Spring is still arriving!
Top 2 photos: Crabapple tree blossoms
3rd photo: Yoshino cherry tree blossoms
Bottom photo: Redbud tree blossoms
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Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Halibut in Prosciutto & Herb Cream Sauce
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While in the market this week, I was lazily walking by the fresh fish case when I read a sign "Halibut Is Now In Season". So I went over to check out the halibut to see if it was at least somewhat affordable to purchase. Well, to my disappointment, it was no less expensive than before. But I bought some anyway, because it would cost close to $25 - $30 as an entree in a good restaurant. Especially the way that these were prepared for dinner tonight! This is very gourmet and special, but very quick to prepare once all the prepping is done.
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The delicate halibut fillets are very light and have a coat of herbs dressing them with a heavenly sauce of lemon, white wine, butter, garlic and prosciutto drizzled on top. A side dish of asparagus in brown butter and pignoli (pine nuts) was perfect paired with the fish.
Halibut in Prosciutto-Herb Cream Sauce
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup sliced green onions/shallots
4 large cloves, garlic, minced
4 8-oz. halibut fillets
4 slices prosciutto, cut into strips
2 Tbsp. lemon zest
4 Tbsp. chopped fresh Italian Parsley
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives
1/2 tsp. freshly grated black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup white wine
1 stick butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 Tbsp. capers, rinsed
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (to keep fish warm while preparing everything else).
In a medium skillet, warm 1 Tbsp. olive oil.
Saute the green onions/shallots and minced garlic. Do not brown the garlic.
In a medium bowl, mix together the lemon zest, Italian parsley, chives, pepper and salt.
Place the halibut fillets onto the mixture and coat all of the sides of the fish.
Place the herb-coated fish into the olive oil-shallots-garlic mixture in the skillet.
Toss in any remaining herb mixture to the skillet.
Cook the fish for 2 minutes on each side or until slightly golden. Do not overcook.
Place fish in an oven-proof dish in the hot oven while preparing the rest of the ingredients (for the sauce).
In the skillet that the fish was cooking in, place the prosciutto slices in whatever onions, garlic, and herbs remain. Cook for about 5 minutes.
Remove prosciutto and put to the side.
In the skillet, add the wine.
Cook the wine down to about a quarter cup of liquid.
Add the butter, cream, lemon juice, and the capers.
Re-add the prosciutto slices back into the sauce and warm.
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Taste. Taste. Taste!!!Halibut in Prosciutto-Herb Cream Sauce
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup sliced green onions/shallots
4 large cloves, garlic, minced
4 8-oz. halibut fillets
4 slices prosciutto, cut into strips
2 Tbsp. lemon zest
4 Tbsp. chopped fresh Italian Parsley
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives
1/2 tsp. freshly grated black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup white wine
1 stick butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 Tbsp. capers, rinsed
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (to keep fish warm while preparing everything else).
In a medium skillet, warm 1 Tbsp. olive oil.
Saute the green onions/shallots and minced garlic. Do not brown the garlic.
In a medium bowl, mix together the lemon zest, Italian parsley, chives, pepper and salt.
Place the halibut fillets onto the mixture and coat all of the sides of the fish.
Place the herb-coated fish into the olive oil-shallots-garlic mixture in the skillet.
Toss in any remaining herb mixture to the skillet.
Cook the fish for 2 minutes on each side or until slightly golden. Do not overcook.
Place fish in an oven-proof dish in the hot oven while preparing the rest of the ingredients (for the sauce).
In the skillet that the fish was cooking in, place the prosciutto slices in whatever onions, garlic, and herbs remain. Cook for about 5 minutes.
Remove prosciutto and put to the side.
In the skillet, add the wine.
Cook the wine down to about a quarter cup of liquid.
Add the butter, cream, lemon juice, and the capers.
Re-add the prosciutto slices back into the sauce and warm.
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Adjust the ingredients to what you prefer . . . do you like more lemon? Add a bit.
Or do you like it with more cream? Then add some more.
Maybe you think it needs more butter to tone down the lemon or wine? Add some.
I know that I played around with more butter and cream to tone down the wine and lemon from over-powering everything. I'm glad that I did. You be the judge for your own taste preferences.
Remove the fish fillets from the hot oven and plate them.
Pour the prosciutto cream sauce over the fillets and serve with a beautiful green vegetable!
Serve immediately!
Just look at the pale yellow sauce: All lemony and buttery!
