Farfalle with Salmon, Mint and Peas

Springtime is great, and after the winter we had, we needed a good spring! The trees are green, after being a magnificent pink, and the sun is actually starting to kiss my skin again, it's glorious!

A lot of wonderful words come to mind when I think about Spring, but particular word is clean. The dirt gets washed away by the rain, the air is fresh and alive, and people dejunk their homes, coining the phrase "spring cleaning". So it's only appropriate that the delicious food we eat in the spring should be equally fresh and clean, especially after the binging and hibernating we do in the winter!

This pasta to me was the epitome of a clean dish. I was thrilled to find the recipe after still having half of a beautiful salmon fillet leftover begging me to be used. There are very few ingredients, but the dish still has a lot of flavor and leaves your insides feeling happy and refreshed.

I'll post the recipe as it comes, but don't stress too much about how your salmon is prepared. If you already have a way you make it, go for it, just be sure it's delicious!


Farfalle with Salmon, Mint, and Peas
Great Food Fast

Ingredients

Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
1 pound farfalle
1 1/2 pounds skinless salmon fillet
2 lemons, zested and juiced
1 package frozen peas
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint (parsley would be fine too)

Directions

1. IN a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the farfalle until al dente according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water; return the pasta to the pot.

2. Meanwhile, season the salmon with coarse salt and ground pepper; place in a large skillet. Add 1/4 cup water and the lemon zest and juice. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover; steam for 10 minutes.

3. Add the frozen peas; steam, covered, until the peas are tender and the salmon is opaque, 6 to 8 minutes.

4. Transfer to the pot with the pasta. Add the butter and mint. Season with salt and pepper. Toss, gently flaking fish and adding reserved pasta water as desired. Serve immediately, sprinkled with more mint.

Skillet Penne and Sausage Dinner

This is the type of dish that only needs a few words to get it's point across...

Thirty Minutes

One Skillet

Knock-Your-Socks-Off Delicious!

Skillet Penne and Sausage Dinner
America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, minced
salt
pound hot or sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, rinsed and chopped fine
8 ounces penne
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream (I used fat free half and half)
1 (5 oz) bag spinach
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
pepper

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

2. Stir in the sausage and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes.

3. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Sprinkle the tomatoes and penne evenly over the sausage. Pour the broth and cream over the pasta. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes.

4. Stir in the spinach a handful at a time and cook until wilted, about two minutes. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.

German Apple Pancake

My husband and I balance each other out quite nicely when it comes to food. He likes sweet, I like savory. I like to cook, he likes to bake. I like dinner and party food, he likes breakfast. Actually, he LOVES breakfast. While I'm one to sprint out the door with not so much a granola bar in my hand (I'm not a breakfast fan, my stomach has a hard time with food in the morning), he'll wake up thirty minutes early every morning to make his waffles, eggs, bacon, or whatever other extravagant breakfast he can dream up. It's kind of cute actually, and I'm pretty sure the kids wake up early just because they know if they do, they're going to get a much better breakfast then if mom is making it!

So being the breakfast lover that he is, my husband really wanted to make a nice Easter breakfast. He found this recipe in my new America's Test Kitchen book, which I already love. If you are familiar with German pancakes, you already know that they are fluffy, and light with a fabulous unique flavor and texture. Add to that sweet chewy apples and it takes the German pancake to a whole new level. It was so delicious that even this non-breakfast eater went back for seconds. I highly recommend serving this with pure maple syrup, it's just better.

German Apple Pancake
America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup half and half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/4 pounds apples (3-4) quartered, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
confectioner's sugar

Directions

1. Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 500 degrees. Whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, half and half and vanilla. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until no lumps remain.

2. Melt the butter in 10-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apples, brown sugar and cinnamon and cook until the apples are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice.

3. Following the photos, quickly pour the batter around the edge of the skillet, then over the apples. Place the skillet in the oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 425 degrees. Bake until the pancake has risen above the edges of the skillet and is brown, about 18 minutes. Loosen the pancake edges from the hot skillet with a spatula and invert the pancake onto a large plate or serving platter (I never got a picture of our inverted pancake, dang it). Dust with confectioners sugar, and cut into wedges before serving.

