Orzo with Goat Cheese, Peas and Mint

Usually, I make a big deal of Eating Dinner Together At The Dining Room Table As a Family.  Especially on Sundays.  There's just something about being at the table, with placemats and candles and fabric napkins that makes me feel like all is right with the world.  And now that my teenager is leaving for college in a matter of days, I've gotten even more, shall we say, insistent?  I'm trying to memorize every last detail of her sunny face across the table from me.  Somehow I don't think gazing into this face across the table is going to be the same.

Although I'm thinking I am going to miss the teenager so incredibly much that I might actually break down and let the dog sit in her chair, just so it's not so, well, EMPTY.

Anyway.  Family dinners are great, but every once in a while there is nothing like eating supper out of mis-matched bowls on the sofa in front of a movie, with the dog curled up at your feet looking pleadingly at whatever you are eating.   And this is one of those meals - a warm, comforting, cheesy bowl of easy to eat orzo mixed up with just enough wonderful and comforting things to make it both interesting and scrumptious.

And putting it together could not be easier.  Cook up some orzo, which is rice-shaped pasta and one of the world's best comfort foods.  Once it is done and drained, pour it into a bowl and stir it up with a little olive oil and lemon zest, and then toss in some peas (fresh are fabulous if you can find them, but frozen cooked peas will work just fine), some crumbled goat cheese, a little fresh chopped mint and some salt and pepper.  Voila!  Instant comforting coziness...it's great warm, warm temperature or even as a chilled pasta salad kind of dish.

Personally, I plan to eat mine at all different temperatures curled up on the coach until my baby comes home for Thanksgiving break.  I hope the orzo supply holds out!

Orzo with Goat Cheese, Peas and Mint

• 1 pound orzo, cooked
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
• I cup peas, fresh or frozen and thawed
• 6 ounces crumbled goat cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper

1. Combine hot cooked orzo with olive oil and lemon zest.

2. Stir in remaining ingredients.  Can be served warm or cold!

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Spring Vegetable Risotto

Yes, I realize it is a little late in the year to be posting something called Spring Vegetable Risotto.  I could have completely cheated and changed the title of the recipe to Summer Vegetable Risotto, because honestly, all the wonderful veggies that make up this scrumptious dish are around all summer long, but I have to be straight with you and just admit that I am, well, a little behind in terms of getting my recipes up in a timely manner.    That's what I get for being an obsessive cook!  But truly, you can make this one anytime between April and September and still get the benefit of all the fabulous flavors.  There are peas...

I actually used fresh ones because I had some, but the recipe calls for frozen, so don't worry if you hadn't planned to spend your day shelling peas.  (Full disclosure: the Southern husband shelled the peas.  My honesty continues.)

There's also asparagus...

And leeks.

Side note: when I was a kid, either my mom or my grandmother, can't remember which,  had a cookbook entitled First You Take a Leek.  At the time, my brother and I thought it was the most hysterical thing we had ever heard of, because a) we were probably 9 and 11 years old, and b) because we were pretty sure that my mom/grandmother had no idea what the title REALLY meant.  It's actually still in print, if anyone wants to buy a copy and let their tween-age kids feel superior. 

Anyway, this great risotto comes from the folks at Cooks Illustrated, who figured out that if you simmer some of the vegetable trimmings that you were going to toss out in the chicken broth...the asparagus ends, the tough green ends of the leeks...your risotto is going to taste AMAZING.  And as always, they were totally, perfectly right.  It's one simple extra step that makes a huge difference.

So, you have all summer to try this one...but do try it before the leaves start falling.

