Sautéed asparagus and peas

Sautéed Asparagus and Peas
(Sadly, I can't remember where I found this recipe. If you know the source, please let me know!)

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup minced shallots
1 bunch thin asparagus spears, ends trimmed and cut into 1½-inch pieces on a diagonal*
1 cup thawed frozen or fresh peas
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon honey

Directions

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes.

2. Add asparagus, ¼ teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Continue cooking over medium-low heat, stirring frequently so the shallots don't burn, for about 5 minutes or until al dente. Add peas and honey and cook about one minute more until the peas are warmed through. Add more salt and pepper to taste (I usually add about 1/8 teaspoon more salt and a few twists of pepper) and serve.

Coconut toasted brussels sprouts

This recipe comes from the How Sweet It Is blog.

Coconut Toasted Brussels

serves 2-4

1 pound brussels sprouts, stems removed and quartered

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

pinch of nutmeg

1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

2 tablespoons lite coconut milk

2-3 tablespoons toasted, shredded coconut

Add quartered brussels to a bowl and sprinkle with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Drizzle with coconut oil and toss to coat.

Heat a skillet oven medium-high heat and once hot, add brussels. Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally until toasted and charred. Reduce heat to low and stir in coconut milk. Stir in 2 tablespoons toasted coconut, then transfer to a bowl to serve. Top with remaining toasted coconut.

Thai Curry Chicken and Cauliflower

This is a great alternative to salad for my low-carb lunches – I make it one day and eat it for several. The cauliflower is a great stand-in for rice or potatoes, and I just happen to love cauliflower.

2 cups fresh cauliflower florets
1 cup fresh green beans
1/2 onion
4 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 T. olive oil
1 T. red curry paste
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 T. fresh chopped or grated ginger
1 can(14 Oz. Size) coconut milk
2 T. butter
1 pinch salt (add more to taste)
2 T. fish sauce
1 T. yellow curry powder (add more for a spicier dish)
2 T. sugar or Splenda (Splenda for carb watchers)

Please note that this recipe comes together a lot easier if the veggies and meat are chopped/crushed/grated ahead of time.

Begin by preparing the fresh vegetables. Put two medium-sized pots of water on the stovetop to boil, each with about an inch of water.

While the water coming to a boil, rinse the cauliflower in cold water. Trim the florets off the stem. Place them into one of the pots of boiling water, reduce the heat to low, and simmer the cauliflower with the lid slightly ajar for 12 minutes.

To prepare the green beans, rinse well, trim the ends off and cut the beans into 1-inch pieces.

Place the green beans in the second pot of boiling water and reduce the heat to low. Keep the cover of this pot ajar as well. (Placing the lid ajar while cooking them helps preserve the green color.) Simmer until slightly undercooked, about 10 minutes. They will finish cooking with the rest of the dish.

While the veggies are cooking, dice the onion and set aside.

Chop the boneless, skinless chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces.

Heat the oil on medium-high heat for a minute or two and add the onion. Add the red curry paste, crushed or chopped garlic, as well as the chopped or grated ginger (optional).

Open up the coconut milk and spoon 3 or 4 scoops into the mixture, to help blend the curry paste.

Continue to cook this mixture, keeping a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn, until the onions turn translucent. When the onions have softened, add the chopped chicken.

Meanwhile, keep an eye on the timers for the steaming vegetables. When they finish, pull them off of the heat and drain them. Reserve the green beans to be added to the chicken and curry.

To prepare the cauliflower, add the butter and salt to taste. If desired, stir with a fork to break down the cauliflower into smaller pieces. Set aside.

Cook the chicken mixture until the chicken is mostly done; about 8 or 9 minutes, while stirring frequently. Then add the remainder of the coconut milk, the fish sauce, green beans, the yellow curry powder, sugar, and a dash of salt. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked. Thin with water if needed.

Serve by placing a large scoop of curry chicken over a bed of cauliflower.

Mediterranean Zucchini Casserole

500 g small zucchini
100 g grated parmesan
100 g mozzarella
250 g puff pastry
3 T. pesto
1 small branch of mint
2 cloves garlic
2 eggs + one egg yolk
1 T. olive oil

Grate the zucchini, salt and let drain in a sieve for 10 minutes. Sop up liquid with a paper towel.

In a large bowl, mix zucchini with parmesan, diced mozzarella, lightly beaten eggs, pesto, minced garlic, and minced mint. Salt and pepper.

