Roasted asparagus with black rice, avocado and radish sprouts

I need to remember to make this recipe! Every time I make it I say to myself that I need to make it more often but then forgot to.

Roasted asparagus Serves 2 to 4 people.
I often double this recipe; if you do roast extra, make sure the asparagus is in a single layer, so they cook evenly. You may need more or less cooking time depending on the thickness of your asparagus. Mine was a mixed bunch and I enjoyed the difference in textures from roasting them all together.

1 pound asparagus
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ a lemon or lime, optional

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
Wash asparagus very well. Cut two inches off the bottom or break off the ends at their natural breaking point. Place asparagus on baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle over a pinch of sea salt and fresh black pepper. Toss well and spread evenly over tray, in a single layer. Place in the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Remove and serve, with a squeeze of lemon or lime if you like.

Forbidden black rice Serves about 6
I like my rice very soft and sticky, but if you prefer a nuttier texture, reduce the cooking water to 2 ½ cups.

1 ¼ cups forbidden black rice, soaked overnight in 2 cups of filtered water
3 cups filtered water
½ teaspoon sea salt

Drain and rinse rice. Place in a heavy 2 to 4 quart pot and add filtered water and sea salt. Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat to low and cook for 1 hour. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Tamari flax dressing Serves two.
Sometimes I add the juice of half a lime to this, which is delicious over the avocado.
1 tablespoon flax oil
1 ½  teaspoon tamari

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir well.
This tastes great over any plain cooked grain, steamed vegetable or (if you add lime) as a simple salad dressing.

To assemble; place about ¾ cup of black rice in a bowl. Top with ¼ of an avocado, diced. Drizzle with half the flax tamari dressing, sprinkle with toasted black sesame seeds, sliced scallions and radish sprouts. Serve the roasted asparagus on the side.

Marinated Artichokes Salad

My sister Mary made this salad and we decided to tweak it and added greens and cherry tomatoes. It's delicious!

Marinated Artichoke Hearts

·       1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

·       1 tsp. dried oregano

·       1 tsp. dried thyme

·       ¾ tsp. sea salt 

·       ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

·       2 15-oz. cans quartered artichoke hearts in water, well drained and patted slightly dry

·       Juice of 1 large lemon (2 Tbs.)

Salad

·       1 large ripe Haas avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced

·       Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

·       ¼ cup crunchy roasted, shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped

·       3 Tbs. shaved Parmesan cheese, optional to garnish

·       Greens – two handfuls

·       Cherry tomatoes

Preparation

1.     To make marinated artichoke hearts, combine olive oil, oregano, thyme, salt, and red pepper in small saucepan, and whisk gently to combine. Add artichokes, and toss gently to coat.

2.     Heat over low heat 10 minutes to warm and release the flavors of the spices. Remove from heat, and transfer contents to a non-reactive container, such as a mason jar or glass Pyrex dish. Stir in lemon juice, cover, and refrigerate until needed.

3.     To assemble salad, allow one half of Marinated Artichoke Hearts recipe to come to room temperature, or warm in a small saucepan over low heat to remove the refrigerator chill.

4.     In medium bowl, combine warmed artichoke hearts with prepared avocado, season to taste with salt and pepper, and toss gently to thoroughly mix.

5.     Just before serving, mound salad attractively into the center of serving plate, sprinkle with prepared pistachios, and arrange cheese in small stack at center of salad. 

Calories: 400

·       Carbohydrate Content: 30 g

·       Fat Content: 29 g

·       Fiber Content: 8 g

·       Protein Content: 10 g

·       Saturated Fat Content: 4 g

·       Sodium Content: 1730 mg

·       Sugar Content: 1 g

The French Blonde

This is my friend Georgia's favorite summer cocktail (2019)  Funny that this recipe mentions it as a cold weather cocktail. In this cocktail, fresh squeezed grapefruit juice rounds out Lillet's inherent bite, creating a sweet, citrusy drink that's perfect for brightening up cold weather.

Yield: makes 1 Cocktail

Ingredients

• ¹⁄₂ oz. elderflower liqueur, like St. Germain
• 1 oz. dry gin
• 2 oz. Lillet Blanc
• 2 oz. fresh grapefruit juice
• A few dashes lemon bitters

Instructions

1. Vigorously shake together all ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker for at least 30 seconds. Strain into a martini glass.

Sex on the Beach -- summer cocktail

My neighbor Marilyn introduced me to this drink when she hosted a summer backyard party to celebrate the completion of a big landscaping project. The finished results were beautiful and achieved what she wanted. Below is a recipe I found on line. Wonderful refreshing drink on a hot summer night and I imagine it would work well with substituting the vodka with rum (white rum.)

