Asparagus and Goat Cheese Pizza

I'm up to my eyeballs in asparagus. This time of year it goes on crazy sale overload, and no matter how many bunches I have in my fridge, I just can't seem to pass a deal like this by. So this week we've had asparagus in everything from omelets to teriyaki wraps to soup. But my favorite way to eat asparagus is on pizza. It's dense enough that it holds up well when cooked, and lends a light, fresh flavor.

Marinating the asparagus ensures a loaded flavor in this simple and delightful pizza! The way I made this was to eyeball the toppings, so don't worry too much about exact measurements and get creative! You can add a little or a lot more of what I did, or add other veggies as they suit you.

Ingredients:

1 pre-made pizza dough, stretched and ready for topping
1 bunch of asparagus, halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon minced garlic
olive oil
1 lemon, halved
salt and pepper to taste
herbed goat cheese
parmesan/fontina/mozzarella mix, (or similar) pre-shredded
2 green onions, chopped

In a bowl, combine asparagus, green onions and garlic. Drizzle with oil and the juice of half of the lemon. Salt and pepper to taste. Let marinate 20 minutes and up to a few hours, depending on how long you have to prepare.

Meanwhile, bake your un-topped pizza dough on a cookie sheet or pizza round at 425 degrees, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool a minute or two, then proceed to the next step.

Top your pizza dough with a sprinkling of your shredded cheese mix (not too much now!) Then layer on the asparagus mixture, drizzling any juices on top of the pizza as well. Top with spoonfull/dollops of goat cheese and another light layer of shredded cheese mix.

Bake another 10 minutes, at 425 degrees, directly on the rack. Remove carefully, cool 5 minutes, slice and enjoy.

We like to top our pizza with a bit of fresh arugula that has

been tossed with olive oil, pepper and lemon.

(Here is another version of the pizza we made,

this one with mushrooms)

Asparagus and Rice Soup

Why is it that some of the best recipes are born on nights when you don't know what the heck to make?  I can't say I have an answer for that, except that we had a ton of asparagus and some left over rice in the fridge...maybe I have a helpful kitchen sprite that I'm channeling....who knows?

So good, I had to make it two days in a row! Just to be sure!

Ingredients:

2 carrots, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 small bunch asparagus, chopped
2 boxes of clear vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste
1 sprig of fresh rosemary, whole
1/4 cup of uncooked jasmine rice

Saute the onion, carrot, celery and garlic until fragrant and soft. Add in the broth and rosemary and bring to a simmer. Add the rice and cook 10 minutes.

Add in the asparagus and cook another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Shakshuka

Shakshawhata?  Adapted from The Smitten Kitchen, this dish is apparently an Israeli dish of poached eggs in spicy tomato sauce.

My husband and I actually got in a little to-do about whether or not it resembled juevos rancheros, and Italians might think it resembles "eggs in purgatory." Suffice it to say, a good thing is a good thing in any language, so let's just call it delicious and keep it at that.

 My recipe probably falls somewhere in the middle, as I used what I had on hand, which makes it half Israeli and half Mexican.

I'm not usually a fan of messing with eggs in ways other than my tried and true recipes, but being a little bit of a culinary adventurer, I could not wait to make this! And what a delight it turned out to be, complete with eye-rolling, yummy sounds and head shaking. So so good.

Serves 2-4

olive oil
3 tbsp. chopped pickled or fresh jalepenos
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 14 oz. can of Italian stewed tomatoes
1/2 cup water
4 eggs
salt to taste
dash of red pepper flakes
feta
cilantro
pita or tortillas for dipping

Heat olive oil in a skillet until hot and add jalepenos and onion. Cook until soft. Add spices, red pepper flakes and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Pour tomatoes in to the pan with 1/2 cup of water and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Salt to taste.

Crack eggs evenly over the pan, being careful not to break the yolk. Cover  and cook until the whites are set, about 5 minutes or so. Sprinkle with feta and cilantro and serve with pita or tortillas.

Warm Goat Cheese and Herb Salad

What a delightful lunch or accompaniment to your dinner plans! The tangy chevre, once baked, oozes out all over the salad, creating a delicious topping to a baby green and herb salad.

