreengarlic

I did a bit of research and found out that green garlic is garlic that is picked in the spring before it fully develops into the cloves we normally would use. Just like spring onions are picked before developing into large onions. Sure, you probably knew all about green garlic and I’m just late to the game. It’s ok, I’m used to it.

I needed Google, my dear, dear friend and began searching for green garlic recipes, hoping a pesto was on the menu. Many soup recipes popped up and sounded amazing, but did I mention that Michigan has been close to 90 degrees lately? I can only imagine the look my husband would give me if I serve soup during this heat wave. I did see a few mentions for green garlic pesto and dug out my pesto recipe from last summer. I modified it slightly and oh my, this is good. It has a fresh mild garlic flavor. I wouldn’t serve it to someone who doesn’t like garlic, but it does not have the usual bite raw garlic has. I tossed it with some spaghetti and a bit of butter and we had  a wonderful meal that required minimal heat in the kitchen.

pestoingredients

Green Garlic Pesto

adapted from this Basil Pesto Recipe

Makes about 1 1/2 C.

5-6 shoots of green garlic, trimmed of tough dark green parts and cut into 2 inch pieces

2 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano, cut into small cubes

1/2 C. pine nuts

3/4 t. coarse salt

1/2 t. pepper

1/2 C. extra-virgin olive oil (I used CA Olive Ranch Arbequina)

1. Add all ingredients above to a food processor or blender, except for olive oil. Process until cheese is broken down and everything looks pretty well combined. Open top and scrape down any large bits that moved to the top of the food processor or blender.

2. Stream in extra-virgin olive oil until you get a uniform texture and all is well combined. You may have to scrape down the large bits again to make sure everything is fully incorporated.

Green Garlic Pesto Spaghetti

4 entree servings

1/2-3/4 C. green garlic pesto (I eyeball about half of the recipe above)

1 lb. spaghetti (or your favorite pasta)

coarse salt for pasta water

2 T. unsalted butter

1. Make above recipe for green garlic pesto.

2. Cook spaghetti al dente in salted pasta water according to package directions. Drain pasta.

3. Add butter and pesto to hot pasta and mix with tongs until pasta is coated. Serve immediately.

greengarlicpestopasta

May 25 5 comments
Main Dish, Pasta Entree, Recipes, Vegetarian

Fettuccine with Tomatoes, Basil and Crisp Bread Crumbs

Fettucinewithbasiltomatoandbreadcrumbs

We recently had our family over for burgers and my darling husband was a bit too excited about cutting up the tomatoes and thinly sliced enough tomatoes to give one to everyone in the neighborhood. I really hate throwing away perfectly good food and it usually provides me with the motivation to find new recipes using those leftover ingredients. I had printed off this Joanne Weir recipe for Fettuccine with Tomatoes, Basil and Crisp Breadcrumbs a few months back and it seemed easy enough for a weeknight meal. Instead of using the cherry tomatoes she specified in her recipe, I cut our leftover tomato slices into large chunks and proceeded. The balsamic vinegar gives this dish a nice fresh punch. We had leftovers and I was afraid that the breadcrumbs would be soggy and inedible for lunch the next day, but it was delicious. I took my lunch out of the refrigerator that morning, let it come up to room temperature on my desk and by lunchtime it was perfect. The fresh breadcrumbs had soaked up the oil and balsamic, but the soft texture didn’t bother me because it was so flavorful. I look forward to trying this recipe again when I get my hands on some fresh farmer’s market tomatoes.

Fettuccine with Tomatoes, Basil and Crisp Bread Crumbs

Serves 6, recipe adapted from Joanne Weir

1 C. very coarse fresh bread crumbs (I put 3 slices of whole wheat bread in the food processor)

8 T. extra-virgin olive oil

salt and freshly ground pepper

5 T. balsamic vinegar

4 C. cherry tomatoes or your favorite tomato sliced into chunks

1 lb. fettuccine

1/2 C. basil leaves, sliced into thin strips

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Place the breadcrumbs on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 T. of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss the crumbs to distribute oil and seasonings evenly. Bake in the middle of the oven, tossing occasionally, until they turn golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

3. In a bowl, whisk together the remaining 4 T. of olive oil and the balsamic vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes and stir together. Set aside

4. Fill a large pot three-fourths full of salted water and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes or according to the directions on the package.

