Let's just pretend there is no snow outside and it's not frigid. If we think happy, warm thoughts then the warm sweet sunshine will come back...deal?
What I love about spring is the vegetables and fruit that are available. Those sweet peas, fresh asparagus, crisp spring onions, snappy radishes, sweet bok choy and leafy lettuce, tart fennel, luscious strawberries, warm oranges, honeydew and the list goes on.
I purchased free English peas from Trader Joes. They are fresh and crisp and ready to go. You can buy and shell the peas if you wish, Sprouts has fresh peas you can shell occasionally. Odds are in Salt Lake you're not harvesting your own because of the wonky weather, but maybe, who knows. I would not use frozen peas for this, but if you need to, do not blanch them, just thaw them before pureeing.
1 pound of linguini or spaghetti (I used a gluten free capello brand linguini from whole foods)
1 1/4 cups of frozen baby peas
1/2 cup of fresh oregano
1/2 cup of fresh spinach
3 cloves garlic, smashed
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
1/2 of cream (I used coconut creamer, you can also use Greek yogurt)
salt and black pepper
Blanch the peas for 30 seconds. Remove and drain, and place in a bowl of ice-cold water.
Add the blanched peas, oregano, spinach, garlic and cream/yogurt to a food processor, process until smooth. Season to taste and Parmesan cheese.
Prepare the pasta as directed.
Coat the warm linguini in the pea purée.
Serve with a good drizzle of olive oil.
I can't claim this next recipe, I wish I could. It is by far the best risotto I've ever had or made. First I had this at a friends house and she was so lovely to share it with me. I can now say I can make it solely from scratch so once you've tried it, you'll want to make it over and over and it will become second hand too. Recipe Here
Artichoke, Asparagus Risotto5 cups chicken broth/you can also use veg. If you're gluten free, watch the ingredients
1 cup water
1lb thin to medium asparagus, trimmed and cut into sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 stick of butter/vegan/margarine
3/4lb shittake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps chopped (You will find them in the produce section by the regular mushrooms up on the high shelf)
4 artichokes from a can or jar, chopped in to quarters
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 1/2 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup wine (OR)
1 splash of lemon or white wine vinegar about 1 tbsp and 1/4 cup grape or apple juice
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Bring broth and water to a boil in a 4 quart pot. Add asparagus and cook, uncovered, until crisp-tender, 3-4 minutes. Transfer asparagus with a slotted spoon to a large bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking, then drain and pat dry. Keep broth at a bare simmer, covered.
Heat oil with 1/2 of the butter in a heavy saucepan over moderately high heat, then saute mushrooms and shallots, stirring until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add rice and cook, stirring, 1 minute to coat with onion and mushroom, butter and oil. Add wine/or alternative liquid and cook, stirring, until absorbed, about 1 minute.
Ladle in 1 cup simmering broth and cook at a strong simmer, stirring, until absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue simmering and adding broth, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently and letting each addition be absorbed before adding next, until rice is just tender and looks creamy, 18-20 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan, remaining butter, and salt and pepper to taste. Gently stir in asparagus, artichokes, and mushrooms, then cover pan and let stand 1 minute. If desired, thin risotto with some of remaining broth. Makes 4 servings.
This next recipe is new to me. I've not tried it yet, but it's my plan this weekend. You can serve it on roasted pork, sliced steak with braised chicken. Recipe Here
Strawberry Avocado Salsa1 cup finely chopped strawberries
1/4 cup finely chopped peeled avocado
2 Tbs. finely chopped red onion
2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp. grated fresh lime zest
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
2 tsp. finely chopped seeded jalapeno pepper
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Gently toss and serve immediately. Serve with toasted pita wedges or tortilla chips. If you'd like to try the cinnamon tortillas like in the photo, it's a good sweet flavor profile that's unique and kind of a surprise.
Take whole wheat tortillas, or a gluten free option like a corn tortilla. Spray with cooking spray, I used coconut spray because it's nutty and tropical and then slice them into triangles. Arrange on a baking sheet, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and a sprinkle of salt and bake at 350o until slightly golden.
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