Pasta with Asparagus Pesto

Late frost or not, I'm still intent on enjoying spring. This weekend's forecast seems promising so in the meantime I've been keeping my hopes up by cooking. When I stopped by In Season Local Market a few days ago, they had local asparagus from Mauro Farms. Asparagus is one of my favorite things in the entire world so I bought a giant bunch. It made me think about an asparagus pesto I made last year that was fabulous so I hunted around for the recipe. The original is from Simply Recipes and is great. Mine is adapted from that- mostly because I love basil too and couldn't bear to leave it out. In addition to the asparagus, I found the spinach, basil and Gouda at In Season as well.

Pasta with Asparagus Pesto:
1 bunch asparagus spears, hard ends removed
1 big handful spinach leaves (grown by Osage Gardens)
1 small handful basil leaves (also grown by Osage)
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 c Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 c Gouda cheese, grated (this is from Twin Mountain Milkhouse)
1/2 c pine nuts
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp ground sea salt
8 oz dried pasta (mine was local Pappardelle's Gourmet 5 Pasta Blend purchased at the farmers market)

Bring two pots of water to a boil, one for the pasta and one for the asparagus. While the water is heating, toast the pine nuts in a skillet until lightly browned, then set aside. Put the asparagus into one of the pots of water and cook for 2-3 minutes until bright green and then drain. Cut the tips off of the asparagus and save to later toss with the pasta. Cut the spears into chunks. Put the asparagus, spinach, garlic, basil, Parmesan, Gouda, and pine nuts into your food processor. Puree and stop occasionally to slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Add the lemon juice and salt and continue to blend until it is a thick sauce. Add the pasta to its pot of boiling water and cook as per package directions. Drain and top the hot pasta with asparagus tips and the pesto.I may be biased, but this was amazing and so pretty! Just what I needed to get me thinking spring again. The best part is that we had just enough left over to make asparagus pesto pizzas this weekend. I cant wait!

BEST dinner EVER.

Ok, maybe it wasn't the best dinner EVER, but it was definitely up there. Above homemade spaghetti but below grandma's vegetable beef soup. (You should know that both things are extremely high on my list of foods that make me happy).

Last night I made baby back ribs, pineapple slaw and steamed fiddleheads. If anything I have ever cooked heralded spring and the coming of warm weather, it was this meal. It all sort of fell together, but it must have been my subconscious cheering on the blooming and greening outside my window.

I found the fiddleheads especially exciting. Fiddlehead ferns are an extremely seasonal vegetable, usually only available for a few weeks each spring. They are the curled up heads of young fern plants that are harvested for food. It has been a "seasonal eating" goal of mine to try these pretty plants, but I had never seen them in the store before. UNTIL NOW. I happened to go to Whole Foods (which I generally don't do) and I couldn't find the cilantro. I spent much longer perusing every shelf in the produce section because of it, and there, tucked away in a small basket, were FIDDLEHEADS! So I personally think it was meant to be. I washed and then steamed them for about 5-6 minutes and then served them with butter and garlic salt. The best way I can describe their flavor is a cross between asparagus and Brussels sprouts. In other words, they were AMAZING.

Here is how I made the rest:

Slow Cooked Ribs-
Ingredients:
apprx. 2 lb baby back ribs (ours came from Rocky Plains Meats)
1/2 onion, coarsely chopped (this was from In Season Local Market)
1/3 can cola (I used Blue Sky Organic)
1/2 tsp Hickory Smoke Sea Salt*
1/4 tsp garlic powder
freshly ground black pepper
3/4 c bbq sauce (use your favorite kind- I used Annie's Naturals Organic Smokey Maple)

Put onions and cola in the bottom of a large crock pot. Sprinkle meaty side of ribs with salt, garlic powder, and a few good grinds of black pepper. Lay the ribs meaty side up on top of the onions and cola. Coat the ribs with the bbq sauce. Cover and set the crock pot on high for 4-6 hours. Ribs are done when they are tender and meat starts to fall away from the bone.

*I got this salt from Savory Spice Shop. This particular salt lends a unique smoky, almost grilled flavor to the meat.
Pineapple Slaw (adapted from a recipe in Real Simple)-
Ingredients:
1 small jicama (about 3/4 lb) peeled and cut into thin sticks
1/2 pineapple- peeled, cored, and cut into thin sticks
1/2 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
3/4 c fresh cilantro sprigs, roughly chopped
juice from 1 lime
1 tsp olive oil
salt & pepper

In a large bowl, combine jicama, pineapple, bell pepper, and cilantro. Squeeze juice from lime over slaw. Drizzle oil over top and then sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Toss lightly and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes to allow flavors to combine.

Happy Spring, everyone!

chicken Kiev: a family meal

Well, the whirlwind that was our little family reunion is (sadly) over and so from this point, it’s back to life as usual. There were so many things we did over the past few days that I should have gotten pictures of and didn’t. Suffice it to say that we had a grand time (and ate like kings)!

Monday night we had an incredible family dinner. Cory (my sister-in-law) and I made chicken Kiev with roasted potatoes and asparagus in garlic butter. It turned out really well and was a huge hit! I will definitely make it again!

