Lemon Linguini with Peas & Prosciutto

I cooked.  And I took pictures.  I guess that means I'm back.

Back from where? From ten different states, 14 different beds (plus one tent), more than 40 days away from home.  From hosting seven guests from Brazil, from translating EVERYTHING, all day long... I'm back from writing math curriculum on the East Coast, being a bridesmaid in Denver, and traveling up and down the West Coast.  From attending four different weddings and shooting one -- my very first.

Yup, I'm back. My husband even said so last night when he came home to a house that smelled of good ol' homecooking... "Ahh, Babe, you're back."

LEMON LINGUINI WITH PEAS & PROSCIUTTO

Adapted from EVERYDAY FOOD, June 2006

SERVES 4  •  PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 20 MINUTES

ingredients

·        12 ounces linguini (I used Trader Joe’s garlic-herb linguini for extra flavor)

·        2 tablespoons butter

·        2 shallots, finely chopped

·        1/2 cups of whole milk

·        ½ tablespoon flour

·        1 small package of frozen peas, thawed

·        8 sliced prosciutto, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

·        1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

·        1 tablespoon zested lemon peel

·        ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

directions

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot.
2. Meanwhile, make sauce: In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat; add shallot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add milk, flour, peas, and prosciutto; bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Simmer until peas are heated through, 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Stir in lemon zest and juice. Pour sauce over pasta; add Parmesan, and season generously with salt and pepper. Add enough reserved pasta water to thin sauce as desired. Serve immediately; top with additional Parmesan, if desired.

 COST: $10.45     COST PER SERVING (4): $2.61

Nutritional Information
calories 338.1   •    total fat 16.2g    •    fiber 2.8g    •    sugars 4.3g   •    protein 17.5g

Viva Farmer's Market! (Carrot and Pea Soup with Dumplings)

Two weeks ago I found a farm stand on the side of the road on our way to the beach.  (Yes, farm stand and beach appeared in that sentence, and yes, two weeks ago was January.  Man, I love living in California!)  We have driven past it many times but always found some good reason why we couldn't stop.  Too cold from the ocean, too hot from the sun, too... lazy.  But we did, and it rocked my world.

$12.15 later, we walked out of there with bags and bags of produce... tangerines, sweet potatoes, leeks, garlic, onions, pears, apples, and more.  That week, instead of making my menu first and then finding the produce to go with it, I looked at what I had and thought, "What can I do with these leeks?  How about these sweet potatoes?"

Success.

Since we weren't going to drive past this farm stand this past weekend we walked down to the Farmer's Market.  In the last city we lived in the farmer's market was kind of hoity-toity.  Sure, there was good stuff there, but mostly it was orchids and perogies and $5 heads of lettuce.  But where we live today it is a whole different story.  It is what I truly want from a farmer's market -- fruits and veggies, honey and cheese, all grown/made in our own backyard, sold at a good price.  We walked out of there, once again, bags full of produce, pockets still full of money.

Radishes, beets, carrots, more sweet potatoes (as you can tell, I have a thing for them...), onions, cilantro, and whole lot more.  And once again I made my grocery list based off of that.  Broccoli beef stir-fry one night, sweet potato and arugula pizza the next; salads galore and fresh garlic cheese to munch on.  My grocery list for the store?  Nine items.  NINE.

My menu planning will never be the same.

One of those nine items on the list: peas.  That was all that was separating us from being able to make one of our favorite soups.  The farmer's market supplied us with the carrots, onions, celery, and parsley; my pantry provided the flour, baking powder, and vegetable stock.  And in the fridge we found milk, butter, and Dijon mustard.  Put it all together and we had ourselves some warm, hearty soup.  Perfect for these cold winter evenings.

And by cold I mean 45*F ;)

Carrot and Pea Soup with Dumplings
Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray Everyday, March 2011

ingredients

• 2 tablespoons EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil)

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 3 carrots--peeled, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

• 2 rib  celery, chopped

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• Salt and pepper

• 1 fresh bay leaf

• 2 rounded tablespoons flour

• 1 32 ounce container  (4 cups) chicken or vegetable stock

• 1/2 tablespoon dijon mustard

• 1 cup frozen peas
• FOR DUMPLINGS:

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley or dill

• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 3/4 cup buttermilk (or milk +bit of white vinegar)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

directions

1. Heat a couple of tablespoons EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat in a large soup pot or dutch oven. Add the butter to melt, then add the carrots, celery and onion; season with salt, pepper and the bay leaf. Cover the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots soften, 7 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle the flour on the vegetables and stir for a minute, then whisk in the chicken (or vegetable) stock until thickened. Stir in the mustard and peas. For a thinner soup, add 1 to 1 1/2 cups water with the stock.
2. Add the chopped fresh parsley to the flour, buttermilk, baking powder, and salt.  Mix well to form batter. When the soup is bubbling, form the batter into small dumplings using 2 spoons, then drop onto the surface of the soup. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and cook the dumplings, gently stirring, until just firm, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the soup and dumplings to shallow bowls; discard the bay leaf.

