Food photography can be bewildering at times.

When I looked through the viewfinder, the main thing I saw was this luscious, creamy goat cheese sauce covering every bite of this dish.  But strangely after uploading my photos — of course after having devoured this for lunch with a friend — the sauce is just barely visible.  What the what?!

Still.  Ttake my word for it.  You goat-cheese-lovers will go nuts over this one.

I definitely did!  This was my first time making a goat cheese sauce, and it made me regret the years of just dotting my pastas with little crumbles here and there.  This sauce is ridiculous!!!  So full of great, well-balanced flavor with just a few ingredients.  And, it only took about three minutes to whip up, making this pasta a 20-minute meal.  Yet one more reason why I will be making it again.  Stat.

Pasta with Goat Cheese, Chicken, Asparagus & Mushrooms Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. pasta of choice
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• salt and freshly-ground black pepper
• 1 shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bunch (about 1 lb.) asparagus, ends trimmed then cut into 2″ pieces
• 16 oz (2 cartons) fresh button or baby bella mushrooms, halved
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 8 oz. goat cheese
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Method:

Prepare pasta al dente according to package instructions.  (I would add the pasta to the boiling water around the time you begin cooking the asparagus and mushrooms.)

Season the chicken with salt and freshly-ground black pepper.  Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat.  When oil is shimmering, add the chicken and cook 5-7 minutes (flipping halfway through) until the outside is lightly golden and the center is no longer pink.  Remove chicken and set aside.  Add the remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil, and once it has heated, add the shallot.  Saute for 2 minutes, then add the asparagus and mushrooms.  Continue cooking for another 4-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove skillet from heat.

While the vegetables are cooking, heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Add flour, and whisk quickly to combine, then let cook for 1 minute.  Add 1 cup of the pasta water, goat cheese, Parmesan cheese, and a generous pinch of salt and freshly-ground black pepper, and whisk to combine.  Cook for 1 minute, then reduce heat to low until the pasta is ready.  If the sauce is too thick, gradually add additional tablespoons of pasta water until you reach the desired consistency.

Drain the pasta once it has cooked, then immediately toss with the goat cheese sauce, chicken and vegetables.  Serve garnished with additional Parmesan cheese.

Ali’s Tip:

I imagine this sauce would also be fantastic when made with feta cheese!

Whenever my coworkers ask where I’d like to go to eat for lunch, about 9 times out of 10 my reply is a super-enthusiastic vote for Mexican.  Yeah, it’s kind of the office joke.  This little food blogger could live on Mexican food!!

But being that we work clear out in the ‘burbs, authentic Mexican food can be a little hard to come by.  Thankfully the closest local Tex-Mex chain happens to have some of the best chips and salsa in town, plus one of my all-time favorites — “Parmesan-Crusted Shrimp Quesadillas.”

Yes, I admit, the first time I saw them on the menu, I did a double-take.

Parmesan-Crusted?  With sun-dried tomatoes?  At a Mexican restaurant?!?

Apparently these quesadillas are one of their most popular dishes.  And with good reason — they are are muy, muy, muy delicioso.  Seasoned shrimp is paired with fresh avocado, sun-dried tomatoes, lots of melted cheese, and then of course, sandwiched between parmesan-crusted tortillas.  Ridiculously good.  So now after seven years of ordering them at the restaurant, the lightbulb suddenly went off and I decided to try making them at home.  Why I waited so long?  I now have no idea.  These were a complete, Parmesan-y success.

Do yourself a little favor, and make some today.  :)

Parmesan-Crusted Shrimp Quesadillas Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 Tbsp. cumin
• sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 1 white or yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded and finely diced (**use more or less for desired level of heat**)
• 6-8 medium tortillas
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes
• 3 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Method:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Sprinkle shrimp evenly with cumin and a generous pinch of sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper.

Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add shrimp and cook for about 2 minutes per side, or until shrimp is pink and no longer translucent.  (Depending on the size of your shrimp, they could take more or less time to cook.)  Remove shrimp from the skillet, and heat an additional tablespoon of olive oil.  Add the onion and jalapeno, and saute for 5 minutes or until the onion is cooked and no longer translucent.  Remove skillet from heat and set aside.

Lay out three tortillas on a baking sheet (or two if need.  Sprinkle each tortilla with about 1/2 cup of Monterrey Jack cheese.  Then layer on the avocado, sun-dried tomatoes, shrimp, and the onion/jalapeno mixture as evenly as possible.  Sprinkle each quesadilla with an additional 1/2 cup of Monterrey Jack cheese, and then top each with another tortilla.  Brush (or mist) the remaining tablespoon of olive oil onto the top of the three tortillas, and then sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the Parmesan is golden and the Monterrey Jack cheese is melted.  Remove, and use a pizza cutter to slice quesadillas into sixths.  Serve immediately with salsa.

