Asparagi al Forno

Devine! I almost ate the whole plate myself.

1 1/2 lbs asparagus
1/2 c olive oil, separated
1/2 tbsp sea salt or other coarse salt
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp capers
1 egg, boiled with the white and yolk separated and chopped
1 scallion, sliced thinly

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Remove the tough/woody ends of the asparagus, then toss the remaining stalks with sea salt and 1/4c. of the olive oil. Spread the asparagus on a baking sheet and roast for 8 minutes. While the asparagus is roasting combine the remaining 1/4c. olive oil, vinegar, capers, egg white, and scallion with a whisk. Remove the asparagus from the oven, place it on serving plate, pour the vinaigrette over, and sprinkle it with the chopped yolk. Serve warm.

Orecchiette with Mini Chicken Meatballs

I made this for a dinner party the other night and it was so great for both kids and adults. Full of fresh ingredients, it's a perfect summer pasta dish! Not a cheap dish, but worth it for the flavors and healthy ingredients.

NOTE: I tried substituting chopped sausage without the skin and it was so good and easier than making the meatballs!

Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

• 1 pound orecchiette pasta
• 1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon whole milk
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 3/4 cup grated Romano
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock, hot
• 4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 8 ounces bocconcini mozzarella, halved
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, parsley, eggs, milk, ketchup, Romano cheese, and the salt and pepper. Add the chicken and gently stir to combine.

Using a melon baller (or a teaspoon measure), form the chicken mixture into 3/4-inch pieces. With damp hands, roll the chicken pieces into mini meatballs.

In a large (14-inch) skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the meatballs and cook without moving until brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Turn the meatballs over and brown the other side, about 2 minutes longer. Add the chicken stock and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to low and simmer until tomatoes are soft and meatballs are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta water. Transfer pasta to a large serving bowl and add the Parmesan. Toss to lightly coat orecchiette, adding reserved pasta water, if needed, to loosen the pasta. Add the meatball mixture, mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 cup of the basil. Gently toss to combine. Garnish with the chopped basil.

Green Vegetable Risotto

Somehow, all my weekend cooking ended up green, and not in any shade that photographs well. An otherwise very good lentil-based curry turned a yellow-ish green with shreds of cabbage adding to the overall effect. And I tried my hand (for the first time!) at a risotto but fell short of the pearly white dish I was going for. I think I would have been better off using homemade vegetable stock, or at least watering down my store-bought variety. It gave the rice a slightly yellow shade, offset by the green vegetables. The risotto was particularly good though, so here's the recipe without an accompanying picture ;-)

INGREDIENTS (serves 6):

300 g of Arborio rice (or other types of rice appropriate for risotto)
1 litre of vegetable stock
80 g of butter
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
1 glass of white wine
100 g of green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
100 g of peas, fresh or frozen
100 g of asparagus, frozen, cut into 1-inch pieces
parsley, chopped
100 g of Parmesan cheese, grated
oil
pepper

PREPARATION:

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add olive oil and stir in onion and fry for 3 to 4 minutes until just golden. Add garlic and stir about 2 more minutes.

Add rice while still stirring. Continue stirring and add white wine. Once all the wine has been absorbed or has evaporated, add the vegetables and cover with broth. Stir and let simmer in a soft murmur (no boiling waters) until the liquid has been absorbed. Gradually add water or stock about 1/4 cup at a time. Continue stirring. As liquid is absorbed add another 1/4 cup. Continue stirring and adding stock or water until mixture reaches desired consistency and rice is tender.

When the rice is ready, mix in pepper, butter and Parmesan cheese. Add parsley and serve.

The recipe comes from marmiton.org. It's not hard but it's extremely time consuming, so this is not good on a day when you are in a rush! Count on being at the stove almost an hour, stirring the rice while it cooks.