CEiMB: Kind-a, Sort-a...Not really...

I am crazy for spring rolls. I love how fresh and healthy they are, but with a ton of flavor. So when my turn to host Craving Ellie in My Belly came up, I immediately went for the Soft Asian Summer Rolls with Sweet and Tangy Dipping Sauce. I went to the grocery store(s), only to find that rice paper rounds are no where to be found...anywhere! Arrrrgh! I thought about a variety of substitutes, including the nori wraps used for sushi, but I just couldn't see myself using that for something as delicate as a spring roll.

Finally it hit me that the closest thing to rice paper would be a soft butter lettuce leaf. They're velvety and mild in flavor, plus you get the extra benefit of nutrients and vitamins. This was the moment that Spring Rolls became Lettuce Wraps.



Instead of assembling all of the wraps like you would a spring rolls, I simply laid out all of the ingredients for people to pick and choose what they wanted. I had shredded carrot, cilantro, salted peanuts, cucumbers, rice noodles tossed in sesame oil, chopped chicken and shrimp. I also made the Sweet and Savory sauce in the spring roll recipe, as well as giving the option for a peanut sauce and a sweet chili sauce. I used all three in each of my wraps!

The result? A lunch that I will have again and again! It's quick, easy to assemble, and I feel healthier when I eat it! Later that night since I hadn't quite had enough, I filled a bowl with the rice noodles, piled on a bunch of ingredients with the sauces and went to town. Oh! I love this stuff!

My apologies to CEiMB for not making the Spring Rolls that I in fact chose, but I really did try! Hopefully the lettuce wraps will make a good substitute!

Quinoa Salad with Mandarine Oranges and Capers

I feel like I've learned so much through the food blog world. I've learned about ingredients and techniques that I didn't even know existed until now. Quinoa is one of those things. When I first heard about it, I didn't even know how to say it, I thought it was pronounced Ki-no-ah. Yeah...no. Turns out you pronounce it keen-wah. Well, however you want to say it, you should definitely try it. It's made of small grains that you boil and turn into just about whatever you want. They are small, soft and remind me of a cross between tapioca and wheat grains. It's also crazy healthy for you, and fun to eat!

I made this salad simply by pulling ingredients out of the frigde that I thought would be good together. It turned out to be so good, and I was also able to use my Newman's Own Balsamic Dressing that I got a few months ago. This salad was so clean tasting and refreshing with a lot of great flavors. I especially loved the contrast of the salty capers with the sweet mandarine oranges. This would be great for a BBQ or any get-together.

Quinoa Salad with Mandarine Oranges and Capers

Ingredients

2 cups of prepared quinoa (use directions on the box)
1 medium can of Mandarine Oranges
2 tablespoons capers
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
3 tablespoons red onion, or shallot, chopped
1/4 cup Monterey Jack or Feta cheese, chopped into small pieces
2-3 teaspoons Newman's Own Balsamic Dressing, enough to moisten entire salad.

Directions

Toss all ingredients in a large bowl. Keep chilled.

I served this alongside a BLT, one of my favorites! To kick it up a knotch, try this spread out...


It's a sandwich spread that is full of peppercorns, dijon and lots of fantastic flavor. You could use it on sandwiches, burgers, breakfast sammies, you name it. I'm not being endorsed in any way to promote this stuff, I just really happen to like it!

Bertolli-Fest!

Being a Foodbuzz Publisher definitely comes with it's perks. Like when you get to sample sauces like these.

I was given the Four Cheese Rosa sauce and Arrabbiata sauce to do whatever I wanted with. The possibilities are endless, and the sauce was delicious.

The Arrabbiata sauce is probably my very favorite jarred spaghetti sauce I've tried thus far. It's got a very subtle and pleasant heat to it, and is packed with a strong, chunky tomato flavor, which I love. It was put to wonderful use in this cheesy lasagna.