This is a popular summer drink and what is most likely the original. Popular substitutes include using pineapple for the orange, or Midori & Chambord instead of schnapps.

Scale ingredients to 16 servings

24 oz vodka

8 oz peach schnapps

32 oz cranberry juice

32 oz orange juice

Add vodka and peach schnapps to a highball glass over ice. Fill with equal measures of cranberry juice and orange juice, and stir.

Hemingway Daiquiri

We saw the film, The Buena Vista Social Club Farewell Tour, one afternoon several years ago. The film was shot mostly in Cuba and rum was the featured beverage.  Following the movie, we felt in mood for a cocktail made with rum and dropped into the Copper Onion next door to the Broadway Theatre. On that day, we could sit at the bar and order a drink (Utah liquor laws are always changing...) We told the bartender about the movie we had just seen and asked him for a recommendation of a cocktail made with rum. He suggested the Hemingway Daiquiri, which we order and we loved it. And it has since become one of our favorite cocktails.

Recipe for one Hemingway daiquiri:

1 1/2 oz. light rum
3/4 oz. pink grapefruit juice
1/2 oz. fresh lime juice (I simplify with half a lime)
1/4 oz. cherry liquor
1/4 oz. simple syrup

Add all ingredients to ice in a cocktail shaker and shake it up. Pour through a strainer into coup glasses.

Spiced Moroccan Lentils with Vegetables

I was looking through the cabinet, trying to figure out what I would like to cook.  Lentils caught my attention and so I looked on line for a recipe that was interesting and unusual but also pretty easy. The following recipe is from Epicurious with my modifications.  I serve this over brown rice.

YIELD

8–10 servings

INGREDIENTS 

·       4 tablespoons olive oil

·       1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups)

·       3 stalks celery, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)

·       3 large carrots, peeled and cut in rounds

·       1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

·       1 teaspoon ground cumin

·       1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried red chile flakes

·       Salt to taste

·       1 bunch parsley, chopped 

·       1 bunch cilantro, chopped 

·       1  15-ounce/can tomatoes, crushed, 7 cups chicken or vegetable stock

·       1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained

·       1 cup green lentils

·       1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

·       2 tablespoons all-purpose unbleached flour

·       1 large egg

·       Juice of 1 lemons 

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion, celery, and carrots until the onion turns translucent and begin to brown, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the turmeric, cumin, and chile flakes  (I don't like the heat so I don't use pepper flakes), 1 teaspoon of salt, parsley and cilantro, tomatoes, and the stock or water and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered for 25 minutes, then add the lentils and chick peas, another teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of pepper and continue simmering until the chickpeas and lentils are cooked, about 20 minutes more. 

Whisk the flour, egg, and lemon juice. Stir into the lentil mixtures and simmer bout 5 minutes more and serve.  

Baked Polenta with Gorgonzola and Leeks

Thank you New York Times for this recipe! I've made it several times and it's very good. I've served as a main course with a salad or as a side dish. It's hearty and filling and the gorgonzola is so creamy.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for pan

• 1 quart chicken or vegetable stock, preferably homemade

• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more as needed

• 1 cup polenta (coarse or regular, not instant)

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

• 2 medium leeks, halved and sliced

• 4 ounces Gorgonzola dolce or other creamy blue cheese, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 cup)

 Chopped parsley or basil, for garnish

Heat oven to 350 degrees and butter a 9-by-9-inch baking dish. In a large pot, bring stock, 2 tablespoons butter and salt to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium, then slowly add polenta, stirring constantly until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.Scrape polenta into prepared dish, cover with foil, and bake for 40 minutes.

As polenta bakes, prepare the leeks: Heat remaining 1 tablespoon butter and 3 tablespoons oil, in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in leeks and a large pinch of salt, and cook until dark golden and crisped, stirring frequently, and lowering heat if they start to brown too quickly, 10 to 12 minutes. Season with salt to taste.

Remove polenta from oven. Stir in half the Gorgonzola, then cover again with foil, and let sit for 10 minutes to melt the cheese.

When ready to serve, taste polenta and stir in more salt, if needed (this will depend on how salty your cheese and stock are). Drizzle polenta with olive oil, and sprinkle with remaining Gorgonzola, crispy leeks, and parsley or basil.

Tuna Tartare

This is one of my favorite appetizers. Easy to make, lots of chopping. I use ramekins and invert them with the tuna being on the top.  Serve with rice crackers or make won ton cups.