COST: $4.19  COST PER SERVING (4): $1.05

Sandwiches really are food... (Chilled Pea Soup with Egg Salad Sandwiches)

I grew up eating sandwiches.  Lots of PB&J (because it is THE BEST), tuna, turkey and avocado, ham and cheese, egg salad sandwiches, grilled cheese... shoot, I could keep going, but I won't.  The point is this: I ate sandwiches and they were good and I was full and that means they are real food.

Except, not everybody agrees with me. 

The first time I encountered this attitude was in college.  It was a rainy day, grey and cold.  Perfect for grilled cheese and tomato soup, right?  Right.  Especially grilled cheese with tomato and avocado.  But a friend of mine (from Guatemala) saw what I was making for dinner and said, "Aren't you going to eat real food?"  WHAT?  That sandwich and bowl of soup was real food.

A couple of years later I was visiting my boyfriend (now husband) in Brazil and there was interesting conversation I had with someone there.  It went something like this:

Her:  Here in Brazil we eat natural sandwiches, not like you guys in America.

Me:  What do mean? 

Her:  We don't eat hamburgers all the time.  We eat sandwiches with vegetables in them... like carrots and lettuce.

Me:  We do, too... that's what a sandwich is, most of the time...

Her:  No, you guys just eat hamburgers.  But we have real sandwiches.  With real food.

Me:  But that's what a sandwich is.  A hamburger is not a sandwich, it is a burger; they're different.

Her:  No, at McDonald's it says, "Sandwiches" and then there are hamburgers and cheeseburgers.  That's it.  But we have real food in our sandwiches.  That's why they are called natural sandwiches.

Me:  *Just shakes head*  Ok...

Leave it to McDonald's to teach the world that we only eat hamburgers and have no idea what a sandwich can actually be...

Fast forward to now.  My husband has always understood that we have "real food" in our sandwiches.  That has never been the question.  But whether or not sandwiches are "real food" is another debate all together.  He willingly eats them but tends to have a hard time believing sandwiches, especially when paired with soup, can be a light meal.

Gratefully for me, he is a fan of sandwiches.  We frequent Togo's often and hit up Giugni's whenever we are in the area.

Shoot, who am I kidding?  We have been known to make the 6 hour round trip just to get Giugni's.  So yes, we eat sandwiches.  Me.  Him.  Both of us.  And we like them.

I pointed out one day that when we eat, say, a grilled cheese with turkey, avocado, tomatoes, and a side of tomato soup, we have all the elements we would have if it wasn't in sandwich form.  Meat/protein?  check.  Veggies (or fruit that masquerades as veggies)? check.  Bread?  check.  It is just all squished together. 

"Good point," he said.

But when I asked him today if he considered them to be "real food" yet, he said, "Well, it is different than I am used to so I never crave it, but yeah... it counts.  I guess." 

I guess.

Oh well, you can't win them all, right?

That doesn't mean have I to surrender, though.  So chilled pea soup and egg salad sandwiches it was last night.  PERFECT for a warm summer evening.  Well, the soup was a little interesting, but I think with some green onions, maybe some turkey bacon crumbled on top, and a little bit of cheese it would be fabulous.  And egg salad sandwiches with arugula?  Win!

Pea soup with egg salad sandwiches (AKA Real food)

Soup recipe adapted from EVERYDAY FOOD, June 2012. 

FOR THE SOUP:
3 Tablespoons butter
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
4 cups shelled English peas
2 cups buttermilk
salt and pepper

In medium pot, melt butter over medium heat over medium heat.  Add onions and garlic and saute.  Add one cup of water and let cook 7 minutes or until onion is soft.  Add peas and cook about 4 minutes.  Put in blender along with buttermilk and blend until smooth.  Using a fine-meshed sieve with a large bowl underneath, separate solids from liquid.  Push down on solids to extract as much liquid as possible (this part takes time and patience).  Add salt to taste.  Put soup in fridge to cool, one hour.  Sprinkle pepper (and any other toppings you like) on top when ready to serve. 