Delicious! I mean, come on, who doesn't love lasagna?

The Four Cheese Rosa sauce was another fun one. I browned four chicken breasts in olive oil, put them in a dish with artichoke hearts and capers and poured the Rosa sauce over all of it. After baking, it was accompanied by a bed of fettuccine and adored by the whole family. The sauce by itself is very good, I love the hint of tomato flavoring in the creamy white sauce, but I loved it even better after being baked in the briny capers and artichoke hearts. The saltiness marinated throughout the whole dish and gave it it's own unique flavor. I highly recommend both dishes, as well as these great Bertolli products!



Creamy Chicken with Capers and Artichoke Hearts

Ingredients

4 medium sized chicken breasts
1 jar Bertolli Four Cheese Rosa sauce
3-4 tablespoons capers
1 jar quartered artichoke hearts, drained
Parmesan cheese, if desired
2 cups cooked fettuccine noodles

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Salt and pepper both sides of chicken breasts. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Brown each side of chicken breast, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Place chicken in an 8x8 baking dish.

2. Arrange capers and artichoke hearts evenly over chicken. Pour sauce over dish and spread evenly over all ingredients. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

3. Serve over fettuccine noodles and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

French Onion Soup

I have a new love in my life, and he's simply delicious. He's French, very hot and beefy. He also at his best when you keep him full of bread, wine and cheese. I'm totally hooked, and even though I'd rather keep him all to myself, I suppose I'll introduce you...


A few weeks ago I became obsessed with owning a set of French Onion Soup bowls. I'm not really sure why, especially because up until that point I had never actually made French Onion Soup before, and yet, I needed these bowls! Well after a few weeks of online shopping and yearning, I finally got a lucky break at William Sonoma and am a proud owner of French Onion Soup bowls. It's the simple things that keep us happy, right?

Since then I've already lost count how many times I've made myself this luscious soup. It's the best lunch in the world and I really can't get enough. I think what I love about it is that it's so unique. Beefy broth nestling a bed of croutons and a gooey layer of cheese, mmm. What else could you ask for.

I told myself that I was going to try a bunch of different recipes, but truth be told, I can't deviate from Tyler Florence's recipe. It's so easy and delicious, I'm hooked!

French Onion Soup
Tyler Florence

Ingredients

•1/2 cup unsalted butter
•4 onions, sliced
•2 garlic cloves, chopped
•2 bay leaves
•2 fresh thyme sprigs
•Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
•1 cup red wine, about 1/2 bottle
•3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour (I quit doing the flour, it only seemed to make the soup unnecessarily lumpy)
•2 quarts beef broth
•1 baguette, sliced
•1/2 pound grated Gruyere

Directions

Melt the stick of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and salt and pepper and cook until the onions are very soft and caramelized, about 25 minutes. Add the wine, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the wine has evaporated and the onions are dry, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Dust the onions with the flour and give them a stir. Turn the heat down to medium low so the flour doesn't burn, and cook for 10 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Now add the beef broth, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into bowls, top each with 2 slices of bread and top with cheese. Put the bowls into the oven to toast the bread and melt the cheese.

CEiMB: Garlic Basil Shrimp

I have been horribly neglecting my food clubs. But hopefully, for the time being anyway, I can get back to making my weekly Ellie recipes.

This recipe was chosen by Tea and Scones, and I didn't hesitate for a second when I saw what we were making. Garlic. Basil. Shrimp. Just looking at those three words makes me happy!

It's just as good as it sounds, and incredibly quick and easy to make. The flavors are so fresh and clean that you'll just feel healthier by eating it, without losing on an ounce of flavor.

I served this with an orzo that I cooked al dente, and then added big handfuls of chopped spinach and feta cheese. A bit of salt and pepper and you have the perfect side dish.

Click here for the recipe.

Deviled Eggs-Done Two Ways

My family loves eggs. We like them boiled, scrambled, fried, poached, you name it. My son once woke me up at three in the morning asking for eggs, I think you get the picture. So come Easter time, it's never been tough for us to finish off the two dozen or more eggs that we dye every year, especially knowing that we are going to "Devil" them, or whatever that particular verb might be!

