SpringSummer

That was a fabulous 20-minute Spring we had there, with little bursts of winter and summer intermingled!  Here in Georgia my pansies are usually done for by mid-March, at which point it gets too hot.

Nuh-uh.  I ripped their thriving selves out of the ground in late May.  I mean, I've killed lots of plants in my day, but never on purpose.  And oddly, the geraniums I planted two years ago (that never bloomed) and the dwarf hydrangea I planted three years ago (that never bloomed) are ALL BLOOMING.  Maybe my Darwinian approach to gardening - hey, if you can tough it out then you can stay - works.  Eventually.

So I could make all kinds of excuses about why I haven't been cooking or posting or whatever, but I'm tired of everyone else's excuses so I should extend the ban to myself.  This Asparagus-Ricotta Tart is really more of a crustless quiche; there's no tart pan necessary, no dough, no problem just using a skillet.

I do have to recommend Calabro ricotta cheese if you can find it.  It is far superior to any of the mass-market brands (sorry, stuff in the red tub).  Since there are only a few ingredients in this dish, they all have to be high quality.

From Good Housekeeping.  Go figure.  This makes a terrific brunch dish, especially with a side of cantaloupe.  I've also brought it to work, with a spinach-strawberry salad, for lunch.

Understand that there is ONE step to the directions.  This is my kind of recipe.  And I would even say that if you have a 9-inch round cake pan, that would be fine to use instead of the skillet.  Either way, give it a good coating of cooking spray.

Asparagus Ricotta Tart
Good Housekeeping

Ingredients

• 15 ounce(s) ricotta cheese (I used Calabro part-skim.  Because it's awesome.)
•  4 large eggs (I used 3 eggs and 2 egg whites, for calorie purposes)      
• 1/4 cup(s) freshly grated Parmesan cheese (FRESHLY GRATED.  If all you have is the Kraft green can stuff then make something else for dinner.  Sorry.)      
• 1/4 cup(s) milk  (I didn't have any!  I used about 2 TBSP of water.  If I'd had sour cream I would've thrown a dollop in a 1/4 cup measure and thinned it with water.  If you try that, please let me know how it turns out.)
• 3 tablespoon(s) snipped chives (Didn't have any of those, either.  I used about 2 TBSP of fresh thyme from my garden, and 1 thinly chopped green onion ALSO from my garden).
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt (Whatever.  No one measures this.)
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) pepper (Or this.)
• Asparagus spears, trimmed to fit (8 to 12 spears should do it)   
• Some diced ham would also be very tasty in here; call it 1/4 cup.   

---

Directions

1. Mix first seven ingredients together and pour mixture into 10-inch nonstick oven-safe skillet; top with asparagus spears and bake in 375 degrees F oven for 40 minutes.

And the 2012 word is.....

People who are way more serious about blogging than me - probably because they're much better at it - decided they'd all choose a word for 2012. Something that embodies a goal, something that speaks to a quality to develop.

I was specially invited - as an adult who can read and write in English - to participate. See if you can figure out my goal from the following:

a) I'm eating leftovers for dinner.
b) I went to Lowe's today and didn't buy one.single.thing.
c) Tomorrow should be the last day I have paint splatters on my nails.

Possibly, you were thinking along the lines of being a cheap-ass frugal as a worthy 2012 goal. And indeed it is, and it will probably be a by-product of my actual goal... which is to FINISH what I've started.

I'm surrounded by projects that range from too-started-to-pretend-it-isn't to done-except-for-the-last-15-minutes-that-would-make-the-already-invested-14-hours-really-be-worth-it. Is anyone nodding their head in agreement?

What does this "finishing" mean?
1. I have materials and I have plans. Those both need to make sweet, sweet love and become A Thing. For example - I have 4 Goodwill picture frames for prints I've purchased over the years. It's time these crazy kids got together, spray painted or whatever, and decided to hang out on my wall. Any wall. I'm not picky (much).

