Tag: asparagus
Asparagus Pesto
I love anything with pesto- pasta, bread, rice, as a dip, on chicken or fish.. and the list goes on. Pesto can be made with a variety of different ingredients including different vegetables. I have made pestos in the past with zucchini, broccoli rabe, etc.. this one is made with asparagus. I wanted to do a vegetarian meal and had asparagus in the fridge. Instead of making a boring pasta with asparagus, I decided to make a pesto instead.
I blanched the vegetable and then made the pesto just like I would with basil or any other ingredient. Speaking of basil, I did use it as well. I also used pistachios instead of pine nuts- no good reason really except that I love the color pistachios bring and as well as the flavor. I served the pesto with whole wheat past and some homemade focaccia. I bought some pizza dough from our local pizzeria. I rolled out the dough and topped it rosemary, salt, olive oil and cherry tomatoes.
The meal was delicious and simple- the glass of wine was yummy with the asparagus pesto…
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Orange Pork Chops with Smoked Paprika
It is smoked paprika week.. all the recipes have the delicious spice. I have decided on taking the spice with me if I ever get stranded on a deserted island.
I bought some center cut, thin pork chops. I don’t like making them too often since they tend to dry out very quickly- but then I realized if I brine them, they come out super juicy.
For the brine, I mixed orange juice, apricot jam, vinegar and of course smoked paprika. The liquid has a delicious sweet, savory and tangy component- perfect for a sauce for the pork chops.
I marinated them for a few hours in the liquid. I then browned them and added the liquid back. I realized, cooking them in the liquid keeps them soft and tender. The chops came out delicious. I roasted potatoes on the side with some garlic powder, salt and of course, smoked paprika. I also roasted asparagus on the side and I had a perfectly balanced meal.
Everyone enjoyed the meal with a yummy glass of red wine…
- 4 to 5 center cup pork chops
- ¼ cup apricot jam, softened in microwave
- ½ cup orange juice
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
Mix the jam, juice, garlic, vinegar, paprika and salt in a small bowl. Add the chops and mixture to a zip lock bag and marinate for 4 to 5 hours. Save the marinade for later.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Heat a non-stick pan with the oil. Brown the pork chops on both sides on high heat. Take out of the pan and add the marinade. Bring to a boil and add the pork chops. Cook for a few minutes till the chops are done (careful not to overcook). Serve the chops with the sauce, potatoes and asparagus.
Rib Eye Steak with Feta Sauce Served with Roasted Asparagus and Potatoes
This is a delicious steak dinner. We don’t eat out as much as we used to. Partly because of the economy and mostly because of this blog and all the cooking I end up doing at home.
Also after watching movies like ‘Food Inc‘, I am very leery about eating out. I can’t get the chickens and the cows out of my head. I am now very careful about where I buy and eat beef.
Anyway, I found some really nice looking grass fed rib eye steaks. I love eating a good steak but rarely order it at a restaurant- I don’t want to spend a fortune outside when I can make them at home- and they are fabulous.
I usually make oven fries with the steak- I love potatoes and this is my favorite way of making them. I had very nice looking asparagus- I served them simply sauteed with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Now, for the steaks- again, very simple- olive oil, salt and pepper but I wanted to serve them with a sauce. I love the usual gorgonzola sauce which is made with lots of yummy gorgonzola and cream. It is very delicious but loaded with calories. I had feta in my fridge and decided to use that and make a sauce. It is naturally low in fat so I paired it with some roasted garlic and low fat sour cream. The sauce was delicious! We did not miss the gorgonzola sauce at all!
My daughter loved the meal as well minus the potatoes and the sauce. She loves asparagus and steak. We were all happy and it was a great Sunday meal.
Next time you want to impress someone- make the rib eye steaks with the feta sauce.
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Vegetable Stir Fry
I can’t think of a better way to use up a bunch of left over vegetables in the fridge. I had half a cauliflower head, yellow and red pepper, asparagus and most importantly, I had green onions. I love using them for their mild oniony flavor and beautiful green color.
I doused the cauliflower florets with some tamari and roasted them. I then sauteed the vegetables with ginger and garlic. I went through my pantry and hoisin sauce stood out. I added some rice vinegar and honey to finish off the sauce.
It was simple, quick and most of all delicious. It was a perfect pairing with the sausage fried rice. My daughter ate all the vegetables except the peppers- she does not like them. I have learnt to pick my battles with her. She is such a good eater and everyone is allowed not to like a few things.
Next time you have left over vegetables, try this delicious stir fry.
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Roasted Tomatoes and Asparagus Risotto with Pan Seared Scallops
The colors in this dish are very festive and remind me of the holiday season- which is good because that is what every one is looking for right now.