Ingredients:
1 log chevre, chilled
1/2 cup coarse chopped walnuts
1/2 cup bread or cracker crumbs
olive oil
Mixed baby greens
a handful of fresh dill, chopped
balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine the walnuts and the crumbs into a bowl and mix well.

Combine the spring greens and dill in a large bowl, then transfer to individual salad bowls, one for each person. Drizzle with balsamic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Divide the kalamatas between each salad.

Cut log into thick circles and dip in olive oil, ensuring that it covers all sides, then coat them, one at a time, with the walnut mix.

Cook the cheese on a cookie sheet for 5 minutes. When done, using a spatula, carefully transfer the cheese (it will be soft!) to top each salad. Serve immediately.

Curry Rice with Garbanzo Beans and Spinach

Ahhh the end of the month. When the fridge is bare and making dinner feels a bit like MacGyver, except instead of diffusing a bomb with an apple, a bit of twine and a rock, I'm trying to make dinner out of 6 seemingly incongruent ingredients.

Plus, I have to get my kids to actually eat it. Right.

After some time spent in the kitchen scratching my head and wracking my brain, I came up with this and let me tell you, it was both delicious and a HUGE hit with the kids. And yes, my kids do actually eat like this. Hard to believe, I know. I could regail you with all the things they don't eat, but let's just get to it already.

Ingredients:

Rice:
1 cup jasmine rice
1 tsp yellow curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
1.5 cups water

Garbanzos and Spinach:
1 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin powder
salt to taste
3/4 cup of fresh spinach, chopped
1 to 2 cups garbanzo beans, cooked or canned
dash of water or veggie broth

Combine all of the ingredients for the rice in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, saute the onion and garlic in a large skillet for about 2 minutes. Add in the cumin and stir, cook over medium-low another two minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the garbanzo beans and a dash of liquid to deglaze the pan and heat the beans through. Stir in the spinach, cook another two minutes.

Serve with the rice.

Hearty Vegan Breakfast Scramble

My kids and husband, though not vegetarian,  eat mostly vegetarian food at home, since I'm the one who does all the cooking. Some things are easy, being already meat-free, like pancakes. But sometimes the locals start craving some sausage and it's always a treat to come up with something that pleases everybody.


Perfectly hearty and warming for the colder winter days, this recipe is low fat and packed with protein and flavor. But be warned: you better get your fill on the first bowl, because there won't be leftovers for second helpings!

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 block extra firm tofu, drained and cubed
5 vegetarian breakfast sausage patties, cubed
1 firm roma tomato, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 tsp each cumin and chili powder
1 sprig cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet, heat some oil until it is very hot. Then add in the tofu and sausage, stirring occasionally, until browned all over. Add in the spices and cook 1 minute. Add in the tomatoes, green onions and cilantro, cook another 1-2 minutes.

Serve with salsa.

Teriyaki Tofu Lettuce Wraps

A veggie spin-off on the more traditional chicken version, this recipe uses tofu and lots of veggies to make a fresh and crunchy meal.

Ingredients:

one block of tofu, drained and sliced into thin rectangles

1/2 cup teriyaki sauce

2 tbsp toasted sesame oil

12 lettuce leaves

1/2 cup shredded carrot

a cucumber, thinly sliced into half moons

pea shoots or other sprouts

Combine the teriyaki and sesame oil in a bowl, place the tofu in a single layer on a glass baking dish and cover with sauce. Marinate for an hour, flip the tofu and marinate the other side for another hour.

Drain the marinade from the tofu and set aside for dipping sauce.

Bake the tofu at 350 degrees for 15 minutes each side, then remove from the oven and cool.

Cut the spiney bottom off the lettuce leaves (I used Romaine) and discard.  Layer one slice of tofu, 1 tbsp. shredded carrot, 2 slices of cucumber and pea shoots. You might also get creative and try other toppings like mint, cilantro or chopped peanuts.

To eat, wrap the sides of the lettuce around the filling.

Serve with dipping sauce.