Summertime Penne

Serves 4

Well, hello blog! I've been really bad about posting lately. I posted a photo of this dish on Instagram & Facebook and had a lot of requests for the recipe, so here we go! I didn't actually measure anything out while I was making this, so this isn't going to be a very "exact" recipe with measurements, etc. I suggest you only make this one if you're comfortable feeling things out in the kitchen. :)

Ingredients:

• 1 box Dreamfield's Penne Pasta
• A handful of freshly shredded Pecorino Romano cheese
• 3ish sun dried tomatoes (in olive oil), thinly sliced
• A bunch of fresh green beans... maybe 4-5 cups? (see, this is really not exact at all)
• 4-5 tbsp. good, unsalted butter
• 2-3 tbsp. good extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• A handful of fresh tarragon leaves
• About 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• Sea salt & freshly grated black pepper

Directions:

Bring a pot of water to a boil. In the meantime, snip the ends of your green beans, and wash them in cold water. Add them to the boiling water, and let them boil for about 1-2 mins, or until they are bright green & at your desired done-ness. I like mine very al dente so that they have a nice crunch to them. Set the beans aside.

Bring your water back to a boil, and salt it (I used the same water, but you can switch it out if you want). Cook pasta as it describes on the box.

When you have about 5 minutes left for your pasta to cook: In a large skillet (or a wok pan), melt the butter & add olive oil over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted, add the garlic. Let cook for about 30 seconds, while stirring, then add the green beans. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in the sun dried tomatoes. Add a little sea salt.

When the pasta is finished, strain, and add to the pan (or add everything to a big bowl if you can't fit it all in the pan). Mix in Pecorino Romano cheese, lemon juice and tarragon. Salt & pepper to taste.

Voila!

This was, seriously, one of my favorite dishes that I not only have made, but that I've eaten. The flavors worked perfectly, which could've gone either way since it was a complete experiment. I hope these directions do it justice. Enjoy!!

Curried Harissa Cauliflower

In the mood for a delicious, easy dinner on the healthier side? This side dish is it. My friend, Barbara (whom I mentioned in an earlier post - she gave me the Harissa olive oil from The Olive Oil Store), told me about a yummy cauliflower dish that she makes frequently. I decided to add a couple of ingredients and try it out myself. I LOVE spicy food, and LOVE curry, so really this dish was the main focal point - the shrimp & salad I made along with it were an afterthought. The cauliflower came out beautifully!

Ingredients:

• 1 med. head cauliflower, separated and cut into even pieces (the size of the smallest florets)
• 1 large (or 2 small) clove garlic, lightly chopped
• 1 large shallot, sliced
• 2 tbsp. Harissa olive oil* (or 2 tbsp. regular olive oil with a few drops of chili oil)
• Organic curry powder (about 1/8 tsp.)
• Sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:

Preheat broiler on high - about 10 minutes. Arrange cauliflower florets, garlic, and shallot onto a foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle with Harissa olive oil, and dust with curry powder. Sprinkle with sea salt & black pepper. Broil on high for 18 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve while hot.

Blood Orange Cashew Salad

Ingredients:

• A 5 oz. package of baby arugula
• 1 blood orange, peeled, quartered, and separated
• Sahale Snacks brand "Sing Buri Cashews" nut blend

Dressing:

• 1/8 cup Blood Orange infused olive oil* (or good regular olive oil)
• 1 tbsp. Serrano Honey Balsamic vinegar* (or regular Balsamic vinegar)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Squeeze of 1 lemon wedge
• Sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:

Mix all salad ingredients in a pretty bowl, set aside. Mix together dressing ingredients, and toss into salad when ready to serve. Easy!

Note:

*You can purchase these infused olive oils & Balsamics at The Olive Oil Store, Jacksonville, FL.

