Babies, Bread Salad, Back to School, and Brothers!

So, as most of you know, our little family of three is now a little family of four :)  We reached the one month mark and we are...surviving.  I think "surviving" is the best word to describe it as I am pooped, overwhelmed, re-learning the infant phase, and learning the terrible two phase!

The night I went into labor, the Jman made this amazing Greek Panzanella - or bread salad.  I couldn't get enough of of it - delish!  J, out of necessity, has become very adept in the kitchen.  I am one lucky girl!

Greek Panzanella
Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients
Olive Oil
1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1 inch cubes (6 cups) (I think Jman just used a left over end of a baguette)
Kosher salt
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/4" thick (we didn't seed it)
1 each red and yellow bell pepper, large diced
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 red onion, sliced in half rounds
1/2 pound feta cheese, cut into 1/2" cubes
1/2 cup calamata olives, pitted

For the Vinaigrette 
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/3 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup olive oil 

Instructions
1)  Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread cubes and sprinkle with salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 5 to 10 minutes, until nicely browned. Add more olive oil as needed.
2)  Place the cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, tomatoes and red onion in a large bowl.
3)  For the vinaigrette, whisk together the garlic, oregano, mustard, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper in a small bowl. While still whisking, add the olive oil and make an emulsion.
4)  Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables. Add the feta, olives and bread cubes and mix together lightly. Set aside for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. Serve at room temperature.

If you are close to your due date, try this bread salad!  

Look at me: so hopeful that on Saturday night/Sunday morning we would welcome our new addition...little did I know that the madness would continue four 44 more hours.  Swell!

I went into labor on Saturday night, but Mr. Man wasn't ready to make his appearance until Monday night - good times!  So we took two "before" pictures...The above picture was taken Saturday night - we headed to the hospital but were sent home three hours later as I had made no progress.  Please note: the contractions were strong enough that NO SLEEP occurred for 44 hours...so fun!

We made it past triage!

We attempted the hospital once again on Monday morning - only after laboring at home with Owen playing "Mommy Tunnel" (I was on all fours during contractions and he mistakenly thought I was playing a game) and saying "mommy feel better?" 

He's here!  And I'm feeling no pain!

Once I finally got the epidural, it was smooth sailing.  We were admitted around 11 and Elliott Edward Stephens, 7 lbs, 12 oz, 20 inches was born at 6:04 PM.

Happy Daddy!  His first day of lectures are the furthest thing from his mind!

If only sleep came this easily in the wee hours of the morning when NO ONE should be awake!

This picture cracks me up - J had already started school, but this was his first day of actual lectures.

We are blessed in so many ways!  We have two healthy little boys, Jeremy has a great schedule with school, and our families have dropped everything to help us out.  When I am frustrated that Owen is screaming at me because he wants to take his toy crane in the shower, or Elliott is refusing to sleep at 4:50 in the morning, I count my blessings and think of this picture:

Love these little boys!

Mother's Day Feast!

Best Mother's Day gift EVER: Owen spontaneously saying at the breakfast table "Happy Mother's Day!"  NOT KIDDING.  Apparently Jeremy had been working on Owen saying it all morning (beginning at 5:45 AM, neat!) and the fact that he remembered and said it to me meant the world to me!!  He said it to his grammies as well :)  This little mister is the best! 

For breakfast, J made me cinnamon chip pancakes, bacon and fruit salad - perfect!  After church and a nap, we headed to Tuttle Creek State Park for a little hike and some outside time!  Little Man was so stoked for a new park!  We finally convinced him to leave the park in favor for a hike and he ran for about 15 minutes down the trail.  At first I was wondering if he was going to run for the entire 2 miles.  Silly me, not-yet-two-year-olds do eventually tucker out!  He finally asked to go "up" and he enjoyed the hike from on high!

For Mother's Day dinner I first requested a feast a la my friend Brandy's blog One is Hungry.  Although we had to make it a bit Owen friendly by adding a dip he would eat, and eliminating cheeses he would ask for, we would deny him, he'd throw a tantrum, then we'd give it to him, and then he'd spit it out and it would be wasted.  Maybe we have an adult-only cheese feast next weekend! 

Please note the beautiful roses Jeremy and Owen got me for Mother's Day!  They are so pretty and make our kitchen smell wonderful!