Spring Vegetable Risotto, from Cooks illustrated

• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves , stems reserved
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves , stems reserved
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated zest from 1 lemon

• 1 pound asparagus , tough ends snapped off and reserved, spears cut on bias into 1/2-inch thick pieces
• 2 medium leeks , white and light green parts halved lengthwise, washed, and sliced thin (about 4 cups), 2 cups roughly chopped greens reserved
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth 
• 3 cups water
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 2 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice 
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 1/2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 3/4 cup), plus extra for serving
• 2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon

1.  Combine parsley, mint and lemon zest in small bowl and set aside.
2. Chop tough asparagus ends and leek greens into rough 1/2-inch pieces. Bring chopped vegetables, reserved parsley and mint stems, broth, and water to boil in large saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer into medium bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Return strained broth to saucepan; cover and set over low heat to keep broth warm.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in large Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add asparagus spears, pinch of salt, and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until asparagus is crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add peas and continue to cook 1 minute. Transfer vegetables to plate and set aside.
4. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add leeks, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring frequently, until grains are translucent around edges, about 3 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring frequently, until fully absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes.
5. When wine is fully absorbed, add 3 cups hot broth to rice. Simmer, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and bottom of pan is almost dry, about 12 minutes.
6. Stir in about 1/2 cup hot broth and cook, stirring constantly, until absorbed, about 3 minutes; repeat with additional broth 3 or 4 times until rice is al dente. Off heat, stir in remaining tablespoon butter, Parmesan, and lemon juice; gently fold in asparagus and peas. If desired, add up to 1/4 cup additional hot broth to loosen texture of risotto. Serve immediately, sprinkling each serving with herb mixture and passing Parmesan separately.

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Gnocchi with Spring Vegetables

This past week or two it is finally sinking in with me that after the long winter of snow and ice and snow and wind and snow and sleet and snow, spring might finally be here.  The proof is right here in my own backyard....

That is a little baby lilac.  When it turns into a full-blooming lilac I will go through the same agonizing decision I make every year - clip it and bring it inside, or leave it on the lilac bush?  (Hint: the lilac bush has won every year so far.)

There's also this little guy.

I have no idea what he is, but he's green, so I'm happy.

However, the ultimate sign of spring, the one that means we have truly crossed over to the other side is the following....

Once the dog is outside sunning herself in the grass instead of lounging around illegally on my bed, I know that summer can't be far away.  And all this springtime merriment was enough to make me work up my courage and tackle this recipe for gnocchi with spring vegetables.  I don't know what it is about gnocchi that intimidates me, but for some reason I think that it is always going to backfire on me and I am going to have to wave the white flag and call the pizza delivery guy.  But this recipe was just different enough for me to buck up and give it a go.  For one thing, any recipe with the words "spring" and "vegetables" in it just makes me want to run out and buy loads of carrots with the tops still on them.

And in this case, I also bought a load of fresh peas that the Southern husband cheerfully shelled for me.  Man, I love this guy.  If you ever find someone who is willing to shell peas for you, hang onto him.

Anyway, the gnocchi recipe turned out to be a snap.  After you make the gnocchi, which are basically little heavenly balls of mashed potato mixed with a little flour and olive oil, you freeze them solid.  Then when you are  ready to make them you saute them on the stove in butter and olive oil until they are golden brown and perfect.  Toss in some fresh cooked carrots and peas, a little chopped basil, some salt and pepper, throw open your windows, put on your flip-flops and a short-sleeved shirt and raise a glass to spring.

(I hope I haven't now inadvertently triggered a rare late-April snowstorm.)

Gnocchi with Spring Vegetables, adapted slightly from Jonathan Waxman's recipe in The New York Times

3 large russet baking potatoes
4-6  tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 carrots, peeled, trimmed and cut in thirds
2 cups shelled peas, fresh or thawed frozen
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 basil leaves, slivered
Sea salt and ground black pepper.