Halibut in Prosciutto-Herb Cream Sauce
Brown ~ Butter Asparagus with Pignoli (Pine Nuts)
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With a new cookbook in hand, I've been pouring through wonderful vegetable recipes. Fast, Fresh, and Green by by Susan Middleton (2010) is just one of those references in which foodies can get lost in a multitude of ways to prepare fresh and flavorful vegetables. With asparagus in season, I selected this simple recipe to pair with the Halibut in Prosciutto-Herb Cream Sauce. It is so simple and so delicious. As the author states, "this recipe should be in your repertoire". She's right and it has now been added permanently to my recipe collection! Simplicity is often the best, which this asparagus in brown butter exemplifies!
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Brown-Butter Asparagus with Pignoli (Pine Nuts)
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1 bunch fresh asparagus, ends trimmed, cut on diagonal if preferred
4 Tbsp. butter (I doubled this from 2 Tbsp. in the recipe)
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/4 tsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice (I reduced this from 1/2 tsp. in the recipe)
freshly ground black pepper
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In a large frying pan, melt the butter until brown, but not burnt.
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Fill a large saucepan with water and add 2 tsp. salt.
Bring to a boil and drop the asparagus in.
Cook until crisp-tender, 3 - 4 minutes only.
Do not overcook, they will continue to cook in the butter.
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Drain the asparagus and place immediately into the butter-nut mixture.
Coat well.
Sprinkle with lemon juice, toss again.
Season with freshly grated black pepper.
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Serve immediately while asparagus is hot.
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With a new cookbook in hand, I've been pouring through wonderful vegetable recipes. Fast, Fresh, and Green by by Susan Middleton (2010) is just one of those references in which foodies can get lost in a multitude of ways to prepare fresh and flavorful vegetables. With asparagus in season, I selected this simple recipe to pair with the Halibut in Prosciutto-Herb Cream Sauce. It is so simple and so delicious. As the author states, "this recipe should be in your repertoire". She's right and it has now been added permanently to my recipe collection! Simplicity is often the best, which this asparagus in brown butter exemplifies!
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Brown-Butter Asparagus with Pignoli (Pine Nuts)
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1 bunch fresh asparagus, ends trimmed, cut on diagonal if preferred
4 Tbsp. butter (I doubled this from 2 Tbsp. in the recipe)
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/4 tsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice (I reduced this from 1/2 tsp. in the recipe)
freshly ground black pepper
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In a large frying pan, melt the butter until brown, but not burnt.
Add the pine nuts.
Cook until the pine nuts are a golden color, about 3 - 4 minutes more..
Fill a large saucepan with water and add 2 tsp. salt.
Bring to a boil and drop the asparagus in.
Cook until crisp-tender, 3 - 4 minutes only.
Do not overcook, they will continue to cook in the butter.
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Drain the asparagus and place immediately into the butter-nut mixture.
Coat well.
Sprinkle with lemon juice, toss again.
Season with freshly grated black pepper.
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Serve immediately while asparagus is hot.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Seasonal Saturday and Fresh, Clean, and Pure Friday
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.Ah choo! Snivvle, snivvle, cough, cough! With a stuffy nose, scratchy throat, filled sinuses, congested airways, and ringing ears due to the unbelievable high level of pollen in the air . . . resulting from the 'all-at-once', budding and blooming of foliage and flowers going on, I give you this week's Seasonal Saturday and Fresh, Clean and Pure Friday with 5 featured bloggers and their posts that were graciously shared last week. Please stop over and visit some of them if you can! Hopefully, you can share a link to one of your favorite posts too!
Joanna at Go Ahead and Snicker shared some irresistible, melt-in-your-mouth, chocolate-y treats in honor of St. Patrick's day last week: Marbled Irish Cream Brownies
Katherine, from Katherine's Corner linked up a post where she transformed her home by giving her kitchen a fresh new look and shows how to make a hydrangea bouquet: Kitchen Change-Up and Hydrangea Topiary
The Healing Home shared a great post on how to increase (with no expense involved) your garden abundance of forsythia and other woodie flower bushes, something that I'd love to: Forcing Flowering Branches Indoors
Martha at Seaside Simplicity really shows a new look in her de-cluttered lifestyle in her post on Spring Cleaning Entry De-Clutter. This is really a major de-clutter job!
And last but not least, Patti from Beauty From Your Kitchen shared a wonderful post on how to make Homemade Lemon Scrub that looks and probably smells good enough to eat!
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Yes, you can link up more than one post, that's OK! Just remember that I gently delete any post that is not related to the theme of how we are living seasonally, or how we are freshening and cleaning up our lifestyles. No giveaways, no coupons or trying to sell stuff, etc!
I do enjoy all of the posts that you share and do my best to get around and thank each of you personally for joining in! If I can't get to it, please forgive me.
Please remember to either grab the button (at the bottom of this blog) for this get-together and/or include a link back to 'la bella vita' ~ ~ it's just good blogger etiquette. Thanks for your kindness . . .