5. Drain the pasta and toss with the tomatoes and vinaigrette. Place in a serving bowl and garnish with basil and bread crumbs. Serve immediately.

May 19 0 comments
Drink, Recipes, Vegetarian

Kale Juice

kale juice

Ok, I know this sounds weird, but I had to try this. I’ve been signed up for Gwyneth Paltrow’s GOOP newsletter for a while now and I enjoy reading her tips on vacations I can’t afford and clothes I could only dream of buying, but her best tips come from her trainer Tracy Anderson. A few months back I purchased some of Tracy’s DVD’s and I like her take on exercise. I am not an exercise expert by any stretch of the imagination, but her workouts are not boring and are created to give you a lean, toned dancer body. Yes, please!

Gwyneth shared her Ironman 2 workout on GOOP recently and a 5 day cleansing diet. I’m not sure about my motivation for trying this kale juice, but I think it was the cynic in me thinking, “A grassy lemonade, Gwyneth?” She proved me wrong, though, it DOES taste like a grassy lemonade. I whipped up the recipe in my food processor and strained the solids. If I were in a more creative mood, I could have added the greens to some pasta or made a tasty quick bread, but instead I ate the solids as is and it was pretty darn good. The juice is delicious, slightly sweet and completely drinkable. The process of making the juice in the food processor was a bit messy, but I hope to add this nutritious drink into a regular rotation in my diet. Using a juicer would make this easier and a bit less messy, but I don’t have one. Below I’ve included directions for use with a blender or food processor.

Kale Juice

enough for 1 glass, recipe from GOOP

1 bunch of kale (I used about 3-4 stems)

2 small lemons, juiced

1 1/2 T. agave nectar

1/2 C. cold water

1. Combine everything in a blender or food processor and process until completely pureed. Strain the juice through a fine strainer into a bowl (a bowl with a spout is helpful), pushing down the solids with the back of spoon to extract all of the juice.

2. Taste the juice and add a bit more lemon or agave to taste (I thought the measurements were right on). Pour into a glass and drink up.

Apr 17 2 comments
Appetizer, Recipes, Vegetarian

Grilled Fresh Artichokes

artichokes

Inspired by some of my favorite food bloggers and chefs like Jamie Oliver, I am making a serious effort to cook seasonally. Not only does it ensure that I’m eating fruits and vegetables at their peak, but usually these items are on sale because they are in abundance. That’s the best win-win I can think of. Being in Michigan means our in-season bounty is short-lived, but thanks to many great farming communities in the area we do have a pretty good selection from May to October. Last week was asparagus fest and this week I’m all about artichokes. I’ve had them before when I was young, but I had never prepared them myself. I went to the grocery store and saw some beautiful globe artichokes and quickly purchased them, but still had no idea what I’d do with them. That afternoon I found a recipe Jaden of Steamy Kitchen had posted for grilled artichokes and it all seemed like perfect timing. We were expecting great weather and I was thrilled to find the recipe.

grilledartichokes

These turned out delicious. They have a distinct vegetal taste heightened by the slight charring from the grill and accent of lemon. It was the first time Marc ate fresh artichokes and we had a good laugh when he put the tender heart in our bowl destined for compost along with the discarded tough leaves and I gasped, “That’s the best part!” I served the artichokes with a quick spicy mayo and we had fun enjoying the experience together. That’s another wonderful thing about artichokes, it’s an experience. Dipping the leaves and savoring the tiny morsels of tender meat. I wanted to try the eggless chervil mayonnaise David Lebovitz had posted as the dipping sauce, but I ran out of prep time. The only small change I’ll make to Jaden’s recipe next time is maybe adding some white wine to the steaming liquid for the artichokes as advised by a friend of mine. The recipe is simple and delicious, but I didn’t really feel like the garlic and bay leaf added too much flavor to the artichokes and next time I want to go with lemon and white wine and see how it turns out.

Grilled Fresh Artichokes

Recipe from Jaden of Steamy Kitchen

serves 4-6 as an appetizer or 2-4 as a side

2 lemons, cut in half

6 garlic cloves

1 T. coarse salt

1 bay leaf

4 fresh artichokes

2 T. olive oil

Your favorite dipping sauce, this is my favorite quick spicy mayo recipe

1. Rinse each artichoke and cut off the top 1 inch of the artichoke and 1 inch off of the bottom stem. Peel and break off the first few layers of leaves until they start appearing smooth and light green. Rub the top of the artichokes with one of the lemon halves.