Place in a 9x13" pan and roll out pastry to cover. Make several small slits in pastry with a knife. Brush pastry with remaining egg yolk.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until top is lightly puffed and golden.

Spinach Leek Tart

200 g flour
100 g butter
1/2 t. salt

4 large leeks
350 g fresh spinach
3 eggs
40 g butter
25 cl creme fraiche
80 g grated emmental cheese (or swiss)

Mix flour, butter and salt together gently with fingertips in a small bowl. Incorporate 3 T. water. Gather dough together in a ball, wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

Clean and slice leeks, then sauté in butter for 15 minutes, over low heat. Rinse spinach. Place in a saucepan and salt. Cook for 3-4 minutes over low heat. Drain and coarsely chop. Add to leeks and cook another 3 minutes. Salt and pepper and let cool.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Roll out the pastry dough and place in a 12" tart or quiche pan. Poke with a fork and then add spinach/leek mixture.

In a bowl, mix the eggs with a fork and add the creme and cheese. Salt and pepper. Pour mixture over vegetables and bake for 30 minutes, reducing the temperature to 375 degrees after 15 minutes.

Corn Salad with Lime Dressing

Jessie came back with this recipe from Denver. Apparently my Aunt Linda gave it to my Aunt Denise. Who knows where Aunt Linda got it? In any case, it's delicious.

6 ears roasted or grilled corn, stripped from the cob
1/4 thinly sliced red onion
1 pkg. cherry tomatoes, halved
chopped cilantro to taste

Combine all ingredients and toss with lime dressing:

2 T. oil
3 T. fresh lime juice
2 T. rice wine vinegar
chopped cilantro
salt and sugar to taste (I made it without sugar because the corn was so sweet it didn't need any.)

Roasted Chicken and Vegetable Pasta Primavera

1 1/2 pounds asparagus spears
1 c. matchstick-cut carrots
1/2 medium sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 t. minced garlic
1 t. olive oil
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. freshly ground pepper
1 pint grape tomatoes
8 oz. uncooked penne
2 c. sliced rotisserie chicken breast
3/4 c. whipping cream
2/3 c. shaved fresh Parmesan

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Snap off tough ends of asparagus and cut into 2" pieces. Combine asparagus, carrots, onion and garlic in jelly roll pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss gently to coat. Bake for 10 minutes or until vegetables begin to brown; stir vegetables. Add tomatoes and cook an additional 5 minutes.

While vegetables roast, cook pasta. Drain well, reserving 1/3 c. pasta water. Keep past and reserved water warm.

Combine chicken, vegetables, pasta, reserved pasta water, and whipping cream; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with cheese and serve immediately.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size 1 1/4 c.)

*Note: I used Costco grated parmesan with great results. This dish tastes too rich to be a WW recipe (7 points)!

Gratin of Beets with Walnuts and Roquefort Cheese

I found this recipe years ago in a little tiny Bon Appetit cookbook. Marc and I love it and I still make it lo these many years later. (With my passion for trying new things, not that many recipes stay in rotation.) If you think you don't like beets, it may be that you've only tried pickled beets. Roasted beets are a different thing completely -- earthy, delicately sweet -- and if you're lucky enough to have garden-fresh beets, well... you're just really lucky. This is delightful alongside a steak.

2 medium beets, stems trimmed to 1 inch
2 t. balsamic vinegar
1/2 t. sugar
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 T. butter
3/4 c. fresh breadcrumbs
3 T. chopped walnuts
1 1/2 T. snipped chives or minced green onions
2 oz. Roquefort, crumbled

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wrap beets in foil. Place in baking pan and cook until tender, about 1 hour. Maintain oven temperature. Cool beets slightly. Peel and cut into 1/2" dice. Mix with vinegar and sugar. Season with salt and pepper, spoon into a buttered gratin dish.

Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add breadcrumbs and stir until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Mix in walnuts and chives. Season with salt and pepper. Add Roquefort and crumbs to beets and mix gently to distribute evenly. Return to oven and bake until hot, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serves 2, but can easily be doubled or tripled.

Marc's Algerian Couscous

Marc learned to make this while on his mission to Belgium and France, and fine-tuned his recipe along the way. (He doesn't use actual recipes, so I forced him to write down his proportions one time when we were teaching a cooking class for Enrichment.) Each time I eat this, I feel like my body is thanking me, and it's very tasty as well!