1. Steam potatoes over boiling water until tender, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool for 2 hours. Break up potatoes and use a food mill or ricer to mash them into a bowl. Peeling is not necessary with these tools, but the potatoes can be peeled if desired. Dust a smooth work surface with 1 tablespoon flour and scoop potatoes on top. Dust potatoes with remaining flour and dribble a tablespoon of the oil on top. With your hands, work the potatoes, kneading lightly, about 5 minutes until they come together to make a soft dough. Add a bit more flour if needed. Let it rest 10 minutes.
2. Divide the dough into four balls. Roll out each into a strand 1-inch thick, then use a knife or pastry scraper to cut into 1-inch pieces of gnocchi. Place on one or more parchment-lined trays and freeze at least 1 hour. When hard, remove as many as desired for cooking and transfer the rest to a plastic bag for freezing up to one month.
3. Cook carrots in simmering water 10 minutes or until tender. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and cut in bite-size pieces. If using fresh peas, add to water, cook about 2 minutes, until tender, and drain. Melt butter with 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add frozen gnocchi and sauté about 5-10 minutes, turning gnocchi frequently, until lightly browned. Add peas and carrots and cook about 2 minutes more. Toss in basil leaves and season with salt and pepper.

Yield: About 60 gnocchi, 4 to 6 servings.

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Butter Chicken

There is comfort food, and there is Extreme Comfort Food.  Comfort food includes things like pastina, and eggs with soldiers, and macaroni and cheese in any form.  Extreme comfort food is what you make when times call for desperate measures.  I'm talking shredded chicken.  I'm talking buttered cream sauce.  I'm talking pouring all of that over mashed potatoes and surrounding it with peas.

Extreme Comfort Food is what is called for when your teenager...the baby you birthed for hours on end, the toddler who called you Mama and held your hand when you crossed the street, the grade-schooler whose hair you fixed in pigtails and whose Pokeman lunchbox you filled with millions of pb&j sandwiches, the teenager who goes with you to get your nails done and who tells you when you are singing the wrong words to Single Ladies...when she gets The Envelope.

The envelope that basically says, in several short months she is going to pack her Harry Potter books and her green nail polish and her Batman Converse sneakers and LEAVE you to go FOURTEEN HOURS away to COLLEGE.

Ever since the Envelope arrived, she's been wearing this shirt a lot.

And painting her toes in the school colors....

And throwing her arms around me and saying, "I'm going to miss you SO much, Mommy."  With a big old smile on her adorable face.

Anyway, desperate times call for desperate measures.  Desperate times call for chicken that is shredded and cooked in a butter cream sauce served over mashed potatoes and surrounded by peas.  I'm planning to make and eat this every day for the next six months, and then I am going to drop her off and hug and kiss her 1000 times, and then cry for the entire 14 hour car ride home, including any and all rest stops.  The Southern husband is already mentally preparing himself.

I'm sorry, just because you are wearing a Clemson University dog collar, it doesn't mean you get to go.  You are staying right here with me.  Someone's gotta do it.

Send Kleenex please.

Butter Chicken, adapted from New York Cookbook: From Pelham Bay to Park Avenue, Firehouses to Four-Star Restaurants

• 2 chicken breasts on the bone
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons minced parsley
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Grated zest of one lemon
• Fresh ground pepper
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 375.  Rub chicken with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, and roast for about 45-50 minutes or until done.  Remove from oven and let cool.  Remove meat from the bone, tearing into bite-sized pieces.
2. Melt butter in large skillet.  Add lemon juice, lemon zest, chicken broth and pepper and simmer for about 5 minutes.  Add cream and cook, without boiling, until sauce is hot.  Add chicken and cook until warmed through.
3. Place a serving of mashed potatoes in the center of each plate and surround with a ring of peas.  Spoon chicken and sauce on top, and garnish with parsley.  Serve at once.

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Naked Ravioli

Okay, so I would like to clear up something right away.  When I posted on my Facebook page that I was making this particular recipe for dinner, there was a fair amount of, shall I say ALARM, about the title of the recipe.  Some people were concerned for my safety.  Others were just discombobulated in general about what on earth was going on in my kitchen. So just let me state clearly and for the record: it is the RAVIOLI that is naked.  Not the cook.  The cook remained fully clothed at all time, as you can see from the photograph below.