FOR THE SANDWICHES:
6 hard-boiled eggs
2 Tablespoons mayo
1 teaspoon mustard
1 rib celery, diced
baby arugula
bread

Peel the eggs and cut into small pieces.  Mix with mayo, mustard, and celery.  Build sandwiches, placing arugula in the sandwich.

COST: $7.79     Cost per serving (4): $1.95

Snow Pea Salad

This past week when I was gone I had the privilege of eating good food without any thought put into it.  Dinners out, dinner in, breakfast and lunch, it was all provided.  One of the perks of being a guest in a very kind home. 

And it was great!  Everywhere we went, whether in the house or out and about, the food was GOOD.  This was how I always imagined my life would be -- great food and little effort.  I used to have it all planned out... you know, marry someone who loves to cook and then I would be in charge of the dishes.  Sounded great to me. 

But I can tell you that times have changed.  Yes, I loved having all this food just appear -- it is like magic.  No thought, no planning, just sit and eat.  How easy!

It only took a couple of days, however, before I missed my little kitchen.  Not neccessarily the food in it because I was truly enjoying all the food there, but I missed the time spent in my little kitchen. 

I missed chopping vegetables.

Crazy, I know.

So this week, back in my own home, I am setting out to try new dishes.  The days are long and summer is here, perfect for preparing light and simple fare.  The first thing I tried out was to go with the beans, rice, and chicken I had left over in the fridge: snow pea salad. 

Let me warn you, the dijon makes it a tad bit spicy, but not spicy spicy, just a little bit spicy.  Good spicy.  But go easy on the Dijon or else it will be spicy spicy.  And if you are looking for some fiber in your life, this is your dish.  Super simple and just the right bit of zest to go on a bright colored plate along side kebabs or whatever else you like to eat on warm summery nights.

 

SNOW PEA SALAD

Recipe adapted from EVERYDAY FOOD, June 2012

INGREDIENTS:
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound snow peas
salt to taste

DIRECTIONS.:

1. Mix mustard, vinegar, and olive oil together.
2. Shred snow peas.  I used the food processor with the blades out and the shredder side up on the slicer.
3. Mix and put salt.  Serve cold.

Viola!

COST: $2.70       Cost per Serving (4):$0.68

October Unprocessed: Split Pea Soup (Tiffany Style)

I know, I know, that doesn't look like soup, it looks like mush... but it is on purpose, trust me.

As I have said many times before, I love soup.  LOVE it.  And split pea soup?  Oh man, one of my favorites.  I can't count the numerous times I have opened a can of Andersen's Split Pea Soup, dropped it into the pot with some water, and five minutes later enjoyed the whole thing by myself, completely savoring every bite.  It used to be a staple ingredient in my diet.  And add some Gouda on top... maybe some crumbled bacon... oh yeah.

However, I have never been a fan of soupy split pea soup.  I have always added less water than it calls for and cooked it until it was thick.  So that gloopy mess you see up there?   That is the way I like it.  Kind of like split pea mashed potatoes.  Paulo on the other hand, likes it soupy.  So we compromised.  Soupy the first night and let it sit, and then mushy the next night.  Ahh... left overs.  Slimy green leftovers.  The dinner of champions.

And it really is the dinner champions.  You want to know the ingredients?  All natural, all plant based.  No bullion cubes, no dairy, nada.  I took that made-from-scratch vegetable stock left over from the other day, threw in some more carrots, celery, and onion, added a little more water, and of course -- the peas.  Dropped in two bay leaves and a bit of salt, let it simmer for two hours (while I did whatever I jolly well felt like) and ta-da!  Dinner, my friends, was served.  Originally, it looked something like this:

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So, nothing but veggies.  Did it taste good?  Oh yes!  Paulo says we don't even need to go to Pea Soup Andersen's anymore.  I say, "Well... we'll see."  Like I said, I love pea soup, and I cannot imagine ever turning it down.

INGREDIENTS:
2 carrots, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 lb. split peas
2 bay leaves
3 cups vegetable stock
2 cups water if you want it mushy, 3 cups if you want it more soupy
1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:
Bring all ingredients to boil in large pot.  Lower heat to medium low and simmer for 1-2 hours, until the peas separate and it reaches the desired consistency. 

COST: $2.70                    PER SERVING (4): $0.68
Add bread and butter -- still under a buck.  Woot-woot!