Ali’s Tip:

If you don’t like shrimp, these would also be delicious with chicken, steak, sausage or even mushrooms.

I am obsessed with this salad.  It’s basically the joy of BLTs, with the L turned into an A (baby arugula!).  Plus some blue cheese, red onions, and buttermilk dressing.

Ok, so maybe it’s not exactly like BLTs.

But I promise you’ll love it!

It’s definitely a great base for a salad that can be served easily on its own.  Or it also pairs perfectly with grilled salmon, shrimp, chicken, or whatever sounds good to you.  And the buttermilk dressing can be also made “lighter” with Greek yogurt if you’d like.

See?  I promised you would love it!  :)

Arugula Salad with Bacon, Tomatoes & Buttermilk Dressing Recipe

Ingredients:

Salad Ingredients:

• fresh baby arugula
• crumbled cooked bacon
• cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half
• red onions, sliced thinly
• blue cheese, sliced or crumbled
• buttermilk dressing (see below)

Buttermilk Dressing Ingredients

• 1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk
• 2 Tbsp. plain Greek yogurt or mayonaisse
• 2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, smashed or minced
• 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper

Method:

To Make Salad:

Toss ingredients together with dressing until combined.

To Make Buttermilk Dressing:

Whisk together all ingredients until well-blended.

Ali’s Tip:

The buttermilk dressing would also be great with some chopped fresh chives and/or oregano thrown in!

Most people tend to pair chimichurri sauce with steak or chicken.  Me?  I love it on fish!

There’s something about the bright, fresh sauce that seems to pair perfectly with a mild, light fish like Mahi Mahi or tilapia.  Even better when served alongside some yummy green broccolini!  This simple meal takes all of 15 minutes to prepare, and is wonderfully delicious and healthy too.

Definitely a great meal to celebrate the arrival of summer, and all things fresh, light and green.  Love it!

Mahi Mahi with Chimichurri Sauce & Broccolini Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 Mahi Mahi filets
• sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 bunch of broccolini (optional)
• chimichurri sauce

Method:

Bring a large sauce pan filled halfway with water to a boil.

Take Mahi Mahi fillets and pat dry with a paper towel.  Season both sides of the fish with salt and pepper.  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, then place the fillets in the pan.  Cook 3-4 minutes on each side or until the fish is cooked-through and no longer translucent.  Remove from skillet and let rest for a few minutes.

While the fish is cooking, add the broccolini to the boiling water.  Cook for 5-6 minutes until tender.  Remove broccolini, and place in an ice bath to stop cooking.

Top with chimichurri sauce and serve immediately with the broccolini.

Ali’s Tip:

To save a pan, you would also be welcome to cook the broccolini alongside the Mahi Mahi in the skillet.

Of course after a rockin’ meal of corned beef, roasted cabbage, soda bread, and three Bailey’s desserts, we of course had a fewwwww leftovers.  :)

This was good news, though, because I was super stoked to make some corned beef hash!  Yep.  It’s not rocket science.  Just leftover corned beef, hashbrowns, onions, and a few fun seasonings to make it super-spectacular.

And oh man.  It was seriously good.  I’m pretty sure that I justified eating the leftovers of the leftovers for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  So easy and delicious.  Definitely a great way to continue with your St. Patrick’s Day feasting!

Corned Beef Hash Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 cups small-diced potatoes (I used Yukon gold)
• 2-3 Tbsp. butter
• 1 medium white or yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly-cracked black pepper
• pinch of cayenne and dried thyme
• 2-3 cups shredded or diced (cooked) corned beef
• chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Method:

Fill a medium-sized pot halfway with water, and bring it to a boil.  Add the potatoes and boil for 5 minutes until they are partially cooked.  Drain and set aside.

Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion, and saute for 3 minutes.  Add potatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, cayenne and thyme.  Continue to saute for another 10-12 minutes, stirring every few minutes so that the potatoes can brown but not stick to the pan.  When the potatoes are ready, add the corned beef and saute for an additional few minutes to warm the beef.  Sprinkle or toss with chopped fresh parsley, and serve immediately.

Ali’s Tip:

For a shortcut on this, feel free to use frozen small hashbrowns instead of chopping your own potatoes.