2. I throw out too much food - hence the leftovers as part of my sly teaser above. I need to FINISH what I cook. Good for the wallet, good for the earth. Sorry, but it's true - and in fact, it (curried chicken with brown rice) was delicious.

3. I'm REALLY looking forward to a time, probably not in the near future, but someday, when I can come home and not have a pile of Projects To Do all over the place, making me feel guilty and tired just by looking at them. Probably wishful thinking, but I can at least do better than I am now.

All that said, what - says the food blogger - is something I DID finish? Well a few things, actually, including a great end-table for our living room that gives much-needed storage, and this terrific frittata.

It was in Fitness magazine (which I finished reading all the way through, thank you) in September, 2010. And I finally got around to making it two weeks ago. Unlike other frittatas there are no potatoes, so it's a little more of a crustless quiche.

The best part is its adaptability. I try to get at least 10 different vegetables into our diet per week, so the asparagus here was perfect. I also added some sauteed country ham bits.

Variations to substitute for all the veggies:
Sundried tomatoes, spinach, and mushrooms (season with oregano). Mozzarella will work; personally, I love goat cheese with sundried tomatoes. Decadence!
Extra mushrooms (sauteed) and thyme (fresh if possible), maybe some smoked gouda
Corn, black beans, cumin (1/2 tsp, maybe?), cheddar or pepper jack instead of goat cheese, and a little hot sauce or chili powder

Kitchen Sink Frittata
Fitness magazine

6 eggs
6 egg whites
1 cup skim milk
1 cup sliced mushrooms
4 stalks asparagus, cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces on the diagona
2 cups arugula (or spinach)
2 ounces crumbled goat cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Whisk together eggs, egg whites, and skim milk.

Mist a 10- or 12-inch ovenproof skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Sautee mushrooms, asparagus, arugula (or spinach) until veggies are tender, about 5 minutes.

Pour egg mixture over the top - don't stir - and sprinkle with goat cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes until golden.

Finally! Rutbuster!

It was bad, y'all. New recipes, none of them fantastic. Then not even any new recipes that I wanted to try.

Oddly enough, life went on. And by "went on" I mean that Mr. Stinkycheese has been working his !@#$ off and I started re-caulking the windows and - wait - this scraper is not supposed to go straight through wood. Nor is wood supposed to splinter and crumble like foam.

This can't be good.

For some reason I expected Mr. Stinkycheese to know what to do, even though he's a first-time homeowner as well. "Your dad has rehabbed a lot of old houses. Should we call him?" I said. "I know what he'd do" replied Sweetie. "He'd have someone who knows what they're doing come out and fix it."

What a GREAT idea! Ever mindful of the time, I quickly changed clothes, consulted the computer, and high-tailed it to Chef Nancy's baby shower. Whew, that was a close one!

The window frame is being fixed (and caulked, might I add) and I even found a recipe to celebrate with. It would never have occurred to me to serve tuna with cannellini, but it rocked. Asparagus was the perfect side dish.

If you're also looking for new ideas - and not at the expense of your Nostinkycheese perusal - I highly recommend cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com. Tell them Stephanie sent you.

Pan-Seared Orange Tuna with White Beans

2 tablespoons grated orange zest (I didn't have any, it was fine)
2 tablespoons firmly-packed brown sugar (too much! I'm going with 1 TBSP next time)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons ground mustard
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons finely minced fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon coarse salt
2 teaspoons coarsely ground pepper

4 (4 to 6-ounce) 1-inch thick sushi quality tuna steaks
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice (I didn't have oranges, so Tropicana it was)
1 tablespoon Champagne or white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups cooked white beans (right out of the can and rinsed, as far as I'm concerned)
1/4 cup shredded fresh basil leaves

In a small bowl, combine the orange zest, brown sugar, garlic, mustard, cumin, basil, salt and pepper. Reserve 1 tablespoon of this mixture for seasoning the white beans. Rub the remaining mix on the tuna steaks, coating them well.