1 large onion, chopped
3 T olive oil
3/4 t. turmeric
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
dash of cinnamon
3-4 whole cloves
1 1/2 t. black pepper
1/2 t. salt
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 small can tomato paste
3 medium zucchini
4 small yellow summer squash
4 large carrots
4 medium yellow potatoes
1 red or green bell pepper
1 can garbanzo beans, drained

Sauté onion in olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Add all spices, including bouillon, and cook for a few more minutes, stirring as needed. Add tomato paste, stir and simmer 2 minutes.

Cut all vegetables into large chunks and add to the pot. Add water to cover. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for at least an hour.

Add the garbanzo beans about 5 minutes before serving. Serve vegetable ragout over couscous.


Preparing couscous:

Put couscous in a bowl. Boil water with a bouillon cube. (use a 1 1/2:1 ratio of water to couscous) Put a pat of butter on dry couscous. Pour boiling water over the grain and wait about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

**My friend Gayle who lived in Morocco for several years makes her couscous differently: she first cuts up a chuck roast into about 6 sections, browns the meat, and then cooks it with the onion, spices, and 2 cans tomato sauce. After cooking the meat for about an hour, she adds the vegetables and cooks about an hour more. She also adds sweet potatoes to the vegetable mixture and steams cabbage on the side, and of course, serves it all over couscous. Hers is delicious, and we make it sometimes as well.

Miriam's Mulligatawny Soup

1 large onion, chopped
3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 medium apples, cored and diced
1 c. diced cooked chicken
4-6 c. chicken stock (canned is fine)
2 t. curry powder
1/2 - 3/4 c. uncooked rice

Simmer fruit and vegetables in chicken stock for 1/2 hour. Add rice and chicken and simmer for another 1/2 hour.

Marc's French Potage

This is about the fastest, easiest, most filling Winter meal imaginable.

3 Russet potatoes
1 bunch leeks
3 carrots
salt and pepper

Peel potatoes and carrots. Cut into large chunks.

Cut off ends of leeks. Cut again where the light green stalks turn dark green. Cut a slit lengthwise and wash leeks well under cold water to remove grit. Cut into large chunks.

Place vegetables in a large stockpot and cover with water. Add a couple of chicken bouillon cubes and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until vegetables are tender.

Ladle out most of the cooking water and reserve. Purée soup with a hand blender, adding reserved liquid if desired.

Stir in a dollop of heavy cream or creme fraîche just before serving and serve with hearty bread.

Ultimate Quick & Easy Pasta Sauce

1 t. olive oil
1 c. chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c. red wine or 2 T. balsamic vinegar
1 T. sugar
2 t. dried basil
2 T. tomato paste
1/2 t. Italian seasoning
1/4 t. black pepper
2 14-oz. cans diced tomatoes, undrained

Heat oil in a saucepan or large skilled over med. high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in wine or vinegar and remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Cook, uncovered, about 15 minutes. Stir in chopped fresh parsley, if desired.

Yields 3 cups.

Chicken and Brie Sandwich with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Quite possibly the best sandwich ever.

1 t. olive oil
2 c. halved cherry tomatoes
2 T. balsamic vinegar
1 T. chopped fresh thyme
1/4 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. black pepper
1 T. whole-grain Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
16 oz. loaf French bread
4 oz. Brie cheese, sliced
3 c. shredded cooked chicken
2 c. fresh spinach
1/4 c. mayonnaise

Cook tomatoes in 1 t. hot oil over med. high heat for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 2 T. vinegar. Sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper. Wrap handle of pan with foil and bake at 300 for 15 minutes.

Combine mayo, mustard and garlic in a small bowl. Spread mixture evenly over top half of cut bread loaf. Spoon tomatoes over bottom half of loaf. Arrange Brie over tomatoes, top with chicken. Add spinach and replace top half of bread. Cut loaf into 6 pieces.

Penne with Chicken, Peas, and Asparagus

2 1/2 c. uncooked penne pasta
1 1/2 c. diagonally cut asparagus
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 lb. chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/2 c. chicken broth
1 T. olive oil
1 c. frozen peas, thawed
1/4 c. parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Place the broth and 1/2 c. peas in a blender; process until smooth. Set aside.

Heat oil over med. high heat. Sauté garlic for 30 seconds. Add asparagus and chicken; sauté 4 minutes or until chicken is done.

Add pea purée, remaining peas, and salt; stir well. Stir in pasta and bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until mixture thickens. Add cheese and pepper; toss.

