Good Morning.
I am tired of winter. I have never had that SADD thing, but this year has been taxing, to put it mildly. I have spent more on snow removal than on my utilities, like twice as much. I have had two-foot icicles hanging from my eaves and worried that one would fall on the mailman while he was putting my mail between the screen door and the regular, heavy door - he does that so I don't have to step outside to get stuff out of a box and clearly does not deserve to have an icicle clunk him on the head. This is a man who writes thank you notes to people who give him an envelope during the holidays. Who does that. John the Mailman, that's who.
The first thing I do in the morning is check the weather site on my computer. I need to quit doing that because it hasn't gotten the day off to a good start for months. This week is different, however. It is sunny and warm enough to melt the ice in the driveway and get rid of my constant fear that someone walking a dog past the house will slip and break a body part. I worry about people for a living, in fact I'm such a worrier that if someone is flying somewhere reasonably harmless like Omaha, I'm convinced they'll be hijacked over Nebraska and taken to a country with a lot of sand. Be sure to text me the minute you land, I tell any traveler I've known for more than five minutes.
Here are recipes for spring. All of them are easy because that's part of being released from the clutches of winter, and we begin our liberation with an Avocado and Cannellini Spread.
1 15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 avocados, diced
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped basil
A baguette
Combine the beans, diced avocados, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Add the chopped basil and process again. Cut up the baguette into 3/4 inch slices, place them on a cookie sheet, and toast them on both sides in a 350 degree oven. Top each slice with the spread and serve warm.
This is a great hors d'oeuvre with a glass of white wine or a Sangria, something light that makes one think of new lambs running around in a meadow, not polar bears and walruses parked on an iceberg.
Next we have Cream of Asparagus Soup.
1 pound fresh, fat asparagus, trimmed and cut into one-inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1 14.5 oz. can chicken broth
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp. lemon juice
In a pot, combine asparagus, onion, and a half cup of the chicken broth. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, until the asparagus is tender, 10 - 12 minutes. Process all of this mixture in a blender until smooth and set aside. In the same pot, melt the butter, stir in the flour, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring, for about two minutes. Stir in the remaining chicken broth, raise the heat, and bring to a boil. Now add the asparagus mixture and milk. In a small bowl, put the sour cream and a ladle of the soup. Stir in the lemon juice and then add to the soup. Stir constantly while heating up but do not boil. Vegetarians can substitute vegetable
broth and it will be just as delicious.
Here is a Chicken Salad with a Ginger-Lime Dressing.
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tbsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. Half and Half
2 cups fresh baby spinach, stems removed, chilled
4 fresh strawberries, sliced, or 1/2 cup raspberries or mandarin oranges, or some of each
1 1/2 tbsp. sliced almonds
Dash of freshly ground pepper
Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the chicken, sprinkle with garlic powder, and cook for several minutes on each side until no longer pink. Set aside to cool. In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lime juice, ginger, and Half and Half. Arrange the spinach on individual plates. Top with some chicken, fruit, a few almonds, and drizzle with the dressing. Sprinkle with a bit of pepper and serve.
Back to asparagus for Asparagus Fettuccine Carbonara. Substitute any substantial pasta if you wish but probably not something like angel hair, despite its lighter look and taste.
1 cup Parmesan, plus more
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 egg yolks
1 pound fat asparagus
8 oz. fettuccine
6 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Mix the Parmesan, a good shake of salt and pepper, and the egg yolks in a bowl and set aside.
Trim the asparagus and use a vegetable peeler to shave the asparagus into ribbons. Set aside.
Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Save about a half cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta in a colander. Cook the bacon pieces in a large skillet until crisp. Reserve about two tablespoons of bacon grease from the skillet and cook the minced garlic in it, only for a minute. Reduce the heat to medium low, add the drained pasta and asparagus shavings and bacon and toss well. Add the reserved pasta water into the egg mixture, then pour over the pasta and stir to make a creamy sauce. Add a bit more water if needed. For serving, top with Parmesan.
We also have a side dish with lots of veggies. It would go well with a chop or a piece of fish or chicken, or it could be a main dish with a piece of garlic bread.
Calabacitas
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 small white onion, chopped
2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and chopped into chunks
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup Half and Half
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet. Add the garlic, red bell pepper, onion, and zucchini, and cook until the zucchini is softened, about five minutes. Stir in the salt, pepper, Half and Half, and corn. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for five minutes. Sprinkle with cheese, cover, and remove from heat. Let it sit somewhere until the cheese is melted and serve.
And finally we suggest a Lemon Shrimp Pasta.
8 oz. linguine
4 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. chopped garlic
1 tbsp. lemon pepper
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Cook linguine according to package directions. Drain and return to pot. Heat olive oil in a skillet and cook the garlic for a minute. Add the shrimp and cook for three to five minutes, no longer.
Add the pasta to the shrimp with the cheese and toss well.
This recipe calls for a lighter, thin noodle, and I wonder now why people used to call a brain a noodle. This is where you'd be happy to be a lasagna rather than a piece of spaghetti. Yeah, I know, I'm losing it, but it's been a long, snowy, icy winter. Help is on the way.
Best regards,
Elisabeth
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