arugula pesto pasta with roasted asparagus

So March came in like a lion and went out like a, well, still a lion. We skipped over the whole lamb part of the month right through to April showers. You won't hear any complaints from me though. I'll take a month of rain as long as it means no snow.

Rain doesn't accumulate into a solid mass twelve inches deep that you must remove from your driveway. Rain doesn't keep you from seeing the ground for weeks on end. Rain doesn't necessitate five layers of clothing to keep from getting frostbite. Rain I can deal with.

Thankfully, rain also means that fresh things will be growing out of the ground soon. Asparagus season is in full swing and I've been taking full advantage. Look at those pretty maids all in a row up there. While I love me a good brussels sprout in the fall and winter, asparagus is my go-to spring veg.

I've now made this pasta twice within one week and as long as asparagus keeps growing, it will continue to be on the rotation. Thank goodness for green food!

I had originally planned to make this pasta with a traditional basil pesto; however, I don't know about you, but fresh basil is nowhere to be found in my supermarket just yet. So I got creative and grabbed a bag of arugula and just went for it. The result is a pesto that is super fresh, a little spicy, yet fairly subtle in flavor. This pesto is a good match for this dish because it won't overwhelm the strong flavors of the sun-dried tomatoes and roasted asparagus. 

Sidenote: look at all those delicious pine nuts up there. I've been buying mine at Trader Joe's lately because they are freakishly cheap…well, cheap for pine nuts at least. Go stock up so you're ready for pesto season!

The recipe below calls for arugula pesto, mozzarella, and sun-dried tomatoes. But who am I kidding? This dish would work with whatever you have on hand. The sun-dried tomatoes could be subbed for Kalamata olives or capers. The mozzarella could be subbed for parmesan or feta. The pesto could be a traditional basil pesto or even a sun-dried tomato pesto. Use what you have on hand. Just be sure to take advantage of some of the fresh veggies finally emerging from the ground!

arugula pesto pasta with roasted asparagus

ingredients:
8 ounces pasta (I recommend rotini)
1 pound asparagus, trimmed
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
3/4 cup arugula pesto (see recipe below)
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/2 cup fresh mozzarella, chopped into cubes

directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat mat.

Place asparagus in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with vegetable oil, salt and pepper, to taste; gently toss to combine. Place into oven and roast for 8-12 minutes, or until tender but crisp. Let cool before cutting into 1-inch pieces.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.

In a large bowl, combine pasta, asparagus, pesto, sun dried tomatoes and mozzarella. Toss well. Serve warm or chilled.

Yield: 6 servings

arugula pesto

ingredients:
2 cups packed arugula
1 cup finely grated parmesan
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, chopped

3/4 to 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

directions:

Add arugula, parmesan, pine nuts, lemon juice, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse briefly until chopped. Then, with food processor running, slowly add olive oil until mixture reaches a smooth consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups
Source: adapted from Saveur

peanut butter and honey oatmeal bars

So it snowed here this week. Not a lot, but enough to stick to the ground. I've said it before and I might eat my words again, but surely this is the last of winter. Right? Right?!?

And, as if snow is not bad enough, we've had insane wind right along with it. I'm not one to complain about wind. I mean, coming from Kansas, the land of few trees and zero hills, wind is just a part of life. But that wind had nothing on this. I'm talking about almost knock me over wind gusts. Like, walking to campus and had to stop and brace myself so I didn't get swept away. People driving by are probably still laughing about it. Next time I'll be sure to strap bricks to my feet to keep me on solid ground.

Spring, please?

I've been bringing you non-stop winter food for what feels like a million years and it's time to change things up. I whipped up these bars one evening when my sweet tooth was jonesing for a snack and I miraculously had all the ingredients on hand. Even though these are technically dessert, I'm going to go out on a limb and dub them (pseudo) health food. These bars are packed full of oats and peanut butter and relatively light on the butter and sugar. Nevertheless, these bars are full of flavor, especially if you opt for honey roasted peanut butter.

