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| (Image from www.ally.com) |
Although the calendar indicates it’s definitely Spring, Winter
is still holding on a tiny bit in some parts of the country, and where I’m at,
the temps are going to dip back down into the thirties in a few days. I’ve always loved Spring, because it was
always about renewal and possibilities for nearly everything in my life. In my other blog, “Terry’s Spa, Beauty and Wellness Go-To” I write an annual article
on lifestyle transitioning from Winter to Spring. Everything “lightens up” in Spring, including
the types of things you cook. As the
temps heat up, I try to also lighten up my food choices; come Summer, I try
avoiding using the oven as much as possible.
Lighter food fare is also easier to digest than heavier or denser food
items, like meat, heavy sauces, etc.; and, it’s certainly easier to enjoy
eating something that’s not steaming hot, like soup or stew when the temps are
also hot. And while I’m a basic cook, I
also enjoy exploring new recipes, foods, and tastes. Following are some of my culinary creations
that I developed over the past year; I have quite a number of them, but decided
to share these, since they’re ideal for Springtime. Enjoy!
Cream of Asparagus & Scallion
Soup
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| (Photo by T. Herman( |
…my homage to the new season of Spring, usually takes shape
with a soup that features two of the season’s most iconic veggies…asparagus and
scallions…I took a large bunch of thin asparagus, cleaned, and then chopped
into one-quarter inch pieces…I took a large bunch of scallions, cleaned, and
then chopped them into one-quarter inch pieces…I added both chopped veggies to
a Dutch oven and then added a large container of herb seasoned chicken broth,
along with some reserved asparagus water (from the Spring Quiche I made a few days ago; the flavored water was from
boiling some of the asparagus I used for this dish; more frugality)…to the
mixture, I also added a few Bay leaves, and about two tablespoons of dehydrated
parsley flakes…the soup is currently cooking over a medium flame…once it begins
to boil, I’ll remove the Bay leaves, and then simmer, with the cover slightly
ajar, and continue cooking for at least thirty minutes, or until veggies are al
dente…I’ll then turn the gas off, cover completely and allow the cooking
process to steam…after checking for seasoning and the taste of the veggies,
I’ll then use my immersion blender to purée…to the puréed mixture, I’ll add a bit of milk to
make the overall consistency creamy…I’ll post photos of the finished soup, but
for now, enjoy the prepping photos of what promises to be a tasty and delicious
soup…
Spring Quiche
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| (Photo by T. Herman) |
…I amaze myself at how clumsy I can be at times…yesterday I
did some grocery shopping and of course, by the time I had gotten home, somehow
I managed to crack a half-dozen eggs…as luck would have it, I had also
purchased scallions, asparagus spears, and grated cheese…not too worry…I
salvaged the eggs and kept them chilled…it’s not even 9:00am and I now have in
the oven my version of a “Spring Quiche”
(minus the crust; I’m not that ambitious!)…mind you, when I purchased my
groceries yesterday, making quiche wasn’t in the meal plan…after scrambling the
eggs, I added milk, dehydrated parsley, Himalayan salt, ground black pepper,
sliced scallions, cut thin asparagus spears (reserving the spear heads), yellow
cheddar cheese, and an Italian blend of white cheeses that included mozzarella,
white cheddar, Provolone, and Asiago…to a lightly greased fry pan (I used
EVOO), I then poured in the mixture in, and decorated the top with additional
uncut asparagus spears, and the spearheads…I’m baking the “Spring Quiche” right now in a 320 deg F oven, which I preheated…as
per my usual, I didn’t “measure” anything, and just went with my visual
instincts, which I hope prove to be correct and the finished product turns out
delicious, because it sure looked that way going into the oven…digits crossed…
Antipasto
Salad
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| (Photo by T. Herman) |
…I had a taste for a salad, so I
used what I had on hand (there's that frugal theme, again!) and improvised by
creating a salad that's a twist on a familiar theme…I drained and chopped
marinated vegetables (Alessi and Vigo
brands) that included green asparagus, white asparagus, button mushrooms,
artichoke hearts, and hearts of palm & artichokes (I do love artichokes!)…I