We thought it would be fun to have a picnic on our hike, but it didn't really work out.  So we thought we'd eat in our backyard.  And then I started to get bug bites, so we moved the picnic inside...that, and our neighbors were outside shouting at each other and the whole no-privacy fence thing kind of ruins a nice dinner outside.  So my wonderful husband put together this lovely feast at our kitchen table :)  We had rotisserie chicken, arugula, tomatoes and cucumbers on a baguette; Sun Dried Tomato Dip with cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers and pita chips; and some red grapes (my continual craving.)  Everything was FABULOUS!!  The sun-dried tomato dip was served recently at a JAG event and I'm addicted!!  You must try it!

Sun-dried Tomato Dip

~The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook~

Ingredients

1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped (8 tomatoes)
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream  (J used Greek yogurt)
1/2 cup good mayonnaise
10 dashes, hot red pepper sauce (J used tobasco, but maybe next time we try Sriracha)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)

Instructions

Puree the tomatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, red pepper sauce, salt and pepper in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the scallions and pulse twice. Serve at room temperature.

Happy Mother's Day!

Giving the Beef a Break

Oh my, these boys melt my heart every time!  Aren't they just the cutest?  My mom bought them little knives at Sur la Table (don't worry, they are for kids and are more blunt than a spoon!) so they can help her cook!  They had a ball chopping lettuce and mushrooms - and Owen also enjoyed snacking on the mushrooms.  My little herbivore.  Love that kid!  Anyfood, the little men like helping in the kitchen.  While adorable, it can take 5x longer to get a meal done!

My latest Weeknight Gourmet meal involved lamb.  I am NOT a lamby fan.  At all.  J loves the little sheep.  It tends to be too gamey for me, so I leave it to J to order it from a restaurant as I will not cook it.  However, a friend of ours from DC raved about Ina's lamb kabobs.  Like 3 years ago.  And I finally looked it up - partly because I wanted to give it another shot, and partly because I'm beefed out.  Holy cow (haha), have I been missing out!!!!  This little lamby was DELISH!!!  Maybe it was because I marinated it for 2 days, or maybe because it was cooked perfectly by the Jman.  Either way, I am a convert.

Lamb Kabobs

Barefoot Contessa at Home - Serves 8-12 (I modified it for 2)

Ingredients

4 pounds top round lamb (I had some issues procuring some top round lamb.  I ended up with lamb stew meat which was perfect as it was already cubed.)
2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 to 5 cloves)
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
4 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1/2 cup mild olive oil
1/2 cup dry red wine
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Kosher salt
4 small red onions
4 pints cherry tomatoes
Skewers


Directions

Cut the lamb in 1 1/2-inch cubes. You should have about 40 cubes. Combine the garlic, rosemary, thyme, olive oil, red wine, vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of salt in a medium bowl. Add the lamb cubes, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight or for up to 2 days. Toss occasionally.

Heat a charcoal grill with coals. Spread the coals in 1 tight layer on the grill.  (We followed our Weber gas grill directions for lamb and it was perfect!)

Cut the red onions in quarters and separate each quarter into 3 or 4 sections. Loosely thread 3 or 4 pieces of lamb alternately with sections of onion on skewers. Sprinkle both sides of the lamb with salt and pepper. Next place 4 or 5 cherry tomatoes on skewers, threading them through the stem of the tomato. Rub the tomatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

First, place the lamb skewers on the hot grill and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, turning 2 or 3 times, until the lamb is medium rare. Approximately 5 minutes before the lamb is done, place the tomato skewers on the grill, turning once, until seared on the outside but still firm inside.

We ate it with Zov's rice pilaf - TO DIE FOR.  I will share this recipe later as I am currently sitting in my hotel bed in Denver and don't have my cookbook with me :)

Bon Appetit!

Say it's your birthday?

It's my birthday too! Every birthday, my dad always, always, always says it's his birthday too.  Always. If it is your birthday, it's Bill's birthday too! Poor Daddy, his birthday falls on December 28th, so his birthday often gets mixed in with Christmas.

Anyfood, for every birthday, celebration, and any occasion requiring a cake, I request or make for myself the Nutmeg Sherry Cake. And if you have ever been around for any of those occasions, you've tried the cake and you know the love! One year, I celebrated my birthday in Texas with Jeremy and my sister baked the Nutmeg Sherry and mailed it! And for my 21st birthday, my mom baked it and sent it up with my sister. Seriously, this is THE CAKE.

Celebrating my 28th birthday in Austin, TX - Hook 'em!