Effortless Broiled Shrimp

These shrimp were so simple & juicy. I recommend buying the freshest, most plump shrimp you can find... if they were previously frozen, I don't recommend making them this way. When shrimp have been frozen, the shell sticks & it very difficult to remove if you cook them without peeling them first. Last minute (literally), I decided to whip up a quick dipping sauce for the shrimp. I used a couple tablespoons of vegenaise, a squeeze of a lemon wedge, and a good amount of Sriracha pepper sauce... mixed it up & it was ready! Hope you enjoy this meal as much as we did. :)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 - 1 lb. fresh, never frozen, plump shrimp with shell & tail still attached (remove legs)
• 1 tsp. Balsamic vinegar
• Olive oil for drizzling
• Sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper
• Flaky salt for finishing

Directions:

Turn broiler on high, and let preheat - about 10 minutes. Wash shrimp. Lightly coat broiling pan with cooking spray. Line shrimp (with skins & tails on) onto the broiling pan. Drizzle with olive oil and Balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with sea salt & black pepper. Broil for 2 minutes. Remove from oven, turn shrimp over, and sprinkle with more sea salt & black pepper. Broil for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and place shrimp on a platter. Finish with flaky salt. Serve with your favorite shrimp dipping sauce or the sauce I described above. Enjoy!!!

Oven-baked Potato Chips

These were so easy! I was intimidated because I had NO idea what was going to happen when I stuck the potatoes in the oven! I like really crispy, browned potato chips, so I ended up leaving them in the oven for a few minutes longer than I listed below.

You will need:

• 1/2 Idaho potato, sliced from end to end very thinly
• Olive oil to drizzle
• Kosher salt

Directions:

Move oven rack to the second to the top slot, and turn broiler on low. Arrange thinly sliced potato on a baking sheet & drizzle lightly with olive oil, moving slices around to coat evenly. Sprinkle with salt. Broil on low for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are browning nicely. Remove from oven & transfer the potato chips to a paper towel lined plate to cool. I liked serving these with a Vegenaise lemon-pepper sauce (mix 1/4 cup Vegenaise, squeeze of 1 lemon wedge, and freshly cracked pepper). Yum!

Wild Mushroom & Sage Pork Chops with Crispy Sage Leaves

For Christmas, my friend Barbara gave me a bottle of Harissa olive oil from a new place in Jacksonville, FL, called The Olive Oil Store. As soon as I opened the bottle, I knew there was something special about this new find. The olive oil is so fragrant and high-quality! Within a couple of days, I made a trip, myself, to The Olive Oil Store to explore, and after spending way too much time tasting almost every infused oil & vinegar they carry, I left with six 6 oz. bottles of olive oils & Balsamics - and a little tummy ache from consuming so much oil!

Later that evening, I chose to begin experimenting with the Wild Mushroom & Sage olive oil to marinate the pork chops in, and what better accompaniment than crispy sage leaves? This meal was a huge hit, and I can't wait to make it again! I paired the pork chops with a delicious salad - I'll post that recipe soon. I recommend making a simple, fresh salad along with this dish.

Ingredients:

• Thick-cut bone-in pork chops
• Wild Mushroom & Sage olive oil from The Olive Oil Store (or any other good-quality savory infused olive oil)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Kosher Salt

Directions:

Place pork chops in a baking dish. Pat them dry with a paper towel. Generously drizzle with Wild Mushroom and Sage olive oil (or whatever infused oil you have), and sprinkle with salt & pepper. 

Cover, and let marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Begin making crispy sage leaves (see recipe below for timing).

10 minutes before you are ready to cook the chops, move the baking rack to the second to the top position in the oven, and turn the broiler on high. Broiler should be ready after heating up for 10 minutes. Place pork chops on a broiling pan, and place in the oven. Broil the chops for 8 minutes (don't worry, there will probably be a little bit of smoke coming out of the oven). After 8 minutes, if the pork chops are beginning to brown nicely, turn them over & broil them for another 8 minutes. At this point, they should be nice & crispy on the outside, and perfectly moist on the inside. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature, just to be sure. The inside temp. should read 150 degrees. When the chops are finished cooking, let them sit for 5 minutes before serving. Top with crispy sage leaves (recipe below) and ENJOY! 

Crispy Sage Leaves 

Recipe from Poulet

The caption under this recipe reads, "Fried sage leaves are better than candy." Who wouldn't want to make these?!

You will need:

• 1 cup olive oil
• 16 fresh sage leaves
• Flaky salt for finishing

Directions:

Pour the olive oil into a large frying pan over very low heat. Lay the sage leaves in the pan with the oil. They will cook slowly as the oil warms, becoming crispy and delicious in 25-30 minutes. Remove them from the oil gently with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Sprinkle with flaky salt while still warm and serve.