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Joanna at Go Ahead and Snicker shared some irresistible, melt-in-your-mouth, chocolate-y treats in honor of St. Patrick's day last week: Marbled Irish Cream Brownies 
The Healing Home shared a great post on how to increase (with no expense involved) your garden abundance of forsythia and other woodie flower bushes, something that I'd love to: Forcing Flowering Branches Indoors
Martha at Seaside Simplicity really shows a new look in her de-cluttered lifestyle in her post on Spring Cleaning Entry De-Clutter. This is really a major de-clutter job!
And last but not least, Patti from Beauty From Your Kitchen shared a wonderful post on how to make Homemade Lemon Scrub that looks and probably smells good enough to eat!
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Yes, you can link up more than one post, that's OK! Just remember that I gently delete any post that is not related to the theme of how we are living seasonally, or how we are freshening and cleaning up our lifestyles. No giveaways, no coupons or trying to sell stuff, etc!
I do enjoy all of the posts that you share and do my best to get around and thank each of you personally for joining in! If I can't get to it, please forgive me.
Please remember to either grab the button (at the bottom of this blog) for this get-together and/or include a link back to 'la bella vita' ~ ~ it's just good blogger etiquette. Thanks for your kindness . . .
Pin It
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Raspberry & Italian Mascarpone Stuffed French Toast!
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After a long, wonderful afternoon outside in the garden, my husband and I just lazily sat and watched college basketball all night. Well, actually my husband watched hoop games, while I read blogs and cookbooks! And because I had just bought a large package of perfectly ripe, red raspberries, I decided to break away from the sofa and make something special for breakfast. We really enjoy a good stuffed, baked french toast and that's where my mind wandered.
All of the ingredients were on hand, so at 10:00 PM, I didn't have to run to the store. This French toast casserole is just a snap to put together in order to set in the frig overnight. A simple layering of bread, cheese, and raspberries swimming in a pool of eggs and cream. A thick raspberry sauce is ladled on top after baking. That's all there is to it!
You're going to love this, in fact, it could even pass as a bread pudding dessert! My husband and I ate a second piece . . . directly out of the pan!
Raspberry and Italian Mascarpone Stuffed French Toast
Stuffed French Toast:
Cooking spray
12 slices white bread, cut into pieces (best to use a hardier bread such as Italian or Challah, older bread is also good to use)
2 (8oz) packages mascarpone, scooped out into chunks
2 cups fresh raspberries, divided
12 eggs, beaten
2 cups half and half
1/2 cup maple syrup
Raspberry Sauce:
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
4 tablespoons cornstarch
3 Tbsp. butter
Coat bottom and sides of 7x11" or 9x13" baking dish with cooking spray (if using the smaller size, bake it much longer due to the depth of the ingredients - - nearly one hour).
Place half of the bread pieces in the dish.
Scatter the chunks of cheese over the bread.
Scatter 1 cup of the berries over the mascarpone cheese.
Top with the remaining bread cubes.
In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, and syrup.
Pour over the bread mixture.
With a flat spatula, gently push down the bread so that every piece is soaked in the egg-cream-syrup mixture.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.
Remove foil and bake 30 minutes or more until puffed up.
** As mentioned above, if using the smaller baking pan size, as I did, the baking time is nearly one hour. I also turned the oven up to 375 during the last half hour of baking.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, whisk together the water, sugar, and cornstarch. Bring to a boil over medium high heat or until thickened.
Gently fold in the remaining 1 cup raspberries and the butter.
Stir until the butter melts.
Remove the French toast from the oven and serve immediately with the sauce.
We serve this French toast alongside our favorite sausage and thick-cut hickory-smoked bacon. A cold glass of fresh orange juice tops this breakfast off along with your favorite hot cup of java!
Pin It
After a long, wonderful afternoon outside in the garden, my husband and I just lazily sat and watched college basketball all night. Well, actually my husband watched hoop games, while I read blogs and cookbooks! And because I had just bought a large package of perfectly ripe, red raspberries, I decided to break away from the sofa and make something special for breakfast. We really enjoy a good stuffed, baked french toast and that's where my mind wandered.
All of the ingredients were on hand, so at 10:00 PM, I didn't have to run to the store. This French toast casserole is just a snap to put together in order to set in the frig overnight. A simple layering of bread, cheese, and raspberries swimming in a pool of eggs and cream. A thick raspberry sauce is ladled on top after baking. That's all there is to it!
You're going to love this, in fact, it could even pass as a bread pudding dessert! My husband and I ate a second piece . . . directly out of the pan!
Raspberries and mascarpone cheese
peaking out from the bread slices after baking!
A thick, sugar-sweet and buttery-smooth raspberry sauce
to pour over the stuffed, baked French toast
Mmmm, ready to dig in!
