Roasted Asparagus with Grape Tomatoes and Mushrooms

We were shopping at HyVee and there was this wonderful bunch of asparagus.  Looking through some ideas on Pinterest, I came across a recipe which I modified.  Came out just delicious.

I snap off the tough ends of the asparagus and then use a vegetable peeler to peel the stems, I think it looks nice that way.  I read a chef on Food and Wine who said he does this because, 

"it looks cool!"

That is non-stick foil lining a pie dish, easy clean up.

Next, slice some mushrooms.  I keep reading this debate on whether to wash mushrooms OR wipe them off with a damp towel.  I saw Alton Brown toss mushrooms into a mesh strainer, run water over them and toss them around--works like a charm.  Then lay them on a paper towel to dry.

Take the grape tomatoes and cut them in half.  

Toss everything in some olive oil, sea salt, and pepper.

Back into the pie dish and arrange in a pretty pattern.  

Sprinkle on some grated parmesan cheese.  Use your judgement as to how much you like, or 

omit it altogether.

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Roast until the asparagus is tender crisp.  

Use the tip of a knife to test doneness.

Enjoy friends!

Garden Bounty -- Roasted Roma Tomatoes

Instead of canning Roma or Plum Tomatoes, another method is to roast them and then freeze to store them for later.  These make a great pizza or pasta sauce, just add some Italian seasonings, and blend with an immersion blender.  Here's how they look after roasting for about 1 hour in a 400 degree oven.

Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise, cut out the core and remove the seeds.  

Place on a foil lined baking sheet.

Drizzle with good olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

Place in the 400 degree oven and roast until they are a little charred and a bit dried on the edges.

Get some freezer bags ready. Label freezer bags with contents and date.

Place roasted tomatoes in the freezer bag in a single layer.  Zip closed and place in the freezer.

Then on a cold snowy day when you make homemade pizza, 

use these tomatoes from the garden to make the best sauce ever.  

Enjoy friends!

Classic Baked Chicken

Oh my!  

Winner winner, chicken dinner!  Thanks to Simply Recipes where I found this delightful baked chicken dish.  The only change was that I gave my chicken pieces an overnight bath in buttermilk!

Take a 3 to 4 pound young chicken and cut into pieces (2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 wings, 2 breasts -- which I cut down into 4 pieces.)  Rinse the chicken pieces, place in a large container, pour buttermilk over, cover and place in the fridge overnight.  The buttermilk bath will make a big difference in the finished product.

Next day, drain and rinse the chicken pieces, pat them dry, and place back in the fridge uncovered to dry some more.  This helps to ensure the golden brown finish on the chicken skins when they are baked.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Rub some olive oil all over the chicken pieces, place in a foil lined roasting pan.  Sprinkle both sides with sea salt and black pepper.  Arrange the chicken pieces skin side up and leave a little room between pieces.  (My salt and pepper shakers are made from little empty wine bottles, they are cute, don't you think?)

Bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.  At about 20 minutes into baking, I found that my chicken was steaming instead of roasting because of the juices that came off the chicken.  If this happens, just take it out of the oven, and drain off the liquid.  Return to continue baking.

After the 30 minutes, lower the heat to 350 degrees and continue to bake for another 10 -30 minutes OR until juices run clear, white meat temp is 165 degrees and dark meat thighs 170 degrees.  Let rest for 5 minutes after baking before serving.

Winner winner, chicken dinner indeed!  Tonight we also had creamy coleslaw and steamed green beans.  Wish I could have had a photo of the dark meat, but it was devoured so quickly that the photo opportunity was gone!

Enjoy friends!

Chicken Breast Amandine

Chicken, chicken, let me count the ways!  I had the ingredients on hand and decided this recipe sounded good.  Thank you Epicurious.  (By the way, the Epicurious app is way cool!)

Here's what you will need for two hungry people:
2 boneless skinless chicken breast
1 Tbl olive oil
1/4 C sliced almonds
1/4 C dry white wine
1/4 C water
1 garlic clove minced and mashed into a paste with a pinch of salt
1 Tbl unsalted butter
2 Tbl parsley
fresh lemon juice to taste
A bunch of asparagus, woody ends trimmed off.
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Prepare the asparagus ahead of time by trimming off the tough ends, place in a foil lined baking dish.  Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and ground pepper.  Set aside.

Heat the oil in a skillet until hot but not smokin!  Brown the chicken which has been patted dry and seasoned with sea salt and ground pepper.  Saute for 2 minutes on each side.  Reduce the heat to low and cook until cooked through.  Transfer to heated plates.

Meantime in a 400 degree oven roast the prepared asparagus until it's tender crisp.  

Add the water, wine, garlic paste to the skillet.  Boil and reduce to half.

Take the skillet off the heat, add the butter, parsley, almonds, and a squeeze of lemon.  Stir to make a nice sauce.

Spoon the almond sauce over the chicken!  Oh My!

Tonight I added a crisp romaine salad with tomato wedges and ranch dressing.  The Simply line of dressings are just that, Simple.  No added stuff!

Oh, and the "Pots of Creme" that I made last night---Not pronounced

Pots of Cream, instead, Po Deau Creahm, Po Deau Creahm.  So French! 

So delicious! Thanks Pioneer Woman Blog!

Dessert!  Oh, Stop Right Now!!!

Ok, don't stop!

The Little Black Dress Merlot complimented the Pots of Creme --- deliciously!

Just one more shot of that dessert.  Sorry! I can't stop!

Enjoy friends!!