This year was extra special because my man baked the cake!!  He did a PERFECT job, it was divine!!  Thank you for making me feel so special my love!

Nutmeg Sherry Cake

Ingredients
1 package Yellow Cake mix without pudding (I prefer Duncan Hines)
1 (3.5 oz) package of vanilla instant pudding
1 teaspoon nutmeg
4 eggs
3/4 cup oil
3/4 cup sherry

Icing
2 cups powdered sugar
3-4 tablespoons sherry


Instructions
Preheat oven to 350*.  Mix all cake ingredients on medium for one minute.  Then mix on high for five minutes.  Pour batter into a creased 12 cup Bundt pan.  Bake for 40-45 minutes - until a cake tester comes out clean.

For the icing:  mix the powered sugar and sherry until you have a runny icing.  I play with this, sometimes I add milk instead of an extra tablespoon of sherry.

It is delish for breakfast too :)

Thank for the best birthday yet my love!

Easter Pizza!

For Owen's first Easter, we traveled to Raleigh to celebrate our Risen Lord with some dear friends from Fort Lewis. But before we left, Grandma Dar sent Owen his very first Easter basket - complete with bunny ears! Um, LOVE. He wore them for a bit, but the discovered how fun they were to chew!

I'm not big on ham, which tends to be a bit controversial with my family. Alas, I can't do it. I just don't want it. I will leave it for all you other ham-lovers out there. Now proscuitto or bacon, that I can do. But who eats a side of proscuitto or bacon for Easter? One year J and I even made Easter tacos :)


Anyfood, we decided on Easter Pizza, and it might be a new tradition! J and Nate were the chefs du jour and made us delicious pizza! King Arthur flour sells fabulous whole wheat pizza dough mixes which you can buy right here. So they mixed up some dough, chopped up tons of toppings and ta da! Yummy Easter Pizza (complete with deli ham and pineapple :)

Please note I ate my pizza with pink champagne :)

We miss you Huffs! Thanks for a wonderful weekend! We wish we lived closer and could have pizza every weekend with you!

I'm spoiled.

First of all, check out those thighs!! I just want to eat them up! Every day we experience more and more baby chub and I LOVE IT!

Second of all, my dear sweet man loves to make me frittata - I don't know where this came from, but I'm not questioning it! He had been making one with potatoes and onions - but it gave me terrible indigestion, esp'lly while I was pregs. He found one on www.williams-sonoma.com and we are never turning back. It is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. It makes enough for breaky and then dinner the next day - yummo!

Grilled Asparagus Frittata
From the Williams Sonoma Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. asparagus, tough ends trimmed
• 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 2 1⁄2 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 1 leek, white and light green portions, halved,
  thinly sliced and rinsed well
• 6 eggs
• 1⁄4 cup heavy cream
• 1⁄2 cup finely grated pecorino romano cheese
• 3 Tbs. finely chopped fresh chives
• 3 Tbs. minced fresh basil
• Crumbled goat cheese (chèvre) for garnish
  (optional)

Directions:

Using a vegetable peeler, peel the skin off the thick ends of the asparagus. In a bowl, toss the asparagus with the olive oil, salt and pepper.

Heat a grill pan over high heat. Place the asparagus on the pan and cook until tender and nicely grill-marked, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into 2-inch pieces. Transfer to a plate.

In the deep half of a frittata pan over medium heat, melt 1 Tbs. of the butter. Add the leek and cook until soft and light golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the plate with the asparagus. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel.

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and cream until frothy. Stir in the asparagus, leek, pecorino romano cheese, chives and basil, and season with salt and pepper.

In the deep half of the frittata pan over medium heat, melt 1 Tbs. of the butter. Add the egg mixture and cook until set, 7 to 10 minutes, using a rubber spatula to gently lift the cooked edges and allow the uncooked eggs to flow underneath. After 3 minutes of cooking, in the shallow half of the frittata pan over medium heat, melt the remaining 1/2 Tbs. butter.

Place the shallow pan upside down on top of the deep pan, then flip the frittata into the shallow pan and cook, covered, for 3 minutes. Remove the deep pan and continue cooking until the eggs are completely set and cooked through, about 5 minutes more.