I think I could take down a pan of these on my own. In fact, my mouth is watering for one right now. Might have to make another batch of these this weekend to ease my pain at the cold, gloomy weather.

Happy Friday!

peanut butter and honey oatmeal bars

ingredients:
1/3 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup peanut butter, creamy or crunchy (I used honey roasted peanut butter to enhance the honey flavor)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oatmeal (not instant)

peanut butter and honey icing:
1 Tbsp butter, room temperature
2 Tbsp peanut butter
1 Tbsp milk
2 Tbsp honey
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp confectioners’ sugar
1/8 tsp salt

directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper and lightly grease.

In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, honey, peanut butter and vanilla until well-combined. At low speed, blend in the flour and salt. Stir in the oatmeal until ingredients are completely combined and no streaks of dry ingredients remain.

Transfer to prepared pan and spread, using a spatula, into a thin, even layer. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until bars are golden brown around the edges and set. Allow to cool.

For the icing: Beat together butter, peanut butter, milk and honey in a small bowl until well combined. Blend in 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar and salt until smooth. Gradually blend in additional confectioners sugar, one tablespoon at a time until icing has a thick, but still spreadable consistency.

Spread icing into an even layer on top of the bars. Allow icing to set for about 2 hours before slicing the bars. Store bars wrapped or in an airtight container.

Yield: 9 bars

Source: very slightly adapted from Baking Bites

guinness beef stew

I want to face plant in this pot of stew and I'm not even sorry about it.

Yes, that's right, I'm dropping yet another cold weather recipe on you…at the end of March! But hear me out...

I really did think we were over and done with winter foods a few weeks ago. At that point, I thought I had made every winter meal there was. But, I forgot one. And Mother Nature knew. She knew I forgot to make stew. And because of it, we're still stuck with highs in the 30's and a snowstorm in the forecast. Whoops.

So, to appease Mother Nature, let's all make stew. And then maybe April will be different? Maybe?

To be honest, beef stew has never been high on my list. However, I had some Guinness in the fridge for St. Patrick's Day and it only seemed right to put it to good use in a big pot of stew. And I'm certainly glad I did. This guinness beef stew has officially changed my thoughts on stew. The meat is flavorful and perfectly cooked, the veggies are chunky and hearty, but the real winner here is the base of this stew. It's flavored with Guinness, brown sugar, and tomato paste and I'd drink it with a straw. No lie.

Here's hoping this is the last of the cold weather and comfort food. Now go make this stew before spring really gets here.

guinness beef stew

ingredients:
1 (3½ to 4-pound) boneless beef chuck-eye roast, pulled apart at seams, trimmed and cut into 1½-inch pieces
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 yellow onions, diced
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken stock
1 (12-ounce) bottle Guinness Draught, divided (do not use Guinness Stout as it is too bitter)
5 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp thyme
1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

directions:
Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat to 325 degrees. Season the beef with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the onions and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for an additional 1 minute.

Whisk in the chicken stock, 3/4 cup of the Guinness, brown sugar and thyme, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the beef and return to a simmer.

Transfer the pot to the oven and cook, uncovered, for 90 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking.

Stir in the potatoes and carrots and continue cooking until the beef and vegetables are tender, about 1 hour, stirring halfway through cooking. Remove the pot from the oven and stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of Guinness and the parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Yield: 6-8 servings
Source: slightly adapted from Brown Eyed Baker, originally from Cook's Country

chicken biscuit pie

Okay, enough already. It's March and there is snow on the ground outside my window. As much as I love sweaters and boots and layering to my heart's content, I'm calling it. We've all had enough, Mother Nature. Give it a rest already.

March has officially come in like a lion so does that mean we for sure have the lamb part ahead?

The only saving grace of all this cold, yucky weather is that I have had ample opportunity to make all my favorite stick-to-your-ribs meals. Chili, stew, risotto…and now pot pie! This is an old-fashioned pot pie with a twist. Instead of the traditional flaky crust (which I will never turn down, by the way…flaky crusts for life!), this pot pie features big scoops of hearty chive buttermilk biscuits, baked right on top of the filling. If you like a greater topping to filling ratio (and who doesn't?), this pot pie is for you.

