Roasted Asparagus wrapped in Proscuitto
Lemon Pasta with Parmiggiano and Basil
Peppered Filet Mignon with Green Beans
Lemon Pasta with Parmiggiano and Basil
Peppered Filet Mignon with Green Beans
Cheese course: Delice de Bourgogne and Pagnotta
Nectarine and Blueberry Crisp with Amaretti Cookie Topping
Nectarine and Blueberry Crisp with Amaretti Cookie Topping
The asparagus really impressed Sean and he'd do it again. It is an ideal starter since they should be served room temperature. Toss asparagus spears with bit of olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast at 450 degrees for about 7 minutes (for skinny stalks). Cut paper thin slices of prosciutto (paper thin cuts provided by professional meat cutter at meat counter, NOT at home) in half and wrap each stalk with half a slice of prosciutto. Done.
The Lemon Pasta I would tweak a bit differently next time, but it wasn't bad. It's nice to have a simple pasta if you're going to do a pasta course. Boil 1 lb of some long pasta (like fettuccine or linguine) and while it's cooking, in a bowl squeeze 2 lemons, grate about 3/4 c of parmesan cheese, add salt and pepper and whisk with some oil, about 1/3 cup if your calorie count can handle it. I also grated some of the lemon zest in there for added zing. Add the pasta once it's done, tossing some of the pasta boiling water in there to keep it loose. Chop some basil and sprinkle on top, adding more cheese and zest as you feel led.
Sean has a way with steaks done indoors. We are apartment dwellers with no grill, so we do them stovetop and oven. And no one complains. I do love a good char from a grill, but until we have one, this is fine with me. Let me know if you're interested and we'll pass on the rules.
The green beans have long been one of my favorites; most of my family has eaten this recipe of mine at some point. No one can turn these down. No one. (Chris). It's a nice change from the "boil 'em till they can't fight back" method we use down south. These are practically a Pretentious Salad in themselves. And no matter when you ask me, I want them right now.
Irresistable and Quick Green Beans
Handfuls of green beans (snap beans), sliced in half length-wise if you wish
Lemon zest
parsley
Olive Oil, salt, pepper
Sean has a way with steaks done indoors. We are apartment dwellers with no grill, so we do them stovetop and oven. And no one complains. I do love a good char from a grill, but until we have one, this is fine with me. Let me know if you're interested and we'll pass on the rules.
The green beans have long been one of my favorites; most of my family has eaten this recipe of mine at some point. No one can turn these down. No one. (Chris). It's a nice change from the "boil 'em till they can't fight back" method we use down south. These are practically a Pretentious Salad in themselves. And no matter when you ask me, I want them right now.
Irresistable and Quick Green Beans
Handfuls of green beans (snap beans), sliced in half length-wise if you wish
Lemon zest
parsley
Olive Oil, salt, pepper
Pine nuts, toasted
Boil the beans in salted water until just tender. Toss with chopped parsley, lemon zest, a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, and pine nuts. Devour. This can almost always be done from start to finish while the main course is cooking. Yes, it sounds simple, but something about it is so savory.
This dessert recipe is from Giada DeLaurentiis. You can use any fruit you want, but this was definitely a great combo for last night's dinner. I would sweeten the mascarpone next time or use lightly sweetened whipped cream. P.S.: I found the amaretti cookies at World Market for $2! Awesome!
Boil the beans in salted water until just tender. Toss with chopped parsley, lemon zest, a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, and pine nuts. Devour. This can almost always be done from start to finish while the main course is cooking. Yes, it sounds simple, but something about it is so savory.
This dessert recipe is from Giada DeLaurentiis. You can use any fruit you want, but this was definitely a great combo for last night's dinner. I would sweeten the mascarpone next time or use lightly sweetened whipped cream. P.S.: I found the amaretti cookies at World Market for $2! Awesome!
Nectarine and Blueberry Crisp with Amaretti
Topping:
1 c AP flour
1/3 c brown sugar, packed
1/3 c white sugar
1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 c crushed amaretti cookies, coarsely crushed
3/4 c sliced almonds
Filling:
butter for baking dish
2 T white sugar (granulated)
2 T AP flour
3 lbs nectarines, cut in wedges (about 4-5 huge necs)
8 oz blueberries
3 T amaretto liqueur, or 1 T almond extract
1/2 c mascarpone cheese (substitute whipping cream)
To make the topping: Stir the flour and sugars in a medium bowl to blend. Add the butter and rub between your fingers to make moist clumps, then mix in amaretti crumbs and almonds.
To make the filling: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and butter a 9x13x2 inch glass baking dish. Stir the sugar and flour in a large bowl. Add nectarines and blueberries and toss to combine. Stir in the liqueur.
Spoon the fruit into the prepared dish and sprinkle the cookie mixture on top. Bake until fruit is tender and top is golden and crisp, about 40-45 minutes. Cool for at least 10 minutes. Top each serving with a dollop of mascarpone cheese and serve.
We served two wines for this dinner, since there were 4 of us. We started with a Vinho Verde from Portugal (all VVs are from Portugal), which was slightly bubbly and low in alcohol content. We mentioned one earlier, the Famega, and this one (Casal Garcia) was maybe $1 more expensive at $8. It is one of KK's new favorites for summer. Next was a Pinot Noir from the Central Coast by someone I can't remember. It was nice with food, fairly smooth and refined for the steak.
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