In a heavy bottomed sauté pan warm the olive oil. Increase the heat to high and place the tuna in the pan. Sear for 1 minute, then turn over carefully, reducing the heat to medium. Sear the other side for 1 more minute until medium rare. Remove from heat.

In a large saucepan whisk the orange juice, vinegar, and reserved spices. Bring to a simmer. Add the white beans and basil, tossing well until hot.

Place the beans on a large platter or individual serving plates; drizzle with olive oil. Place tuna steak over the beans and serve. Makes 4 servings.

And again!

The beating sun. Sweat. Running. Yelling. Uniforms and shin guards. The blur of the ball and the cheering (and jeering! WTF?) from the sidelines.

The threat of vuvuzelas.

Yes, it was 9- and 10-year-old soccer this afternoon. A brutal confrontation between our niece, Cutie, and her across-the-street neighbor ("Oh, hey, mind if I take this ball?" "Well, I guess it's your turn.").

It was unusual to spend a Saturday afternoon with my husband. Being a two-career couple Sweetie (Mr. Nostinkycheese) and I spend most Saturdays separately, catching up on Life Chores. Our Saturday night dinners are a great time to sit down to a hot meal, relax, chow down on whatever I picked up at the Farmer's Market, and pretend we're adults with real jobs.

We liked the Asparagus Chicken Roulade so much that we had it two weekends in a row. Of course, having all the ingredients on hand had nothing to do with it ("Can we please use up this prosciutto???"). Last weekend I had rice as a side dish, which was fine but just fine. This weekend I sliced a carrot and yellow squash, sauteed with garlic, and topped with parsley. Fab either way. For anyone who can't have dairy, just double the prosciutto and leave out the goat cheese.

Asparagus Chicken Roulade
Ladies' Home Journal (seriously?), Sept. 2010

4 (1 3/4 lbs total) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and black pepper
4 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
8 asparagus stems, cut into 2 1/2-inch pieces

1. Heat broiler to high with rack 4 inches from heat (Steph note: you know your oven, and in mine the chicken will be burned on the outside before it's cooked on the inside if I put it that close to the heating element. Adjust accordingly). Line a baking sheet with foil; set aside.

2. Slice chicken breasts horizontally into 2 thin pieces, using the sharpest knife you have. If necessary, layer between sheets of plastic wrap and pound to 1/4 inch thick. Lay chicken, smooth side down, on work surface. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Spread each with 1/2 tsp of Dijon. Layer with prosciutto, goat cheese and asparagus. Roll up, starting at the wide end of each breast. Place on the baking sheet, seam side down.

4. Coat lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with pepper. Broil until chicken is cooked through and tops are golden, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through.

Not THAT Kind of Blood Orange

My brand-new salad craving is heightening my fear that turning 40 will make me a Responsible Adult. Or, at the very least, cement my Old Enough To Know Better status. I'm filing for an extension since I'm clearly not ready.

Or perhaps it's just a continuation of the "sashaying to the beat of my own accordion" that I've pretty much always done. At least my newfound obsession, the dark chocolate covered pretzels at Trader Joe's - is keeping a sense of normalcy.

Over the weekend I threw some fish on the grill and made this tasty salad. Two things to work around - a) oranges and asparagus are generally not in season at the same time - sliced apples would work much better than the dry, styrofoam-y oranges I was able to get, and b) how the hell do you "shave" asparagus? They're skinny spears. You have to hold onto them somewhere. They're floppy. For the life of me I couldn't figure out how to pull that off without also pulling off a layer of skin.

Our chopped asparagus salad turned out just fine. The dressing is terrific. Thyme, which grows in my herb garden, substitutes just fine for tarragon, which I didn't plant.

