Pasta with Asparagus in Lemon Cream Sauce

 Pasta is my go to when I’m just too tired to cook, and it generally takes less time than takeout. This one combines my favorite spring veggie with a light lemon cream sauce – so yummy!

Ingredients:
8 oz pasta
1 lb asparagus, steamed and chopped into 1 inch pieces
Zest & juice of 2 lemons
1/4 c creme fraiche
1/2 c ricotta
1/4 c chives, minced
Salt and pepper
Parmigiano
Aleppo pepper

Cook pasta according to package.

In a 12 inch skillet, heat lemon juice & zest, creme fraiche, riccota and salt and pepper ocer low heat, until smooth. Add asparagus, chives and pasta and toss to combine. Top with parmigiano and aleppo pepper.

Serves 4. 9 WW PP.

Roasted Asparagus with Poached Eggs, Proscuitto & Bread Crumbs

There is something truly amazing about a poached egg. Here I served it with some roasted asparagus, Proscuitto, toasted bread crumbs and some chive oil. Thanks Bon Appetit for the inspiration.

Ingredients:
1/2 c olive oil
1/4 fresh chives
Zest from 1 lemon
2 tsp lemon juice
4 TBSP white wine vinegar
4 eggs
1 bunch of asparagus
Chunck of day old bread, chopped in a food processor into bread crumbs
Olive oil
4 slices prosciutto

Blend olive oil, chives, and lemon juice in blender or processor until smooth. Stir in grated lemon peel, salt and pepper and blend one more time. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

In a 10 inch non stick skillet heat 2 TBSP olive oil over medium heat, add breadcrumbs, cook until crispy, stirring as needed. Set aside.

Preheat broiler. Toss asparagus with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for about 6 minutes, turning at least once.

Fill a skillet with water, add vinegar. Bring water to slow simmer over medium heat. Crack each egg into individual ramekins. Gently slide 1 egg at a time into simmering water. Cook until whites are just set, about 3 minutes.

Divide asparagus on plates, top with Proscuitto, egg, breadcrumbs and drizzle with chive oil.

Serves 2 – 4.

Cheddar Chive Biscuits

These biscuits are amazing! I switch up the cheese depending on what I am serving them with. The recipe is adapted from Bon Appetite Feb 2010.

Ingredients
3 3/4 c flour
1 1/2 TBSP baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2 c grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 c chopped fresh chives
1 3/4 c chilled buttermilk

Preheat to 425°F. Line heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in processor; blend 5 seconds. Add butter cubes. Blend until coarse meal forms, about 30 seconds. Transfer flour mixture to large bowl. Add cheddar cheese and fresh chives toss to blend. Gradually add buttermilk, stirring to moisten evenly (batter will feel sticky).

Using lightly floured hands, drop generous 1/2 c batter for each biscuit onto prepared baking sheet, spacing batter mounds about 2 inches apart.

Bake biscuits until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.

12 biscuits.

Herbed Wine Poached Salmon

I try to get salmon in the family at least once a week during salmon season. This week I covered it in fresh herbs and cooked in a wine hot tub, the results, perfectly moist salmon. I like lots of herbs, so I covered my fillet, if your making for more than 2 people double the herbs.

Ingredients:
4 springs of chives, minced
4 springs of tarragon, minced
Lemon, thinly sliced
Salmon fillet
Drizzle of olive oil
Salt & pepper
white wine

Preheat oven to 425.

Place salmon in a tight fitting pan, you want just a little room on the sides. Salt & pepper salmon. Place salmon in pan, top with herbs, lemon slices and pour in wine to come up 1/2 way. Drizzle with a little olive oil.

Bake for 20 minutes or so until cooked through.

Zuk Bacon Pancakes

This recipe was posted on the gourmet FB page. It sounded great, but a wee bit too heavy for me. So I tweaked it and turned them into healthier Zuk bacon pancakes.

FOR BASIL MAYO
1 c basil
1 c lite mayonnaise
2 TBSP water
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

FOR FRITTERS
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp cayenne
3 medium zucchini, grated
2 fresh jalapeño, stemmed and minced (including seeds)
2 TBSP finely chopped chives
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 c milk or buttermilk
6 slices crisp-cooked bacon, finely

MAKE BASIL MAYO:
Purée basil with mayonnaise, water, and lemon juice in a blender. Transfer to a small bowl and chill until ready to use.

MAKE FRITTERS:
Whisk together flour, baking powder, cayenne, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper. Stir together zucchini, jalapeño, chives, and a pinch of salt in another bowl. Add egg, milk, and bacon to zucchini mixture and toss to coat zucchini. Stir in flour mixture until incorporated.

Heat a griddle over medium high heat. Cook about 2 minutes per side.

Serve fritters with basil mayo.

Mushroom, Ricotta & Herb Pizza

This may be my favorite pizza ever! Mushroom meatiness, herbaceous and crispy thin crust – it was a party in my mouth!

Ingredients:
1/4 c olive oil
1/2 lb oyster & shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 shallot minced
1 garlic clove minced
1/4 c white wine
Salt & pepper
8 oz pizza dough
1 c ricotta
2 TBSP chopped chives
2 TBSP chopped parley
2 TBSP chopped tarragon

Preheat pizza stone in oven at 500 for a least an hour.

In a medium skillet, heat olive oil. Add mushrooms and cook over moderately high heat until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add shallots and garlic cook for 1 minute. Add wine and cook until evaporated, season with salt & pepper.

Stretch dough out to make a 12 inch round, brush with truffle or olive oil. Spread ricotta cheese over dough, top with mushrooms and herbs. Bake 8 – 10 minutes until crust is crispy.

Drizzle with truffle pr olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Serves 2 – 4.

Roasted Salmon with Herbs

The fishmonger at the farmers market had some beautiful Pacific Salmon this weekend that was screaming eat me! Eat me! So i did 😉

This recipe is from epicurious.com with a couple tweaks. Super easy, quick and best of all yummy! The fresh herbs really make it.

Ingredients:
1/3 c mayonnaise
1/4 c spicy brown mustard (such as Gulden’s)
6 TBSP chopped fresh tarragon
6 TBSP chopped fresh chives
Juice of one lemon juice
Zest of one lemon
Salmon filet with skin on

Preheat oven to 450.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix first 7 ingredients in medium bowl. Season mustard sauce lightly with salt and generously with pepper. Place salmon, skin side down on baking sheet. Spoon 1/2 cup mustard sauce atop salmon, then spread over, covering completely. Sprinkle salmon generously with salt and pepper.

Roast just until salmon is opaque in center, about 15 minutes. Using parchment as aid, transfer salmon to platter. Cut crosswise into pieces and serve with remaining mustard sauce.