Red Pepper Pasta Primavera

1 c. snipped fresh basil (or 1 c. parsley + 1 T. dried basil)
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 c. mayonnaise
2 T. parmesan cheese
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. ground cayenne pepper
8 oz. fettuccine
3 large carrots, julienned
1 med. onion, in thin wedges
1 med. yellow squash, julienned
10 oz. cooked chicken strips

For pesto, combine in a blender container or food processor: basil (or parsley), red pepper, mayonnaise, parmesan, lemon juice, salt, cayenne, and 1/8 t. black pepper. Cover and blend or process till puréed.

Cook pasta for 6 minutes. Add carrots and onion. Return to boiling and cook for 2 min. Add squash; return to boiling and cook for 2 min. Drain pasta and vegetables. Stir in pesto; add chicken.

Toss well to combine. Serve immediately.
Serves 4.

Broccoli with Blue Cheese

2 T. butter
2 T. flour
1 c. milk
4 oz. cream cheese
1/3 c. crumbled blue cheese
1 1/2 pounds broccoli, steamed

In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Whisk in flour and heat until bubbly. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly. Cook over low heat until mixture thickens. Add cream cheese and blue cheese to sauce. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Pour over broccoli and serve.

(Arrange broccoli spears on a platter, alternating stems and tops. Pour the sauce down though the middle of the stalks.) Serve with rice.

Nicole's Avocado Salsa

6 roma tomatoes (or another type, if the roma tomatoes aren't available.)
3 avocados, finely chopped
3 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 11oz. can white shoepeg corn
1 15.8oz can black eyed peas
8 oz. zesty Italian dressing

Combine tomatoes, green onions, cilantro, and corn in a medium bowl. Drain and rinse peas and add to bowl. Add avocados last and pour dressing over top, stirring as little as possible. Gently mix ingredients evenly with a large spoon. Serve with tortilla chips. Keep refrigerated up to one week (not that it will last that long!)


BAKED TORTILLA CHIPS
4 corn or flour tortillas (8')
2 T butter, melted
2-3 pinches of kosher salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cut tortillas into triangles (four cuts per tortilla equaling 8 chips) and place on baking sheet. Brush each chip with butter and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 6-8 min. until golden and crisp. Let cool. Serve with fresh salsa or guacamole.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Walnuts, Caramelized Shallots and Garlic

From Jamie's Palate in the Bucks County News

1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

3 shallots, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 cup walnut pieces

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees. Next, remove the exposed (cut) end of the sprouts. Then, cut them in half and place them in a bowl, mixing them with an eighth of a cup of olive oil and salt and pepper.

From there, spread the sprouts out evenly on a baking sheet. If they are bunched together, they will steam instead of roast, and you’ll lose the beautiful flavor because the sprouts will not caramelize. Put them in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes. It’s okay if the outer leaves turn brown.

The shallots and garlic really make this dish. While the sprouts roast, heat an eighth of a cup of olive oil in a skillet. Then add the shallots, chopped thyme and garlic and sauté the mixture until it begins to soften and turns translucent.

Once you remove the sprouts from the oven, add them to the garlic-and-shallots mixture. Check the seasoning before serving.

Green Beans with Bacon/Balsamic Vinaigrette

2 lbs. fresh green beans, trimmed
2 bacon slices
1/4 c. minced shallots
3 T. coarsely chopped almonds
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
2 T. brown sugar

Cook beans in boiling water for 8 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Cook bacon in a small skillet over med. high heat until brown. Remove bacon from pan and crumble. Add shallots to bacon drippings in pan; saute 1 minute. Add almonds; sauté 1 minute. Remove pan from heat. Add vinegar and sugar to pan and stir until sugar dissolves. Add crumbled bacon. Pour vinaigrette over beans, tossing gently to coat. Serves 8.

Americana Pot Roast

4 lb. rump roast
3 medium onions, sliced
2 T. paprika
1/2 t. dried basil
1/2 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. dried thyme
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 c. red wine OR 2 T. red wine vinegar
1 can beef broth
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
6 carrots, cut into 1 1/2" thick pieces
6 small red potatoes
1/2 c. water

Preheat oven to 300.

Heat a large pan over med. high heat. Add roast, browning on all sides. Remove from pan.

Reduce heat to medium. Add onion to pan; cook 10 minutes. Add paprika, basil, oregano, thyme, and garlic; cook 1 minute.

Add water, wine, and broth; bring to a boil. Stir in salt, pepper, carrots, and potatoes. Return roast to pan.

Cover and bake at 300 for 2 hours. Turn roast, cover and bake an additional hour or until tender.
Yields: 8-10 servings.