We all love scallops in my family and I cook them very often. I love pairing them with risotto. The creamy rice dish goes so well with the sweet scallops. Now, I know risotto is a bit labor intensive but if you make the scallops with it- which are very quick- it’s a nice combination.
I made the risotto with a bit of shallots and garlic. I slowly added the chicken broth and made the velvety risotto. I wanted to add asparagus and tomatoes. The colors make me happy. The flavors are fabulous- the asparagus with its fresh, grassy flavor and the tomatoes with the sweet and tart burst in your mouth.
The scallops, as I mentioned, are so easy and quick to make. A sprinkle of salt and pepper and a screaming hot pan- is all you need (okay, some oil as well). The trick to perfectly cooked scallops is to turn them as soon as they turn brown. About a minute or two on each side on a very very hot pan. That’s all it takes- very simple.
This dish would be great for an intimate Christmas dinner. The colors are so appropriate and you can’t beat the taste. I would serve a red wine with this- I know a white goes better with scallops but somehow I think of red when risotto comes to mind. The heartiness of the gooey and soft rice is heaven with a yummy glass of red wine.
Whatever you are making for your big holiday- make it with love and enjoy your family and friends.
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium shallot, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- Salt
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 to 2 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1 bunch asparagus, end cut off and the tips cut into 2 inch pieces
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Preheat the oven at 400 degrees.
Place the vegetables on a lined cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the tomatoes begin to pop. Keep aside.
Heat the 4 cups of chicken broth in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and then place on simmer right next to the cooking risotto. In a wide frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the shallots and garlic. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat. Add the rice and stir for a minute. Add a ladle of chicken broth (about a ¼ cup) to the risotto. Stir on medium heat constantly until the broth is soaked up. Keep adding the broth till the rice is soft and well cooked- it should take about 20 minutes and most of the chicken broth. Add the roasted vegetables and mix well. Taste for seasoning. Add the butter and cheese. Serve pan seared scallops on top.
Pan Seared Scallops
- 1 pound diver sea scallops, cleaned
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Lemon Juice
In a wide non-stick frying pan, heat the olive oil till almost smoking. Add the scallops and cook for 2 minutes. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Flip the side and cook for another 2 minutes and sprinkle salt and pepper. Drizzle some lemon juice and serve on top of the risotto.
Penne with Shrimp and Asparagus in a Creamy Garlic Sauce
As I have mentioned before on this blog, everyone in my family loves shrimp. To save money, I buy frozen shrimp from either Trader Joes or Whole Foods– I do try to make sure it’s American shrimp. It makes me feel better knowing the shrimp haven’t travelled very far to get to my table. I always have at least one bag of frozen shrimp at hand- very helpful on a busy day.
I had a lovely bunch of asparagus in the fridge and I thought of pairing it with the shrimp. I was flipping through the ten thousand food magazines at home and came up with anchovies. Now, before you start gagging- anchovies are delicious when used in sauces and dressings. Most people who think they don’t like the fishy taste don’t realize that the ‘fishiness’ goes away as soon as the anchovies dissolve or melt and what comes through is this a very complex nutty, salty flavor equal to nothing else out there.
When I am thinking of a recipe, I visualize it in my mind- step by step. In this case, I was planning on making a white wine and cheese sauce with an anchovy base. I was planning on adding the asparagus and then the shrimp and finally the penne.
I cooked the sauce- quite easy, didn’t take very long at all. I then added the trimmed asparagus to the pan. I looked at the frying pan and realized the asparagus, shrimp and penne were not going to look very appealing all mixed in together. So I quickly took the asparagus out and sauteed it separately in a pan and decided to add it on top instead. That worked out a lot better- it looked fabulous. We eat with our eyes first and the thought of serving an unappetizing meal was not very exciting.
The meal tasted great and it looked good as well- very important. I served the pasta with garlic bread and some red wine- good stuff all around!
Asparagus with Shallots and Pancetta
When I think of spring, asparagus comes to mind. It’s the first thing I start to notice in the fresh markets- I am talking about local asparagus. We do see asparagus from other countries in the winter but somehow it’s not the same- I guess it’s the mindset- the ones in season just taste better to me. Anyway, to round off the Mother’s Day dinner I decided to make asparagus. I also love the salty taste of pancetta and thought it would go really well with the creamy fresh tasting asparagus. Pancetta is an Italian bacon that is cured with spices and not smoked. It gives dishes an underlying depth of saltiness and nuttiness. I decided to use shallots instead of onions or garlic- I wanted the pancetta taste to come through and not be over powered by anything stronger. Well, the marriage of those flavors was a very successful one! The asparagus was perfectly cooked and bright green with little red brown specs of pancetta all over. It was a feast for the eyes as well as the mouth. Overall the steak, potatoes and asparagus made a fabulous meal- now only if someone would cook it for me again!!!