This salad is amazing! Ir makes a food size batch, so I served it on a bed or arugula. This would be great for a picnic or a weeknight along with chicken or steak.
Ingredients
1 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
olive oil, for drizzling
salt and pepper
3/4 c farro
1/2 c chopped red onion
1 c chopped arugula
1 c chopped walnuts
1/4 c freshly grated pecorino cheese
Vinaigrette
1/4 c fresh orange juice
1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
1 TBSP red wine vinegar
3 TBSP olive oil
Salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Arrange the asparagus on a baking sheet. Spray with oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast for 8 to 10 minutes until the crisp-tender.
In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups of water and the farro to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover with a lid. Cook the farro about 25 to 30 minutes until tender. Drain the farro.
Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette. In a small bowl, add the orange juice, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and olive oil. Whisk together until combined. Season with salt and pepper.
In a large serving bowl, add the farro, asparagus, red onion, walnuts, and pecorino. Pour 1/4 of the vinaigrette over the salad. Gently toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve on a bed of arugula tosses with the dressing.
Serves 4 – 6.
Since getting my Vitamix I’ve gone a little blender crazy, yup I’m trying to get every penny out of this purchase. This week it was mango margaritas – booze and serving a fruit? I’m in!
Ingredients:
2 c ice
1/4 lime juice lime wedge
8 oz silver tequila
10 oz frozen mango
2 ozs orange liqueur
In a blender, pure the ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and serve.
This is from my favorite cookbook author, Patricia Wells. its simple and can be enjoyed hot or cold.
ingredients:
2 TBSP olive oil
6 green onions, sliced thin
1 TBSP ginger, minced
2 lb zucchini, cut into small pieces
1 quart chicken stock
In a large stock pot, heat oil over medium heat, add onions and sweat for 5 minutes, be sure not to brown. Add ginger and cook 1 minute. Add stock and zuks, bring to a boil, then simmer 10 minutes. Cool slightly and purée in a blender.
Top with a dollop of creme Fraiche and fresh chives.
Serves 4.
These brownies are from Cooking Light. All my favorite things – rich brownie with caramel and chocolate drizzle. Yum!
Brownies:
3/4 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c granulated sugar
3/4 c unsweetened cocoa
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
6 TBSP butter, melted
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Cooking spray
Topping:
1/4 c butter
1/4 packed brown sugar
3 1/2 TBSP evaporated fat-free milk, divided
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/8 tsp coarse sea
Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through baking powder) in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk.
Combine 6 TBSP butter, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add butter mixture to flour mixture; stir to combine.
Scrape batter into a 9-inch square metal baking pan lightly coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 350° for 19 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs clinging. Cool in pan on a wire rack.
Melt 1/4 c butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/4 c brown sugar and 1 1/2 TBSP milk; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and powdered sugar; stir with a whisk until smooth. Spread mixture evenly over cooled brownies. Let stand 20 minutes or until set.
Combine 2 tablespoons milk and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave at HIGH for 45 seconds or until melted, stirring after 20 seconds. Stir just until smooth; drizzle over caramel. Sprinkle with sea salt; let stand until set. Cut into squares.
After several weeks of being self-indulgent, it’s time to get back on track. Nothing like a salad with tasty dressing to get me there. This is from Eating Well. If the dressing is too thick, add a little bit of water to thin it, or oil of you are not watching what you eat, a tsp at a time.
Ingredients:
2 c strawberries, hulled, divided
1 spring onion or scallion, trimmed
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 TBSP champagne vinegar
2 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP fresh tarragon
1/2 tsp whole-grain mustard
salt and pepper
10 c arugula (about 5 ounces)
3/4 c crumbled feta cheese
Puree 4 strawberries and onion (or scallion) in a small food processor or blender until chopped. Add garlic, vinegar, oil, tarragon, mustard, salt and pepper; pulse until well combined.
Toss arugula and feta in a large bowl. Slice the remaining strawberries and add to the bowl. Toss the salad with the dressing.
Serves 4.
This is a one dish meal that is quick and easy. The flavor? Amazing!
8 ounces ground lamb
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp fennel seed
2 eggplants, diced
1 tsp olive oil
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 TBSP chopped fresh oregano
1 1/2 TBSP chopped parsley
salt and pepper
1 TBSP pine nuts, toasted
1/4 c parmesean cheese, grated
Cook lamb, onion garlic and fennel seed in a 12 inch skillet over medium heat, breaking up the meat with the back of a spoon, until the lamb is browned, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add eggplant and oil; cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant browns, about 4 minutes.
Add tomatoes; cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 3 minutes.
Stir in oregano, salt and pepper. Serve topped with pine nuts and cheese.
Serves 4.
Another winner from Eating Well! This also works as a great salad if you dont want to fry it up into patties.
Ingredients
1 c water
2/3 c whole-wheat couscous
1/2 c nonfat plain Greek yogurt
2/3 c shredded seeded cucumber
3/4 tsp garlic powder, divided
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c silken tofu
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2/3 c crumbled feta cheese
1/4 c snipped fresh dill
1/4 c minced red onion
pepper
2 TBSP olive oil
4 c lettuce
Tomatoes
Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in couscous, cover and remove from the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes.
Combine yogurt, cucumber, 1/4 tsp garlic powder and salt in a small bowl.
Mash tofu with a fork in a large bowl. Add spinach, feta, dill, onion, pepper, the remaining 1/2 tsp garlic powder and the couscous; stir until well combined. Form into 8 patties, using about 1/2 cup for each.
Heat 1 TBSP oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 4 patties and cook, turning once, until lightly golden on both sides, about 6 minutes total. Serve over lettuce, topped with the yogurt sauce and garnished with tomatoes.
Serves 4.
In honor of the Kentucky Derby we are drinking Mint Juleups!
Ingredients
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c water
Soda water
Mint springs
Bourbon
In a small saucepan bring water and sugar to a boil. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add mint sprigs and chill overnight.
Add 1 TBSP mint syrup to 2 oz bourbon and mint leaves. Muddle, add ice and soda.
This is my test batch if Thomas Keller’s Bouchons from Bouchon Bakery Cookbook. I used a scale – trust me it’s worth. I could not find a Bouchon pan so I used a brownie bite pan.
141 grams unsalted butter
50 grams flour
50 grams cocoa
1/8 tsp salt
2 eggs (75 grams)
163 grams sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla paste
112 grams chocolate, smashed into small pieces
Powdered sugar for dusting
Melt 1/2 the butter. Pour over the other half and whisk until creamy with little chunks of butter.
Whisk together flour, cocoa, and salt.
Combine eggs, sugar and vanilla and whisk in an electric mixture. Add 1/2 butter and 1/2 the flour, mix and the rest. Stir in chocolate bites. Set aside for 2 hours.
Spoon into prepared pan.
Bake at 350 for 12 – 16 minutes.
Makes 20 mini brownies.
I was never a fan of blended drinks until I got a Vitamix and a fridge with an ice maker – now it’s margarita mayhem at my house come the weekend! It’s super hot today so needed something extra refreshing – these hit the spot!
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb frozen strawberries
8 oz tequila
4 oz lime juice
2 oz grand marnier
1/8 teaspoon fine salt
3 c ice
Place all of the ingredients except the ice in a blender and blend on high until smooth. Add the ice, pushing it to the bottom of the pitcher, and blend on high until smooth. Serve immediately.