Raspberry and Italian Mascarpone Stuffed French Toast
Stuffed French Toast:
Cooking spray
12 slices white bread, cut into pieces (best to use a hardier bread such as Italian or Challah, older bread is also good to use)
2 (8oz) packages mascarpone, scooped out into chunks
2 cups fresh raspberries, divided
12 eggs, beaten
2 cups half and half
1/2 cup maple syrup
Raspberry Sauce:
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
4 tablespoons cornstarch
3 Tbsp. butter
Place half of the bread pieces in the dish.
Scatter the chunks of cheese over the bread.
Scatter 1 cup of the berries over the mascarpone cheese.
Top with the remaining bread cubes.
In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, and syrup.
Pour over the bread mixture.
With a flat spatula, gently push down the bread so that every piece is soaked in the egg-cream-syrup mixture.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.
Remove foil and bake 30 minutes or more until puffed up.
** As mentioned above, if using the smaller baking pan size, as I did, the baking time is nearly one hour. I also turned the oven up to 375 during the last half hour of baking.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, whisk together the water, sugar, and cornstarch. Bring to a boil over medium high heat or until thickened.
Gently fold in the remaining 1 cup raspberries and the butter.
Stir until the butter melts.
Remove the French toast from the oven and serve immediately with the sauce.
We serve this French toast alongside our favorite sausage and thick-cut hickory-smoked bacon. A cold glass of fresh orange juice tops this breakfast off along with your favorite hot cup of java!
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Saturday, March 19, 2011
A Spring Day At The Atlanta Art Museum: Toulouse~Lautrec!
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I've just returned from Atlanta where I attended a professional conference, at which time my daughter joined me for my last night in the city. She drove down from Knoxville, TN while on her Spring Break (she's an art teacher) to attend the art museum together. We always meet up once or twice a year in Atlanta to go to the High Museum for their wonderful special exhibitions. Sometimes we go shopping at the stores that are unavailable in TN or SC, and most of the time we'll go to a new restaurant for lunch. It's always a great time for both of us! The last exhibit we viewed was the collection of the incredible Salvador Dali' in November. This month, some of the works of the French bohemian artist, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec is on exhibit, who has been said to have "captured the spirit and emotion of the beautiful era in Paris".
I remember viewing some of his work during my one-time visit to Paris at the Louvre and Musee d'Orsee. What an experience to see Monet, Degas, and so many other French Impressionists on display! I have always loved French art and the unique style of Toulouse-Lautrec is one of my favorites. You see, this man illustrated life sort of on the seedier side of Parisian life and captured his experiences in oil and lithograph. I'm sure that you're familiar with the famous cabaret, Moulin Rouge (or possibly you recall the 2001 movie with Nicole Kidman or the seductive song by Byonce)? Well, if not, this is where the ladies of the night would sing and dance and . . . well, you know! Additionally, he frequented the Paris theatres and painted the wealthy patrons of the shows while in their private boxes.
To me, his work just takes one back to a time gone by, when Paris was the limelight for all artistic innovation and creativity. What an exciting time!
I think that all of us need to realize the importance that art plays in our lives. I'm very fortunate that I live in a state that values and supports art education and artists themselves. Life is simply more beautiful with the passionate work of these talented people who truly enhance our lives!
To learn more about Henri Toulouse-Lautrec and his art, {click here}, the official web-site by Chris Whitten.
And remember, try to never let a moment of beauty slip by in your life, especially when you have the chance to do so with your daughter or someone in your family or circle of dear friends. Pin It
All art images are courtesy of the official Toulouse-Lautrec Foundation web-site
I remember viewing some of his work during my one-time visit to Paris at the Louvre and Musee d'Orsee. What an experience to see Monet, Degas, and so many other French Impressionists on display! I have always loved French art and the unique style of Toulouse-Lautrec is one of my favorites. You see, this man illustrated life sort of on the seedier side of Parisian life and captured his experiences in oil and lithograph. I'm sure that you're familiar with the famous cabaret, Moulin Rouge (or possibly you recall the 2001 movie with Nicole Kidman or the seductive song by Byonce)? Well, if not, this is where the ladies of the night would sing and dance and . . . well, you know! Additionally, he frequented the Paris theatres and painted the wealthy patrons of the shows while in their private boxes. 
To me, his work just takes one back to a time gone by, when Paris was the limelight for all artistic innovation and creativity. What an exciting time!I think that all of us need to realize the importance that art plays in our lives. I'm very fortunate that I live in a state that values and supports art education and artists themselves. Life is simply more beautiful with the passionate work of these talented people who truly enhance our lives!
To learn more about Henri Toulouse-Lautrec and his art, {click here}, the official web-site by Chris Whitten.