If you have some shredded chicken on hand (or decide to opt for a rotisserie chicken from your local grocery store), this meal will come together mostly in one dish. You'll need an extra bowl for mixing the biscuits, but the rest of the meal is sautéed, baked, and served in one dish. Because we may be stuck inside, but that doesn't mean we want to spend our time doing dishes.

BTW, I have my fingers crossed that this is the last wintery meal I have to make. Can we get a second opinion on that whole groundhog thing?

chicken biscuit pie

for the filling:
4 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 onion, diced
2 carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped

1 tsp thyme (or 2 tsp fresh thyme, if you have it)

Salt and pepper
1 Tbsp whole-grain mustard
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup milk (preferably whole milk, but 2% will work)

4 cups shredded chicken
1 cup frozen peas

for the topping:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
Salt and pepper
6 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed
3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk

directions:
Make the filling: Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion, chopped carrots, celery and thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes. Stir in the mustard, then sprinkle the flour over the vegetables. Cook, stirring, until the flour is toasted, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the broth, milk and shredded chicken and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.

Make the topping: Whisk the flour, cornmeal, chives, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of pepper in a medium bowl. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add 3/4 cup buttermilk and stir until the dough comes together. If the dough feels dry, add additional buttermilk, one tablespoon at a time.

Stir the peas into the chicken filling. Using a spoon or cookie scoop, drop about 14 mounds of batter on top. Transfer the Dutch oven or skillet to the oven and bake until the topping is puffed and golden, about 25-30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Source: adapted from Food Network's Turkey Biscuit Pie

maple blueberry scones

My Momma K is having a birthday today! Yup, it's my momma's birthday and I don't even have a cake for you today. Fail. Pretend there's a candle in that scone up there, please!

For those of you who know my momma, please be sure to wish her a happy birthday! For those who don't know her, well, you're missing out on a good lady.

She's the kind of mom who mails me boxes of Girl Scout cookies and funny cards, just because. She's the kind who will drink too much red wine and refer to herself as Betty Badass…even though she'd never hurt a fly. She's the kind who will watch Project Runway with me every week (even though we live hundreds of miles apart) so we can text each other our opinions the entire time. And she's the kind who will choose everyone else's favorite cake for her own birthday.

So, momma, I owe you one birthday cake of YOUR choosing.

But in the meantime, I offer up these scones. Because when I was first learning to bake you would always try my scones and claim to like them…even when certain other members of the family (cough cough dad) gave them the side eye and referred to them as the "big, ugly cousin of the muffin." (Poor scones…)

Thanks for being wonderful, momma! Happy birthday to you!

maple blueberry scones

ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, but into small cubes
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
3/4 cup cold buttermilk
1 cup fresh blueberries
3 Tbsp buttermilk for brushing the tops of the scones before baking
granulated sugar for sprinkling on top before baking

directions:
Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, pinch of nutmeg, and salt. Cut in butter (using your fingers or a pastry cutter) until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Work the butter into the dry ingredients until some of the butter flakes are the size of peas and some are the size of oat flakes. In another bowl, combine egg, maple syrup, and milk and beat lightly with a fork. Add to flour mixture all at once, stirring enough to make a soft dough. Fold in the blueberries.

Turn out onto a floured board and knead until just combined. Roll or pat out into a 1-inch thickness. Cut into 2-inch rounds using a round cutter. Reshape and roll excess dough to create more scones with dough scraps. Place on prepared baking sheet. Brush lightly with buttermilk and sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown on top. Serve warm. Scones are best the day they’re made but will keep up to five days refridgerated.

Yield: 10-12 scones

Source: Joy the Baker

maple bacon brussels salad with cranberries and gorgonzola

Brussels sprouts are clearly having their moment right now, their fifteen minutes of fame. They're everywhere. Sautéed, roasted, deep fried, any way you can imagine. I'm gonna go ahead and jump on the brussels sprout train; however, I'd just like to first point out that I liked brussels sprouts before they were cool. My momma served them up boiled when I was a kid and my five-year-old self was all over it. Momma and I were clearly ahead of the brussels sprout game.