Since I have an exciting wedding to attend on St. Patrick’s Day this year, I actually decided to throw an Irish feast a little early this year!

And of course, the centerpiece of the meal was this delicious classic corned beef and cabbage.  I have to admit that this year was actually my first time making corned beef!  Somehow I have always had other talented friends who have done the cooking in the past.  But since I didn’t plan quite far enough ahead to brine my own beef, I took a shortcut and brought home a pre-corned beef from the store.  And then slow-cooked it to perfection while whipping up some yummy desserts, roasted cabbage, soda bread, and some herbed potatoes as well.

Thankfully, the meal ended up being a great success!!!  The meat was wonderfully seasoned and tender.  And I adored pairing its salty, savory goodness with a simple fruity mustard glaze.  Definitely a great combination that made for a delightful dinner.  (And a yummy leftover recipe that is yet to come!)

Wishing you all lots o’ luck and fun as you make your own Irish feasts this year!  Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!!

Corned Beef with Blackberry Mustard Glaze

Ingredients:

Corned Beef Ingredients:

• 1 (4-5 pound) corned beef
• 2 Tbsp. canola oil
• 1 onion, peeled and quartered
• 8 whole cloves
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 Tbsp. whole black peppercorns
• 3 carrots, peeled, quartered and chopped into 4-inch pieces (optional)

Method:

To Make The Corned Beef:

To Make The Glaze:

In a small saucepan, whisk the glaze ingredients together until combined, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Continue to boil  until the mixture has slightly reduced and thickened, about 7-10 minutes.

Ali’s Tip:

To make herbed potatoes, simply boil halved Yukon potatoes until they are fork-tender.  Drain, then toss with melted butter and chopped fresh herbs (parsley, rosemary, thyme, and/or oregano).  Season with kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper.

Hello….color!!!

This simple stir fry I made this week was so yummy (and lovely!) that I thought it was worth sharing.  Just mixed together some colorful veggies, a simple stir fry sauce, and lots of fresh ginger.  What’s not to love?!?

It’s perfect for a simple side dish, or if you want to be like me, make it your main course.  Definitely a great way to eat your veggies!

Ginger Vegetable Stir Fry Recipe

Ingredients:

Stir Fry Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4-5 cups vegetables, cut to bite-sized portions (**see tip below**)

Method:

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add garlic and stir fry for 1 minute.  Add the remaining vegetables, and stir-fry for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a separate bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients.  Add to the stir fry, and continue cooking until the sauce is boiling.  Cook for an extra minute, then remove from heat and serve.  Garnish with toasted sesame seeds if desired.

Ali’s Tip:

If using onions in the mix, I recommend adding the onions an extra minute or two earlier than the rest of the vegetables so that they get extra cooking time.

I have to confess my new favorite find at the grocery store: pre-peeled garlic cloves!!!

For years, peeling garlic has been a nice stress reliever.  First, it was peeling it “by hand” with that satisfying pound of the knife to break each clove open.  Then, this crazy video went viral and gave the world an even more satisfying way to make it happen in 10 seconds (maybe a slight exaggeration).  But still, I’m pretty sure now that the ultimate stress-relieving way to “peel” garlic is by gladly transferring the little tub of freshly-peeled goodness from the shelf to my shopping cart.  Voi-LA.

I’m sure many of you have been doing this for years.  But I will still rejoice in my newfound discovery.  And enjoy it in some delicious pasta!!!

I simply roasted the garlic and some mushrooms, and then paired them with a creamy white wine and thyme sauce, all garnished of course with some freshly-shaved Parmesan.  (You may notice that nearly all of my pastas include Parmesan.  I can’t resist!!)  It ended up being amazingly delicious, and even made for some stellar leftovers.

And…I must admit it was quite nice having my hands not smell like garlic for the rest of the day.  Cheers to great meals and great shortcuts!

Creamy Roasted Garlic & Mushroom Pasta Recipe

Ingredients:

• 24 garlic cloves, peeled
• 24 oz. sliced baby portabello mushrooms (or any kind of mushrooms)
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
• kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
• 1 large shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 cup heavy cream (or you can just use 1/2 cup)
• 12 oz. pasta (I used farfalle)
• freshly-shaved Parmesan

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil on the stove.

