Parpadelle with Asparagus, Shiitake Mushrooms and Prosciutto

Courtesy of Nadia G! (My current fav :) This is beautiful looking, delicious and full of some great veggies as well as being true fast food (seriously, it's like lightning).

14 oz Papardelle pasta (rather pricey at Meijer, try Trader Joe's for some that's way cheaper)

4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, smashed

Baby asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces

Shiitake mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick

1/4 Thai chile, minced (I couldn't find one, so I used a serrano instead)

2 cups sweet cherry tomatoes, sliced

Pinch brown sugar

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Prosciutto di Parma, sliced into ribbons

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for topping

Directions:

Cook the papardelle in salted boiling water until al dente. Strain.

Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the smashed garlic to the pan and saute until golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Throw in the baby asparagus, shiitake mushrooms and Thai chile. Saute for 8 minutes or until the veggies are tender but still crisp. Add the tomatoes to the pan and season generously with sea salt, freshly ground pepper and brown sugar. Give it a good stir and let the tomatoes sauce up for about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the cooked pasta and prosciutto to the pan, mix it up for a couple of minutes so the flavors meld together.

Serve the pasta topped with freshly-grated Parmesan cheese.

Grilled Mustard Chicken with Green Bean Coleslaw

Paul and I are always on the lookout for quick dinners. It's becoming a bit of a problem to eat a variety of foods, make delicious, non-prepackaged meals, and still make it to our evening activities. When I saw this recipe in (big surprise) Bon Appetit, it definitely qualified. However, because it involves the grill, there's obviously some get-the-coals-hot time that needs to be built in.

Paul also already makes his own balsamic dressing, so we just used that instead of making more/buying white balsamic vinegar. It probably didn't look as pretty, but still tasted good. Additionally, the coleslaw would be much better with fresh green beans, so that is changed as well.

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
4 teaspoons mustard seeds, divided
9 oz fresh green beans, sliced thin
2 cups very thinly sliced green cabbage
1 small sweet onion (such as Maui or Walla Walla), very thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard, divided
1 large egg white
4 boneless chicken breast halves with skin

Coat grill rack heavily with nonstick spray. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat).

Toast 1 teaspoon mustard seeds in skillet over high heat until beginning to pop, 3 to 4 minutes.  Set aside. In a large bowl, add green beans, cabbage, onion, and tarragon. Place toasted mustard seeds on top.  Whisk oil, vinegar, and 2 teaspoons Dijon in bowl. Mix into slaw; season with salt and pepper.

Whisk egg white and 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon mustard in small bowl. Sprinkle skin side of chicken with salt and pepper. Brush thickly with mustard glaze; sprinkle with some of remaining mustard seeds.

Place chicken, skin side down, on grill. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; brush with glaze and sprinkle with remaining mustard seeds. Grill 5 minutes. Turn chicken. Grill until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Top with slaw and serve.

Strawberry and Rhubarb Crumble

This is the taste of late spring. My parents had a rhubarb plant at my childhood home, and each year there was a bountiful harvest. Other family members sometimes complained about having rhubarb-everything, but I loved it (even the orange-rhubarb jam that never quite jammed). Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. (From Bon Appetit.)

3/4 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar
large pinch of salt
6 Tbs. (3/4 of a stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats (can be made with quick oats)
1/2 cup husked hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped (can sub walnuts)
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 lb. strawberries, hulled and halved (4 cups)
12 oz. rhubarb (bright red), ends trimmed, stalks cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick pieces

Combine flour, 2/3 cup sugar, and salt in medium bowl; whisk to blend. Add butter. Rub in with fingertips until mixture sticks together in clumps. Mix in oats and nuts. Cover and chill.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish.

Place 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; whisk to blend well. Add strawberries and rhubarb to sugar in bowl; toss to coat well. Scrape fruit filling into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle oat topping evenly over filling.

Bake crumble until filling bubbles thickly and topping is crisp, about 45 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes. Spoon warm crumble into bowls. Serve with ice cream.

Penne with Hazelnut Gremolata and Roasted Broccolini

This was a very tasty side we made with the Roasted Duck Breast (I think it would be good even if you used pork). Can't find broccolini? I'd say you can substitute broccoli, but cut it in to small florets. We might even try making a pesto instead of a gremolata with all the herbs and hazelnuts. It can also be a little dry, so don’t be afraid to use the olive oil (plus some).

1/2 lb broccolini or broccoli
3 Tbs olive oil, divided
2 Tbs hazelnuts, toasted, finely chopped
2 Tbs finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 tsp finely grated lemon peel
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 lb penne

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place broccolini on a large rimmed baking sheet (lined with parchment paper). Drizzle with 2 Tbs olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss, then spread in an even layer.

Roast broccolini until tender and golden brown around edges, tossing occasionally, about 18 minutes. Cool. Chop coarsely.

Mix hazelnuts, chopped parsley, finely grated lemon peel, and garlic in a small bowl.

Cook pasta until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain; return to saucepan.

Add broccolini and toss over medium heat to rewarm, if necessary. Add gremolata and remaining oil (plus some if dry); toss to distribute evenly. Season with salt and pepper.

Snow Peas with Toasted Almonds

This is a quick, delicious side for Five-Spice Roast Chicken.

