Seared Scallops with Herbs and Orzo

There's only one thing you have to remember about cooking scallops:  Don't overcook them!  Depending on size they only need 2-3 minutes on one side and another minute on the other side.  Use a good high-heat oil like grapeseed so you can get the pan nice and hot and get that pretty sear on the scallops.

For 2 servings:
 

3/4 cup uncooked orzo (I use tri-colored)

2 T. chopped fresh dill, divided
2 T. chopped fresh chives divided
2 t. extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and ground pepper
5-6 large sea scallops
1-2 T. grape seed oil                  
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 T. finely chopped shallots
1 T. white wine or champagne vinegar
2 T. chilled butter
1 t. chopped fresh thyme or pinch of dried thyme

Cook orzo in a pot of salted water until al dente (about 6-8 minutes).  Drain and add olive oil, 1 T. dill, 1 T. chives, salt and pepper.

Combine wine, shallots, and vinegar in a saucepan; bring to a boil.  Continue cooking for about 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to low. Add butter cubes, 1 at a time, whisking after each addition until butter is fully incorporated. Stir in 1 tablespoon dill, 1 tablespoon chives, 1 teaspoon thyme, and a little salt.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and add grape seed oil.  Dry the scallops with a paper towel.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides.  Add scallops to pan; cook 2-3 minutes or until browned.  Flip and cook another minute.

Spoon the orzo onto plates, top with scallops, and then pour the reduced wine/herb sauce on top.

I like to serve this with sautéed baby spinach and kale.

 

Asian Couscous

Still on my couscous kick so this time I made it with an Asian flair.  Served it with fish sammies topped with seaweed salad...yummy!!  You can use any vegetable combination and you can substitute baby spinach or arugula for the microgreens, if you can't find them.

1 cup Israeli couscous
2 cups water
6 oz. sugar snap peas
1 large carrot, shredded
1 box (about 2 oz.) microgreens (any type works...I used Asian)

2 T. rice vinegar
1 T. soy sauce
1 t. minced or grated ginger root
1 t. minced garlic
2 t. toasted (dark) sesame oil
1 t. fish sauce
juice of 1/2 lemon
2-3 T. olive or grapeseed oil

Bring the water to a boil and add the couscous.  Simmer for about 8 minutes.  Drain the couscous, rinse well, and drain again.

Put the sugar snap peas in a microwave-safe container and nuke for about 1 minute. 

Put the couscous in a large bowl and add the peas, carrot, and microgreens.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine.  Add to the couscous and combine.  Season with salt, if necessary.  Refrigerate for a few hours to allow flavors to blend.

Roasted Vegetable Israeli Couscous

I love roasted vegetables and today I got some beauties at Central Market so I decided to make couscous.  I used Israeli couscous, which is the large pearl type.  I love couscous when I need a change of pace from quinoa.  It's basically pasta so it's not as healthy as quinoa, but I love the taste and texture.  Any type of vegetables can be used.  Here are the ones I used:

I love the tender little eggplant I find at Central Market.  The verigated ones are my favorites.  Basically, just go for color and what's in season when picking out your veggies.

1 cup Israeli couscous (also called pearl couscous)

2 cups water
1 red bell pepper, cut lengthwise and seeds removed
1 zucchini or calabaza squash
1 yellow squash
1 Japanese eggplant
½ inch thick slice red onion

2 T. white balsamic vinegar
1 T. olive oil
Zest and juice of one large lemon
1/2 cup fresh basil, chiffonade

Cut the vegetables (except the pepper and onion) into bite-sized pieces.  Put in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper and mix well.  Divide the vegetables onto two foil-lined baking sheets.  Put a little oil on the pepper slices and the chunk of onion.  Put those on the baking sheets as well.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

While the vegetables are roasting, bring 2 cups water to a boil.  Add 1 t. salt and 1 cup Israeli couscous.  Cover and simmer for 8 minutes.  Drain, rinse well, and drain again.

