Penne with Asparagus & Artichokes

This pasta sounds amazing to me, I love vegetables in my pasta. Pasta can be a great alternative to having a meat in the summer when it is hot. Plus pasta is just as good cold on those hot days!
4 teaspoons pine nuts
1 1/2 pounds asparagus, cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
24 baby artichokes (about 2 pounds), outer leaves discarded, bottoms trimmed, artichokes quartered and rubbed with a lemon half
1 1/2 cups low-sodium nonfat chicken broth
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 pound penne
3/4 cup frozen baby peas, thawed
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
directions
Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the pine nuts in a pie plate and bake for about 6 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Transfer to a plate. Increase the oven temperature to 450°.
In a bowl, toss the asparagus with 1 teaspoon of olive oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Spread the asparagus on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes, or until browned, shifting the pan every 5 minutes so the asparagus cooks evenly.
Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Add the artichokes, cut side down, and cook over moderate heat until just golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, lemon juice and garlic, cover and cook over low heat until the artichokes are just tender, about 8 minutes.
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the penne until al dente. Drain the pasta well and return it to the pot. Add the asparagus, artichokes, peas, Parmesan and parsley and toss well. Transfer the pasta to warmed bowls; sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts and serve.

Chicken Madeira

I have a group of girlfriends who I go out to dinner with every month. Each month we pick a new place, the meal consists of wine, sharing hors d'oeuvers & girl talk. If you don't have a group of friends that you go to dinner with you should start. It's a fun way to catch up & try new restaurants. In March the ladies & I went to Grande Lux Cafe, a new place at the fashion Square Mall. The portions were so large we decided to share an entree & a delicious pizza. The entree was chicken Madeira & I have just about perfected it! If you made my roast for Easter you have the Madeira Wine, if you didn't you can find it in the section with Port Wine.

Chicken

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast

8 asparagus spears

4 mozzarella cheese slices

Madeira Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

3 cups Madeira wine

2 cups beef stock

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Heat up 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cover each chicken breast with plastic wrap then use a mallet to flatten the chicken to about 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle each fillet with salt and pepper. Sauté the chicken fillets for 4 to 6 minutes per side, or until the chicken has browned just a bit. Remove chicken fillets from the pan and wrap them together in foil to keep the fillets warm while you make the sauce. Don't clean the pan. You want all that cooked-on goodness to stay in the skillet to help make the sauce.With the heat still on medium, add two tablespoons of oil to the skillet. Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté for about two minutes. Add the madeira wine, beef stock, butter and pepper. Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until sauce has reduce to about 1/4 of its original volume. When the sauce is done it will have thickened and turned a dark brown color. As the sauce is simmering, bring a medium saucepan filled about halfway with water to a boil. Add a little salt to the water. Toss the asparagus into the water and boil for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of your asparagus spears. Drop the asparagus in a bowl of ice water to halt the cooking. The asparagus should be slightly tender when done, not mushy. Set oven to broil. Prepare the dish by arranging the cooked chicken fillets on a baking pan. Cross two asparagus spears over each fillet, then cover each with a slice of mozzarella cheese. Broil the fillets for 3 to 4 minutes or until light brown spots begin to appear on the cheese.To serve, arrange two chicken breasts on each plate, then spoon 3 or 4 tablespoons of madeira sauce over the chicken.

Asparagus Salad

This is a great week for Minch recipes, first we had Aunt Karen's chicken & then Aunt Karen sent Uncle Robert's asparagus salad. All the Minches are notoriously good cooks, Grandma being the best but Uncle Robert is some what of a master in the kitchen. This is a fantastic summer side dish, I am very excited about it because I love asparagus. The photo by the way was taken in 1959, Uncle Robert is the little blonde, my dad is the goofy dark haired one & Aunt Karen is the baby. My dad's cousin Susanne just sent this picture, as you can see I was thrilled to get it!

On to the recipe:

1 lb. fresh asparagus
1 head romaine
3 pimientos, diced ( I add more)
3 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne ( I use 1/8 tsp. it is very spicy using 1/4 tsp.)
1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 T. lemon juice
2 T. salad oil

Cook, drain and chill asparagus spears. Break romaine into large salad bowl, add diced pimientos, green onions, and mushrooms. Mix together sesame seeds, pepper, cayenne, lemon juice and oil. Add asparagus spears to salad. Pour sesame seeds and oil mixture over salad. Makes 6 servings.

Asparagus with Spice

It's no secret that I love asparagus, this is a way to cook asparagus & change up the flavor a little. Really with any vegetable if you season it right, the flavor is so good even a non vegetable eater (like my husband) will try it.

1 pound trimmed asparagus
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 peeled and thinly sliced garlic cloves
Cavender's, to taste
Red pepper flakes, to taste

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until just tender. Drain.

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Sauté the garlic cloves until softened but not browned. Add the asparagus and sprinkle with Cavender's and red pepper flakes. Sauté 2 to 3 minutes.

