Spring Vegetable Tortellini Salad

Now that spring is in full swing and the warm weather is here, I'm constantly on the look out for new dishes to try that  don't require me to use my oven. Since I love pasta salads, especially when they are made with tortellini, as soon as I saw this one, I knew it was bound to be on our table. Since Joel is obsessed with prosciutto, I knew that this would win bonus points with him, too. I made this salad to go along with some grilled sausages, since I'm apparently all about the side dishes (at least that is what Joel says), but I think this would also be a great stand alone meal on a hot day in the summer. Light, refreshing, and delicious--the best words to describe this salad. 

For the Salad:
9 ounces Fresh Cheese Tortellini (I used a 12 ounce frozen bag…turned out perfectly)
1/2 pound Asparagus, woody ends removed
1/2 cup Frozen Peas
2-3 slices Prosciutto, chopped 
1/4 cup Herbs, chopped (I used parsley and thyme) 
Dressing, recipe below 

Cook the tortellini according to package directions. Cut the asparagus into 2-inch pieces and add them to the tortellini for the last 2 minutes of cooking time. Drain the pasta and asparagus and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain again. Toss with the peas and set aside. In a small skillet over medium heat, cook the prosciutto until crispy and lightly browned, stirring often. Drain on a paper towel. In a large bowl, toss the tortellini, asparagus, peas, and herbs. Top with the dressing and stir until combined. Sprinkle with the prosciutto and serve. Serves 4.

For the Dressing:
1 teaspoon Lemon Zest
Juice from 1/2 Lemon
1 tablespoon White Wine Vinegar
Salt and Pepper
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
Tiny squeeze of Honey

 Combine the zest, lemon juice, salt, pepper, olive oil, and honey in a jar with a lid. Make sure that the lid is tightly secured and shake the jar until the ingredients have combined. 

SOURCE: Pink Parsley

Pickled Jalapeño Peppers

It's Secret Recipe Club reveal day. How has it been a month already? This past month, I was assigned to Jane's wonderful blog, The Healthy Beehive.  I enjoyed reading about her healthy way of life up in the mountains of Colorado, and her cheese making skills! While I would have loved to make a cheese recipe, I wasn't sure where I could find the ingredients around here, so I started searching for something else to try. I ended up choosing these jalapeños because we tend to eat a lot of Mexican food, and I thought it would be a great added touch to those dishes. A great added touch is quite the understatement! These jalapeños took about 10 minutes to throw together and cost about $1 to make! That's my kind of recipe! SInce making these, we have enjoyed them on burgers, tacos, on top of nachos, and even just out of the jar. When I get an overabundance of jalapeño peppers from my garden this summer, I am coming right back to this recipe so I can enjoy it again! Thanks for sharing, Jane!

8-10 Jalapeño Peppers, sliced
1/2 Red Onion, cut into slices
5-10 Garlic Cloves, depending on your tastes
2 cups White Vinegar
1 teaspoon Oregano
2 tablespoons Salt

Mix the vinegar, oregano, and salt in a pan over medium heat. Cook until the salt dissolves, then let it cool. Meanwhile, layer the jalapeños, onion, and garlic in a quart-sized jar. Pour the cooled vinegar over the top, cover the jar, and put it in the fridge for at least 24 hours. Enjoy!  (I successfully halved the recipe and it fit perfectly in a 12 ounce jar)

SOURCE: The Healthy Beehive

Roasted Sweet Potato Risotto

We love risotto and always look for new ways to enjoy it, so it's no surprise that I bookmarked this dish as soon as I saw it. Apparently so did my sister-in-law, because she made it as a side dish one night when we went over for dinner, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since. So, a few weeks ago, I opened the recipe and made it as our main dish. It was every bit as delicious as I remembered. While it is somewhat time consuming to make risotto, it is also somewhat therapeutic to stand over the stove after a long day at work and stir it as it starts to come together. I don't know why, maybe I'm just crazy! One note: I've tagged this recipe as vegetarian because you can totally leave out the bacon and it would still be delicious, but bacon is so good, so we went with it!