1 Tbs unsalted butter
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 lb snow peas, trimmed
2 tsp minced shallot
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Melt butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add almonds and cook until golden and fragrant and butter begins to brown, stirring frequently, about 1 1/2 minutes.

Add snow peas and shallot; sauté until snow peas are crisp-tender, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.

Remove skillet from heat; add lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and serve.

Chicken Milano

"A delicious pasta and chicken dish with garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil. Use the dry packaged sun-dried tomatoes instead of the tomatoes packed in olive oil. The sauce can be kept, covered, for one day in the refrigerator; heat again over low heat. Try it with some crusty bread if desired." Shamelessly stolen from AllRecipes.com

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon butter 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped 1 cup chicken broth, divided 1 cup heavy cream 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast

halves salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 8 ounces dry fettuccini pasta

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a large saucepan over low heat, melt butter; add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and 3/4 cup of the chicken broth; increase to medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until the tomatoes are tender. Add the cream and bring to a boil; stirring. Simmer over medium heat until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
2.	Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm oil and saute chicken. Press on chicken occasionally with a slotted spatula. Cook for about 4 minutes per side or until the meat feels springy and is no longer pink inside. Transfer to a board; cover and keep warm. Discard the fat from the skillet.
3.	In the same skillet, over medium heat, bring 1/4 cup chicken broth to a boil; stirring the pan juices. Reduce slightly and add to the cream sauce; stir in basil and adjust seasonings to taste.
4.	Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add fettuccine and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain, transfer to a bowl and toss with 3 to 4 tablespoons of the sauce.
5.	Cut each chicken breast into 2 to 3 diagonal slices. Reheat the sauce gently if needed. Transfer the pasta to serving plates; top with chicken and coat with the cream sauce; serve.

Aloo Gobi

As prepared by Gurinder Chadha from Bend It Like Beckham

Ghee or unsalted butter
1 large onion, thinly sliced
Medium cauliflower, quartered, then sliced
2 large potatoes, quartered then sliced
1 TBL cumin seeds
1-3 green (serrano) chilies, sliced
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp salt
2-inch piece ginger, sliced
3-6 garlic cloves, diced
1 tsp sweet (regular) paprika
3 canned tomatoes, and juice
handful cilantro, chop stems and pick off leaves for garnish
1 1/2 tsp garam masala

Heat ghee, add cumin seeds, then onion and cilantro stems. Cook until translucent ("creamy golden").
Add chilies, turmeric, salt. Add paprika, then grate in tomatoes (use a cheese grater). Stir in.
Add ginger, garlic cook about 1 min.
Add potatoes, cook 5 minutes
Add cauliflower and 2 TBL water, cover and cook 10 minutes.
Add garam masala cook 10 more minutes until cauliflower is tender, but not mushy.
Add cilantro leaves. Cover, turn off heat and leave 10 minutes.

Serve with naan or basmati rice.

Shrimp & Asparagus Pasta Toss

We found this recipe after an incident in which I burnt the top layer of my tounge off because I'd been eating too much spicy food. Having been told to "tone it down a bit" by my doctor, we faced the challenge of making something tasty, soft and flavorful without depending on spiciness. Granted, this will probably only make seafood lovers happy, but it IS a tasty sauce even without the seafood.

6 oz uncooked angel hair pasta
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. chicken flavor instant bullion
1 1/2 c. milk
2 oz (1/2 c.) shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 lb. fresh or frozen uncooked shrimp, deveined
1/2 lb- 1 lb fresh uncooked sea scallops
1 bunch of fresh asparagus, cooked, drained and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 oz. (1 c.) sliced fresh mushrooms

Cook pasta to desired doneness as directed on package. Drain, rinse with hot water and keep warm.

Melt butter in medium saucepan. Blend in flour and bouillon; cook until it's smooth and bubbly. Gradually add milk; cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly. Add cheeses; stir until smooth. Stir in shrimp, scallops and mushrooms; cook until thoroughly done. Add cooked asparagus. Serve over pasta.

Asparagus with Cream Sauce

2 pounds fresh asparagus spears
1 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup half and half
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp pepper

Snap off tough ends of asparagus. Cook asparagus, covered, in a small amount of boiling water for 6 to 8 minutes or until crisp-tender. Keep warm.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat; add flour, stirring until smooth.

Gradually whisk in chicken broth and half and half. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly, about 1 minute. Whisk in mustard, lemon juice, and pepper. Spoon sauce over asparagus. Serve immediately.

When we made this, I added extra dijon mustard to give it a little more flavor (more like 3 Tbsp). I also feel this recipe needs something a little more, but can't quite put my finger on it. If anyone has any ideas, I'd love to hear them.

Guacamole

Not being that big a fan of guacamole in general, I was a little skeptical about making it. This recipe is pretty great though and managed to convert me into a fan.

Guacamole
4 ripe avocados, peeled, seeded
1 tsp ground cumin
1 ripe, medium Roma tomato, seeded, diced
1/2 cup minced sweet white onion
2 serrano chilies, seeded, minced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
4 Tbsp fresh lime juice
Hot pepper sauce, sea salt, white pepper to taste

Cut avocado in large chunks and mash coarsely in large bowl with a fork. Add remaining ingredients and blend gently-leaving some small chunks is fine. Taste and adjust seasoning with more pepper sauce, salt and pepper if desired.