Gently shake the pan to loosen the frittata, then slide it onto a serving plate. Garnish with goat cheese. Serves 8 to 10.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen

Dairy Bar and Turkey Burgers

As you all know, the J man and I have recently relocated to the dead center of America and now reside in the heartland. We are fortunate enough to live in a college town, and not just any college - an agricultural college. Now I hail from UC Davis, also an agricultural college complete with a dairy farm on campus. My roommate couldn't major in business, she had to major in agricultural economics. Go Ags! But we did not have a Dairy Bar...maybe it was for the best as I would have gained a freshman 50 instead of the freshman 15. But I would like to point out we had a wine cellar on campus and I learned to wine taste in my Intro to Viticulture and Enology class. Anyhow, Kansas State has this amazing little shop called the "Dairy Bar." We found it with the Astors a few weeks ago, and I took my parents back to get more ice cream.

We left with the above cornucopia of dairy related products: two pints of the most delectable ice cream I have EVER, I mean EVER eaten; two types of cheese (Colby and White Sharp Cheddar); a gall on of fresh milk; and 2 1/2 dozen eggs (for $2, what a steal!) But let's get back to the ice cream. For serious. If you ever decide to visit us in the middle of America (I'd recommend NOT the summer as it is 90* at 8 PM - and ridiculously humid), I will treat you to the BEST ICE CREAM EVER. My current faves are the toffee crunch and the cookie dough. And its the type of cookie dough like my mom used to make at work (she worked in a test kitchen) and bring home to make cookies. Unfortunately, she'd get home so late that she'd pop it in the freezer. Fortunately for my sister and I, that frozen cookie dough was the BEST little treat ever - esp'lly in the summer. We always ended up eating it before my mom could bake it :) Anyhow, the giant chunks of cookie dough in this ice cream remind me of my mom's cookie dough.

While my parents were in town, not only did they help us settle into our nest, but they got us a grill as an early birthday/Christmas present! Thank you mom and dad! My parents and I (while the J man was cooling his heals at work) spent three full hours putting this sucker together. It was stinking hot - but totally worth it! Our first meal was burgers! (Please note that the pic is a little blurry due to the humidity causing the lens to fog up!)

This is the "advisor" - my dad. He advised the J man on when the burgers were done, but focused mainly on staying cool (nearly impossible) and enjoying a cold one!

It was a joint effort getting these turkey burgers made - my mom used the most amazing recipe that a friend of hers developed.

The finished product, complete with pepper jack cheese on top from, you guessed it, the Dairy Bar! I know Turkey Burgers are not the most popular burger on the menu, but you HAVE to try these!!

Ingredients

1 1/4 lbs turkey (I prefer the 93% fat, otherwise the turkey is way too dry)

1 egg

1/3 c seasoned bread crumbs

1 6 oz package of dry Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix

Cheddar cheese (I'd recommend pepper jack from the Dairy Bar...)

Instructions

Mix it all together, save the cheese. Unless, of course, you want to put the cheese in the middle of the burgers, yummy. And then grill until desired doneness. J man cooked his 5 and 5 (he thinks).

Thanks mom and dad for a great visit! Can't wait for you to come back and meet your second grand baby in about one month's time!!

Flava Fave of 2010...

It has been quite some time...it was a very busy season! I have so much to post, but it is January 10, 2010 and my apartment is still littered with random Christmas decorations. It's positively shameful. Alas, my goal is tomorrow night!

Back to the food at hand. The above picture truly does not give this dish justice. First of all, we were so excited to try these Enchiladas with Pumpkin sauce that we just dug in. Second, our fancy camera was out of batteries so my slick doctoring of the picture was just not an option.

J Man agreed to make dinner if I agreed to put Christmas away. Someone followed through with his end of the bargain, and someone did not...J Man made the BEST enchiladas; I'm hoping for many repeats! What's not to like: pumpkin (one of my absolute fave ingredients) and cheese!!

Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce

Serves 4 - from Great Food Fast

Ingredients

1/2 rotisserie chicken, skin removed, meat shredded (J man is forever in charge of dismembering a chicken carcass - those bones were picked dry! And let me just tell you, a rotisserie chick is going to save you a TON of time!)

6 scallions, thinly sliced

Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper

1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree

4 garlic cloves, peeled

1 jalapeno chile, quartered (remove ribs and seeds for less heat, if desired)

1 tsp chili powder

8 corn tortillas (6-inch)

1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated sharp white Cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425*. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken and scallions. Season generously with salt and pepper; set aside.