For the vinaigrette, combine the balsamic, olive oil, zest, juice, and chives.  Chop the wedge of roasted red onion and the red peppers (the charred skin should come off easily).  Add the vegetables to the couscous and dress with the vinaigrette.  Add the basil and stir to combine.   

Twice Baked Potatoes

It's been many years since I've made these potatoes so I had forgotten just how good they are, and how easy!  Instead of adding sour cream, like I used to, I added Mexican crema.  Crema is milder and thinner than sour cream and is basically the same thing as creme fraiche.  Sour cream can easily be substituted but your potatoes won't be as creamy as the ones you see in the picture.

2 baking potatoes
2-3 T. butter, melted
1/2-3/4 cup crema, creme fraiche, or sour cream
1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan
1/4-1/2 cup grated ColbyJack cheese
3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 T. fresh chopped chives, reserving some for garnish
Salt and pepper, to taste

Scrub the potatoes and allow to dry completely.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Pierce the potatoes once or twice with a fork.  Rub the potato skin lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with Kosher salt.  Bake directly on the oven rack until fork tender, about 1 hour.  When they come out of the oven, cut an "X" on the top of each potato to release the steam. 

Let the potatoes cool just until you can handle them.  Carefully slice the top off the potato, scoop out the inside but leave just enough potato to keep the skin from tearing.  Put the scooped out potato in a large bowl.

Combine the potato, butter, crema, cheeses, bacon and chives.  Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.  Put the potato mixture into the potato skins and bake an additional 15 minutes.  Garnish with chives.

Apple Cake

This is a delicious cake and very easy to make.  I like it because it's not too sweet.  Always use organic apples, if at all possible.

1 1/2 cups flour (sift first, then measure) 

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 extra large egg, at room temperature
1/2 cup milk, at room temperature (I use skim and it works fine!)
1 t. vanilla
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled 
2-1/2 to 3 cups chopped, peeled organic apples (2 large apples)

Topping:

1/2 cup brown sugar (break up any chunks)

1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons butter, cut into very small cubes
1 teaspoon cinnamon

In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients and set aside.

In a glass measuring cup, measure out the milk.  Add the egg and whisk until completely beaten.  Add vanilla and melted butter and whisk to combine.

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix using a spatula.  Fold in the chopped apples.  If the batter seems too dry, just add a little milk.  It's a very forgiving batter.

Coat an 8x8 baking pan with cooking spray made for baking (or grease the pan with butter).  Spoon in the batter and spread evenly.  Top with the crumb topping.

Bake at 375° for 35 minutes.  Remove and let cool completely in the pan before cutting.

 

The batter will be fairly thick and look like this:

 

Eggplant Parmesan

I love eggplant parmesan, but I don't like having to bread and fry the eggplant.  It just absorbs too much oil and that kind of freaks me out.  So, I decided to roast the eggplant slices and it turned out great!  I use my Quick and Easy Marinara recipe, but you can use jarred if you want.  I decided to add Italian sausage to the sauce since we hadn't eaten meat in about 10 days, but that's definitely optional. 

Serve this with your favorite pasta.  I used whole wheat capellini, which is a little thicker than angel hair.  Loved this dish, and it was even better the next day.

2 large purple eggplant (about 2 lbs. total), cut into 3/4" slices
Olive oil (about 1/2 cup)
Salt and pepper
About 3-4 cups marinara sauce
2 links Italian sausage, if using
1/2 cup fresh basil*
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan

Cook the sausage, if using.  Drain in a paper towel lined bowl and set aside until marinara is done.  Add the sausage and basil to the marinara when it is done simmering.

Line a baking sheet with foil and top with a baking rack.  Put olive oil in a small bowl and use a pastry brush to coat both sides of each eggplant slice.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper (I only do this on one side). Place on the baking rack.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  Turn the eggplant over and continue baking another 20 minutes.  You'll need one baking sheet and rack for each eggplant.

Coat a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.  Put about 1 cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of the pan.  Add roasted eggplant slices.  Top with remaining sauce.  Add mozzarella and Parmesan.

Bake at 400 degrees an additional 10-15 minutes, or until cheese begins to brown.

