Tasty Tuesdays: #40

Good afternoon and a very Happy Tuesday to you, readers! I just returned from a glorious trip to NYC and after all that eating out, I'm itchin' to get back in the kitchen. Does that ever happen to you?

Barring another freak snowstorm (which I conveniently missed thank you), it appears spring is here to stay. This prompts me to want fresh, clean, easy recipes featuring in-season produce and requiring little prep. Well this recipe is just the ticket. It is ridiculously easy and won't weigh you down.

Shrimp with Basil, Garlic and Tomatoes


Ingredients:
1 C cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
5 fresh basil leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 pounds medium-large shrimp, shelled and deveined
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced

1. In a medium bowl, toss the tomatoes with the basil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste and set aside.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and drizzle pan with olive oil. Season shrimp with salt and pepper and add shrimp and garlic to the pan. Saute about two minutes on each side.

3. Transfer the shrimp to the bowl with the tomato mixture and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Pair this shrimp with a salad, some crostini, maybe a little couscous...you can have dinner on the table in no time at all. With a recipe this easy, there's just no excuse not to eat a healthy, home-cooked meal.

So get in the kitchen, pour yourself a glass of wine and have a very Tasty Tuesday!

a (very belated) birthday wish.

Many years ago, on March 14th, Charles Michael Lawrence came into this world and because he and my mom met, I am here today. For this, I am so grateful.



I have publicly gushed about what an amazing father he is and I have recounted the many priceless memories I have due to his presence in my life, so I will keep this short and sweet.



I cannot imagine not having you for a Dad and I thank God for you each and every day. You are a man of faith and a spiritual leader for our family. You have demonstrated a Biblical marital love over the past decade or so and have shown me what it looks like when a man serves his wife. But most of all, you have believed in me, loved me and never given up on me.





So a very Happy 40th Birthday (hey, who's counting) to you Daddy! It is my deepest prayer that you would be overwhelmed with abundant joy in this new year in your life.

Tasty Tuesdays: #39

Happy (almost) St. Patty's Day to you! In honor of this most momentous holiday (note the underlying tone of sarcasm), I thought it would be fun to feature a green recipe for today's post.

Now, I have a confession to make. This may put several of you into a downward tailspin, but I feel it must be made public. So please sit down and brace yourself. I.don't.like.recipes. Gah! Did those words just come out of my head and onto the screen. Yes they did my friends. Yes they did.

While recipes and exact measurements are absolutely essential when it comes to the integrity of any baked good, I just don't like following recipes when cooking. I feel they are too cumbersome and require too many vessels for measurements and almost always require too many (and often times, very obscure) ingredients. This is why I like to remember the basics of recipes and just use whatever I have on hand and sort of "freestyle," if you will, when I'm in the kitchen.

In that same vein, today's recipe is really not a recipe at all. It involves fresh, seasonal produce, so why do you need a bunch of supporting actors when all you really need is the star: a glorious bunch of asparagus.

Roasted Asparagus


Ingredients:
1 1b. asparagus, ends trimmed
drizzle of olive oil
sprinkle salt & pepper
small handful of feta or goat cheese, optional

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with non-stick aluminum foil.

2. Spread asparagus in a single layer on the sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly.

3. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle cheese over the roasted asparagus.

That's it! You simply don't need a recipe to make a great side dish. This is perfect for springtime and is great with grilled salmon, baked chicken or alongside a delicious frittata in your next brunch spread.

Cheers and have a Tasty Tuesday!

the best laid plans...

A couple weekends ago marked the birthday of one of my oldest and dearest friends, Cryssie. In honor of this momentous occasion, a little surprise party was being planned on the down low to take place a couple days before her actual date of birth. Imagine our surprise when the birthday girl decides to plan her own shindig for the same night. Gah!

Nevertheless, everyone played into her "plan" and we still managed to surprise the birthday girl later in the evening. And when I say surprise, I mean surprise. She had no idea and this solicited one of the best reactions I have seen, hands-down.



Of course, you can't have a party without cake, or in this case, bright pink cupcakes with hot pink sprinkles. Yes, I was responsible for this explosion of pink.


The night ensued with several rousing games of Catch Phrase which may or may not have resulted in a little visit from apartment security. Only in this crowd would you get a noise complaint for playing a board game. We're that competitive...





In other weekend festivities, on Saturday night, we celebrated the last weekend before Ashley Raydo would become Ashley Williams. The night started with some (and I use that term loosely) celebratory bubbly and a lingerie shower at a hotel in downtown Fort Worth.