Now that we can all breathe a deep sigh of relief, let me tell you what is going on here.

Naked ravioli basically means that you are getting the filling of the ravioli - in this case a scrumptious mixture of veal, parmesan cheese, herbs and some other things - OUTSIDE of the pasta. So the ravioli filling is, well, naked.  I toss some bow-tie pasta into this dish so you still get the happiness of the pasta part, it's just not wrapped around the filling.  Making the filling naked.  Are you getting the drift here?  

So now that we all understand each other, here's what happens.  You mix up some ground veal, chopped onion, a beaten egg, some grated parmesan, a little chopped fresh parsley and some salt and pepper, and roll them into a whole batch of little tiny meatballs - about 1/2 inch inch in diameter, give or take.  Drop them in some salted boiling water, and at the same time melt about a half a stick of butter with some fresh sage leaves until the butter is melted and golden brown.

When the meatballs are done, scoop them out with a slotted spoon and cook up a batch of bow-tie pasta in that same water.  Save about 1/2 cup of the pasta water and when the pasta is done, toss everything together in one bowl - pasta, meatballs, butter mixture, some of the pasta water to loosen up the sauce - and add in some peas and a little more parmesan cheese. And there you have it - all the makings of ravioli, but WAY easier than making it from scratch and with the filling on the outside rather than being contained in the pasta.  Or in other words...naked.

I think I have now used the word "naked" on my blog more times than I ever have before, or ever will again.  I'm hoping and wondering if this might actually increase my blog traffic.

One way or the other, give this fun dish a try!

Naked Ravioli

• 1 pound ground veal (you can also use ground pork or beef or any combo thereof!)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 pound bow-tie pasta
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 20 fresh sage leaves
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• Salt and pepper
• Extra grated parmesan for garnish

1. Combine meat, egg, cheese, parsley and onion.  Roll into balls about 1/2 inch in diameter and pop in the fridge until ready to use.

2. Bring a large pot of water to boil and add a tablespoon of salt.  Cook meatballs in boiling water for 5 minutes and remove with slotted spoon.  Put in a bowl and cover to keep warm.  Cook pasta in the same water until done, adding the peas during the last minute of cooking.  Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.   Drain.

3. Meanwhile,  cook butter and sage leaves together in small pot until butter is light brown, about 5 minutes.  Toss pasta with butter mixture, reserved meatballs and enough pasta water to make a light sauce.  Salt and peper to taste.  Top with grated parsmesan and serve.

Click here for printable recipe

Cottage Pie

A while back I made a recipe for what I called Shepherd's Pie.  It is a scrumptious mixture of ground beef and vegetables in a light tomato-ish sauce, topped with mashed potatoes and baked.  Perfect, easy comfort food.  I wrote a little story about how I fell in love with shepherd's pie.  I even included a picture of a sheep, because I had one hanging around and it seemed like the perfect time to use it.  I posted it up on the blog, and started reading the comments.  (I love comments, by the way.  Leave me comments!).

Anyway, in addition to all the sweet things everyone says to me about the pictures and the recipe and the story, more than one person gently told me that I had not in fact made Shepherd's Pie.  I had made Cottage Pie.

Huh?

Well, as it turns out, that's exactly what I did.  Apparently Shepherd's Pie is made with lamb, and Cottage Pie is made with beef.  Which now made me feel bad about the whole sheep picture thing, because I was unwittingly including a really cute picture of the, um, ingredients.  Oh dear.

So long story short, I recently ran across this recipe for Cottage Pie, which used a topping of very thin-sliced potatoes instead of the mashed version...and while I am probably the world's biggest fan of mashed potatoes, I actually LOVED this version.  The filling is the usual mixture of ground beef, carrots and peas, and the whole thing was just as delectable as its incorrectly named predecessor.

So at the end of the day, no matter what you call it, MAKE it.  Delicious, delicious, delicous.