Serve with your favorite pasta.  Great when accompanied by salad and garlic bread!

*There is fresh basil in my sauce recipe.  If you use a jarred sauce or another recipe, be sure to add fresh basil.

Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole

I had an eggplant that I needed to use so I decided to make stacked enchiladas filled with roasted vegetables and black beans.  I used salsa instead of enchilada sauce and it turned out great.  You can use any combination of vegetables.  Roasting them just brings out more flavor.  Avocado added a creamy element to the dish.  Very satisfying!

1 medium purple eggplant, cut into cubes (or about 3 small eggplants)

1 red bell pepper, cut in thirds and seeded

1 thick (about 1") slice of onion (not separated into rings)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (or flavored beans drained but not rinsed)
1 (16 oz.) jar salsa (about 2 cups)
6-8 oz. shredded cheese, (I use colby/jack or Mex blend)
1-2 avocadoes, sliced thin

Juice of 1 lime

8 small tortillas, cut in half

First, roast the veggies:  Put the eggplant and squash on a foil-lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Do the same with the peppers and onion on another baking sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes.

When the peppers and onion are cool enough, cut into cubes.

Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray.  Put about 1/3 of the salsa on the bottom of the dish.  Line with five of the tortilla halves.  Top with the roasted eggplant, onions, and red pepper.  Top with 1/2 the cheese.  Top with five tortillla halves.  Add the sliced avocado, black beans, and lime juice.  Top with remaining tortilla halves, salsa and remaining cheese.

Bake at 375 for about 20-25 minutes until brown and bubbly.

Veggie Lasagna

I haven't made lasagna in ages and this one turned out really tasty.  We now have prewashed baby kale at work so I used a 5 oz. package of that plus about another 2-3 oz. of baby spinach.  I added mushrooms and onions and included some rehydrated porcini mushrooms that I had leftover from a risotto dish.  I used Italian Fontina cheese instead of mozzarella because that is what I had.  I'm sure mozzarella would work just as well. 

I think the trick to a good lasagna is to not load up on the ingredients.  More is not merrier when it comes to lasagna.

12 lasagna noodles (I use whole wheat), or use no-bake noodles

8 oz. baby kale and/or baby spinach, pre-washed
½ large sweet onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. mushrooms (I like baby bellas), sliced
1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms (optional)
1 large carrot, shredded
1 t. dried thyme
Salt and pepper, to taste

1 (16 oz.) container whole or part-skim ricotta (about 2 cups)
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 cups Italian Fontina or mozzarella, grated (divided)
1/2 cup Parmesan, grated
1 t. Mexican oregano
½ cup Italian parsley, chopped

About 3 cups marinara sauce (I use my spaghetti sauce recipe, minus the meatballs)

Cook the noodles until just done.  Drain and lay flat on a clean kitchen towel.

If using dried mushrooms, add them to a cup of boiling water and reconstitute for about 15 minutes.  Remove from the water and coarsely chop. 

In a heavy large pan (I use my Dutch oven), add olive oil (about 2 T.) and cook the onion until soft.  Add the mushrooms and cook until soft and the liquid from the mushrooms evaporates.  Add the carrot and garlic.  If using, add the reconstituted mushrooms to the vegetable mixture.  Add the kale and/or spinach and cook until just wilted.  Season with thyme, salt and pepper.

In a medium bowl, beat the egg and add the ricotta, 1 cup Fontina or mozzarella, the Parmesan, oregano, and parsley.  Mix well.

Coat a 9x11 pan with cooking spray.  Cover the bottom with some of the sauce.  Add 3 noodles over the sauce.  Spread half the ricotta mixture over the noodles (use a spatula) and add another layer of noodles.  Add the vegetable mixture and top with a little sauce.  Add another layer of noodles and the remaining ricotta mixture.  Add the last layer of noodles.  Top with sauce. 

Make sure the top layer of noodles is completely covered with sauce.  Use your fingers and press the noodles down into the sauce, if necessary.  Cover with foil and bake at 375° for 40 minutes.  Uncover and top with remaining cheese.  Bake for about 15 minutes or until cheese starts to brown.

