bruschetta w/ asparagus pesto

Last weekend I made a special trip up to my friend Ben's place (pictured below). He'd spotted a recipe for an asparagus pesto in The Times that he wanted to try. They recommended using it over fish, chicken or pasta. However, we decided to make a great little appetizer out of it by using it on traditional bruschetta.  Here's what you'll need:


For the Pesto:

• 1 lb. asparagus
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3/4 cup parmesan, grated
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the Bruschetta:

• 1 loaf Italian bread
• 1 lb. cherry tomatoes, halved
• Chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 giant ball of bufala mozzarella (or any other variety, if you want to be lame), sliced

Begin by combining the tomatoes, basil and olive oil for the bruschetta in a bowl, along with a dash of salt and pepper. Set these aside to marinade.

Next, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a dash of salt.  Trim the asparagus ends and add to the boiling water, cooking until fully tender, about 6-8 minutes.  Drain, but be sure to reserve some of the cooking liquid.  Let the asparagus cool slightly.

Transfer the asparagus to a food processor and add the garlic, pine nuts, 2 tablespoons of oil, parmesan, and a couple tablespoons of the cooking liquid. Process the mixture, and gradually add the remaining oil.  Add the lemon juice and salt/pepper and pulse one last time. Set aside

Slice your bread 1/4-1/2" thick.  Place a spoonful of the tomatoes mixture on top of each slice, then cover with mozzarella. Arrange these on a cookie sheet and broil until the cheese begins to melt over the sides.  Remove and let cool.

Place a teaspoon of the asparagus mixture on top of each and serve. This was serious - not lying here - INCREDIBLE! We ate so much, we barely had room for the steaks we made later. Ben actually didn't eat much of his at all, which means I had 1.5 steaks.  In my eyes, that's an even GREATER testament to the awesomeness of these bruschette :)

Bon chappétit!

lemon chicken w/mushroom & asparagus sauce

Lately I've been craving some sort of lemon-tinged chicken recipe.  Towards the end of my years living with my parents, my mom was really into this of this nature.  She just loved chicken in lemon marinades, and now I find myself periodically craving dishes of that sort.  I tried a new one tonight that has a mushroom-based sauce, almost a gravy, that I served over rice.  It was pretty great, here's what you'll need:

• Skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed to 2" length
• Salt & pepper

Begin by heating the garlic and oil in a heavy skillet. Once the garlic begins to open, add the chicken. Season with salt and pepper, and squeeze the lemon juice over top. Cover and sauté, flipping once or twice until cooked through and brown on the outside.

While that's going, in another skillet, melt the butter. Add in the mushrooms and sauté until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add in the flour and chicken broth.  Allow this to reduce uncover until it begins to thicken.  About 5 minutes before your chicken is done, add in the asparagus. Stir frequently.

When everything's done, slice the chicken. I placed this over rice and added the sauce over top.  This took under 30 minutes total, and really had some nice flavors to it. Of course, the lemon is what made it. Thanks mom!

Bon chappétit!

chicken, asparagus & broccoli stir-fry

Last night I was in the mood for something different. I haven't done an Asian dish for quite sometime, so I decided to try a new stir-fry recipe that I've had saved for awhile. It's pretty simple, and unlike most stir-fry dishes I've had, it doesn't have rice or noodles. This one uses a hoisin sauce, which I haven't used before, but has a sweet, smokey taste to it that I enjoyed a lot. Here's what you'll need:

• 2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil, divided
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 cups asparagus, chopped
• 2 cups broccoli
• 6 tablespoons chicken broth, divided
• 1 pound skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

Heat 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds. Add the asparagus, broccoli, and 4 tablespoons of chicken broth. Cover and cook until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Set vegetables aside in a bowl.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame oil to the same skillet. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Then add the chicken and onion to skillet. Stir-fry until the chicken is just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Mix in the hoisin sauce, vegetables and remaining 2 tablespoons of chicken broth. Toss until heated through and sauce coats evenly, about 1 minute, and serve.

Bon chappétit!

chicken rolled w/ asparagus & provolone

Tonight was another attempt to bring chicken back to the forefront, and OMG was it a success! I've been seeing recipes for thinning out chicken and rolling different ingredients inside for awhile, and finally gave one a try. Here's what you'll need:

• 1lb. of chicken breast
• 1 bunch of asparagus
• Provolone
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• Salt & pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Breadcrumbs 

Begin by trimming the asparagus ends, and then sautéing for 5-7 minutes in melted butter. While that's going on, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Next, take a mallet and flatten out your chicken so that it's thin enough to roll up (about 1/4" thick).

In a small bowl, mix the mayo, lemon (zest and juice) and dijon mustard, and add a dash of salt and pepper.

