Creamy Asparagus Pasta With Peas and Mint from NYT

  • 1 teaspoon fine sea or table salt, more as needed
  • 1 pound short pasta, such as campanelle
  • 1 pound asparagus (about 1 bunch), trimmed
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ¾ cup frozen green peas (no need to thaw)
  • 4 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced
  • ¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ¾ cup heavy cream
  • ¾ cup grated Parmesan, more for serving
  • 1 lemon, zested and halved
  • ½ cup chopped fresh mint (or use parsley, basil or dill), for serving
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook pasta until al dente according to package directions.
  2. As the pasta boils, slice asparagus stems into ¼-inch-thick pieces; leave asparagus tips whole.
  3. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add asparagus, peas, scallions and red-pepper flakes. Cook until vegetables are bright green and just tender (but not soft or mushy), 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more. Season with the salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper; pour mixture into a large serving bowl.
  4. To the same skillet, add the heavy cream, ½ cup grated Parmesan and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Simmer until reduced and thick, about 2 to 3 minutes. Return vegetables to the skillet and toss with the sauce to reheat.
  5. When the pasta is done, reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain well.
  6. Immediately put the hot pasta in the same bowl you used for the vegetables and toss with remaining ¼ cup grated Parmesan, lemon zest and mint. Add vegetable-cream mixture and the juice of half a lemon, and toss well. If the mixture looks thick, add a little pasta water to loosen it; it should be saucy. Taste and season generously with salt, pepper and more lemon juice as needed; it should taste bright and lively. Serve, topping each bowl with more Parmesan, mint and a drizzle of olive oil.

Spiced Chickpea Stew With Coconut and Turmeric

  • ¼ cup olive oil, plus more for serving
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 (2-inch) piece ginger, finely chopped
  •  Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric, plus more for serving
  • 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans full-fat coconut milk
  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 bunch Swiss chard, kale or collard greens, stems removed, torn into bite-size pieces
  • 1 cup mint leaves, for serving
  •  Yogurt, for serving (optional)
  •  Toasted pita, lavash or other flatbread, for serving (optional)
  1. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large pot over medium. Add garlic, onion and ginger. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally until onion is translucent and starts to brown a little at the edges, 3 to 5 minutes.
  2. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric, 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, and the chickpeas, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, so the chickpeas sizzle and fry a bit in the spices and oil, until they’ve started to break down and get a little browned and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove about a cup of chickpeas and set aside for garnish.
  3. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, further crush the remaining chickpeas slightly to release their starchy insides. (This will help thicken the stew.) Add coconut milk and stock, and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any bits that have formed on the bottom of the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until stew has thickened, 30 to 35 minutes. (Taste a chickpea or two, not just the liquid, to make sure they have simmered long enough to be as delicious as possible.) If after 30 to 35 minutes, you want the stew a bit thicker, keep simmering until you’ve reached your desired consistency. Determining perfect stew thickness is a personal journey!
  5. Add greens and stir, making sure they’re submerged in the liquid. Cook until they wilt and soften, 3 to 7 minutes, depending on what you’re using. (Swiss chard and spinach will wilt and soften much faster than kale or collard greens.) Season again with salt and pepper.
  6. Divide among bowls and top with mint, reserved chickpeas, a sprinkle of red-pepper flakes and a good drizzle of olive oil. Serve alongside yogurt and toasted pita if using; dust the yogurt with turmeric if you’d like.

Baked Greek Shrimp With Tomatoes and Feta from NY Times

Extra-virgin olive oil
3 large shallots, diced, about 1 cup
4 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper

  • 2 pounds large ripe tomatoes
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 ½ pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 4 ounces Greek feta cheese
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 tablespoons roughly chopped mint

 

  1. Put 4 tablespoons olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 to 8 minutes. Lower heat as necessary to keep mixture from browning. Remove from heat while preparing tomatoes.
  2. Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add whole tomatoes and cook for about 2 minutes, until skins loosen. Immediately plunge tomatoes in a bowl of cold water to cool, then drain. With a paring knife, core tomatoes and slip off skins. Cut tomatoes into thick wedges.
  3. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Return skillet to stove over medium-high heat. Add tomato wedges and season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, until mixture is juicy and tomatoes have softened, about 10 minutes. Transfer mixture to a shallow earthenware baking dish.
  4. Put shrimp in a mixing bowl. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, season shrimp with salt and pepper and stir to coat. Arrange shrimp over tomato mixture in one layer. Crumble cheese over surface and sprinkle with oregano.
  5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until tomatoes are bubbling and cheese has browned slightly. Remove from oven and let dish rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with mint and serve.

Salsa Verde by Mario

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  • 1/2 cup Fresh Parsley Leaves
  • 1/4 cup Fresh Fennel Fronds
  • 1/4 cup Fresh Mint Leaves
  • 1/4 cup Fresh Chervil
  • 2 tablespoons Capers (drained)
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
  • 1 tablespoon Crushed Red Chile Flakes
  • 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
  • Meanwhile, combine all of the Salsa Verde ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until a chunky paste is formed. Check seasoning, adjusting as needed.

Strawberry Mint Mojito

Strawberry_Mint_Mojito_Blogger

8-10 mint leaves
8  strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
2 oz white rum
1/2 fresh lime, juiced
10 oz club soda
2 1/4 oz simple syrup

In cocktail shaker muddle the simple syrup, strawberries, and fresh mint leaves until just fragrant.  Combine strawberry mixture rum and club soda with ice and pour in a glass. Garnish with a sprig of mint and serve immediately.

 

Watermelon Summer Salad

3/4 cup halved, thinly sliced red onion
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 1/2 quarts seeded, cubed watermelon
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup pitted black olive halves
1 cup chopped fresh mint
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

 

1. Place the onion slices in a small bowl with the lime juice. The acid of the lime will mellow the flavor of the raw onion. Let stand for 10 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, combine the watermelon cubes, feta cheese, black olives, onions with the lime juice, and mint. Drizzle olive oil over it all, and toss to blend. Dig in and be prepared for a pleasant surprise!

Notes: I used about 1/3 c. red onion, less cheese, did not measure the watermelon used 1/2 of a small bullet melon.  Used about 1/4 c. mint, and a small can of black olives–next time use MORE,