Let sit at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Green Chiles & Cheese Casserole

My mom used to make this casserole and my sister, Arndis, is crazy about it.  I remember her buying canned green chiles to take back to Iceland.  The original recipe has a ton of cheese in it so I cut way back on that.  I also topped it with salsa instead of the original tomato sauce.  So yummy and even better the next day.

2 (7 oz.) cans whole green chiles (preferably fire roasted), drained

1 small (5 oz.) can evaporated milk
4 eggs
10-12 dashes tabasco
1 T. flour (I use brown rice flour)
1 t. baking powder
1 cup (about 4 oz.) finely shredded cheese (I use CoJack or Mexican Blend)
¼ cup salsa or picante sauce (not too chunky)

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, tabasco, flour and baking powder until very well blended.
 

Coat a serving dish (about 8”x8”) with cooking spray.  Cut one side of the chiles lengthwise so that they lay flat.  Line the serving dish with one can of the chiles.  Top with half the cheese.  Repeat with another layer of chiles and cheese.
 

Top with the egg mixture and press down with your fingers to make sure all of the cheese is covered by the egg mixture.
 

Bake for about 25 minutes at 375 degrees.  Remove and top with salsa.  Bake an additional 2-3 minutes.  Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

 

Here's a slice of this tasty goodness:

 

Asian Slaw

Made this slaw for fish tacos (next post).  Super good!

3 cups Napa cabbage, shredded or thinly sliced

1 cup radicchio, shredded or thinly sliced
½ red pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup cilantro, chopped
2 or 3 thin slices red onion, cut into fourths

1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 T. toasted sesame oil
2 T. pickled ginger, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper

In a large bowl, combine the vinegar, oil, ginger, garlic, salt and pepper.  Add the cabbage, radicchio (or more cabbage if you don’t have radicchio), red pepper, cilantro, and onion slices.

Refrigerate for about an hour before serving.

Fish Tacos...Asian Style!

I usually make fish tacos using some type of chipotle slaw, but this time I decided to go Asian.  Marinated the tilapia and made an Asian Slaw that was super tangy and good.  Here's the marinade recipe:

3-4 Tilapia fillets
1 lime, juiced
1/4 c. peanut oil
1/2 c. low sodium soy sauce
1 T. pickled ginger
1 large garlic clove, smashed and sliced
1 T. toasted (dark) sesame oil
Splash of fish sauce
Pinch of cloves, or 3-4 whole cloves
1 t. coriander

Combine all ingredients in a baking dish where the tilapia fillets fit well.  Marinade at least an hour, turning once.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Put a cast iron skillet in the oven and heat for about 10 minutes.  Remove skillet and put fillets in it.  Put back in oven for 5 minutes.  Remove and flip the fillets and bake for another 3 minutes.

Serve with tortillas and Asian slaw.

Pumpkin Bread

It's that time of year when I start craving pumpkin bread.  I just used an old tried and true recipe but decreased the sugar.  Next time I think I'll replace the oil with applesauce.

1 (15 ounce) can 100% pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix!)

4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil (I used grape seed oil) 
2/3 cup water
2 cups white sugar  
1 t. vanilla      
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
2 t. baking soda
1 1/2 t. salt
1 ½ t. ground cinnamon
1 t. ground nutmeg
1/2 t. ground cloves
1/4 t. ground ginger
1 cup walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat pans with cooking/baking spray.  You can use three 7x3 loaf pans, 5 mini loaf pans, or do what I did and use 1 large pan and 3 mini pans.  

In a large bowl, using a beater, mix pumpkin, eggs, oil, water, sugar, and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.  Add this mixture to the pumpkin and blend until combined.  Stir in walnuts.

Pour batter into prepared pans and bake minis for about 50 minutes and large pans for 65-70 minutes.  The loaves are done when a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.  Let cool for a few minutes and then remove from pans and cool completely on a baking rack.

I like to mix a little sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle it on top of each loaf before baking, at least when I remember to do this! 

