Featured Recipe: Herby Asparagus and Leek Gnocchi with Scallops
Yippeee! yahooo! It’s SPRING!
Why am I so excited, you may ask? Well, you probably don’t ask–who doesn’t like spring?
I am so excited because… Continue reading
Category Archives: Italian
Spring Fever: Asparagus!!!
A bowlful of heaven: Ragu Bolegnese
Featured Recipe: Ragu Bolognese
Featured Wine: Chianti
I went out for a mommies night out with Linda from KidFriendlyDC* and some other cool moms from DC.
Let’s pause. I. Went. Out. Can you say, wooo hooooooo?
Outburst over. Continue reading
Spring Love: Shrimp & Pea Risotto
Featured Recipe: Shrimp & Pea Risotto
Hey, East Coasters. Been enjoying the mild winter? You’re welcome.
Oh, did I just take credit for the 50 degree sunny days in February? You tell me: Continue reading
New Years Resolutions, Minestrone
Ok, it’s resolutions time! Yes, I’m a few days late, but a girl’s got to finish her holiday, right? Now that it’s back to work, back to reality, I’m ready to commit. So, my resolutions are……………(drumroll, please)
1. Eat healthier
2. Workout more
3. Spend less money
Wow, original, right?
So here I was on Monday night, armed with my resolutions, trying to figure out what to make for dinner. It’s cold. I want something comforting. And filling. And delicious. Unfortunately lobster mac and cheese isn’t going to help me with those pesky resolutions.
Minestrone! It’s warm and comforting. The whole family loves it. If you’ve never seen a 3-year old chowing down on big chunks of kale, it’s worth it alone to make this. It’s healthy–only 4 Weight Watchers points per bowl. It’s cheap–about 10 bucks for the whole batch, or less than $1 per bowl. And it works out for you. Well, 2 out of 3 ain’t bad (watch for my next post on Meatloaf).
Fall farmers market veggie dinner
At the farmer’s market the other day, kale was in abundance. At one farmer’s stand I found red russian kale, which I’ve never tried before. The perveyor described it as sweeter than regular kale so I happily brought it home for a try. Quickly braising it with smoky bacon and sweet onions, and serving over a rich Parmesan polenta made a delicious, quick, and vitamin-filled dinner for our family. Braised kale over Parmesan polenta paired with a hearty zinfandel is a perfect way to eat your veggies!
Ode to the Pea
I know spring is here when I see the peas arrive at the farmer’s market. I was excited that this year the peas arrived just as my son was ready to start eating vegetables. At my farmer’s market, we are lucky enough to be able to buy already-shelled sweet peas, so I went ahead and bought 4 pounds the first week they were available. I probably ate a good pound of them raw while I contemplated how I would use them all.
Growing up on a farm, raw peas were one of my favorite delicacies. After school I would come home and pick peas and shell them for dinner–but I’d always end up eating at least half. To my surprise, my husband and my in-laws had never tasted a raw pea before I brought them home. This year my son is too young to eat raw peas, but I hope next year he’ll enjoy raw peas as much as I do!
For Nicholas, I made perfect pureed peas. For my husband and I, I made a simple and delicious Risotto Milanese paired with an Arneis–a medium bodied Italian white wine from Piemonte.