2. Bring a large pot with 4 inches of water to a boil. Throw the lemon half that you used in step 1 into the water, squeezing a bit to release the juices into the water. Add the salt, garlic cloves and bay leaf. Place the artichokes in a steamer basket in the pot and lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until the base is easily pierced with a knife.

3. Cut each artichoke in half lengthwise and use a sharp paring knife to remove and discard the fuzzy choke. Brush each half with olive oil and also brush the remaining lemon halves with olive oil as well.

4. Heat a grill pan to high heat (or use an outdoor grill). When hot, add the artichoke and lemon halves, cut side down. Grill for 5 minutes. Serve with dipping sauce of your choice.

Apr 10 2 comments
Main Dish, Pasta Entree, Recipes, Seafood, Side Dish, Vegetarian

Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta with Grilled Asparagus

asparaguspastaAsparagus seems to be everywhere I go lately and two things come to mind when I see asparagus. #1 is grilling asparagus with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper and #2 is this recipe for creamy goat cheese pasta with roasted asparagus. I decided to bring my two asparagus loves together and grilled the asparagus instead of roasting it and combined it with the creamy goat cheese pasta. Oh yes, these two were made for each other. The smoky asparagus contrasts nicely with the creamy goat cheese and pasta. I usually make this as an easy weeknight entree with a salad, but we picked up some beautiful salmon at Whole Foods and I turned the pasta dish into a side. We marinaded the salmon in a butter rum sauce and it was quite tasty, but I sadly didn’t taste much rum once it was cooked. I’ll include that recipe here, too. If you cannot grill the asparagus or salmon, roasting works great.  I first fell in love with this creamy goat cheese pasta dish when I made the roasted asparagus version. It’s quick and delicious.

rawasparagus grilledasparagus

Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta with Roasted (or Grilled) Asparagus

Adapted from Everyday Food

Serves 4 generously for an entree and 6 as a side dish

I’m going to share the roasted asparagus recipe below as I make it. Grilling works great if you are already grilling your protein. Place the prepared asparagus in a single layer on the grill for 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally to prevent burning. It works out well to start the water boiling right before you place the asparagus on the grill. Let cool and cut into 2 inch pieces before adding to pasta.

2 bunches asparagus (about 2 pounds), tough ends trimmed

4 T. extra virgin olive oil

3 T.  unsalted butter, but into small pieces

1 pound cavatappi pasta (or your favorite kind)

1 small log soft goat cheese (5-7 oz.), crumbled

2-3 T. snipped fresh chives for garnish

salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. Cut asparagus into 2 inch pieces and place on a large rimmed baking sheet and toss with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until tender, tossing occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes.

2. While the asparagus is roasting, generously salt the now boiling water. Add pasta and cook al dente, according to the package instructions. Set aside 1 1/2 C. of pasta water, then drain the pasta and return the drained pasta to the pot.

3. In a large bowl combine the goat cheese, 3 T. butter and 1/2 C. pasta water.  Season with salt and pepper and whisk until smooth. Add pasta and goat cheese to the goat cheese mixture and toss to combine. Add more pasta water if necessary for sauce to coat the pasta. Serve garnished with snipped chives.

salmonwithpasta

Butter Rum Grilled and Smoked Salmon

Recipe from about.com via frantic google search

I cut this recipe in half because we purchased 1 pound of salmon and not 2. I’m sure this cook be baked and taste great, too. I’d bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until if flakes easily in the center.

Serves 4-6

2 lbs. salmon

3 T. butter, melted

3 T. dark rum

2 T. olive oil

1 head garlic, peeled and minced

1 T. black pepper

2 t. salt

1. Set up a two zone fire in your charcoal grill (one cool side and one hot side). While grill is heating, soak your favorite wood chunks in water for at least 30 minutes.

2. Twenty minutes before you are ready to grill, lay salmon on a rimmed baking sheet and combine the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl. Spread mixture evenly over the salmon. Let sit for 15 minutes.

3. Add wood chunks to the coals and oil your grill grates. Gently place the salmon over the cooler side of the grill. Close the lid and let the salmon smoke for 30-45 minutes, depending on the thickness. When finished the salmon should flake easily in the center. The color should be light pink without any shine.

rawsalmon 1 rawsalmonwithmarinade