Asparagus Risotto

Matt is not a big fan of potatoes so I have to get creative with side dishes. One of my favorites is to do risotto. Risotto has a wonderful creamy texture that almost feels like a mashed potato. This risotto is especially great because it has some veggies in it so you only need one side.

About 4 cups canned low-salt chicken broth

1 large bunch asparagus, about 1 pound

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms (1/4 inch thick)

2 teaspoons Cavender's Greek Seasoning

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 cup Arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

1-1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/4 cup coarsely grated Fontina cheese

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1-1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1-1/2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest

Pour the stock into a saucepan, place over high heat, and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, snap off the ends from the asparagus and peel any tough skin from the stalks. Add the asparagus ends to the stock, reduce the heat to low, and simmer gently until the stems are tender, about 7 minutes. Remove and discard the stems. Slice the spears 1/4 inch thick on the diagonal. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat until hot. Scatter in the mushrooms and do not move them until they begin to brown, about 1 minute. Then season with Cavender's, and saute until brown, about 5 minutes. Remove to a plate.
Lower the heat to medium, add the onion, season lightly with salt, and cook until soft but not brown, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook briefly. Add the rice and stir until the grains look pearly white, about 2 minutes.
Add the wine and cook until the pan is nearly dry. Adjust the heat so the rice cooks at a slow simmer. Add 1/2 cup of the stock, stir, and cook until the pan is nearly dry again. Season lightly with Cavender's now so the flavor permeates the rice. Add another 1/2 cup of the stock and continue to stir and cook, adding stock as necessary, until the rice is three-fourths cooked, about 15 minutes. Stir in the thyme, mushrooms, and sliced asparagus tips. Continue to cook until the rice is al dente and the asparagus is bright green and just tender, about 4 minutes longer.
Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, Fontina cheese, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, the parsley and the lemon zest, if using. Taste for seasoning. Dust with Parmesan before serving. Pass more cheese at the table.

Zuppa di Asparagi e Carciofi

As spring comes it might feel like it is getting too warm for soup but this is very light.

2 cups asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces
1 14 oz can artichoke heart drained & chopped
6 oz baby spinach chopped
1 cup pastina (Barilla makes it)
64 ounces chicken broth
1/2 cup shallots chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
2 roma tomatoes chopped
2 cups water
salt & pepper
Heat oil in 8-quart stock pot over medium heat. Add shallots; sauté 4 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.Add broth and water; bring to boil. Stir in tomatoes and Pastina; cook 3 minutes. Add artichokes, asparagus, and spinach; continue cooking 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.Remove from heat. Add cheese and stir until cheese is melted. Stir in salt and pepper

Creamy Asparagus Soup

I am hearing more often of people who require a specialized diet for a health condition. I blogged before about a family friend who needed to follow a low sodium diet and just last week I had another friend tell me that she too needs to follow a low sodium diet. I was thrilled to find out that the Mayo Clinic offers a page on their web site of recipes tailored to fit health specific diets. The following is a soup recipe from their low sodium section.

2 cups potatoes, peeled and diced

1/2 pound fresh asparagus, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 stalks celery, chopped

4 cups water

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup whole-wheat (whole-meal) flour

1 1/2 cups fat-free milk

Lemon zest, to

black pepper, to taste
Directions
In a large soup pot over high heat, combine the potatoes, asparagus, onions, celery and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the butter.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and milk. Pour the mixture slowly into the soup pot, stirring constantly. Increase the heat to medium high and continue to stir until the soup thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Season with lemon zest and cracked black pepper to taste. Serve in warmed bowls.

As always I recommend buying some Cavender's Greek Seasoning in the Low-Sodium variety. If you have a dietary restriction & would like some recipe help please email me or leave a comment.

Penne with Asparagus, Mozzarella and Proscuitto

I love to make this dish when we have friends over, I figure it combines two sides into one, you get a starch with the pasta & vegetable! When you buy your asparagus there is a green or white variety. The white is popular in swankier restaurants but for this dish stick with the green the color is fabulous!

8 ounces penne pasta (half a box) I love the Barilla whole wheat

1 bunch of asparagus trimmed to 1 inch pieces (don't use the bottom inch it is too tough)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves minced

1/2 teaspoon pepper

4 basil leaves chopped

6 slices of proscuitto chopped

1/2 cup diced fresh mozzarella

Bring a large pot of water to boil (remember to salt & add a teaspoon of olive oil to your water)

Add the penne when it is boiling, cook to follow directions on the box, during the last 3 minutes add your asparagus. Before you drain save 1 cup of pasta water. Drain pasta.

In a large skillet , heat oil, add garlic & saute for 30 seconds, add pasta, asparagus, salt, pepper & pasta water. Toss to coat about 1 minute. Remove from heat, add mozzarella, proscuitto & basil. Your guests will be wowed as you toss this together in front of them! I typically serve this with a broiled salmon or Matt will grill some chicken or steak & a green salad.