Showing posts with label asparagus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label asparagus. Show all posts

Asparagus Gruyere Tart



And how was everyone's Memorial Day weekend? We were lucky enough to have good weather and spent our time together eating, playing and spending time with friends. In the short four days that we had together I got very spoiled and had a hard time relinquishing my husband back to school! But luckily I have a nice "food hangover" to distract me!

This beauty was something I found in my Martha Stewart Great Food Fast book. I've been making a ton of things from this cookbook, and so far I've found it to be a little "hit and miss." However, one thing I really love about it is that it's split up into the four seasons, which I think is fun, I love seasonal food. This particular tart was a total hit and something I would definitely make. It's simplicity was probably the best part about it, easier then throwing together a pizza! Puff pastry, cheese and asparagus...do I really need to tell you how good it was?


Asparagus Gruyere Tart
Great Food Fast by Martha Stewart

Ingredients

Flour, for work surface
1 thawed sheet frozen puff pastry
2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese (I probably used half of that)
1 1/2 pound medium or thick asparagus
1 tablespoon olive oil
course salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a 16x10 inch rectangle. Trim uneven edges. Place the pastry on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife, lightly score the dough 1 inch in from the edges to mark a rectangle. Using a fork, pierce the dough inside the markings at half-inch intervals. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.

2. Remove the pastry shell from the oven, and sprinkle with the cheese. Trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears to fit crosswise inside the tart shell; arrange in a single layer over the cheese, alternating ends and tips. Brush with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake until the spears are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Mediterranean Pasta Salad



Every other weekend or so Glenn and I try to drop the kids off and go out. Sometimes we like to have a nice night of dinner and a movie, other times we're just happy to go grocery shopping together, as long as it's just the two of us.

Before we dropped the kids off, I threw this salad together for the kids. We were planning on eating out, so we didn't want to eat any to ruin our appetites. The kids weren't too crazy about it, but Glenn and I couldn't stop picking at it. I don't think either of us wanted to admit it, but we both would have been happy to stay home and eat this for dinner instead!

This is such a quick and easy salad, great for potlucks and picnics. It's chuck full of colorful, healthy veggies, and then rounded out by soft cheesy tortellini. It might not be the most "wintery" dish, but sometimes it's nice to have a little blast of summer during these cold months to give us a ray of hope!

Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Adapted by Fresh Food Fast by Cooking Light

Ingredients

1 9 oz package refrigerated rainbow three cheese tortellini
1 quart water
1/4 pound asparagus spears, trimmed
1/3 cup chopped red pepper, or roasted red pepper, depending on preference
1 ounce Pepper Jack cheese, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
6 drained canned quartered artichoke hearts
8 grape tomatoes, or 3 seeded and diced tomatoes
8 black or kalamata olives
2 thin slices prosciutto, cut crosswise into strips
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons light balsamic vinaigrette

Directions

1. Cook pasta in 1 quart boiling water 6 minutes. Add asparagus to boiling water, and cook 1 minute. Drain in a colander, and rinse with cold water until cooled. Drain.

2. While pasta and asparagus cook, combine bell pepper and next seven ingredients into large bowl. Add tortellini and asparagus; toss gently.

Serves 3: Serving size 1 1/3 cups

Per Serving: 304 cal, 16.2g fat, 29.7g carb, 11.2g prot, 2.2g fiber
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