Ingredients:

• 1/2 C fresh mint leaves, chopped

1 T capers, roughly chopped

1 small shallot, thinly sliced

1 t lemon zest

1/4 C olive oil

1/8 t kosher salt

1/4 t  black pepper

1 lb fresh or thawed frozen peas

1/2 C goat cheese crumbled

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients, toss gently, serve at room temperature.

My dad loved to garden.  He grew alot of the typical stuff (corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, beans), but he also grew rhubarb.  If you’ve never seen rhubarb, it looks like celery, only red (and the leaves are poisonous).  My mom made, sauce, pies, jams…you name it… but nothing was better than fresh hot strawberry rhubarb pies with vanilla ice cream.  Here is a twist on her recipe.  YUM!

Ingredients:

• Your favorite pie crust (enough for a bottom and top crust)
• 3/4 C sugar
• 1/3 C flour
• 1/4 t salt
• 2 1/2 C fresh strawberries (quartered)
• 2 1/2 C fresh rhubarb (1/2 inch pieces)
• 2 T orange marmalade

Instructions:

Combine sugar, flour, salt, strawberries, rhubarb, and orange marmalade.  Mix well.  Place filling in an unbaked pie shell and cut lattice strips to cover the top.  Brush the top of the crust with a bit of warmed marmalade (add a bit of water to thin the marmalade making it easier to apply). Bake in a 375 F oven for 25 minutes with pie crust protected and then remove pie crust protector and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes (or until brown).   Let the pies rest at least an hour and then serve with vanilla ice cream.

This is not your ordinary pasta salad.  Inspired by a good sale on fresh ravioli at the local supermarket and not wanting to serve it hot, did a little searching and wandered across this beauty.  Fresh, low on the dressing front, pretty to look at, easy to make, and sooo tasty.  Take this or make this for your next cookout!

• Salt, to taste
• 1 pound fresh ravioli (I used spinach and ricotta stuffed)
• 15-20 fresh asparagus spears, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 cups frozen peas, thawed
• 4 big handfuls fresh baby spinach, washed and stemmed
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preparation:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the ravioli. When the ravioli start to float, add the asparagus and peas. Cook the vegetables for 1 minute or until they are bright green.

Drain the ravioli and vegetables into a large colander. Transfer to a large serving bowl, add the spinach and pine nuts, and gently toss with the olive oil, a generous pinch of salt and the Parmigian o-Reggiano.

Let the flavors rest and serve at room temperature.

Spring has sprung, but somehow with all this crazy weather,  I’m still fighting hibernation mode.  Here was my attempt to cook inside with a Spring influence (cause when the weather really changes …it’s all about the grill).  The inspiration was a cooking show on potstickers.  Did a bit of noodling around online and this was what I ended up with.  Great healthy dinner and made a side of creamy asian coleslaw with napa cabbage and pears.

Shumai

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground pork
• 1/2 lb. medium shrimp, shelled, deveined and finely chopped
• 3 T fresh gringer, minced
• 3 T fresh cilantro leaves, minced
• 1/2 C sliced scallions (I used chives from the garden … worked great)
• 1 T rice wine vinegar
• 1 T sesame oil
• 2 egg whites
• freshly ground pepper and kosher salt
• Wonton Wrappers
• Napa Cabbage (or wax/ parchment paper)

Preparation:

Combine the shrimp, pork, ginger, cilantro, chives, vinegar, sesame oil and egg whites (either in food processer or by hand).  Season with salt and pepper.

Assembly:

Hold a wonton wrapper in your hand.  Spoon about one tablespoon of the filling in the center of the wrapper.  Take your index finger and thumb and squeeze the mixture together.  Gather the edges of the wrapper around the filling and make it like a little cup.  Lightly press the bottom on a table to form a flat surface.  Repeat.

To Cook:

Lightly oil the bottom of the bamboo steamer and line with the napa cabbage (or wax or parchment paper). Stand the dumplings in the steamer making sure they don’t touch. Bring about two inches of water to a boil in a wok. Set the bamboo steamer on top (or substitute step with traditional steamer). Steam about 11 minutes until the shumai is firm. Serve with dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce:

• 1/3 C soy sauce
• 2 T fresh ginger, minced
• 2 T sesame oil
• 1/2 t sugar
• 1/3 C  Rice wine vinegar
• 3 Cloves garlic, minced

Healthy chocolate cake you say?  No such thing!  I promise, this one is the exception.  I use olive oil and have substituted the sugar for 1/2 sugar, 1/2 splenda, so it can be healthy and is quite delicious.  This is definitely my ”go to” for birthday celebrations, impromptu dinner parties and those “just because” occassions when you are hungry for chocolate cake!  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Cake

• 1 C warm water
• 1/2 C unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
• 1 C granulated sugar (or 1/2 C splenda,  1/2 C sugar)
• 3/4 t baking soda
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 C light olive oil
• 1 T pure vanilla extract
• 2 t distilled white vinegar

Icing

• 2 oz dark chocolate (preferably 70% cacao), finely chopped
• 1/2 C confectioners sugar, sifted
• 2 T water

Instruction:

For the cake: Preheat oven to 375°. Coat an 8 inch round cake pan with spray. Whisk water and cocoa in a small bowl until smooth. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Add cocoa mixture, oil, vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in vinegar. Pour into a pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. About 30-35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of cake, invert it onto rack, and turn the cake right side up. Let cool completely. Transfer cake to a serving plate or cake stand.

For the icing: Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water, stirring until smooth. Let cool slightly. Whisk together sugar and water until smooth. Add melted chocolate in a slow, steady stream, whisking until thickened, about 1 minute. Immediately pour glaze over the cooled cake.