 

Shrimp Risotto

This was so delicious!!  I made shrimp stock earlier in the day using my frozen shrimp shells and then made risotto with the stock.  Totally wonderful!

UPDATE: Last night I made this risotto again but I didn't have fennel. So, I skipped the fennel and added frozen tiny peas before adding the spinach. Fabulous!! 

1 T. butter

2 T. olive oil

3/4 cup sliced shallots

1 fennel bulb, sliced

4 cups (more or less) stock, heated

6 oz. baby spinach, rough chopped

1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 cup Arborio rice

½ cup dry white wine

¼ cup fresh grated Parmesan
1 T. butter

Zest of 1/4 lemon
Salt and pepper

Heat the butter (1 T.) and olive oil in a large skillet. Add the fennel and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the shallot and continue cooking about 5 minutes.  Season with salt. Meanwhile, heat your stock and keep it simmering on the stove.
 

Add the rice to the shallot mixture and stir well. Cook for about 5 minutes and keep stirring. Do not brown the rice; you are just releasing the starches. Add the wine and cook until liquid is absorbed. Add a ladle or two of stock into the rice mixture. Simmer until the rice has absorbed the liquid, stirring often. Keep doing this until all of your stock is gone, or until the rice is done. Taste the rice. It should be soft but still have a bit of a bite.

Add the spinach and cook for a minute or two.  Add the shrimp and cook until pink, about 3 minutes. 

Finish the risotto with the Parmesan, 1 T. butter,  and lemon zest. 

Shrimp Stock

 

So, I made my own shrimp stock and it turned out great. I save the shells in the freezer from shrimp that I cook and today I got to use them.  I started off with a huge pot and sauteed the shells in some olive oil for about 10 minutes.  Then I reduced the heat a little and added a whole sliced red onion (skin and all), a diced carrot, 3 garlic cloves (smashed), a diced celery stick, and a bunch of fresh herbs (thyme, oregano, dill).  Also added a tablespoon of fennel seed, a couple of bay leaves, and a generous pinch of saffron.  Seasoned with salt and pepper.

 

I cooked this mixture for about 30 minutes.  I added a splash of water now and then so it wouldn't burn but didn't add all the water until everything was cooked down.  Once it was, I added about 4 quarts of water and brought it to a boil.  Then I simmered it for about a half hour and that was it.  Best broth ever for sure!

 

Mushroom, Spinach and Tomato Sauce

 I wanted to change up my usual pasta sauce recipe so I added mushrooms and spinach.  Turned out really good and it was a great way to eat plenty of veggies.  Here is the finished sauce:

1/2 pound (or more) mushrooms (I used portobello), sliced
1-1/2 pounds tomatoes, diced
6 oz. baby spinach, roughly chopped
2-3 cloves (1 T.) garlic, minced
1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
1 t. fennel seeds, crushed
1/2 t. fresh lemon zest
Parmesan
Reserved pasta water

Saute mushrooms in olive oil for about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, fennel seeds, and tomatoes.  Season with salt and continue cooking about 8 minutes or until mixture gets saucey.  Add the spinach, pine nuts, and lemon zest.

Cook pasta of your choice (I used ravioli, but it certainly doesn't have to be stuffed pasta) and add to the sauce.  Add a little pasta water if necessary.  Serve topped with parmesan.

Pasta with Shrimp and Marinated Artichoke Hearts

I've been making this cold shrimp pasta for years.  I normally use 21/25 count shrimp, or even smaller, but I have shrimp that I brought back from Pensacola that is huge, so I just cut them in half and some in thirds.  I love marinating my artichoke hearts because they turn out way better than the canned or jarred ones.

I usually make this dish ahead of time.  I cook and peel the shrimp and marinade the artichoke hearts the day before.  I take the marinade out of the refrigerator an hour or two before assembling the salad so the olive oil comes back to room temperature.  I also add the cooked shrimp to the marinade while I'm boiling the pasta and chopping the rest of the ingredients. 

You can eat the salad right away but I prefer to eat it cold.  I do take it out of the refrigerator about an hour before serving.

