photo by amy twomey

photo by ann west

photo by ann west

photo by amy twomey

{the dish} spinach alfredo

Seriously folks, get past the stick of butter and just make this! I promise your family will love this one. You can switch it up time after time if you want to leave out the spinach and almonds and substitute it for sun dried tomatoes and capers...or diced tomatoes and garlic...but for this recipe it is all about the spinach and almonds.



Start off by melting a stick of butter in a pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted add the Parmesan cheese, stirring and turned to low heat. Continue to stir well and slowly add the cream while stirring. In a separate pan steam an entire pan of fresh baby spinach (it will shrivel into nothing so be sure to stuff the pan packed full. Cook it and set that aside.



Then add the sliced almonds in, stir, add the salt and pepper, and remove from heat.



Boil your water in a separate pot and add the Quinoa pasta cooking it according to box 12-15 minutes, and drain. Now add everything together mixing in the sauce to your liking. Yum!



spinach alfredo by amy twomey

ingredients

1 pot full of steamed fresh baby spinach

2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 cups cream

1 t. salt

1 t. pepper

1 1/2 c. almond slices

1 stick of butter

2 packages of Quinoa pasta

{menu ideas} spring cocktail with friends

We had a great spring break this year. Friends at a lake house, friends in for drinks and a light dinner, sleep-overs, a few projects (some accomplished some not!), a dinner out, sleep-over at grandmas and a little volleyball - just to keep us real. No home-work, no stress, pure fun and relaxation.

Mid-week we decided to have a small group over for some "spring time" cocktails and a light dinner, marinated beef with avocados and a raw asparagus salad - delish!

Mojitos, gin & tonic (with extra lime), and vodka tonic were served.

Hey - it's our spring break too!

You know my obsession with cheese and these muskat grapes were the sweetest things you will ever taste. They literally popped in your mouth! Who needs Gushers?

Kids were invited too! (although somehow I missed taking their pics.)

So good to see our old pals! (camp 7 rocks!)

Now Finally the recipes..... thanks for staying with me...

Marinated Beef & Avocado, by jane skelton

2 avocados, peeled and sliced

2lbs rare roast beef - really go for the rare the marinade will continue to "cook" the beef

1 sweet red onion - sliced paper thin

1/2 cup canola oil

1/4 cup olive oil (i added more olive oil and less canola)

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

2 tsp dijon mustard

2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

finely chopped parsley

(I added some red pepper flakes too!)

Layer the beef, avocado and red onion making a couple of layers. Mix your marinade and pour it over the beef. Marinate for 6 - 8 hours. Serve with a hard roll or baguette.

Shaved Raw Asparagus with Parmesan Dressing, April 2010 food and wine magazine

2 lbs large asparagus

1 cup coarsely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese - I shaved mine

3 tbls fresh lemon juice - I bet I used a little more

1-2 tbls warm water

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Use a vegetable peeler and shave the asparagus into long, thin strips. I ended up cutting the last shave. In a small bowl, mix the parmigiano, water, lemon juice and olive oil. I did not mix the parmigiano in I waited until I was ready to toss. Add to the asparagus and season with salt and pepper. This was a fun and fabulous salad. I loved the way it looked and tasted. Can't wait to serve it again!

It was a beautiful and yummy evening!

photo by ann west

photo by amy twomey

photo by amy twomey

photo by ann west

{spring break} good wishes

We wish you a happy, fun and safe spring break!

Amy and Ann will be back Monday the 22nd.

see you then.

{the dish} shrimp tacos

Shrimp tacos. Starts with a love of tacos, supported by a sale on shrimp, ended in happy tummies for my family!

Peel and devein shrimp. Chop garlic, bell peppers of choice, pablano or jalepeno pepper and some onion. Have your cilantro handy!

Saute the shrimp in some olive oil and add peppers, garlic and seasoning. Cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper. Taste as you go and adjust the seasoning. I like to squeeze a lime in at the end!

I served with yummy black beans, fresh tortillas, sour cream, slasa and a salad. A dinner for all!

have a great weekend!

ps just realized I haven't posted a black bean recipe. Soon to come my friends...soon!

{grabbing greens} black eyed pea salad

black eyed pea salad by amy twomey

ingredients

1 bag of black eyed peas
1 large red onion, diced
1 yellow, one red bell pepper, diced
1 jalepeno, seeded, diced
spring of fresh parley, diced
2 large tomatoes, diced
1/4 c. lime juice
sea salt to taste
fresh ground pepper to taste




The hardest thing about this simple recipe is waiting the few hours for your black eyed peas to cook. The rest takes no more then 5 min to toss it all together. Boil peas in water for 5 minutes, turn heat off, cover and let sit one hour. drain and wash peas well, adding fresh water and bring to a boil again. This time after it boils, cover and turn to low heat and cook for about 2-3 hours checking to see if need to add any water. Must always be covered with water. After you cook, drain and cool off beans in fridge...then toss together the rest of the ingredients and put back in the fridge.


Serve cold. Perfect for Spring! Happy Spring friends. Have a great Spring Break.

photo by amy twomey

photo by ann west

photo by ann west

photo by amy twomey

{in the pot} chicken poblano tortilla soup

It was a warm soup on a cold cold day. Raining and dreary!

I can't wait for summer tomatoes!

After roasting the tomatoes, peppers, garlic and onions your house is going to smell amazing. I love when I have cooked something during the day and the kids come home and say, "what smells so good.!" Perhaps its a little love!

This soup was inspired by my good friend Sue. She makes a wonderful tortilla soup and shared the recipe. She continues to share this soup with friends and those who need a little warm soup on a cold day. thanks Sue!

chicken poblano tortilla soup by ann west

4 breast chicken poached, baked or roasted - meat shredded and rinsed.

8 - 10 medium tomatoes roasted

3 poblano peppers roasted

1 sweet yellow onion sliced and roasted

3 cloves garlic roasted

1 1/2 qt chicken broth

1 qt beef broth

cumin

bay leaf

salt & pepper

cayenne

Lightly rub all the vegetables in olive oil and roast in a 375 degree oven until browning and tomatoes have split. In the meantime poach your chicken breasts in your chicken broth until cooked. Remove the chicken, shred, rinse and reserve to the side. Add the beef broth and all of the roasted veggies when they are done. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 min or so.

Whir the soup in batches until all the veggies are minced. Now this is key. Because the success of a great tortilla soup is the broth. Now you strain all of those yummy veggies out. It seems like such a waste. I haven't quite figured out what to do with those bits.

Once you have your broth strained, add all of your seasoning and simmer again.

Once you are ready to serve add the chicken. And garnish with some fresh cilantro, avocado, tortilla chips and salsa if you wish. Serve with a big salad, perhaps some roasted corn and some fresh hot tortillas. My kids like sour and cheese of course. enjoy!

photo by ann west

photo by amy twomey

photo by amy twomey

photo by ann west