Lay the garlic cloves out on a sheet of aluminum foil, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.  Wrap up the edges of the aluminum foil to make an enclosed pouch, and set on the corner of a baking sheet.  Spread out the mushrooms on the rest of the baking sheet, and drizzle with an additional 1 tablespoon of olive oil, as well as another pinch of salt and pepper.  Roast for 25-30 minutes, until the mushrooms are browned and the garlic cloves are slightly golden.  Remove from oven, open garlic pouch to cool, and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat.  Once the oil is shimmering, add the shallots and cook for 4-5 minutes or until they are translucent and begin to slightly brown.  Add the wine and stir for a minute, stirring the bottom of the skillet to pick up any browned bits.  Add the chicken broth and thyme sprigs and cook for 5 minutes to reduce the sauce.  Add the roasted mushrooms, garlic, and cream and stir to combine.  Cook for an additional few minutes as sauce thickens.  Once the sauce is ready, remove the thyme sprigs.

While preparing the sauce, cook the pasta al dente in the boiling water according to package instructions.  Once it is ready and drained, add the pasta to the prepared sauce and toss to combine.  Serve immediately and garnish with Parmesan.

Ali’s Tip:

This would be wonderful with chicken or Italian sausage!

Yep.  Thought it was time that I gave this latest food blogosphere trend a try.

Like many of you, my eyebrows went up too the first time I saw the words avocado and pesto paired together.  But I happen to be a ridiculously enthusiastic fan of both.  So why not see if they really are, in the words of Jack Johnson, “better together”?!?

Part of the rage of the avocado pesto trend is that it is heralded as a 15-minute meal.  So I put some water on to boil, and then went to work blending up the pesto ingredients.  I decided to try it (as others had suggested) sans pine nuts and Parmesan, and with some extra lemon juice.  And upon my first taste-test, it was actually surprisingly pleasant!  But once the pasta was cooked and I was tossing the two together, I admit I caved and as you can see, decided to add the pine nuts and Parmesan back in on top.

Still, it was quite nice!  The avocado was definitely a different twist, but I think I liked it.  For the sake of a base recipe, I went ahead and photographed the recipe plain.  But look forward to making it again with some roasted veggies, roasted or sun-dried tomatoes, and definitely some grilled shrimp or chicken or something.  And you could definitely experiment with adding nuts or Parmesan into the pesto as well, or any of your other favorite pesto ingredients.

Cheers to new food fads!

Avocado Pesto Pasta Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. pasta or noodles (I used tagliatelle)
• 1 cup packed fresh basil, reserve some leaves for garnish
• 2 avocados, pitted and peeled
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. kosher salt (or more or less to taste)
• pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• optional toppings: toasted pine nuts and shaved Parmesan

Method:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta or noodles, and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, make the pesto by combining basil, avocados, lemon juice, garlic, and oil in a food processor. Process until smooth. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Immediately after the pasta or noodles are drained, top with the pesto and gently toss until well-coated.  Divide pasta among serving bowls and top with toasted pine nuts and shaved Parmesan.

Ali’s Tip:

You can also make this by substituting in fresh cilantro for the basil, and lime juice for the lemon juice.  I tried it and definitely liked the basil better, but many on the blogosphere seem to love the cilantro twist!

Source:

Adapted from Chef Chloe.

I am very picky about black bean soup.

I mean, really picky.

If a soup is going to have a bland (albeit, fiberful) magical fruit as its main ingredient, it had better have some rockin’ good flavors to go along with it.  And of course, all the better when it’s a little on the spicy side too!

So of course, I’m here to announce that I think I finally have my own favorite recipe tweaked and ready to share with le blogosphere.  If I do say so myself, I think it’s a good one.  Like, I-might-have-gone-back-for-thirds-”good”.  :)

But to those of you who get a little anxious about the word “spicy” even being in the title, have no fear.  You can easily add in the jalapeno and cayenne gradually to taste.  But for those of you who like a little kick, this one will bring it.  And, it can also happily be made vegetarian or vegan.

Definitely a keeper!

Spicy Black Bean Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 red or orange bell pepper, cored and chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• half a jalapeno, seeded and diced
• 2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
• 2 (15 oz.) cans black beans
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chiles (Rotel)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. chipotle powder
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne
• optional garnish: sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro, chopped bell peppers, shredded cheese, crumbled tortilla chips, diced avocados

Method:

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat.  Add onion and cook for 3 minutes.  Add bell pepper, carrot, garlic and jalapeno, and continue cooking another 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent.  Add remaining eight ingredients (chicken broth through cayenne), and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and let soup simmer for at least 10 minutes.

You can either serve this soup as is, or use an immersion blender or a traditional blender (blending in small batches) to puree the soup.  Serve warm, and garnish with suggested ingredients if desired.

Ali’s Tip:

You could also make this in a slow-cooker!