And remember, try to never let a moment of beauty slip by in your life, especially when you have the chance to do so with your daughter or someone in your family or circle of dear friends. Pin It
Seasonal Saturday!
Hope everyone had an enjoyable St. Patrick's Day! It's just gorgeous outside this weekend, yesterday it was 84 degrees (F) and so Mother Nature is busy doing her thing. Trees are leafing out, more floral plants are budding and blooming (with a lot of pollen and sneezing that goes along with this). In continuation of yesterday's Fresh Clean and Pure Friday, I managed to put together, although briefly, five featured blog posts from last week that were shared here on Fresh, Clean, and Pure Friday/Seasonal Saturday. I've selected from each of the following areas: food, decor, garden, lifestyle, and crafts. I hope that you can find time to visit them and/or any that were shared last week. It was so hard to pick five . . . especially from the foodie blog posts . . . just mouth-watering recipes last week! There's quite the talented cooks/chefs out there that visit here. Check 'em out!click on 'read more' beneath my signature to read all of the shared and featured posts.
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Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Almost Wordless Wednesday!
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Savannah is one our favorite places to take a mini-vacation every spring. The azaleas bloom so much earlier along the coastal areas and are also much larger in size than the azaleas where we live further north in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. During March, we love to visit for just a brief two days and just lazily stroll along the lushly landscaped and manicured town squares. What a pretty lady, Savannah is, especially this time of year.
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Sunday, March 13, 2011
Fresh Green Hericot Vert with Roasted Vegetables
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For me, the color green is probably the most beautiful color on earth! When I lived in Arizona, someone once said to me in reference to the colors of the Southwestern landscape, "you're either a green person or a brown person", which at that time I realized that I'm definitely a 'green' person. In my natural surroundings, green just signifies life! But to many people at this time of year, the color green represents St. Patrick's Day! So in honor of this great saint, I prepared a lovely and mouthwatering side dish.
I wanted to use the small and delicate French green beans, known to many as Haricots Vert. The peppers in the market right now are so shiny and bright that I had to add them to the green beans. Roasting veggies is the way to go for us; by doing so their flavor is enhanced to perfection! The beans are also lightly coated with a warm garlic-onion-herb mixture with just a touch of lemon zest. This dish is so easy and healthy! The vivid colors of the vegetables truly stole the show from the grilled salmon that I served them with. We could have eaten the ENTIRE platter of these wonderful crunchy beans!
Haricot Vert with Roasted Vegetables
1 pound thin green beans (Haricot Vert), trimmed
4 Tbsp butter
8 green onions, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped fine
2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped fine
2 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped fine
1 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest
olive oil
1 medium sized tomato, diced
1/4th of a red pepper, diced
1/4th of a yellow pepper, diced
Freshly grated sea salt and black pepper
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
In a large frying pan, melt the butter and then add the sliced green onions and garlic. On medium-low heat, saute the onions and garlic. Watch them carefully, so they do not turn brown, which by that time, the garlic is burned. Take them off the heat as soon as a hint of golden comes to the garlic. You will re-warm this just before adding the beans so that everything is warm.
Meanwhile, coat a baking sheet with olive oil.
Scatter the chopped peppers and tomatoes on the baking sheet and roll them around to coat them well.
Sprinkle salt and pepper all over the vegetables.
Place the baking pan with the veggies on a middle rack and roast for 10 minutes, stirring around occasionally to make sure that all sides of the vegetables are roasted.
When water on the stove is boiling, add the Haricot Vert green beans, and cook for 4 minutes (or steam the beans, if you prefer).
Immediately transfer the beans to the frying pan and coat completely with the warm garlic and onion mixture.
Add the herbs and lemon zest to the bean mixture.
Gently mix everything together so that the beans are coated with the herbs, zest, garlic and onion.
Transfer the beans and garlic-onion-herb mixture to a platter.
Scatter the roasted vegetables on top.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve immediately.
This is simply one of the most beautiful and delicious side dishes ever!!
Pin It
For me, the color green is probably the most beautiful color on earth! When I lived in Arizona, someone once said to me in reference to the colors of the Southwestern landscape, "you're either a green person or a brown person", which at that time I realized that I'm definitely a 'green' person. In my natural surroundings, green just signifies life! But to many people at this time of year, the color green represents St. Patrick's Day! So in honor of this great saint, I prepared a lovely and mouthwatering side dish.
I wanted to use the small and delicate French green beans, known to many as Haricots Vert. The peppers in the market right now are so shiny and bright that I had to add them to the green beans. Roasting veggies is the way to go for us; by doing so their flavor is enhanced to perfection! The beans are also lightly coated with a warm garlic-onion-herb mixture with just a touch of lemon zest. This dish is so easy and healthy! The vivid colors of the vegetables truly stole the show from the grilled salmon that I served them with. We could have eaten the ENTIRE platter of these wonderful crunchy beans!