Cottage Pie, adapted from Everyday Food

• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 3 large carrots, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
• Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
• 1 cup dark beer
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 large russet potato, sliced very thin

1. Preheat oven to 400.  In large skillet, heat one tablespoon butter over medium high heat.  Add onions and carrots and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.  Season with salt and pepper and add tomato paste.  

2. Add meat and cook for 3 minutes, breaking up with wooden spoon.  Add thyme and beer and bring to a boil.  Cook, stirring frequently, until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes.  Sprinkle flour over top and stir.  Add 1 cup of water and cook until slightly thickened, another two minutes.  Stir in peas and then season to taste.  

3. Transfer to baking dish and top with overlapping potato slices.  Drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.  Bake until potatoes are browned at the edges, about 40-45 minutes.  Cool ten minutes before serving.

Click here for printable recipe

Chicken Vegetable Cobbler

There is something about the word "cobbler" that just makes me feel all warm and cozy and contented. Most of my cobbler recipes are for desserts - apple, peach, and so on. (And just so you know, I have a chocolate cobbler recipe waiting in my stack of "to be made one day soon" recipes. SOON. Very soon.)

Anyway, cobbler is something I usually associate with dessert, so when I came across this chicken recipe in Mark Bittman's fabulous video series, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Cobbler for dinner! NOW we're talking. First you cook up a heavenly, homey mixture of chicken, carrots and peas all in a creamy herby thick broth.

Then you top the whole thing with a buttery biscuit dough and pop it in the oven. By the time it is almost ready to come out, people and dogs will be drifting into your kitchen with happy and expectant looks on their faces. And really, isn't that one of the main reasons we make things like chicken cobbler in the first place? Yes it is. :-)

Chicken Vegetable Cobbler, adapted from The Minimalist

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 leek, washed and chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock (I like Imagine brand)
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 medium carrots, cut in chunks
• 2 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg

1. Heat over to 400. Put oil in large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add leek, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, about 5 minutes.

2. Add stock and rosemary and bring to a boil. Add carrots and chicken and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add peas and stir for one more minute. Remove rosemary and discard.

3. Whisk cornstarch with a few tablespoons of cool water to make a slurry and add to skillet. Sir until liquid thickens, and then transfer the chicken mixture to an ovenproof casserole.

4. Put flour in food processor with baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add butter and process until combined, about 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl and mix in buttermil and egg until it comes together into a sticky dough.

5. Drop spoonfuls of batter onto chicken mixture and smooth with a knife, covering as much of the surface as you can. Leave a few holes for the steam to escape. Bake for 35-45 minutes until golden brown. Scoop onto plates or bowls and serve at once.

Click here for printable recipe

Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie...it might be my all-time favorite comfort food, and I never get tired of making it. I am very particular about the kind of shepherd's pie that I like, though, and that all dates back to my days right out of college, living with my dear friend C in the world's smallest studio apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Ah, that apartment -- it had exposed brick walls that got red-hot in the winter (why? we didn't know and were afraid to ask), the world's dinkiest, oldest refrigerator, and a reclusive next door neighbor named Bruce who was straight out of a Seinfeld episode. We made a combined salary of about $25,000 per year, and probably spent $20,000 of it on rent for this glorious pad, and so our nights out on the town were few and far between, and divided between what is STILL the best pizza place I have ever been to and this Irish joint called Finnegan's Wake.

Finnegan's was loud and dark and the floor was sticky and they served the best, cheapest, most delicious shepherd's pie I've ever had. It was made with beef, not lamb, and featured peas and carrots in a thick tomato-ish sauce, all topped with mashed potatoes. (The picture above is before the addition of the potatoes, in case you are wondering. Because once you put the potatoes on top it would look like a picture of, well, potatoes.)

The Finnegan's version spoiled me forever in terms of shepherd's pie, and ever since I have been in search of a recipe that stood up to Finnegan's. (Of course, it might have tasted so good because the rest of the time we were eating cold cereal, ramen noodles and macaroni and cheese out the box, but whatever.)

