Succotash Summertime Pasta

I love a good pop of color.

When you've got a classic black dress on and add a red pair of heels or lipstick. When you have a neutral living room with bright yellow accent pillows. And when you've got a basic pasta that is covered with colorful veggies.

This dish is good for those who don't want to slave in the kitchen on a hot day, but want a satisfying and healthy meal. It's also a good way to use up whatever is in your fridge/pantry. It's my version of succotash and it's always a hit with the family. No...really...my 3 year old had 3 bowls of this stuff.

Ingredients:

1 box of penne (I used the smaller version just because it's "cuter")
2 zucchini quartered plus 2 baby zucchini from our garden (baby zucchini sliced in rounds)
3 carrots peeled and sliced in rounds
A good bunch of green beans and snap peas
1/2 a bag of frozen corn (I got an awesome bi-color organic corn from Whole Foods)
1 can of cannelini beans rinsed and drained
4 cloves of garlic minced
1 cup of chicken or veggie broth
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Red pepper flakes optional
Italian seasoning
Lemon zest

How adorable is this plate my mother in law gave my son from Portugal? Had to show it off!

Our store bought organic zucchini next to the little babies coming up in the garden.

And the homegrown beans and snap peas.

While you are prepping your veggies, start your pasta. Cook until al dente and then rinse a little under cold water and drain. I add a little oil to the pasta to prevent sticking while the veggies cook.

I slice the zucchini in quarters and then chop.

Peel your carrots and slice into rounds. Also, remove the tips of the snap peas and green beans.

Rinse and drain the beans.

Luckily we have fresh herbs to choose from. One of my favorites is this lemon thyme.

Add the chicken/veg broth to a saute pan and steam your carrots, beans and snap peas just until fork tender.

Remove the beans/snap peas and add in beans, corn, zucchini, lemon zest, minced garlic, herbs and seasonings. Cook until tender but still have a bite to them.

Now add everything to the pasta and this meal is done in less than 30 minutes! Relish in this delicious dinner and then get back out to enjoying those beautiful summer nights!

Stuffed Chicken

Dear blog readers,
   Forgive me as I have sinned. It's been a month since my last blog post.

Oh, you know how it goes. Life just gets crazy. Between migraines, asthma attacks and overall busy schedule, the last thing I wanted to do was sit at a computer for an extended period of time. But I'm back! And I am going to share with you one super easy dinner. It's one that can be customized to your liking and is absolutely delicious. Veggie and cheese stuffed chicken. Yum, right?

Ingredients:

Boneless skinless chicken breast (I chose 3 fairly large ones to have lots of leftovers)
3/4 of a tub of spreadable cheese (Our favorite is Alouette  Spinach and Artichoke)
1 bunch of asparagus (tough ends trimmed off)
1 bell pepper cored, seeded and cut in strips(we had leftovers from a taco night!)
Couple of large handfuls of kale washed and patted dry
3 cloves of garlic minced
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Red pepper flakes (optional)

First, I get all the veggies except the kale ready. The peppers and the asparagus are roasted in a skillet with a little olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper on the stove. Cook the asparagus until tender, but still has a bite to it.

Now to prepare the chicken

On a cutting board, cut a pocket into the chicken. Make sure not to cut all the way through.

Add the chicken to a foil lined cookie sheet. I like to add olive oil to the foil so the chicken doesn't stick. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

Now for the cheese. Mmmm...cheese. I spread about 2 tablespoons in the pocket of the chicken.

Now, fill the pocket with the veggies. Take any extra veg and surround the chicken with it.

Bake at 350 degrees about 25-30 minutes or until no longer pink and juices run clear. Now I just cook up my kale in a little olive oil, minced garlic and salt/pepper until wilted.

Once chicken is done, I just lay it on top of the cooked kale and ta da! You have a delicious meal!

We Got the Beet

Recently I reached out to the Facebook world to find out what people would like to see more of on the blog. The answer? More easy dinner ideas. This salad couldn't get any easier.

I love turning a salad into a meal. Just like a soup, you can pretty much add anything you want into a bowl and call it done. When I see a roasted beet salad on the menu at good restaurant, I can't resist ordering it.

This has everything your taste buds crave. The saltiness of the goat cheese, the bitterness of the greens and the sweetness of the beets. And since I like a little spice, I throw in some toasted nuts with pepper. It may seem "fancy", but it's really quite simple.

Ingredients:

One package/bag of mixed greens
4-5 beets peeled and chopped
Goat cheese (the amount depends on you!)
Couple of handfuls of raw, unsalted walnuts/pistachios
1/2 tbsp of salted butter
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil


Dressing:
Balsamic vinegar
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Coarse Salt
Pepper

I used both golden and red beets. I just love the pop of color.

Peel the beets, cut off the stems and chop into small pieces. If you haven't cooked beets before, beware, they do stain! Wash your cutting boards, knives and hands quickly after chopping them.

Line a cookie sheet with foil and "grease" it with a little olive oil. Add your beets and toss with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Pop them into a 425 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes or until fork tender (Just keep an eye on them so they don't burn).

Oh...and I separate the two colors so they don't bleed into each other.

Wash your greens. I got this beautiful blend at the farmer's market and I couldn't wait to try it!

When he is feeling up to it, I get help from my little guy. He ALWAYS wants to help when I break out the salad spinner! Such a fun job for a curious boy.

In a small frying pan, I add chopped walnuts,pistachios and butter. Sprinkle with black pepper. Toast on medium/low heat until fragrant. Once done, I make the dressing.