Lay out the chicken, and place a thin piece of provolone on top of each one.  Once the asparagus is done, place 4 or so spears on top of each chicken breast, the roll the chicken (I found it easiest to start with the wider end and roll down to the thinner end).  Use a small toothpick to secure the roll, then place seam-down in a greased baking dish. Brush on a healthy dose of the mayo mix on top of each roll and finish by sprinkling a light layer of breadcrumbs on top. I used Italian style, as that's what I had handy. Bake for about 20 minutes, until until the chicken juice runs clear and the breadcrumbs begin to brown.

I'm not exaggerating when I say this was incredible.  By far, one of the best dishes since I've started the blog. Definitely give it a try.

Bon chappétit!

asparagus & gruyere tart

So Dan comandeered the menu for this past Sunday's dinner (thanks Dan!) and he found a delicious and simple recipe for an asparagus and gruyere tart.  Here's what you'll need:

• 1 bunch of asparagus
• 1/2 cup of gruyere cheese
• 1 sheet of puff pastry
• Olive oil
• Salt/pepper

I thought the puff pastry part would be hard to find, but it turns out my local market had several varieties. You need to find it in sheet form (the one I bough came in squares). Arrange the pastry in a rectangle on a cookie sheet, make sure to grease the pan first so it doesn't stick. Use a knife to make a score all the way around, about 1/4" in from the outside border. The, take a fork and randomly poke holes all over the interior. This way, the outside crust will rise and the inside will not, kind of like a pizza.

Bake at 400 degrees, or until the pastry begins to turn golden. Then, spread the gruyere all over the middle section. Lay the asparagus on top of the cheese, being sure to trim the ends so that it fits inside (see pic). Brush the asparagus with some olive oil and sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until the asparagus turns bright green. Let cool and serve!

This was totally delicious. It would probably work amazingly well as an appetizer or hor d'oeuvre. Definitely give it a try.

Bon chappétit!

fettuccine with peas, asparagus & pancetta

So I was reading up on fooding with emily's blog, and it got me hungry for some creamy pasta carbonara. However, that can be quite heavy, and with the weather warming up, I was in the mood for something slightly more Springlike. I had this fettuccine recipe set aside for sometime, weary of adding all that lemon and lemon zest to my pasta. I'm glad I went for it though - the flavors blend seamlessly, and the lemon adds a great dimension to a traditional dish. Here's what you'll need:

• 12 ounces of fettuccine (3/4 of a box)
• 1/2 lb. of pancetta, chopped (could do proscuitto as well...could also do a whole pound if you're feeling lucky)
• 1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (or more, if you're like me)
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (plus additional for serving)
• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream (the smaller container on the shelf
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Juice of one squeezed lemon
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
• 1 bunch of sliced fresh basil

Begin by boiling the water and cooking your pasta per the box directions. Drain, saving 1/4 of the pasta water.

While the pasta's boiling, add 1 tablespoon of oil to a medium-hot skillet and cook the pancetta until crisp. Slice and place on a paper towel to drain.

In the pancetta grease, add the garlic cook until browned. Next, add in the asparagus and cook until bright green (3-5 minutes). Then add in the peas, cooking until thawed (they'll turn bright green as well). Turn the heat down to keep warm until the pasta is done.

When the pasta is done, add the vegetable mix into the pot. Add to that the lemon juice, lemon zest, basil, heavy cream, parmesan, remaining olive oil, pancetta and the 1/4 cup of pasta water. Mix until the cheese melts, and serve (probably about 4 servings.) It took under a half hour total to cook, and made a pretty awesome pasta dish for Spring.

Bon chappétit!

roasted pork w/ herbs, potatoes & balsamic-marinaded asparagus

So every Sunday my best friend, Dan, and I try to get together to try a new dish and catchup on the past week. It's becoming quite the tradition between the two of us. This past weekend, we tried out a new recipe that we both loved. Super quick and easy, and only utilizing a few key ingredients.

Roasted Pork

• 1 lb pork tenderloin
• A few cloves of garlic (you can never have too much in our opinion)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
• Salt & pepper
• Potatoes (8 or so)
• Olive oil and balsamic vinegar
• Asparagus
• Parmesan

Begin by cutting 6 or so slits along the top of the pork. In each slit, insert some garlic, rosemary and sage. Then lather the whole thing in olive oil and top with salt and pepper. Toss it on a roasting pan.

While you're doing that, parboil a few potatoes (I just learned this: "parboil" means to pre-cook something by boiling it first, I guess to give it a head start). Pat them dry, then place around the pork on the roasting pan.

Toss it in the oven (center rack) for 20 minutes on 450 degrees, then 40 minutes on 350 degrees. Turn the potatoes a few times.

While that's cooking, we just doused a bunch of asparagus in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. When there were just a few minutes left on the pork and potatoes, we laid the asparagus in a flat row on a cookie sheet, pouring the marinade over top, and sprinkling with some fresh parmesan. We then popped them in the oven at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes (they're done once they turn bright green).

By the time they're done, the pork has cooled and can be cut. Bon appetit!

Honestly, this dish was pretty amazing. The flavors all worked fantastically well together, and Dan and I both went back for seconds (I may have had thirds). Definitely a good one to try if you're looking for something easy and different.

Bon chappétit!