So this recipe has all those elements, and whenever I have leftover mashed potatoes I make it. By the way, I'm not sure exactly why it is called shepherd's pie -- maybe shepherds eat it? Maybe because - eek - it is usually made with lamb? At any rate, it's also a good excuse for me to show you the one and only picture I have ever taken of a sheep.



And now that you have all this useful information, here's the best part, which is the actual recipe.

Shepherd's Pie, adapted from Everyday Food

2 pounds freshly ground beef

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 carrots, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons flour

1 to 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Coarse salt and ground pepper

10 ounces frozen peas, thawed

Potato Topping:

2-½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and quartered

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 cup milk

6 tablespoons butter

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Heat a large skillet over high heat. In two batches, cook beef until no longer pink, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer beef to a colander set in a bowl; let fat drain off and discard.
2. Add ¼ cup water to the skillet, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon. Reduce heat to medium; add onion and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste. Add flour; cook, stirring, 2 minutes.
3. Add Worcestershire sauce, 2 cups water, and beef. Season with 2 teaspoons salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in peas; cook 1 minute. Divide among eight 8-ounce ramekins or two 9-inch glass pie dishes.
4. Meanwhile, make potato topping. Spread over pies; use a fork to make peaks. Bake on a baking sheet until tops are browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool slightly; serve.

Potato Topping:

1. In a medium saucepan, cover potatoes with salted water by 1 inch; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until fork-tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain.
2. In pan, bring milk and butter to a simmer; remove from heat. Return potatoes; mash. Season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Click here for printable recipe

Warm Quinoa Salad with Shrimp and Asparagus

So, I was probably the last one to find out it is pronounced "keen-wah," and that it contains more protein than any other grain. You guys all knew that already, right? I just knew that it tastes dang good, and whenever I have had one too many Maple Butterscotch Macadamia Blondies and am needing an injection of healthy food, this is a great and yummy way to get some. It is chock-full of veggies -- asparagus, peas, sundried tomatoes -- flavored up with some scallions and a few salty cashews, and topped off with my favorite...delicious chopped up shrimp.

Even more happily, it all cooks up in one pot -- the quinoa first, then the veggies, topped with the shrimp. If I am feeling really crazy, I crumble some soft feta cheese onto the top right before I serve it.

This recipe comes from the Whole Foods website, which is (as you might guess) a great source for healthy and delicious food. I wouldn't go there looking for Cookie Truffle recipes, but if you are looking for stuff to make with quinoa, you're looking in the right place.

So there you go. Be healthy, people. Every now and then, anyway.

WARM QUINOA SALAD WITH SHRIMP AND ASPARAGUS, from Whole Foods

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, not reconstituted, julienned
1/2 cup vegetable broth or water
1/2 cup white wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup fresh or frozen green peas
1/2 cup roasted cashew pieces
6 green onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

1. In a medium pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onions and cook for 3 minutes. Add sun-dried tomatoes and continue to cook for 1 more minute. Add broth, wine, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Stir in quinoa and simmer on low heat, covered, for about 20 minutes, or until quinoa is almost tender.

2. Arrange shrimp on top of quinoa in pot and simmer for 3 minutes. Add asparagus and peas on top of the shrimp and simmer for 3 more minutes. Top with cashews, green onions and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Click here for printable recipe

Penne di Parma

Now, I do love all my wonderful cookbooks. The Silver Palate Cookbook. Cold Weather Cooking by Sarah Chase. There's A Chef in My Soup by Emeril Lagasse. My current favorite, The Pioneer Woman Cooks. And my all-time favorite, The New Best Recipe by the genius cooks at Cooks Illustrated. But truth be told, I am also a big fan of what I call "back of the box" recipes. I am forever turning boxes and bags and jars over to see what the recipe possibilities are, because pretty much anything edible and in a package these days has a recipe that goes with it. And sometimes they are pretty dang good.