First, I put together all the components of my salad. I drizzle about 2 tbsp of olive oil to coat everything and toss. Add in a pinch of coarse salt, couple of pinches of pepper and toss. Then I add the balsamic vinegar and give it a final toss. Crumble up as much goat cheese as you would like and top the salad.

This salad is a flavor explosion, just try not to fall out of your chair while your eating it!

Rainy Days Call For Soup

 The saying goes "April showers bring May flowers".

It's spring, so we all want sunnier weather, but Mother Nature needs to do her thing. On those days when it's raw, cold and drizzly (or downright pouring!), I like to have a comforting bowl of soup. Since this past weekend was pretty dismal in the weather department, I thought I would share with you my "famous" potato leek soup.

Yes..it is famous. Well, in my inner circle it is! Potato leek soup is easy, delicious and healthy. My version doesn't contain dairy and actually very little potato. To get that creamy, thick soup that feels indulgent, I use my secret weapon.

Rutabaga. There. Cat's out of the bag. I use rutabaga in my soup to replace some of the potatoes. Trust me it works!

 Ingredients:

2-3 medium sized leeks prepared ( I will walk you through this!)
2-3 medium russet potatoes peeled (or whatever potatoes you have on hand)
3 carrots peeled
1/2 or whole rutabaga peeled depending on the size
6-8 cups of chicken or veggie broth
2 Tbsp of olive oil for the pot
All to taste
Pepper
Red pepper flakes
Salt

Let's start with the leeks, since they are really the star of the show. My friend Jacques, as in Jacques Pepin (okay, I don't know Jacques, but I wish I did!), taught me a really cool trick with leeks. Generally you are suppose to only use the white and very light green portion of the vegetable. Jacques, being the genius that he is, has a way to carve the leek to reduce waste.

Begin making a cut where the light green ends, following along in a circle until you've cut the first leaf off. You should see that the line of light green is higher on the inner leaf. Make another cut like your first. Again, the light green is higher. Continue cutting until you have two smaller leaves left. Then just cut those at it's lightest point.

Set aside your leftover leek tops to use for veggie stock or toss them.

This is what you will be using for the soup. Looks pretty doesn't it?

 Notice how dirty it is? Leeks are notoriously dirty. So here's another Pepin tip to ensure you can really get into the leaves and clean the leeks well.

Make 1 slice down each side (so 4 cuts total) and fan out all the leaves.

 First I soak the leaves in a bowl of cold water. Then I rinse the individual leaves. Really get in there and get all the dirt and sand out.

 Once all clean, finely chop the leeks (discard the stem), add oil to large stock pot at medium heat and throw in your chopped leeks. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so as not to burn.

Peel your other veg (rinse the potatoes after peeled!) and chop. I like to chop them fairly small because they cook faster. Add to the pot and put in your pepper and red pepper flakes if using. Cook for another 5 minutes and then you can add your broth.

 Let everything simmer until all your veggies are really tender, almost mushy. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning as needed. Now, comes my favorite part, blending it all until nice and smooth.

I use an immersion blender. Using a standard blender to puree hot soup can be scary. I've never really tried it, but I've read it can melt parts of the machine, not to mention cause burns. If you don't have access to an immersion blender, I recommend cooling the soup (this does take time) and doing small batches.

 Once your soup is well blended, check your seasoning again. Once you feel it has enough salt/pepper, take it off the heat and serve. I just happened to have made a nice hearth loaf that worked beautifully with it. You could also serve it in a bread bowl (yum!) or with crispy toast pieces on top.

 Now that will make you feel all nice and cozy!

Take Out, Made at Home

So...I love take out. Who doesn't love the ease of either delivery or stopping by to pick up a meal that you don't have to slave over and then deal with the clean up? But, being both money conscience and focusing on home cooking, I have learned to create replicas of our favorite take out dishes. One of my favorites is Thai food. I love the complexity of their ingredients and you wouldn't believe just how simple it is to prepare. In just a few steps, I am going to show you how fast you can make your own Thai curry.

Ingredients:

2-3 large crowns of broccoli cut into florets
Other veg you'd like to add (chopped)
1 can of coconut milk
1 tbsp of Thai red curry paste (can adjust depending on your taste for heat)
Juice of half of lime
Lime zest
1 cup of Basmati rice (cooked according to provided instructions)
Salt
Pepper
Red pepper flakes (optional)
Lemongrass paste
Chopped peanuts (optional)

Trim up your broccoli. Or Cauliflower...or squash...pretty much anything you want in your curry.

Prepare your rice according to the instructions on the package. What I like to do to spice things up is add lime zest to the rice while cooking. I've really come to enjoy the Lundberg brown rices. They just have a nuttier, bolder taste than regular rices.

Steam the broccoli in a large covered saute pan for about 2 minutes. Remove the lid and add in your coconut milk, red curry paste and lemongrass (I just use about a couple of good squeezes of the tube). Stir and let simmer for 4 mins. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper and a little lime juice. If you need more heat, toss in some red pepper flakes.

At this point, the curry is almost done. And then I have one of those moments where I say to myself, what else to I want to add? So, I throw in some red bell peppers and frozen petite peas. You can never have too many veggies!

I cook this for an additional 2 minutes just to thaw the peas and soften the peppers. Then I chop the peanuts and sprinkle them on top. Serve on top of the cooked rice and enjoy!

I made this dish at 10:30 in the morning to have for dinner that night. The smell of the curry was so intoxicating, I couldn't wait and just had to have this little bowl after I took this shot. It was fabulous. And just like really good take out, it's even better the next day!