2 (14 oz.) cans artichoke hearts, drained and cut into fourths.

¾ cup olive oil
Grated zest of one lemon
Juice of one large lemon
2 T. sherry or red wine vinegar
2 t. oregano, preferably Mexican
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
½ t. each pepper and salt

Combine the above ingredients in a saucepan and bring to simmer.  Remove from heat and let sit for a few hours at room temperature or refrigerate overnight. 

In a large serving bowl, combine marinated mixture with the following ingredients:

1-1/2 lbs. cooked, peeled and deveined shrimp

14 oz. cooked large (not jumbo) shell pasta (or pasta of your choice)*
½ cup finely chopped red onion
½ chopped Italian parsley
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
½ cup sliced black olives (2.25 oz. can)

*The only large (not jumbo) shells I have ever found here are Skinner brand.  They come in 12 ounce packages but I find that 14 ounces just works better for this salad.  So I add another 2 ounces of shells (that's one cup dry).

Potato Pepper and Tomato Frittata

I've been perfecting my frittata recipe and finally think I have it perfect.  First, we've decided we like our frittata thinner so I use less eggs.  Second, I now use a cast iron skillet, which cooks everything evenly and I never have a problem with the frittata sticking.  Third, I found that onions overpowered the rest of the ingredients, especially when eating leftovers, so now I use shallot.  Lastly, the addition of tomatoes (I had leftover campari tomatoes) and a sprinkling of finely grated parmesan over the top made it smell like pizza.  Nothing ever wrong with the smell of pizza!

5 small red potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes (about a cup or so)
½ green bell pepper, cut into one inch strips
1 medium shallot, sliced thin and roughly chopped
8 eggs
3 green onions, chopped, green part only (chives would be fine too)
5-6 dashes Tabasco or other hot sauce
1 t. all purpose seasoning (I use Anna’s herbs)
¼ cup milk
About 10 tomato slices (like Campari or Roma)
Fresh grated parmesan (about ¼ cup)
 

Heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a cast iron skillet (or other skillet if you don’t have a cast iron one).  Add a tablespoon of butter and sauté the potato cubes for about 8 minutes.  Add the green pepper and continue cooking for 5 minutes.  Add the shallot and cook another 2-3 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

 

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, green onions, Tabasco and your favorite all-purpose seasoning (I use Anna’s Herbs from Austin).  You can also season with salt and pepper if you don’t have a favorite all-purpose seasoning.   

 

Add egg mixture to cooked vegetables and reduce heat to medium low.  Stir the eggs until they start to scramble.  Add tomato slices and top with the grated parmesan.

 

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes or until just set in the middle.  Keep checking it with a knife to see if the middle is set.  Remove from oven and let rest for about 10 minutes.  Run a knife around the edges.  Put a large plate over the skillet and invert the frittata onto the plate.  Use another plate and invert again so the tomatoes are on the top.

 

Cut into wedges and serve.  Really good hot, warm, or even cold the next day for breakfast!

Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Sausages

This is one of my favorite easy dinners to make.  I buy stuffed pasta at Costco (this one is spinach and cheese filled ravioli) and use the Campari tomatoes I find there as well for the sauce.  The addition of the Italian sausages makes it nice and hearty (and makes Stuart happy).

1 package (about 1 pound) of stuffed pasta of your choice
1-1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes, chopped (I use Campari when possible)
2-3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 t. fennel seeds, crushed*
Handful of fresh basil, chiffonade (roll leaves up like a cigar and cut into strips)
3 links Italian sausages
Fresh grated parmesan

First, cook the sausages:  Put sausages in a skillet and cover with water.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 8 minutes.  Do not let the water boil or the casings will rupture.  Remove sausages and coat with olive oil.  Grill them for about another 8 minutes or until you have good grill marks on all sides.  You can also finish them in the oven if you don't want to grill.  This can be done well ahead of time.  Once they have cooled, cut the sausages into slices.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of well-salted water according to package instructions.

