Cooking Method: Sautéing
Pasta with Asparagus in Lemon and Wine
Yesterday, my daughter Grace invited me to lunch in her backyard. She made this absolutely delicious Pasta with Asparagus in Lemon and Wine, which she topped with garlic panko breadcrumbs. I am so proud of both my daughter's cooking abilities. I just wish we could have transported my other daughter Zoe from New Hampshire! I miss her so much, it's killing me! Grace's pasta tasted like a bit of "light at the end of the tunnel".
By - Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 20 mins
- Yields: 4 Servings
Artichoke Heart Carbonara
Our whole family is obsessed with carbonara. When there is nothing to eat, this is our go-to meal. It's simple, fast and so good. This Artichoke Heart Carbonara is a vegetarian version (no bacon here!). Oh, and did I mention, we LOVE artichokes?! Fortunately, I always have cans of artichokes in my pantry.
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 15 mins
- Yields: 4 Servings
Chicken Pot Pie Soup for a Crowd
Over the years in my catering life, I have done many crazy events. Last weekend, I was hired to serve lunch for 35 people outside at a Springer / Cocker Field Trial event about an hour and a half north of Pasadena (north of Lake Arrowhead). I served chili on Saturday (the obvious choice) and on Sunday, this Chicken Pot Pie Soup topped with a buttermilk biscuit. It had to be something I could heat up on a camping stove. The night before I had a panic attack (common before catering!) and realized it was going to be very windy. Because I could not find a "wind guard" for my stove, my extremely handy husband, made one out of sheet metal and insisted on painting it to look nice (not necessary!). Anyway, the soup was a big hit. After all that, I made dinner for 6 on Sunday for my friend/client. I am a bit too old of all of this, given that I have a VERY scary birthday coming up soon. I spent all of yesterday recovering from the whirlwind of a weekend. I also have a 4 - 6 serving recipe for Chicken Pot Pie Soup.
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 25 mins
- Yields: 18 Servings
French Onion Cauliflower
I love French Onion Soup and decided to take the idea and transform a head of cauliflower. It turned out rather delicious. I caramelized some onions and topped the florets with some Gruyère cheese and croutons. I went back into my archives and found my recipe for French Onion Chicken Meatballs, which is also a winner.
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 25 mins
- Yields: 4 Servings
Risotto with Beef, Rosemary, Sage and Barolo Wine, Alba Style
Marcella Hazan's cookbooks are wonderful and are credited with introducing the traditional techniques of Italian Cooking to the US and the UK. I stumbled upon this recipe for Risotto with Beef, Rosemary, Sage and Barolo Wine, Alba Style. I love risotto and have made it over the years using the traditional endless stirring technique, the oven method, and actually in an Instant Pot. If you want to hang out in the kitchen while drinking wine and do it the traditional way (that is, when my husband does the stirring!), it can be quite cathartic. Typically, I make mushroom or butternut squash, but this risotto has a small amount of ground beef. It's really delicious. The red wine/beef combination marries surprisingly well with the creamy Arborio rice. The sage and rosemary really deliver on the flavor front and take the whole thing to a new level. Alba in Italy is known around the world for its Barolo and Barbaresco wines and is situated in the northern Piedmont region.
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 1 hrs
- Yields: 6 Servings
Pasta with Shrimp, Mushrooms, Tomatoes & Spinach
The other day I made this Pasta with Shrimp, Mushrooms, Tomatoes & Spinach. I had these random ingredients including a bag of shrimp in the freezer. You can totally change the ingredients and use, chicken, peas, sun-dried tomatoes, etc. Use whatever you have on hand. The sauce is white wine, lemon juice and a bit of half & half, which is lovely and tangy.
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 20 mins
- Yields: 4 Servings
Baked Salmon with Creamy Leeks
This Baked Salmon with Creamy Leeks is very easy and just divine. The leeks are sautéed and baked with the addition of sour cream, lemon juice, capers and fresh dill. It was so good and simple to make
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 35 mins
- Yields: 4 - 6 Servings
Picadillo
I made this last night for dinner and it was AWESOME. It looked like it was going to be awful, but I was wrong. You can use any kind of pepper. Put it in a flour tortilla. The next day you can use the leftovers, if there are any, for breakfast burritos or quesadillas. It's so good and easy! Picadillo is a popular dish in most South American countries. This Mexican Picadillo uses ground beef, tomatoes, potatoes, and some peppers.
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 45 mins
- Yields: 4 Servings
Chicken with Apricot-Chipotle Glaze
This Chicken with Apricot-Chipotle Glaze is smoky, sticky, sweet and spicy. What more could you ask for?! And, it's it all done in one pan. Serve this on a bed of rice and BAM, you're done!
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 20 mins
Beans with Leeks, White Beans and Cheddar on Toast
So, this Beans with Leeks, White Beans and Cheddar on Toast is a recipe that I adapted from a recipe from Nigel Slater. It was posted in The Guardian and it's basically "posh beans on toast". Beans on Toast is a British institution. The reason I made it is because I had the ingredients on hand and because I love leeks. Leeks are massively underappreciated and really add so much so many dishes. It was delicious and I initially thought I would have to serve soup with it, but that was not the case. You can adapt this recipe to ingredients you have.
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 30 mins
- Yields: 2 Servings