1 Sweet Potato, peeled and chopped
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon Paprika
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
3 tablespoons Olive OIl
2 tablespoons Butter
1 Shallot, diced
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio Rice
1 1/3 cups Dry White Wine
4 cups Vegetable Stock
1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese
4 Bacon Slices, cooked and crumbled (optional, but delicious)
3 tablespoons Chopped Herbs (I used parsley)

In a bowl, combine the sweet potatoes with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and paprika, tossing well to coat. Spread the seasoned sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, tossing every 8-10 minutes. Remove and mash until pureed, then set aside. Meanwhile cook the bacon, if using.  Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the butter. Add the shallots and a pinch of salt and cook for 2-3 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Increase the heat slightly and add the rice, stirring to coat. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring a few times, until the rice is translucent and begins to toast. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the wine. Continue to stir while the rice absorbs the wine. When most of the wine has been absorbed, add about 1/3 of the vegetable broth. Continue to stir until the stock has been absorbed, then add another 1/3 of the stock. Continue the process until the final 1/3 of stock has been absorbed; about 25 minutes total. (*You may need to add additional stock if your risotto is still chewy, but 4 cups was perfect for us). Reduce the heat to low and stir in the sweet potato puree and parmesan cheese. To serve, place the risotto in a bowl and top with additional cheese, a sprinkling of herbs, and crumbled bacon, if desired. 

SOURCE: Barely adapted from How Sweet It Is

Parmesan Panko Crusted Squash

I'm a fan of all things squash. In the summer I try to get my fill of zucchini and yellow squash and once the weather turns cool, I switch to acorn and butternut varieties. I bought a butternut squash last week with the intention of pairing it with some sort of protein, which when I showed Joel my meal plan, he decided it would be fish. Since we knew we would buy the fish the day that we made it, that particular meal got pushed back over a week. Tonight was the night that it finally got made. Joel picked up a piece of swordfish for himself and a few shrimp for me and cooked them both in a butter-herb sauce and we paired it with this squash dish. As we were eating, Joel stated that he was secretly dreading this meal because "fish and squash" just didn't sound that appetizing (can't say I blame him), but after taking the first bite, we were regretting not making it sooner. I think that this mixture of Parmesan, panko, and herbs would be delicious sprinkled on absolutely anything, be it another vegetable or even chicken or fish. I definitely foresee a version of this dish on our table again in the near future!

1 1/2 pounds Butternut Squash, skin on 
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
3 tablespoons Panko Bread Crumbs
5 tablespoons Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
2 teaspoons Fresh Thyme, finely chopped (or 3/4 teaspoon dried)
Zest of 2 Lemons, divided
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil

Cut the squash into 1/3-inch thick slices and spread them out on a baking sheet. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan, panko, parsley, thyme, half of the lemon zest, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Brush the squash with olive oil and sprinkle with the bread crumb mixture, patting it gently with your hands to be sure it adheres. Roast the squash at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until the squash is fork tender. Sprinkle the squash with the remaining lemon zest. 

SOURCE: Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice

Shaved Asparagus Salad with Bacon and Havarti

This month for Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned to Without Adornment, written by the very talented Bean. If you haven't checked out her site yet, please do. Her recipes are all gluten free and her photography (food, people, and landscapes) is phenomenal! The recipe I chose to make was one that she had chosen to make as her SRC pick back in February. I've seen shaved asparagus salads around the many blogs I read, but never made them, so I decided that now was as good a time as any to finally give it a try. The verdict? Well worth the wait! I added the poached egg that was written in the original recipe, and omitted the onions that Bean had added, although I bet they would have been a delicious addition. Either way, I think it would be a perfect side salad for a summer picnic. As for flavor, the tanginess from the dressing really compliments the freshness of the asparagus. Add bacon, egg, and cheese and I am one happy girl! Thanks, Bean, for sharing your recipes and photography!

4 thick slices Bacon
1 pound Asparagus
2 ounces Havarti, shredded
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
3 tablespoons Tarragon or White Wine Vinegar, divided
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
2-4 Eggs
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Cook the bacon in a large pan over medium heat, until crispy (or, use the bacon method, which my husband is obsessed with). Meanwhile, bring a large, deep skillet full of water to a boil. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the asparagus into paper-thin ribbons (I found this difficult, so I just sliced each stalk as thin as I could with a knife). Submerge the asparagus ribbons in the boiling water for 1 minute. Remove the ribbons with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Reduce the heat under the pan of water so that the water steams and moves a bit in the pan but is not at a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to the water. Gently crack the eggs into the pan, working in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding. Let the eggs poach for about 4 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon. In a small dish, whisk together the olive oil with the remaining vinegar and mustard. In a large bowl, combine the asparagus, crumbled bacon, and cheese and coat with the dressing. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Divide the salad between two plates and top with the poached eggs. 

SOURCE: Without Adornment