Just look at the color of these vegetables!!! Just gorgeous!
The Italian parsley and chives came straight out of my garden today; and I picked up those huge leaves of basil from Trader Joe's.
A bit of a blurry photo, but both my husband and I were super anxious to dig in and so the blurriness shows my excitement!
1 pound thin green beans (Haricot Vert), trimmed
4 Tbsp butter
8 green onions, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped fine
2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped fine
2 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped fine
1 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest
olive oil
1 medium sized tomato, diced
1/4th of a red pepper, diced
1/4th of a yellow pepper, diced
Freshly grated sea salt and black pepper
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
In a large frying pan, melt the butter and then add the sliced green onions and garlic. On medium-low heat, saute the onions and garlic. Watch them carefully, so they do not turn brown, which by that time, the garlic is burned. Take them off the heat as soon as a hint of golden comes to the garlic. You will re-warm this just before adding the beans so that everything is warm.
Meanwhile, coat a baking sheet with olive oil.
Scatter the chopped peppers and tomatoes on the baking sheet and roll them around to coat them well.
Sprinkle salt and pepper all over the vegetables.
Place the baking pan with the veggies on a middle rack and roast for 10 minutes, stirring around occasionally to make sure that all sides of the vegetables are roasted.
When water on the stove is boiling, add the Haricot Vert green beans, and cook for 4 minutes (or steam the beans, if you prefer).
Immediately transfer the beans to the frying pan and coat completely with the warm garlic and onion mixture.
Add the herbs and lemon zest to the bean mixture.
Gently mix everything together so that the beans are coated with the herbs, zest, garlic and onion.
Transfer the beans and garlic-onion-herb mixture to a platter.
Scatter the roasted vegetables on top.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve immediately.
This is simply one of the most beautiful and delicious side dishes ever!!
Just look at the HUGE size of the basil in comparison to the yellow pepper next to it. I've never seen such large basil leaves. Just incredible!
I just can't get enough of this color ~ ~ now, this is eye candy to me!
Friday, March 11, 2011
Seasonal Saturday with Five Featured Blogs!
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It's Spring Break for me! I'm so ready for this to get some things done around the house. The garden is calling, as well as are many recipes that I've dog-eared in magazines, saved on the Web, or torn out of a magazine! It's not just me that's itching to get things accomplished, but also after such a long winter, many bloggers are posting about how they've prepared spring ingredient-based recipes, engaged in spring-cleaning, and or are just getting outside to enjoy the change in the seasons.
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Last week I began featuring five inspirational bloggers from the previous week's Fresh Clean and Pure Friday/Seasonal Saturday linked-up posts. For those who are new here, these are the themes: a foodie blog, a decor blog, a nutrition/lifestyle change blog post, a gardening/nature blog post, and a blog post focused on anything miscellaneous (quilts, hand-made items, thoughts, etc.) that matches the theme of this get-together. Here are those blogs and their posts from last week that captured the season of spring and/or how we're freshening up our lives! I hope you can take a moment to visit some of these blogs for their great inspiration!
Kim, at Stirring The Pot, featured a classic combination in her recipe for Pastina with Peas and Carrots. I love spring peas and really enjoyed the addition of carrots in this creamy pasta. The colors are so fresh and representative of spring. Kim's recipes never fail to satisfy her family's and her readers' tummies. Ya gotta check her blog out!
Three generations of women, Diane, Andrea and Emma, have created a neat concept for their blog, Tablescape Times Three, where they choose the same dinnerware and create three different tablescapes and ideas. It is really interesting to see how the three different generations design their own individual style of preparing their table setting!
Danielle's blog, Analytical Mom, focuses on so many concepts that are near and dear to my heart and to many bloggers as well: family, food, health, sustainability, and abundant life . . . what a great overall life focus! I selected Danielle's post on raising chickens because this woman is truly making a lifestyle change . . . she has adopted a family member's chickens and is taking on a whole new world in doing so.
Birds must be on a lot of people's minds lately, they certainly are the trend, along with butterflies, in interior decor right now. LindyLouMac is an ex-patriot who is living not only her dream . . . she has moved to Italy with her husband. She blogs about life in Italy, events that she attends, the music that she enjoys, and the simplicity of life around her. In this post from News From Italy, she captures one of the hardest things via camera . . . birds! To me, birds and their sweet songs, are a sure sign of spring!
Susan over at Pandora's Cottage, took a couple of old, rusty retro aluminum yard chairs that I've always loved, and returned them to their glory in her post on recycling and re-using these beautiful, classic chairs for your yard or garden! I can just imagine rocking in the shade in one of these old chairs with a tall glass of ice tea on a summer day!