2. In a blender, puree the pumpkin, garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, 2 1/2 cups water, 2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper until smooth (hold the top firmly as the blender will be quite full). Pour 1 cup of the sauce in the bottom of an 8-inch square (or other shallow 2-quarter) baking dish.

3. Lay the tortillas on a work surface; mound the chicken mixture on half of each tortilla, dividing evenly. Roll up each tortilla into a tight log; place seam side down over the sauce int eh baking dish.

4. Pour the remaining sauce on top; sprinkle (generously, goes without saying, right?) with the cheese. Place the dish on baking sheet; bake until the cheese is golden and the sauce is bubbling, 25-30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Bon Appetit!

Get Grilling

We have been getting amazing, I mean absolutely amazing, fruit and veggies from our farm co-op.  This past week we have gotten more peaches than we know what to do with!  I was flipping through the July 2009 Real Simple and came across a treasure trove of 20 minute summer meals - so far we've tried two and both have been fantastic!  And, oh by the way, the J Man made this delectable dish of grilled chicken, grilled peaches, and grilled onions!  YUM.  And no, we are not violating Arlington County's restriction on BBQ's, we used are fabulous All Clad grill pan...I love me some All Clad.  Fo shizzle.

Chicken with Grilled Peaches and Arugula

Serves 4 - Real Simple, July 2009

Ingredients

4 6-oz boneless skinless chicken breasts (I always put them in between some plastic wrap and pound them with a meat mallet so they cook a little more evenly...)

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil

2 medium red onions, sliced into 1/2 inch thick rounds (not an exact science...I used one large onion and sliced the rings in halfster)

3 peaches, cut into wedges (if they are on the small side, like my organic ones are [and man are they delish!!] just throw one more in there)

1 bunch arugula, thick stems removed (about 4 cups) (and again, didn't really follow this one...we used mixed baby romaine)

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 oz blue cheese, broken into pieces

Instructions

> Heat grill to medium-high (or if you are going for the grill pan option, medium-high on the burners).  Brush the chicken with 1 teaspoon of the oil and season with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper.  In a bowl, toss the onions, peaches, 1 tablespoon of the oil, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.

>Grill the chicken and onions until the chicken is cooked through and the onion are tender, 5-6 minutes per side.  Grill the peaches until charred, 2 minutes per side.

>Toss the arugula (or baby romaine) with the onions, peaches, vinegar, and remaining oil.  Top with the cheese; serve with the chicken.

The Frittata Pan

When J and I were registering for our wedding, he insisted we register for a Calphlon Frittata Skillet from Williams Sonoma. Personally, I wasn't certain we would really use said kitchen accessory. For starters, I've never made a frittata, Jeremy certainly has never made a frittata, and I already had a 7 piece All-Clad set from mi madre. Thus, two more skillets (you heard me right - its a set) sounded a bit frivolous and we were quickly running out of cabinet space! Anyfood, his comrades at the Defense Appellate Division bought us the Frittata set and they have been stored these last 18 months under our couch (skillets, not comrades - no room in the cabinet!) What a mistake! And by that I mean I cannot believe we've waited this long to use them!

Jeremy decided one morning after soccer to whip up a frittata for me - and we didn't have to buy a thing, we had everything in the fridge! Yummo! This recipe is out of Martha's Great Food Fast (must have, so many great and easy recipes!)

Potato and Onion Frittata

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced

1 baking potato (8 ounces), peeled and thinly sliced (we used some Yukon gold potatoes)

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled (we didn't have any rosemary, so we used thyme instead)

Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper

5 large eggs

5 large egg whites

1/2 cup whole flat-leaf parsley leaves (we actually had the curly kind)

Instructions

1. In a medium (10") nonstick broiler-proof skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, potato, and rosemary; season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.

2. Cover the skillet, and cook for 10 minutes (oh yah, this is where we used the second skillet - so it did come in handy...although a lid would work just the same); uncover. Cook, tossing the mixture occasionally, until the onion and potato are tender, about 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg whites, parsley leaves, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

4. Heat the broiler with a rack set 4 inches from the heat. Add the remaining tablespoon oil to the vegetables in the skillet. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet.

5. Cook on the stove, over low heat, lifting the mixture a few times around the edges with a spatula to let egg flow underneath. Continue cooking until the frittata is almost set int eh center, about 10 minutes.

6. Place the skillet under the broiler; broil until the frittata is set and the top is lightly golden, about 3 minutes. Run a clean spatula around the edges to loose, then slide the frittata out onto a serving plate an cut into wedges.