We continued the merriment with dinner and drinks at Taverna where I'm fairly certain I consumed several bread baskets. Twas the aforementioned bubbles I tell ya. It was such a fun night and I'm so glad I got to be a part of Ashley's last "single" weekend.



Finally, the weekend concluded with some bonding time with three of my favorite girls on the planet: my seester, Pearl and Dora. Oh, and we also made some rockin' homemade pizzas which we promptly stuffed our faces with.





It was a perfect March weekend and this past weekend was just as busy. I'll be back with the full report!

Tasty Tuesdays: the 38th edition

Ahhhh... the sun is shining. The grass is green. The temperatures are nearing that glorious 70-degree mark. Spring has sprung my friends. Now I know there are the nay-sayers out there who would like to bring me back to reality and remind me that we will most likely experience at least one more bit of cold weather, but to them I say (in the words of Barbara Streisand), "don't send another cloud to rain on my parade."

Since the onset of warmer temperatures and longer days inevitably leads to grilling out (at least in my book), I thought it only appropriate to feature a very easy, but very delicious recipe to get you ready for grilling season. Today's recipe highlights not only my favorite fish, but quite possibly my favorite protein: salmon. I think I practically lived on this flavorful fish last summer and while I enjoy it baked in the oven and pan-seared, my preferred preparation method is without a doubt, grilled. What is so nice about salmon is that it's a sturdy enough fish that it can withstand the grill where other types of fish would just flake apart.

The following recipe couldn't be easier. It just involves putting together a simple marinade and then throwing the fish on the grill. It is definitely a nice change from the burgers, hot dogs and chicken usually gracing the grates on your grill, so it just might become your go-to meal for the warmer months.

Maple-Glazed Salmon


Ingredients:
1/4 C balsamic vinegar
2 T dijon mustard
3 T maple syrup
2 T orange juice
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. In a small bowl, combine the first four ingredients and stir with a whisk. Pour into a ziploc bag. Add salmon fillets and place in the refrigerator up to three hours.

2. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Add salmon (reserving the marinade) and grill approximately four minutes on each side, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

3. Meanwhile, add the marinade to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce sauce for about five minutes.

4. Remove fish from grill and drizzle each piece with the reduced sauce. Sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I suggest serving this salmon with baked sweet potatoes, roasted asparagus, my SPG salad and beer bread. Oh, and don't forget the chilled white wine. That is my idea of the perfect spring/summer meal.

Happy grilling and have a very Tasty Tuesday!

Tasty Tuesdays: numero 3-7

Happy March to you readers! How on earth have we already breezed right into the third month of 2010? I feel like at the rate we're going, before I know it, we'll be sailing right on through summer and into the holiday season. Can someone please stop this train I'm on? No?

While I could go on discussing time-related issues until the cows come home, that is simply not the subject of this post. You (all two of you) are here to expand your culinary arsenal of righteous recipes, and I am here to deliver.

I recently became aware (as in about five minutes ago) that the Oscars are scheduled for this Sunday, March 7 (which also happens to be the date of birth for my dear friend Crystal). If you are attending a watching party or just want to whip up a little snack-a-roo for yourself, today's recipe will certainly fit the bill. It is a little bit classier than your standard party fare (i.e. queso, chips, etc.), so I think it is quite appropriate for an Oscar party.

Garlicky White Bean Dip

Ingredients:
1 can white beans (cannellini or Great Northern), partially drained
1/4 C chopped onion
1/8 C grated Parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove, chopped fine
salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine white beans, onion, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.

2. Spoon mixture into a serving bowl and serve at room temperature.


How's that for an easy recipe? I suggest serving this dip with garlic pita chips and sliced cucumber.

Cheers and have a Tasty Tuesday!

are you still there?

If you've read my blog or know much about me, it's no secret I have dealt with fear and discouragement. Truthfully speaking, who hasn't been disappointed with people in their lives or in certain outcomes. Or who hasn't had anxiety over the future, test results, unknowns in their lives and the list goes on.

The problem is not in the initial feeling (because we are, after all, sinful, imperfect humans) but in the way in which we choose to react to the onslaught of these emotions. I think it is times like these when it becomes imperative to be rooted in scripture. The Bible has a wealth of verses in which to speak truth and light into our lives. God's promises are not hidden. We need only to seek them out and etch them on our heart.

A dear friend e-mailed me the following verse (by happenstance) and it really spoke to my heart.

Deuteronomy 31:8
Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD is the one who goes before you.
He will be with you; He will neither fail you nor forsake you.

Make no mistake. Life on this temporal earth will certainly be proliferated with disappointments, unknowns, failures and the like. But through it all, God is still there and He has gone before us. He does not fail and there are no mistakes in His plan for our lives.