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So now it's time once again to share one of your posts . . . and as always, I do gently remove any post trying to sell stuff, giveaways, coupons, etc. Posts need to relate to anything fresh, clean and pure in your life, or one that is seasonal.
.
Please be kind and link back to this blog too . . . thanks for your blogging etiquette!
Pin It
It's Spring Break for me! I'm so ready for this to get some things done around the house. The garden is calling, as well as are many recipes that I've dog-eared in magazines, saved on the Web, or torn out of a magazine! It's not just me that's itching to get things accomplished, but also after such a long winter, many bloggers are posting about how they've prepared spring ingredient-based recipes, engaged in spring-cleaning, and or are just getting outside to enjoy the change in the seasons..
Last week I began featuring five inspirational bloggers from the previous week's Fresh Clean and Pure Friday/Seasonal Saturday linked-up posts. For those who are new here, these are the themes: a foodie blog, a decor blog, a nutrition/lifestyle change blog post, a gardening/nature blog post, and a blog post focused on anything miscellaneous (quilts, hand-made items, thoughts, etc.) that matches the theme of this get-together. Here are those blogs and their posts from last week that captured the season of spring and/or how we're freshening up our lives! I hope you can take a moment to visit some of these blogs for their great inspiration!Three generations of women, Diane, Andrea and Emma, have created a neat concept for their blog, Tablescape Times Three, where they choose the same dinnerware and create three different tablescapes and ideas. It is really interesting to see how the three different generations design their own individual style of preparing their table setting!
Birds must be on a lot of people's minds lately, they certainly are the trend, along with butterflies, in interior decor right now. LindyLouMac is an ex-patriot who is living not only her dream . . . she has moved to Italy with her husband. She blogs about life in Italy, events that she attends, the music that she enjoys, and the simplicity of life around her. In this post from News From Italy, she captures one of the hardest things via camera . . . birds! To me, birds and their sweet songs, are a sure sign of spring!.
So now it's time once again to share one of your posts . . . and as always, I do gently remove any post trying to sell stuff, giveaways, coupons, etc. Posts need to relate to anything fresh, clean and pure in your life, or one that is seasonal.
.
Please be kind and link back to this blog too . . . thanks for your blogging etiquette!
Pin It
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Mushroom Tart with Three Cheeses
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Sometimes each of us goes on some sort of binge with one or two types of food or ingredients. Currently for me, I've just had a huge weaknesses for all things fungi . . . mushrooms that is! Plus mushrooms are in season for such a long time throughout the year. Even a simple dish of sauteed mushrooms is enough to make me happy. I can't even imagine going to a steakhouse without ordering a side of sauteed in warm butter - - 'shrooms! I just love the meaty, buttery taste of mushrooms either alone or included in a dish with other ingredients.
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I found this recipe in a Fine Cooking magazine special publication on breakfasts a few months ago and knew that I just had to make it. Talk about simple and easy, and oh yes, tasty. Of course I had a few changes to amp up the flavor a bit too!
First of all, I doubled the cheese by adding the zingy tastes of both Asiago and Pecorino-Romano cheeses to the subtleness of Fontina cheese. What a difference this made! I also doubled the garlic and Italian parsley . . . I mean, "why not?" ;-)
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This was truly a delicious puff pastry tart with the adjustments that were made . . . so much flavor with a delicate and flaky puff pastry that is so light and airy. The mushroom tart was also better after it sat for about 10 minutes. I just loved this recipe and I know that it will have repeat performances for both family and friends as either an entree, side dish, or cut into smaller pieces for appetizers!
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Mushroom Tart with Three Cheeses (Fontina, Asiago & Pecorino-Romano)
For the mushrooms:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 - 3 Tbsp. butter
1 lb. mixed fresh mushrooms, wiped clean, trimmed and sliced 1/4" thick
4 cloves garlic, minced (I doubled this from 2 cloves)
Freshly ground sea salt and black pepper
4 Tbsp. chopped, fresh Italian parsley (I doubled this from 2 Tbsp.)
Chopped fresh herbs: chives, oregano, thyme (or your favorite dried Italian blend)
For the tart:
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, left out to thaw for about 45 minutes
Flour to dust a wooden board or surface
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup grated Fontina cheese
1/4 cup grated Asiago cheese (my addition)
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese (my addition)
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Prepare the sauteed mushrooms:
Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saute pan over medium heat until butter foams.
Add garlic and mushrooms.
Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. sea salt and stir until the mushrooms start to release their moisture and begin to shrink, 2 - 3 minutes.
Increase heat to medium-high so that you hear a steady sizzle; stir occasionally.