In a large skillet, heat about 2 T. of olive oil.  Add the tomatoes and cook for about 10 minutes until the tomatoes are broken down and saucy (see the picture below).  Add the garlic, fennel*, and sausages and cook another 2 minutes.  Season with salt and stir in basil.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pasta from the pot directly into the tomato mixture.  Top each serving with fresh parmesan.

*I recently bought Italian sausages from Costco and realized later that fennel was not one of the ingredients, which is why I now add fennel to my sauce.  You can leave it out if your sausages have fennel, but it really does add a nice addition to the simple sauce.

Here is the sauce before the addition of the pasta:

BST Pasta Salad

I thought a BLT pasta salad would be a good idea but I didn't think wilted lettuce would be too good, so I used baby spinach instead, which is great wilted.  So, I had to name it BST instead of BLT.  Turned out really good and I loved the croutons.  Stuart loved having bacon!

½ loaf hearty, crusty bread (I used ciabatta), cut into cubes

1 t. garlic powder

1 t. dried parsley

1 lb. pasta (I used spiralini)

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 bag (6-8 oz.) baby spinach
½ pound bacon
½ cup (or more) grated fresh parmesan
¼ cup olive oil + more for croutons
2 T. sherry vinegar (just about any wine vinegar will do)
1 t. Dijon mustard
1-2 T. minced shallot

First, make the croutons:  Put the bread chunks into a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil.  Add the garlic, parsley, and a light dusting of parmesan.  Stir well.  Spread out on a foil-lined baking pan and bake at 375° for about 15 minutes.

Cut the bacon into bite-sized pieces and put in a large skillet.  Turn the heat to medium and cook the bacon until done.  Drain well on a paper-towel lined dish.

Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil and add pasta.  Cook until just done and drain.

In a large serving bowl, add the vinegar, Dijon, and shallot.  Season with salt.  Whisk in the olive oil until well blended.  Add the pasta to the vinaigrette and stir to incorporate.  Add the tomatoes, baby spinach, bacon, and parmesan.  Mix well.

If you are serving the salad to a crowd, mix in the croutons.  If not, just put the croutons on top of individual servings and save the rest of the croutons for your leftover salad.

 

Mango Blueberry Salsa

I was going to make my Mango Avocado Salsa but I couldn't find a ripe avocado and I had mangoes ready to be used.  So, I decided to substitute blueberries for the avocado.  Mom has a freezer full of blueberries (that she picks herself) so I've been using them while we're here in Florida.  Thanks mom!  I really like the salsa with the blueberries and it looks better too.

Serve the salsa with "scoop" style tortilla chips cause the blueberries don't stay on the flat chips (as I found out).

2 mangoes, peeled and diced
1 cup fresh (or in my case, frozen) blueberries
3 T. chopped fresh cilantro
2 T. fresh lime juice
1/2 red pepper, finely diced
1 T. pickled jalapeno, finely diced
2-3 T. red onion, finely diced

Combine ingredients and season with salt.  Be careful with the salt if you are using salted chips.  The ingredients don't need to be exact measurements; salsa is very forgiving.  This is also good with grilled chicken and pork tenderloin.

Really Colorful Quinoa

This quinoa was inspired by my mom's bowl.  Seriously, the colors worked beautifully together, and it tasted great too!

2 cups water + 1 t. Better than Bouillon (or 2 cups broth)
1 cup quinoa

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup corn*
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1-2 T. minced jalapeno peppers
½ cup cilantro
2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled, and 1/2-inch diced
 
2-3 T. fresh squeezed lime
1 T. apple cider vinegar
3 T. olive oil
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
½ teaspoon cumin                             

Combine water and quinoa and bring to a boil.  Add 1 t. Better than Bouillon (or cook quinoa in broth).  Cover and simmer about 15 minutes until done.  Place cooked quinoa in a large bowl and allow to cool.

To the cooled quinoa, add the tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, red onion, jalapeno peppers, and cilantro in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, and cumin and pour over the quinoa and vegetables. Toss well.

Chill and add avocados when ready to serve.

*Fresh corn cut off the cob is best, but if you use frozen, just defrost it under running water.  No need to cook it.