That's where I got this lovely penne recipe from. I had some prosciutto left over from one of my favorite quick appetizer dishes (take a chunk of fresh pineapple, wrap it in some thin prosciutto, spear it with a toothpick, put on a pretty plate, repeat 25 times, instant elegant appetizer!) and I was trolling around for something to make with it. And then I remembered that I had cut this recipe out of the back of the Ronzoni penne box. Yes! Now me being me, I did mess with it a little. It called for mushrooms, and since mushrooms and I do not get along I substituted peas. It wanted me to put the prosciutto in early on in the recipe, and since I know from sad experience that if you put prosciutto (or bacon) into recipes too early, it loses some of its nice salty punch....so I changed that too. If you want to try the original version of this recipe, click here and type "penne di parma" in the keyword search box. But if you want my adjusted version, it's here for you below. And if you want to try it but don't have any leftover prosciutto hanging around, you can use bacon and it will work perfectly well. I've found that his is true for most things in life...bacon will work perfectly well for whatever you need. Think about it -- it's true, right?

PENNE DI PARMA, adapted from the back of the Ronzoni penne box.

2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 cups peas
3/4 cup (about 2 oz.) prosciutto, sliced into thin strips*
1 cup milk
1/2 cup light cream
2-2/3 cups (8 oz.) RONZONI PENNE RIGATE, uncooked
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. In large skillet over medium heat, melt butter; add garlic. Cook for 1 minute.

2. Add milk and cream; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium; simmer, uncovered, until mixture is reduced by half, about 6 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Remove sauce from heat; add peas, prosciutto, 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and parsley.

4. Toss hot pasta and sauce; sprinkle with remaining cheese.

*Or substitute bacon or thinly sliced smoked ham.

Click here for printable recipe

Best Beef Stew

So for me, beef stew is like macaroni and cheese -- I never met a recipe I wasn't a little bit tempted to try, JUST in case it might be better than the other million recipes I already have. So when the practically perfect folks at Cooks Illustrated promised that this particular one was the Best Beef Stew...well, all I needed was a snowy Sunday with nothing else on the horizon and I was ready to roll.

Now truth be told, I am a bit of a skeptic when it comes to "new" beef stew recipes. I've been around the beef stew block enough times that I need something pretty convincing in the latest recipe to get me on board for real, since beef stew is a major commitment. It involves chopping. It involves both searing and simmering. It involves many, many hours on the stove, and as my Cooks Illustrated friends pointed out, it can often smell better than it ultimately tastes. However, this latest recipe did come through for me in terms of the secret ingredient.

Are you ready?

Can you HANDLE it?

Okay, here goes.

ANCHOVIES.

No, I am not kidding. No, I have not finally lost my mind due to bacon overdose. Anchovies. It has an actual scientific explanation that goes with it, something to do with glutamates. All I know is that Cooks Illustrated is my Holy Grail of recipes, and if they say anchovies, I am down with the anchovies. And sure enough -- the stew tasted richer and more intense...and not a bit like fish. Promise.

So if you, like me, are always on the hunt for the next best beef stew, give this one a try and don't be afraid of the anchovies. Sometimes you just have to roll the dice!

BEST BEEF STEW, from Cooks Illustrated

2	medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
4	anchovy fillets , finely minced (about 2 teaspoons)
1	tablespoon tomato paste
1	boneless beef chuck-eye roast (about 4 pounds), trimmed of excess fat, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2	tablespoons vegetable oil
1	large onion , halved and cut from pole to pole into 1/8-inch-thick slices (about 2 cups)
4	medium carrots , peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
1/4	cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2	cups red wine
2	cups low-sodium chicken broth
2	bay leaves
4	sprigs fresh thyme
4	ounces salt pork , rinsed of excess salt
1	pound Yukon gold potatoes , scrubbed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2	cups frozen pearl onions , thawed
2	teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin (about 1 packet)
1/2	cup water
1	cup frozen peas , thawed
	Table salt and ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Combine garlic and anchovies in small bowl; press with back of fork to form paste. Stir in tomato paste and set mixture aside.

