Roasted Tomato and Asparagus Penne Pasta Salad

Roasted Tomato and Asparagus Penne Pasta Salad

The Chef In My Head, adapted from Cooking Light

2 cups uncooked whole wheat penne 

12 asparagus spears 

12 cherry tomatoes 

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

3/8 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided

1 tablespoon minced shallots

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence

1 1/2 teaspoons honey

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved

2 cups baby arugula (rocket)/spring mix 

1/4 fresh Jicama, cut into matchstix

1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain and set aside.

3. Place asparagus and tomatoes on a jelly-roll pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Toss gently to coat; arrange asparagus and tomato mixture in a single layer. Bake at 400° for 6 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Remove asparagus from pan. Place pan back in oven, and bake tomatoes an additional 4 minutes. Remove tomatoes from pan; let asparagus and tomatoes stand 10 minutes. Cut asparagus into 1-inch lengths; halve tomatoes.

4. Combine shallots and the next 4 ingredients (through honey) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add remaining 3 tablespoons oil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

5. Place pasta, asparagus, tomato, olives, jicama, and arugula in a large bowl; toss. Drizzle juice mixture over pasta mixture; toss. Sprinkle with cheese.

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Sherry Onion Almond Soup, Grilled Halibut with Sauce Vierge ~ Guest Post

Jess and I are blessed with great friends who are amazing cooks, seriously amazing cooks!  What follows is a beautiful meal we shared at Larry and Margo Shallcross's home.  In addition to fantastic food and a lovely table, we always have a great time!  Lively and interesting conversations and finally getting a chance to catch up, were all on the menu.  We promise each time we get together, we won't wait so long to do it again.  This particular evening, they orchestrated an entire meal that was both delicious and healthy!  You would love these people, Larry is an accomplished attorney whose practice includes business, family and equine law. 

Nicole (their daughter), Larry and Margo

Speaking of equine, look at this beautiful picture of Margo!  Margo travels all across the world to judge horse shows.  She is such a beautiful woman, a fantastic friend, and just a little nuts (our favorite part), we just don't get to see enough of her.

Margo, a horse show judge, pictured showing "The Black Stallion,"

The recipes that follow were given to me by Margo to share with you.  It was all incredible with my favorite probably being the soup which can be served hot or chilled.  Mmmmmmm, delicious and pretty too!  You know I am a huge fan of sauces, the Vierge Sauce for the halibut was perfect!

We started the evening with a Soup of Sherry Onion and Almond

Serves 6 small portions


3 tbsp. butter
2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
pinch of saffron strands (about 12)
2 oz. of blanched almonds, toasted and finely ground
3 cups of good chicken stock
3 tbsp of dry sherry (I served extra on the table to add as desired)
salt and ground pepper
2 tbsp sliced almonds, toasted and chopped fresh parsley to garnish


Melt the butter over low heat and add the onions and garlic, cover and gently cook for 15 to 20 minutes until soft and golden.


Add Saffron, cook 3-4 minutes then add the ground almonds and cook additional 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the stock and sherry, season. Bring to boil, lower and simmer for 10 minutes.


Process in a blender or food processor until smooth. Return to a clean pan and reheat slowly, stirring as needed, do not allow to boil. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.


Can be served chilled or heated. Garnish with almonds and parsley.

Grilled Halibut with Sauce Vierge was, main course for my diet conscience friends:

Serves 6


9 tbsp olive oil
2/3 tsp of each: fennel seeds and celery seeds
1 tsp of mixed peppercorns
1-1/4 tsp of each: fresh thyme leaves, rosemary leaves and oregano (all chopped)
6 thick cut halibut (about 2-1/4 lbs)
coarse sea salt
lemon wedges
The Sauce:

3 tomatoes
9 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and juice of 1-1/2 lemons
2 garlic clove, finely chopped
1-1/2 tsp of small capers
2 drained canned anchovy fillets, chopped
1-1/2 tsp of each: chopped fresh chives and fresh chervil


Directions for the Sauce:


Plunge tomatoes into boiling water until skins split, immediately refresh in cold water-peel the skins, remove the seeds and finely dice the flesh. Set aside.

Meanwhile, Heat grill and brush with olive oil.


Mix fennel and celery seeds with peppercorns in a mortar than stir in sea salt to taste. Place mixture in large flat dish, add the herbs and the remaining olive oil. Add the halibut pieces and coat, place on preheated grill with dark skin up. Cook about 7 minutes, turning once until skin is brown and fish is cooked through.


Combine sauce ingredients, except the herbs, in a pan and heat gently until warm but not hot. Gradually add the fresh herbs.


Spoon sauce over the halibut to serve.


I have also cooked the halibut on the stove and broiled for a minute if my grill is not available.


Salad:


Fresh asparagus, bacon with mixed leaf lettuce.
Trimmed and steamed 1-1/2 lbs of medium asparagus spears
Fried 6 oz. of maple cured, thick bacon. After cooling I cut into small pieces
Cleaned and a package of mixed leaf lettuce.