Couscous is pretty “blah” on it’s own, but what you’ve gotta love … is it’s versatility.  You can mix it will grilled veggies, nuts, fruits, legumes, you name it.  It takes on the flavors that surround it.  This dish was served as part of a Moroccan themed meal, so I added some great spices, fresh herbs, and and dried apricots and golden raisins.  Day II, it’s even better than Day I.

Ingredients:

1 box (10 oz) plain couscous (or you can use a box of your favorite Israeli)

2 T olive oil

2 C chicken broth

1/2 t ground cumin

1/2 t ground tumeric

1/3 C roasted almonds (chopped or slivered)

1/4 C dried apricots (chopped)

1/4 C golden raisins

2 T chopped flat leaf parsley 

1 t lemon zest and lemon juice

Preparation:

Make couscous with chicken broth, 1 T olive oil, cumin and tumeric  (instead of using the package directions).  Cover and let cool.  Then add all remaining ingredients including the extra 1 T olive oil.  Refrigerate for at least an hour or two to let flavors combine.  Serve room temperature.

The Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 C sugar
• 3/4 C milk
• 1/2 C butter
• 4 eggs (separate egg yolks from whites)
• 2 t baking powder
• 2 C flour
• 1 t vanilla
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 C shredded coconut

Instruction:

Beat egg whites stiff.  Cream butter, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla.  Combine dry ingredients and add to butter/sugar mixture with milk (alternating).  Fold in 1/2 C of shredded coconut.  Bake in 2 9″ cake pans at 350F for 35-45 minutes.

The Icing

Ingredients:

• 1/2 C butter (softened)
• 2 C flaked coconut
• 2 t milk
• 3 1/2 C confectioners sugar
• 1/2 t vanilla
• 1  8 oz. package cream cheese

Instruction:

Toast coconut in the oven using the broiler setting for a few minutes until toasted.  Make sure you stir it constantly so it turns a nice golden brown.  Spread coconut onto paper towels to cool.  Cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy.  Gradually add confectioners sugar at a slow speed until incorporated.   Mix in vanilla and 1/2 of coconut.  Frost cooled cake with icing and use 1 C of coconut for garnish.

Was on vacation and needed to put dinner together after a long day at the beach.  We didn’t want anything too heavy, and luckily I had packed some some rice sticks.  They just so happened to feature a noodle salad recipe right on the package.  You could do tofu, or shrimp, or chicken… we chose grilled shrimp.  It was delicous!   Great Summer fare.

Ingredients:

• 1 package rice sticks
• 2 c romaine lettuce
• 2 c bean sprouts
• 1 1/2 c cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely chopped or julienned
• 1/2 c mint leaves, roughly chopped
• 1/2 c basil leaves, roughly chopped
• 2 c grilled shrimp
• 1/4 c peanuts, finely chopped
• Ken’s Asian Sesame salad dressing (or your favorite brand)

Preparation:

Cook the rice sticks as directed on the package and toss all ingredients, except for the peanuts.  Add desired amount of dressing, or fix your own dressing by mixing peanut oil, minced garlic, hot pepper flakes, diced green onions and a sprinkle of sugar.  Let flavors meld for 20 minutes or so, and garnish with peanuts.

This was an easy yummy date night dinner.  Fresh mussels cooked in a spicy red sauce with capers and olives… mmmm!  You can serve it over pasta, but for two it’s a whole bunch of mussels, so I served it with sliced french bread for soaking up all the sauce, a few nice cheeses and a nice red wine.

Ingredients:

• 12 garlic cloves, minced (1/3 C)
• 1 1/2 t dried hot red pepper flakes
• 3 T olive oil
• 1 (28-oz) can whole tomatoes in purée
• 2 T tomato paste
• 2 t dried oregano, crumbled
• 2 t fresh basil, crumbled (or 1 t dried)
• 1/4 C drained bottled capers
• 1/2 C Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives, pitted and chopped
• 1/3 C dry red wine
• 1 lb dried linguine ( or just good bread for dipping)
• 3 lb mussels (preferably cultivated), cleaned (see note below on how to clean mussels)
• 5 saffron threads
• 2 chorizo sausages, casing removed

Preparation:

Nothing is better than warm peach pie with ice-cream (at least that was what I was thinking about an hour before I put this one together).  It was delicous!  There are tons of ways to make peach pie, but my preference is SIMPLE… peaches, sugar, flour and butter.  If the peaches are ripe, lower the amount of sugar, and FRESH PEACHES ARE A MUST!

Ingredients:

• 10 fresh peaches, pitted and sliced
• 1/3 C all-purpose flour
• 1 C white sugar
• 1/4 C butter
• 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie (use your favorite)

Preparation:

I like to blanch the peaches so they are easy to peel.  Boil a large pot of water and submerged the peaches for at least 1 minute before plunging them into an ice bath.  Then peel and slice.

Combine flour and sugar, and then incorporate peaches.  Next, prep your butter by cutting it into small pieces.  Then assemble.  Place your crust in a deep dish pie plate. Layer peaches, a few pats of butter, peaches, a few more pats of butter… until they are all gone!  Then cut the second crust into lattice stips and assemble the top.  I then like to then make a simple syrup or egg wash to brush on top of the crust to make sure it has a healthy shine.  Sometimes I’ll even add a bit or orange marmalade or apricot preserves if I use a simple syrup to add a tiny bit of extra flavor. 

Bake at 350F for an hour and then check it’s progress.  If the crust isn’t the way you want it, or the pie needs more time, do what feels right.  I often will increase the heat to brown the crust.  I then recommend turning the oven off, and giving the pie another 10-15 minutes of warm heat to help it set up a bit.