Shaved/Chopped Asparagus Salad with Orange-Tarragon Vinaigrette
Vegetarian Times

1/3 cup raw hazelnuts or almonds
1 large shallot, peeled and minced (3 TBSP)
3 TBSP white wine vinegar (or regular white vinegar)
1 TBSP chopped fresh tarragon leaves (or thyme)
2 tsp. orange zest - about 1 orange
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
7 TBSP olive oil (I used 5)
1/2 pound fresh asparagus (8 to 10 medium-size spears)
6 cups mixed spring greens
2 navel oranges

[If using hazelnuts - preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place hazelnuts on baking sheet and toast 15 minutes, or until skins darken and split. Rub nuts between two towels until skins come off. Cool, then coarsely chop]

1. Whisk together shallot, vinegar, tarragon/thyme, orange zest, and mustard in bowl. Whisk in oil. Season with salt and pepper. I didn't whisk, I just combined everything in a cruet and shook it.

2. Peel asparagus into long, thin strands with a peeler. Then e-mail me a video about how you did it.

3. Toss with greens in bowl.

4. Peel oranges with knife, removing white pith. Slice between membranes, and cut orange segments directly into salad, letting juice drip into bowl. Toss salad with nuts and 3 TBSP dressing. Serve remaining dressing on the side.

Best.Vegetables.Ever

It's far from a perfect world, but a perfect recipe exists. For years I've proclaimed Cooking Light's Asparagus [or Green Beans] With Balsamic Browned Butter to be their best vegetable recipe ever, and possibly my favorite of any source. In CL's anniversary issue (20 years, I think) they reviewed their very best ever recipes in various food categories, and they agreed with me that they outdid themselves on this one. And it's straightforward enough to be this week's No Fuss/Learn To Cook recipe.

Much to my surprise I'm still finding asparagus at the DeKalb Farmer's Market, and it's not crazy expensive, either. At least not any more crazy expensive than asparagus is in the summer... Fresh green beans work fabulously well with this sauce instead of asparagus, as will zucchini or yellow squash (I like to make a melange of zucchini and yellow squash to add color to the plate).

I've served this asparagus with simply grilled fish, with roasted chicken, with pork tenderloin - all kinds of things, very simply prepared. The key, particularly if you're new to culinary adventures, is to have only one strongly flavored dish per meal. If you're serving herb-crusted rack of lamb, then plain mashed potatoes will work soooo much better as a side than rosemary roasted potatoes. It's the culinary equivalent of over-accessorizing.

According to this very detailed article on asparagus (who knew there was so much to say??), select asparagus that is firm and green, with compact tips. If it's soft, sparse-looking on the flower end, or yellowish, skip it. And since this is roasted, get the thicker spears if you can, since thin will cook very quickly and will need to be watched carefully.

Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Browned Butter
40ish asparagus spears, trimmed (about 2 pounds)
Cooking spray
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or two or three dashes of regular table salt)
3 or 4 twists of black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce (or Tamari, if you need a gluten-free option)
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (it has to be balsamic for the sweetness; other vinegars will be too sour and won't work)

1. Trim the asparagus by snapping off the woody end wherever it naturally snaps. If you're crunched for time and can't sweet-talk someone into doing this step for you, just line up the asparagus on your cutting board, ends aligned, and chop about the last 2 inches off.

2. If you need easy cleanup, line a baking sheet with foil and spritz the foil with cooking spray. Skip the foil if you wish.

3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

4. Arrange the asparagus on the baking sheet so that none of the spears are overlapping. This will help them to cook evenly. Spritz the asparagus with cooking spray.

5. Sprinkle the asparagus with salt and pepper. Bake for 12 minutes (check on it at 10; if it's a little brown, take it out).

6. Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook for 3 minutes or until slightly browned, stirring occasionally. You can do this step while the asparagus is in the oven.

7. Remove the skillet from the heat; stir in the soy sauce and the balsamic vinegar.

8. Drizzle over cooked asparagus. My preference is to move the asparagus into the serving dish, then drizzle. Toss the asparagus to make sure all pieces have some of the sauce.

I honestly don't know how well the leftovers keep, because we never have any left.