Bell Pepper Saute

2 bell peppers, red, yellow, or both

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 small red onion, diced

Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper

Remove the seeds and ribs from the peppers; cut lengthwise into strips and halve crosswise. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the peppers and onion; season with slat and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are just tender, about 1o minutes.

Jeremy Cooks: Part Duex

I'm not even kidding ya'll, Jeremy made yet another delish dish!  Our agreement tonight was that he would prep the salmon, and I would take care of the details and cooking it.  Well, when I walked in the door tonight he had everything ready to go and was just waiting on me.  I think I am facing some serious competition in the kitchen.  Is it just me or is it totally hot when your man cooks for you?  I love how excited he is when he cooks for me - sigh.  I'm a lucky lady.

This recipe comes to you straight from a recipe card in my recipe basket...I have no idea where I got it.  Usually I'm pretty good about writing where the recipe comes from - but not this time.  I am assuming it is a Cooking Light master piece because I have the nutritional information at the end of the recipe...

Honey Glazed Salmon

2 tablespoons minced shallots

1 tablespoon fresh or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (J couldn't find the ground red pep so he used red pepper flakes instead - nice kick and I highly recommend this switch-a-roo)

4 (6 oz) salmon filets (about 1" thick)

Cooking spray

Thyme Sprigs (please note how Jeremy garnished my salmon with some fresh sprigs on top - isn't he the cutest??)

Instructions

1)  Prepare grill or broiler (we actually baked it at 350* for 10 and then broiled for 5 and got a nice char on top - smelled and tasted great!)

2)  Combine 1st 6 ingredients in a small bowl.  Brush honey mixture over skinless side of fish.  Place fish on grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray and cook 6 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily tested with a fork.  (We improvised and placed it on foil on a regular old super market jelly roll pan and drizzled a little olive oil - always on a quest for those healthy oils!)

Bon Appetit!  

The J Man Cooks Too!

It's true, he does.  (Doesn't he look cute?  I tried to get him to wear an apron but that was a no go.)  Lately the J Man has been dabbling in the kitchen and creating some absolute masterpieces!  This is just one of many delightful little treats he has whipped up for me.  Can you see the steam coming off the pasta?  And can you see the fabulous pasta bowl??  

This recipe is out of Tyler Florence's "Dinner at My Place."  My sister got it for the J Man as a birthday gift and inscribed it stating, "Jeremy, we thought it would be fun for you to invite Megan over to 'your place' for dinner."  And that he did!  Yummo!

Penne with Spicy Italian Sausage, Cream, Tomatoes, and Peas

Ingredients

4 links spicy Italian sausage (always on a quest to cut fat/calories but not flavor, we substituted the sausage for spicy turkey sausage)

1 pound dried penne

EVOO

1 mediume onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

1 28 ounce can crushed San Marzano tomatoes (do not skimp on this one - totally get the San Marzanos!!  They were delish!  I looked them up on Wikipedia and they are grown in the San Marzano valley in Italy and chefs swear by them - and I do too!  We got them at our local Italian store.)

1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup heavy cream

2 cups peas blanched

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving (we used Romano cheese b/c that is what we have in the fridge...)

Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Instructions 

1)  Preheat oven to 350*F.  Place the sausages in roasting pan and roast in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, until slightly golden and just cooked.  Cut sausage at an angle into bite-size pieces.  (We've never cooked sausage with casings this way before but it turned out fine.)

2)  Place a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil.  Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook until tender yet firm (al dente).

3) Set a large, heavy-based pot over meidum heat and add a 2-count of olive oil (about 2 tbsps).  Add onion and garlic and saute until translucent and fragrant.  Add tomatoes and basil; season with salt and pepper.  Simmer for 15 minutes, then fold in cream and continue to simmer until rich and creamy.  Add sausage, blached peas (I LOVE PEAS), and Parm.  Fold together and cook for 2-3 minutes to allow the flaves to come together.  Serve topped with a shower of cheese (don't you just love that description: "a shower of cheese" - I want a shower of cheese), and garnish with basil.

TIP: To blanch the peas, submerge them into boiling water for 2 1/2 minutes (1 minute for frozen peas), then strain them and plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking process.  Strain them againad set aside.

The finished product.  Doesn't it look amazing?  J Man did an amazing job!  Bravo!  (And again, how cute is that pasta bowl??  Thanks Cindy!)