The potatoes are almost a tradition on Drew’s side of the family. Generally it is simply potatoes, herbs, and onions roasted in a small amount of oil. This time we used red and purple potatoes as well as Jerusalem artichokes from In Season Local Market. Our onion came from the indoor farmers market and we used the leftover herbs from the chicken Kiev. Even though these are the leftovers, I had to take a picture to show the beautiful colors of this dish!

Here is how we made the chicken Kiev:

Ingredients:

6 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (ours were from Rocky Plains Meats)

1 stick butter, softened (room temperature)

½ tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped (ours was grown by Osage Gardens and purchased at In Season)

½ tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped (also Osage)

1 tsp fresh parsley (this organic bunch came from Vitamin Cottage)

¼ tsp garlic salt

2 eggs, beaten

apprx. 1 c flour (for coating chicken)

apprx. 2 c seasoned panko bread crumbs

½ tsp dried tarragon

sea salt and black pepper

olive oil to coat baking dish

wooden toothpicks & wax paper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly rub the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with olive oil and set aside. One at a time, place each piece of chicken between two pieces of wax paper and hit with the flat side of a meat tenderizing mallet until the breasts are approximately ¾ inch thick and evenly flattened. In a bowl, mix the softened butter, rosemary, thyme, parsley, and garlic salt until well combined. Put butter mixture onto a piece of wax paper. Fold the paper over the mixture and mold into a block approximately 4 inches long and 2 inches wide. Put herbed butter block into refrigerator to harden, approximately 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the breadcrumbs, tarragon, and several grinds of the salt and pepper in a bowl. In two separate bowls, set out the flour and eggs. Once the butter is no longer soft, remove from the refrigerator and unwrap. Cut into 6 even slices. Working one piece at a time, place a chicken breast smooth side down and put a slice of the herbed butter in the center of the breast. Secure all sides of the chicken breast with toothpicks so that butter is completely encased. Lightly coat each stuffed breast in the flour, then submerge into egg mixture. Finally dip breast into bread crumbs until evenly coated. Set breaded chicken into greased baking dish seam side down. Repeat with each remaining breast. Bake approximately 35-40 minutes or until breadcrumbs start to brown and juices in chicken run clear.

Though I didn't remember to take any pictures of the process or the final product, I did manage to get a picture of what I believe to be quite a happy family!

Herbed Bison Steak with Roasted Garlic and Tomato Quinoa

Drew is a HUGE fan of steak in any form. Because of the higher price tag, we don't buy it that often, but they had some great bison steaks at Rocky Plains last time we were there so we decided to buy a couple. Instead of my typical grilling though, I wanted to figure out a way to really showcase their flavor. Let me preface this with saying I don't usually watch Rachael Ray. Though her recipes seem fantastic, she's a bit too intense for me. But for one reason or another, I happened to catch a show where she was making steaks anything but typical. I guess it was meant to be! This recipe, though not the same, is adapted from hers. You can find the original here.

I decided to use herbed feta instead of gorgonzola because I happened to have some leftover LazEwe, and I prefer the flavor anyway. I also decided to make quinoa as opposed to pasta. This was just personal taste because I felt like we've been eating a LOT of pasta lately!

Ingredients:
2 bison steaks
1 c quinoa
2 c water
1 pint grape tomatoes
6-8 cloves garlic, cracked but left in skins
1/2 c feta crumbles
4-5 fresh basil leaves, chopped
small handful fresh parsley leaves, chopped
1 c coarsely chopped arugula
2 T olive oil plus some for drizzling
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Pike's Peak Butcher's Rub*
sea salt and freshly ground pepper


Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put tomatoes and garlic cloves on a cookie sheet and coat with 2 T olive oil. Season with freshly ground salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes. While tomatoes and garlic are cooking, season steaks with garlic powder and butcher's rub. Drizzle both sides lightly with olive oil. In a small bowl, combine feta crumbles, chopped parsley, and chopped basil. Set aside. When tomatoes are almost done, start boiling water in a medium saucepan. Remove tomatoes and garlic from oven. Peel skins from garlic cloves and mash cloves in a bowl until they are nearly a paste. Add mashed garlic, tomatoes, and all released juice on the cookie sheet to the boiling water. Mash with a potato masher until a sauce forms. Add dry quinoa to sauce and return to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook 12 minutes. While quinoa is cooking, put steaks into an oven-safe frying pan on high heat. Caramelize steaks approximately 2 minutes on each side. Once browned, top steaks with feta mixture and put frying pan into the oven. Cook steaks until quinoa is done or until steaks are at desired temperature. Once quinoa is finished, stir in arugula. Serve steaks with quinoa.

I had no idea garlic could taste so sweet! I served mine with a glass of Colorado's Canyon Wind Cabernet Franc. And, in case you were wondering, the entire thing was phenomenal.


*I found Pike's Peak Butcher's Rub at Savory Spice Shop. If you don't have access to it, you may use any steak rub or red meat spice blend

Chicken Fra Diavolo over Quinoa

I don't know if it was the imminent snow, but I was in the mood for some spice this week and decided to make my own version of chicken fra diavolo. Fra diavolo (brother devil) sauce can be made a variety of ways so there is no "true" recipe for it. Most recipes call for a tomato base and some type of heat in the form of pepper, though even that can vary.