In about 5 minutes, when liquid evaporates and mushrooms begin to brown, give just an occasional sweep with the spoon (about once a minute) to let the mushrooms brown nicely, cooking them another 2 - 4 minutes.
Resist desire to stir to often.
Turn off heat and toss in the parsley and pepper to taste, adding more salt if needed.
Add other herbs.
Set aside to cool.
To prepare the tart:
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Meanwhile, thaw the puff pastry at room temperature until pliable, 45 minutes.
Position a rack on the bottom rack of the oven at 425 degrees F.
Lightly dust work area with flour.
Unfold the pastry sheet and roll into rectangle about 10 x 15 inches, and about 1/16" thick.
Slide it onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
With the exception of about an inch border around the edges of the pastry, prick the pastry all over with a fork.
With a pastry bush, brush the beaten egg over the border only (you won't need all of it, so fry it up and either eat it or give to your puppies like I did).
Bake until the pastry begins to puff and the surface feels dry, about 5 minutes.
Scatter the sauteed mushrooms onto the pastry, leaving an inch of the border uncovered.
Bake until the crust border is puffed and deeply golden brown, about 10 minutes.
Scatter the cheese over the mushrooms and continue baking until the cheese melts, another 5 minutes.
Let cool briefly on a rack.
Slide tart off of the pan and parchment paper.
Slice and serve.
.
.
.
I found this recipe in a Fine Cooking magazine special publication on breakfasts a few months ago and knew that I just had to make it. Talk about simple and easy, and oh yes, tasty. Of course I had a few changes to amp up the flavor a bit too!
First of all, I doubled the cheese by adding the zingy tastes of both Asiago and Pecorino-Romano cheeses to the subtleness of Fontina cheese. What a difference this made! I also doubled the garlic and Italian parsley . . . I mean, "why not?" ;-)
.
This was truly a delicious puff pastry tart with the adjustments that were made . . . so much flavor with a delicate and flaky puff pastry that is so light and airy. The mushroom tart was also better after it sat for about 10 minutes. I just loved this recipe and I know that it will have repeat performances for both family and friends as either an entree, side dish, or cut into smaller pieces for appetizers!
.
.
Mushroom Tart with Three Cheeses (Fontina, Asiago & Pecorino-Romano)
For the mushrooms:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 - 3 Tbsp. butter
1 lb. mixed fresh mushrooms, wiped clean, trimmed and sliced 1/4" thick
4 cloves garlic, minced (I doubled this from 2 cloves)
Freshly ground sea salt and black pepper
4 Tbsp. chopped, fresh Italian parsley (I doubled this from 2 Tbsp.)
Chopped fresh herbs: chives, oregano, thyme (or your favorite dried Italian blend)
For the tart:
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, left out to thaw for about 45 minutes
Flour to dust a wooden board or surface
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup grated Fontina cheese
1/4 cup grated Asiago cheese (my addition)
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese (my addition)
.
Prepare the sauteed mushrooms:
Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saute pan over medium heat until butter foams.
Add garlic and mushrooms.
Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. sea salt and stir until the mushrooms start to release their moisture and begin to shrink, 2 - 3 minutes.
Increase heat to medium-high so that you hear a steady sizzle; stir occasionally.
In about 5 minutes, when liquid evaporates and mushrooms begin to brown, give just an occasional sweep with the spoon (about once a minute) to let the mushrooms brown nicely, cooking them another 2 - 4 minutes.
Resist desire to stir to often.
Turn off heat and toss in the parsley and pepper to taste, adding more salt if needed.
Add other herbs.
Set aside to cool.
To prepare the tart:
.
Meanwhile, thaw the puff pastry at room temperature until pliable, 45 minutes.
Position a rack on the bottom rack of the oven at 425 degrees F.
Lightly dust work area with flour.
Unfold the pastry sheet and roll into rectangle about 10 x 15 inches, and about 1/16" thick.
Slide it onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
With the exception of about an inch border around the edges of the pastry, prick the pastry all over with a fork.
With a pastry bush, brush the beaten egg over the border only (you won't need all of it, so fry it up and either eat it or give to your puppies like I did).
Bake until the pastry begins to puff and the surface feels dry, about 5 minutes.
Scatter the sauteed mushrooms onto the pastry, leaving an inch of the border uncovered.
Bake until the crust border is puffed and deeply golden brown, about 10 minutes.
Scatter the cheese over the mushrooms and continue baking until the cheese melts, another 5 minutes.
Let cool briefly on a rack.
Slide tart off of the pan and parchment paper.
Slice and serve.
An assortment of 'gourmet blend' mushrooms (below).
The mushrooms after an awesome saute in butter, olive oil, garlic and herbs!
A close-up peek at this gorgeous puff pastry and the mushrooms blanketed by the cheeses!
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