In hindsight, I think I may have just liked that they looked like little baby heads of lettuce…but whatever.

Maybe it's all these delicious brussels sprouts recipes popping up on Pinterest or maybe it's just childhood nostalgia, but lately I've been hankering for brussels sprouts in a big way. Like daydreaming about brussels sprouts all day. Yeah, not normal. But, hey, it's healthier than my usual daydreams, which tend to involve Five Guys burgers and brownies.

And all those daydreams added up to this here salad. Brussels sprouts sautéed in bacon grease and maple syrup and mixed with dried cranberries, gorgonzola, and crumbled bacon. Basically, brussels trashed up in the best way possible. I could eat this every day forever. Yeah, it's that good.

maple bacon brussels salad with cranberries and gorgonzola

ingredients:
1/2 pound thick-cut bacon, chopped (about 5 slices)
1 pound brussels sprouts, stems removed and sliced
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup gorgonzola, crumbled

directions:
Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and add the bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crispy, about 5 to 6 minutes. Reserving as much of the bacon grease as possible, remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel to remove any extra grease.

Add the brussels to the bacon grease still in the skillet and stir to coat. Cook until the brussels begin to soften, about 5 minutes, then stir in the maple syrup. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, then season with the salt and the pepper.

Remove skillet from heat. Add the bacon back into the skillet along with the gorgonzola and dried cranberries, stirring to combine. Transfer to a plate or serving dish. Refrigerate leftovers.

Yield: 2-4 servings as main dish, 4-6 as side dish

Source: adapted from How Sweet It Is

chocolate cherry cake

I made you a Valentine's Day-ish cake!!! (With a horrible photo to boot!) You're welcome. :)

My own Valentine's Day has already come and gone. But that doesn't mean I can't force chocolate goodies upon you, right? Okay, good.

The BF and I celebrated an early Valentine's Day this past Friday night so, naturally, I was on a mad dash to the mall Friday afternoon for the perfect gift. Actually, being so unprepared for a holiday is very un-Katy-like and it caused me more anxiety than I'd like to admit. I'm the girl who has birthday and holiday gifts purchased a month in advance. I don't know what happened this time around. I must be losing my edge.

Anywayssss, I made the vital mistake of going shopping with my friend (who is a nanny) and her three charges, a toddler and twin baby boys. Let me just say that we were only at the mall for about two hours but during that time we had a near-miss bathroom accident and some full-on excitement-induced nausea in Build-a-Bear. I've officially learned my lesson. Never again will I wait until the last minute.

But the story has a happy ending. I got a dang gift and our early Valentine's Day was a success.

Whether you're planning on celebrating Valentine's Day with a significant other or with friends (or just boycotting it altogether) might I suggest this decadent chocolate cherry cake? Chocolate + cherries just seems like the perfect Valentine's Day combo. And this cake is ridiculously easy to whip together. Aside from the less-than-desirable chore of cherry pitting, this cake batter comes together in one bowl and in less than ten minutes. So if you're a "wait 'til the last minute" kinda gal (or guy), this low-maintenance cake might just save the day.

chocolate cherry cake with chocolate glaze

ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp vinegar (or lemon juice)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
2 cups cherries, pitted and halved

chocolate glaze: 
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp hot water

directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add the vanilla extract, vinegar, oil, and water. Using a spatula, mix the batter until smooth. Stir in the cherries.

Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool to room temperature.

In a double boiler, melt the chocolate. Stir in hot water and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. If the chocolate appears to seize up, keep stirring. After a few minutes, it will turn into a workable consistency.

Spread the icing lightly onto the cooled cake and garnish with cherries.

To store for longer than a day, place the cake into an airtight container and chill in the refrigerator.

Yield: one 9-inch cake

Source: Pastry Affair