INGREDIENTS

½ lb of sushi grade Tuna, cut into small cubes

4 green onions, finely chopped

2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1 avocado, chopped into small pieces

1/2 cup diced cucumber

A handful of cilantro, chopped

1 tbsb lime juice

pinch of salt & pepper

Sauce

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tbsp. grated ginger

2 spring onions, chopped

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp honey

Instructions

1.   Add all the sauce ingredients to a bowl and mix together. Set aside.

2.   Add the cut up tuna, green onions and sesame seeds directly to the bowl of sauce and mix until combined.

3.   In a separate bowl, mix together the finely chopped avocado, cucumber, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper.

4.   Plate your tartare by using a mould or a circular ramekin.

Oven Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients

3 pounds small red or white potatoes

1/4 cup good olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the potatoes in half or quarters and place in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic; toss until the potatoes are well coated. Transfer the potatoes to a sheet pan and spread out into 1 layer. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until browned and crisp. Flip twice with a spatula during cooking in order to ensure even browning.

Remove the potatoes from the oven, toss with parsley, season to taste, and serve hot.

Dijon Chicken

While wondering what I wanted to have for dinner, Dijon Chicken popped into my brain. After culling through several variations of recipes, I found this recipe on the Taste of Home website. I selected it because it was simple and relatively easy to make. I served it with oven roasted potatoes and a green salad.  

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup half-and-half cream
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 1 small onion, halved and very thinly sliced
• Minced fresh parsley

Directions

• 1. Whisk together cream, mustard and brown sugar. Pound chicken breasts with a meat mallet to even thickness; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• 2. In a large skillet, heat oil and butter over medium-high heat; brown chicken on both sides. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and cream mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until a thermometer inserted in chicken reads 165°, 10-12 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley.

Potato Leek Soup

While skiing at Deer Valley one day this winter, we stopped for lunch at the Empire Lodge. I had potato leek soup that was hearty, filling and memorable.  I wanted to find a recipe that matched up to the flavors of the soup I had at the Empire Lodge. Some recipes were just the leeks and potatoes with a lot of cream, some had herbs and others had wine. After looking at several, I decided on the ingredients that I wanted in my recipe. Served with a crusty bread and a nice salad and you have comfort food on a winter's eve.

Ingredients

3 leeks cleaned, white/light green parts sliced thin
1 lb. Yukon potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, mined
2 TBSP. unsalted butter
1 tsp. salt
4 cups chicken broth (prefer low sodium)
1 cup whipping cream (I use 1/2 & 1/2)
1 cup dry vermouth

Sauteé leeks, onion, garlic in butter for about 8 minutes or until translucent. Add potatoes, broth, vermouth and salt bring to a boil; simmer for 15 minutes. Add cream and simmer for 10 minutes.  Puree to preferred consistency with an inversion blender or regular blender.

Scallops with Potato Pancakes & Caviar Sauce

This is an elegant entree that is well worth the time it takes to prepare. I break it down and do the potato pancakes ahead of time. The caviar sauce can stand at room temp for 2 hours. Served with a simple salad, it is a lovely meal.

Ingredients

Pancakes

1 lb. baking potatoes, peeled
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 c. matzo meal (or Panko bread crumbs)
1/4 c. grate onions
salt
vegetable oil for frying

Scallops and Caviar Sauce

1 1/2 c. champagne (or dry white wine)
9 black peppercorns
3 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 TBSP. creme fraiche (Trader Joe's)
1 1/2 sticks (6 oz.) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
1 oz. caviar
salt
vegetable oil for frying
1 lb. sea scallops
2 TBSP. minced chives

Instructions

Coarsely shred the potatoes and squeeze out any excess liquid. Transfer to a large bowl and stir into the egg, matzo meal, onion and a large since of salt. Shape the mixture into 20 scallop-size cakes, about 1/2 inch thick; press the cakes to compress them.

In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of vegetable oil until shimmering. Working in batches, fry the pancakes over medium high heat until browned crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Lower the heat is the pancakes brown too quickly and add more oil if needed. Transfer the pancakes to a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.

Preheat the oven to 325°. In a small saucepan, combine the champagne or wine with the peppercorns, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, shallots and lemon juice and boil over high heat until reduced to 1 TBSP., about 10-15 minutes. Strain the sauce into another small saucepan. Stir in the creme fraiche and bring to a simmer over moderate heat.  Remove from the heat and stir in the softened butter, 1 TBSP. at a time.  Stir in the caviar and season lightly with salt. Cover the sauce and keep it warm.

Rewarm the potato pancakes in the oven.

Wipe out the skillet and heat 1/4 inch of oil in it until shimmering. Season the scallops with salt and add them to the skillet. Cook over the med-high heat until richly browned,  about 2 minutes, per side. 

To serve:
Place 4 pancakes on each plate and one scallops on each pancake.  Add chives to the caviar sauce and spoons over scallops and serve immediately.