I still had some of the gorgeous tomatoes in my freezer that I bought at the farmers market a month or so ago. They were grown by Berry Patch Farms and picked last summer at the peak of their ripeness. Since they're frozen, they lose a bit of their firmness, so while not so good for raw tomato uses, they are excellent in sauces. Nothing beats their fresh flavor.

My chicken was raised by Wisdom's Natural Poultry and purchased at Rocky Plains Meats.

My recipe below fed two very well. You can simply double for four.

Ingredients:

.75 lb chicken breast (approximately 1 very large) cut into chunks
5-6 small frozen salad tomatoes, thawed, retaining juice for sauce. (if you do not have frozen tomatoes, you may simply substitute canned diced tomatoes)
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 large yellow onion, chopped
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp hot sauce (I used Spice Guys Four Pepper Sauce- made in CO, purchased at farmers market)
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
salt and fresh ground pepper
2 c water
1 c dry quinoa
2 T shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese (I used raw milk cheddar from Miller Farms, purchased at Rocky Plains)
*extra tomato juice or chicken broth for sauce, as needed

If you are using frozen tomatoes: make sure you begin by peeling off and discarding their skins. Freezing makes the skins tough and inedible. Roughly chop until you have approximately 3/4 c tomato chunks and 3/4 c liquid. If you need additional liquid, you may use tomato juice or chicken broth.
If you are using canned tomatoes: use the entire can, though ensure you have at least 3/4 c liquid. If you need more, you may add tomato juice or chicken broth.
Set tomatoes aside. Combine the paprika, garlic salt, and black pepper and toss with chicken. Heat olive oil over medium, then then add onions. Saute until they just start to turn translucent and then add garlic. Stir and cook about 30 seconds before adding chicken. While chicken is cooking, heat the water in a separate pan on high. Once the water is boiling, stir in quinoa, and bring to another boil. Then cover quinoa, reduce heat to low and simmer for 12 minutes. Once chicken is cooked through (no longer pink), add the tomatoes and liquid (juice or broth), hot sauce, Worcestershire, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir and simmer on medium-high until quinoa is done and sauce has just started to reduce. Fluff quinoa with a fork and serve chicken and sauce over top. Sprinkle with cheese.

a take on shepherd's pie

Part of this blog will be recipes. I spend so much time talking about food that it seems like it would be too abstract without talking about the real application- how I eat those foods. I will be the first to admit, however, that I am no trained chef. I haven't gone to culinary school (though I wanted to), I didn't sit by my grandmother's side learning her craft (which is a shame, honestly. At least I can replicate her gravy!) But I do LOVE cooking. I adore it, actually. I hoard cookbooks, I search for new ingredients. I find peace in rhythmic chopping and peeling, I am happy when stirring. I think it's the creative side of me. I cant paint, so I cook. To me, there is beauty in the entire process. BUT the end result, obviously, is to eat. I am looking to nourish myself with something that tastes good. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I fail. Miserably.

Tonight was not a failure night. I had some leftover mashed potatoes from another dinner and some beautiful ground bison from Rocky Plains. So shepherd's pie it was!

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground bison (you can also use beef!)
3 carrots, diced
1 green pepper, top & seeds removed, diced
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
apprx. 1.5 cups tomato sauce (I used Muir Glen)
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried chives
1/2 tsp Spanish sweet paprika
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp garlic salt
a few grinds each of fresh sea salt and pepper
apprx. 2 c mashed potatoes (recipe follows)
1/4 c shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c roughly chopped feta cheese (I used some of the LazEwe 2 Bar herb goat feta from In Season Local Market)

Preheat oven to 375. In a large skillet, begin browning bison over medium heat. When about half way cooked, add carrots, green pepper, onion, and garlic. Stir occasionally until bison is completely brown and vegetables have softened slightly. Drain mixture in colander and return to pan. Add tomato sauce and spices. Cook over medium-high heat, approximately 5 minutes until everything is blended and just starting to simmer. Pour mixture into ungreased 2.5 qt baking dish. Smooth mashed potatoes over the top until casserole is evenly covered. Sprinkle with cheeses and bake for about 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole is bubbling. Let sit for at least 5 minutes. I served mine with a salad & some great rosemary asiago bread I bought from the farmer's market.
For the mashed potatoes:
3 large red skinned potatoes, skin on and roughly chopped (these were from In Season!)
1/4 c milk (I use Morning Fresh skim)
1/4 thinly sliced leek
1/2 tsp The Highlands Italian Cheese Sprinkle (from Savory Spice Shop)
sea salt

Add the potatoes, leeks and a grind or so of salt to a pot of water. Boil approximately 15 minutes or until potatoes are completely soft. Drain and return to pot. Add milk and seasoning. Mash and stir with a potato masher until they reach desired consistency.

Most of my spices come from Savory Spice shop. If you do not have access to the Highlands Italian Cheese Sprinkle, you can either add your own spices to taste or you can make your own cheese sprinkle!