The dressing was a store bought: French Buffalo Cheese. Any light an slightly tangy dressing or a light blue cheese is works well.

My apologizes to Margo and Larry, my photos did not come out of this tasty dessert.  You will just have to make it again for me :-)

Dessert:


Mango and Lime Fool


2--14 oz. cans of sliced mango's (Do NOT use frozen)
Grated rind of 2 limes
Juice of 1 lime
1-1/3 cup low fat cre'me fraiche
12 tbsp of low fat Greek yogurt
Fresh mango slices to decorate (Optional)


Drain the canned mango slices and place in a food processor or blender. Add the grated lime rind and lime juice. Process until it forms a smooth puree.


Pour the cre'me fraiche and Greek yogurt into a bowl and whisk until it is thick then quickly add the mango puree. Pour into 6 cups and chill for 1-2 hours. Just before serving decorate with fresh mango slices.


I also found some mango filled wafer cookies at the store and they were delicious with this dessert (not part of the diet plan).


My friends were kind in letting me try all this Low-Carbohydrate Food on them.
Margo Shallcross

Margo Dear, you and Larry can try anything on us anytime you want to!!!

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Prosciutto Wrapped Roasted Asparagus

Quality of ingredients makes ALL the difference in the world!!! A lucky day in the Produce section made the decision to have asparagus a "no brainer", beautiful thick & fresh, reminiscent of Ruth's Chris or Morton's. Then to the Deli, to my new friend Tammy at H-E-B Plus! Let me say here, MAKE FRIENDS WITH FOLKS IN YOUR GROCERY!! They lead you to treasures such as the one Tammy found for me. This particular treasure was a Parma de Prosciutto that I asked her to choose for me, that literally melts in your mouth. Oh My Goodness!! Fantastic ingredients with a super simple prep that allows the ingredients to star!

My friend at 5 Star Foodie Culinary Adventures (fantastic blog, be sure to check it out!) is hosting this week's BSI, Blogger Secret Ingredient featuring Asparagus. Here is my entry!

Prosciutto Wrapped Roasted Asparagus

1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed (bend until they break naturally)

1 T Good quality extra-virgin olive oil

Grey Salt and Freshly ground pepper

1 T fresh lemon juice

Paper-thin slices prosciutto, enough slices for each stalk of asparagus

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place trimmed asparagus on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle with Grey salt and pepper and toss. Roast until tender but not limp, about 15 minutes. If your asparagus is thinner, reduce your time. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Wrap each asparagus with 1 piece of prosciutto leaving each end exposed. Arrange on a serving platter and serve at room temperature. YUM!!!

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Spring Break Feasts

Our son Collin(pictured far left) came home for Spring Break from Rice University and brought his friend Dan (pictured far right) and their Harem. The girls from left to right: Beth, Annie, Julia, Katherine, Liz, Aida, and Megan. We thoroughly enjoyed their visit. They were the nicest, brightest, and most polite house guests! Individually unique, interesting and fun to be around! For me personally, a great opportunity to do what I enjoy most cook and host!

Feasts prepared and enjoyed began with a cheese assortment upon their arrival. Since not all of them our from our great state of Texas, they ventured out that evening in search of some local Bar-B-Q and wound up at one of my favorites Granzin's Bar-B-Q in New Braunfels, worth a visit just for the potato salad. The next morning my husband and I prepared Eggs Benedict, Apple Strudel French Toast, Cinnamon Raisin French Toast, Coffee and Orange Juice. They spent a day enjoying the Riverwalk and came home hungry! Later that evening, we enjoyed the biggest Pork Loin (about 7 pounds) I have ever prepared, with Fresh Roast Asparagus, a Whole World Salad (it had the whole world in it!), Cornbread Dressing and French Bread. And sent them home with fresh baked Pumpkin Cranberry Bread.

Parents, you can be extremely proud. Your children have grown up to be lovely adults! Beautiful manners, considerate, polite and truly wonderful and considerate house guests! They are each welcome back anytime and we hope to see them again soon!

Pork Loin Roast with Orange Marmalade/Apricot Sauce

This can be prepared with any size pork loin, I would still make the same amount of sauce. I poured the sauce over the sliced roast but you can, pass the sauce instead.

7 pound boneless pork loin roast (the big ones can be found at Costco)

4 T Hot Dijon Mustard

4 T Regular Dijon Mustard

Fresh Ground Pepper

Kosher Salt

8 oz jar Orange Marmalade

8 oz jar Apricot Preserves

2 T Light Karo Syrup

1/4 C Pomegranate Vinegar

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

Put pork loin roasting a large baking dish (9x13). Combine mustards in a small bowl and spread over top and sides of roast. Sprinkle with Kosher salt and generous amounts of fresh grown pepper. Place in 350 degree oven, uncovered and roast until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees (about 1-1/2 hours). Remove from oven, let rest covered in foil for about 10-15 minutes. Slice in 1-1/2 inch thick slices. Ladle sauce over roast slices and serve.