2. Pat meat dry with paper towels. Do not season. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over high heat until just starting to smoke. Add half of beef and cook until well browned on all sides, about 8 minutes total, reducing heat if oil begins to smoke or fond begins to burn. Transfer beef to large plate. Repeat with remaining beef and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, leaving second batch of meat in pot after browning.

3. Reduce heat to medium and return first batch of beef to pot. Add onion and carrots to Dutch oven and stir to combine with beef. Cook, scraping bottom of pan to loosen any browned bits, until onion is softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add garlic mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until no dry flour remains, about 30 seconds.

4. Slowly add wine, scraping bottom of pan to loosen any browned bits. Increase heat to high and allow wine to simmer until thickened and slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Stir in broth, bay leaves, thyme, and salt pork. Bring to simmer, cover, transfer to oven, and cook for 11/2 hours.

5. Remove pot from oven; remove and discard bay leaves and salt pork. Stir in potatoes, cover, return to oven, and cook until potatoes are almost tender, about 45 minutes.

6. Using large spoon, skim any excess fat from surface of stew. Stir in pearl onions; cook over medium heat until potatoes and onions are cooked through and meat offers little resistance when poked with fork (meat should not be falling apart), about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, sprinkle gelatin over water in small bowl and allow to soften for 5 minutes.

7. Increase heat to high, stir in softened gelatin mixture and peas; simmer until gelatin is fully dissolved and stew is thickened, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste; serve.

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Chicken Shepherd's Pie

Yes, I am aware that chickens don't have shepherds. But I thought if I called this "Chickherd's Pie" you would really think I had gone off my rocker. If anyone has alternate ideas for what I should call this, bring 'em on!In the meantime, here is how this little number was born. A little while ago I made this:

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Which I loved (I am a sucker for comfort food of any kind), and while I was eating it I thought, what if instead of a more conventional crust, I used mashed potatoes? And, what if instead of using regular mashed potatoes, I used THESE mashed potatoes???

Aligot Potatoes

I think my heart actually started beating faster.

So what you have here is a thick chicken pot pie base, with lots of carrots and peas and other good stuff, topped with a layer of cheesy mashed potatoes, and then baked until the potatoes are browned on top (but still gorgeously creamy underneath). You can make it in either individual dishes, or do it all in one casserole and scoop out the servings. Which will look like this.

Is anyone else salivating right now besides me?

Sorry. Anyway, here is a recipe mash-up of the chicken pot pie and the aligot potatoes, and if anyone has any better recipe title ideas, don't hold back.

CHICKEN SHEPHERD'S PIE

Serves 4

4 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1/2 cup flour
Salt and pepper
4 cups chicken broth
3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
1 cup frozen peas
1/1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch slices
1 tablespoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

1. Melt butter in medium saucepan. Add carrot and onion and saute for 6 minutes.

2. Add flour and stir to coat. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

3. Add broth to carrot mixturem whisking constantly. Bring to boil and then simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened.

4. Add chicken, peas, thyme and season with salt and pepper.

5. Divide mixture among 4 single serving baking dishes. Preheat oven to 425.

6. Put sliced potatoes in large pot and cover with water. Add salt. Bring potatoes to a boil, partially cover and, reduce heat to medium low and simmer until potatoes are fork-tender, about 12 minutes. Drain and wipe out pot.

7. Put potatoes, garlic and butter into food processor and process for 10 seconds. Add one cup of milk and process until smooth, about 30 seconds more.

8. Put potatoes back into pot over medium heat. Gradually stir in cheese, stirring continuously until cheese is melted and potatoes are smooth. If mixture becomes too thick, gradually stir in more milk until creamy.

9. Spread potatoes over chicken mixture. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until top of potatoes start to brown (watch it carefully). Serve immediately.

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