I don't know how deviled eggs got their name, but I do know that can eat about twelve in one sitting! I'm pretty picky about how they are made too, lots of mustard, horseradish, flavor galore. But this year I took a leap of faith and tried a few recipes from this book.

My parents, knowing of my love for deviled eggs, got this for me a few years ago. The first type I tried were the "Pesty Devils" which had pesto and sundried tomatoes in them. They were wonderful, and if you are a pesto fan, you will definitely love them. They are also very easy and require only a few ingredients. The sundried tomatoes aren't essential, but they sure do add a wonderful sweet chewiness.

Pesty Devils
Deviled Eggs

Ingredients

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon drained and chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
6 hard cooked eggs, peeled, cut in half, and yolks mashed in a bowl
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons prepared pesto
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Gently press the sun-dried tomatoes between several layers of paper towel to remove excess oil.

2. Combine to thoroughly mashed yolks with the sour cream and pesto. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and garlic powder. Taste, then season with salt and pepper.

3. Fill the whites evenly with the mixture and garish each egg half with a little dab of pesto.

The second eggs I made were the Tex-Mex Diablos. I loved these for their southwestern taste and the sweet crunch of the corn. It has your classic tex-mex flavors like cumin and chili powder, with the heat of cayenne, delicious! I'm tempted to make this whole thing into an egg salad and wrap it in a tortilla for something really different!


Tex-Mex Diablos
Deviled Eggs


Ingredients

6 hard cooked eggs, peeled, cut in half, and yolks mashed in a bowl
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons corn kernels, drained well
2 teaspoons hot chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoon canned chopped green chiles, drained well
2 teaspoons shredded Monterey Jack, shredded (I didn't use this)
salt and pepper

Directions

1. Combine the thoroughly mashed yolks with the sour cream. Stir in the corn, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne, chiles, and Moneterey Jack. Taste, then season with salt and pepper.

2. Fill the whites evenly with the mixture and garnish each egg half with shredded cheese.



How do you like your eggs?

Tiny Spinach Quiches

I have a thing for tiny bite-sized food. Having kids might have something to do with that, but it also makes for the most convenient party food. It doesn't require silverware, rarely even a napkin. You pop it in your mouth, no plate, no commitment, and then you grab a second.

I actually made these today for an Easter Egg hunt. I figured we could use an adult snack in the midst of the sugar frenzy we were about to be surrounded in. Truth be told, they're a bit of work, but they're also fun when you're looking for a nice project in the kitchen to focus on. The pastry is quick and easy to make, but next time I'm just going to buy a pie crust, it will save me a lot of time and work. The best thing about the quiches is that they make a great appetizer, but they'd also be a hit as a breakfast or brunch item. Plus, I love that bright green color, so nice for spring.

Tiny Spinach Quiches
Adapted from Favorite Brand Name Appetizers

Ingredients

Pastry:
3 oz softened cream cheese
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup flour

Filling:
5 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup grated Swiss cheese (I used Mont Jack and Mozzarella)
1 small package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
3 eggs
3/4 cup light cream (I used fat free half and half)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. To prepare pastry, cut cream cheese and butter into flour. Form into a ball; wrap in plastic wrap and chill 1 hour. Lightly flour rolling pin. Place pastry on lightly floured work surface, roll out to 1/8 inch thickness and cut into 16 circles with 3 inch biscuit cutter. Line sixteen mini muffin cups with dough circles.

2. To prepare filling, preheat oven to 375. Sprinkle bacon, then cheese, evenly over bottoms of unbaked pastries. Squeeze spinach dry and spread evenly over bacon and cheese. In medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Pour evenly into pastry cups. Bake 30 minutes, or until set.

If you'd like to make this into a pie, pour into 9-inch pie crust.

Smile for the camera kids! Smile! Kids!

Happy Easter!!!