Sauce: In a small saucepan, combine marmalade, preserves, Karo syrup, vinegar and spices. Bring to boil and simmer until sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Sauce will thicken as it cools.

Roasted Asparagus

2 bundles of thick asparagus, break ends at natural break

olive oil

sea salt fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil and arrange asparagus side by side. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, turn to coat. Place baking sheet in oven and roast for 15 minutes. Note: if you can only find thin asparagus, then back off on length of time to roast for about 10 minutes. Can be served at room temperature.

Whole World Salad

This is what I had on hand, just use what you have on hand and make it your own!

Arugula Baby Spinach Caperberries

sliced cucumber

quartered tomatoes

green onions, large dice

roasted beets, sliced and diced

Red, yellow and orange bell peppers sliced thinly

Feta cheese broken into large chunks

Kalamata olives

Dressing:

1-1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

1/4 tsp Maggi

1/4 C Balsamic Vinegar

1/3 C extra virgin Olive oil

Combine dressing ingredients until well incorporated, set aside to dress salad just before serving

Candied Pecans:

3/4 C pecan halves

1/4 C brown sugar

3 T butter

1/4 tsp cinnamon

dash of salt

Combine ingredients in medium saucepan over medium heat, toss until the sugar begins to crystallize. Pour out onto granite or foil to cool.

Toss vegetables in large bowl. Break feta & pecans over salad. Toss with dressing. Top with fresh ground pepper and serve.

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Prime Rib & Hatch Chile Scalloped Potatoes

For once, I'm not exhausted after preparing Christmas Dinner!  Might be the fewer number of us (we actually ate at the breakfast table) or that I finally decided to create a smaller menu.  Either way, I am enjoying the weekend because I'm not completely exhausted.

Here's is my very simple menu!

Soupe A' l'oignon (French Onion Soup) previous post-October 6, 2009

Roasted Prime Rib with Creamy Horseradish Sauce

Hatch Chile Scalloped Potatoes

Asparagus with Vinagrette Sauce

Roasted Prime Rib

4 pound boneless Prime Rib Roast

Olive oil

Freshly ground pepper

Grey salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat prime rib roast with olive oil.  Rub pepper and salt to taste,  I am pretty heavy handed with the pepper.  Place in shallow baking dish and roast uncovered until internal temperature reaches 110 degrees for medium-rare center, approx. 1 hour.  Once desired temperature is reached, remove from oven and place on warm platter to rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.  Serve with Creamy Horseradish Sauce

Creamy Horseradish Sauce

1 Cup Sour Cream

1/3 Cup Horseradish

1 Tbls Dijon Mustard

1 tsp. White Wine Vinegar

1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt

1/4 tsp. Freshly ground Pepper

Place all of the ingredients into a mediumn mixing bowl and whisk until the mixture is smooth and creamy.  Place in thee refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight to allow flavors to blend.  Sauce will keep in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Hatch Chile Scalloped Potatoes

2 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes

6 fresh Hatch chiles (3/4 pound)

2 Cups Heavy cream

2 large garlic cloves

2/3 C. Monterrey Jack Cheese, shredded

Kosher salt to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Lay chiles on their sides on a rack of a gas burner and turn flame on high.  Roast chiles, turning with tongs, until skins are blackened, 5 to 8 minutes.  Transfer chiles to a bowl and let stand, covered, 15 minutes.

Rub skins off chiles with paper towels and discard stems and seeds.  Cut the chiles into 1/4-inch strips.

Bring the cream with garlic just to a simmer and remove from heat.  Peel potatoes and cut crosswise with your super amazing Cuisinart Food Processor into 1/16-inch thick slices.

Arrange one-third of potatoes evenly in bottom of well-buttered 1-1/2 quart shallow baking dish, overlapping them slightly, and sprinkle with salt to taste and 1/2 of chiles.  Repeat, ending with a layer potatoes.  Remove garlic from cream and pour cream over potatoes.  Sprinkle Monterrey jack cheese lightly over top.  Cover dish with foil and bake in lower third of oven for 45 minutes.  Remove foil and bake until top is golden brown and bubbling, about 30 minutes more.  Cool slightly before serving.

Asparagus with Vinagrette Sauce

2 bundles fresh Asparagus

2 garlic cloves

1 tsp Grey Salt

1/2 Cup Olive Oil

4 Tbls. Balsamic Vinegar

4 tsp Dijon Mustard

1/2 tsp Anchovy Paste

1 tsp Freshly ground black pepper

1 lemon, cut into wedges after grating lemon rind.

Crush garlic, sprinkle with salt and crush again until you have formed a paste.  Scrape the crushed garlic into a covered jar with a tight-fitting lid.  Add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, anchovy paste, pepper and lemon rind to the jar, cover and shake the mixture until well blended.  Set aside at room temperature.

Meanwhile, rinse asparagus spears and trim the ends.  Steam asparagu for about 10 minutes or to taste.  Arrange on a serving platter.  Let cool for about 5 minutes, then drizzle with the vinagrette.

Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Toasted Baguette for French Onion Soup

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