added these to a bowl, plus chopped celery leaves, diced yellow onion, and
whole grape tomatoes…I then added EVOO (Cobram
Estate, Australia brand) and some dried oregano…after mixing thoroughly, I
chilled for about thirty minutes and served alongside a slice of Margherita Pizza (Palermo’s) that was topped with sweet basil pesto (Aldi Priano)…this was a quick and easy
light dinner that was also delicious…
Garlic & Herb Focaccia
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| (Photo by T. Herman) |
…preheat oven to 357 deg F…I had a one pound round of frozen
plain pizza dough…once it was thawed, I allowed it to come to room
temperature…I then oiled a large mixing bowl with EVOO and transferred the
dough to the oiled bowl and then covered it…I allowed it to rise for one hour…I
uncovered it and punched the dough down and began adding all-purpose flour to
remove the tackiness…to an oiled (EVOO) glass baking dish, I added the dough
and smoothed it out to fit the pan…I then pricked it with a fork to keep the
dough from puffing up unevenly and creating air pockets…I liberally coated the
top with more EVOO and then added a generous amount of garlic powder and
oregano…I baked it for about an hour…the finished focaccia looked nice and
rustic…to individual servings I added a bit of Himalayan pink salt…optional add
was basil pesto…would also be great dipped in a nice marinara sauce…to go along
with this, I also jazzed up a plain cheese pizza by sprinkling it with oregano
and topping it with a few thin slices of Italian hard salami and provolone
cheese…I sprinkled a bit more oregano and baked for about twenty-five minutes, or
until the cheese was melted and the top was a golden brown…I topped it with sweet
basil pesto (Aldi Priano)…the pizza had
a nice crisp chew to it, and the focaccia had a soft chew to it…both items were
delicious…
Meatloaf Bake
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| (Photo by T. Herman) |
…I had a taste for meatloaf, and decided to thaw some frozen
hamburgers I had, and use that as the base…once thawed, I blotted away any
moisture from the burgers…preheat oven to 350 deg F…in a large mixing bowl, add
the thawed hamburger, and crumble…sauté in EVOO one medium diced yellow onion,
and three minced cloves of garlic…cook slightly, remove from heat, and cool to
room temperature…to crumbled meat mixture, add dehydrated parsley, ground black
pepper, Worcestershire
sauce, three eggs, one cup of plain breadcrumbs, a splash of half and half, and
the cooled sautéed veggies…mix well…lightly oil a large glass baking dish…add
the seasoned meat mixture…press evenly throughout the entire baking dish…cover
with two 8 oz cans of plain tomato sauce…distribute the tomato sauce evenly over
the meat…bake for one and one-half hours, or until knife inserted comes out
clean…I’ll post photos of the finished dish once it comes out of the over...I
might make some mashed potatoes, or just eat a slice of this as my dinner…so
far, it smells delicious as it’s cooking…
Marmalade Soy Baked Salmon
Filets, Farro Butternut Squash & Kale, and Spaghetti Squash
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| (Photo by T. Herman) |
…preheat oven to 375 deg F…I had the good fortune to
receive, for review, some fresh caught gorgeous whole salmon filets from Atlantic Sapphire...I cut the huge
filets, placed them skin side down on baking sheets, scored them, and then
seasoned them with ground black pepper and Himalayan pink salt…I also had a
small spaghetti squash, which I also scored and placed in a glass baking
dish…in a separate small Dutch oven, I made the new Alessi Foods Farro Butternut Squash & Kale mix, which I also
received for review…I added some dehydrated parsley…as the salmon and spaghetti
squash were baking, I made the glaze for the salmon…I used Crosse & Blackwell Marmalade, also a review product, garlic
powder, and Kikkoman Lite Soy Sauce…I
mixed these ingredients thoroughly…as soon as I test the salmon for doneness,
I’ll generously brush the filets with the glazed and let them continue baking
to caramelize the glaze…for the spaghetti squash, I’ll just add dollops of
sweet cream butter, a dash of Himalayan pink salt and ground black pepper…
Tuna Cannellini Bean Salad
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| (Photo by T. Herman) |
…a simple, yet delicious and easy to pull together salad
that’s packed with fiber and protein…again, I’m using what I have on hand to
continue my frugal theme…ingredients included one 5 oz. can of Tuna packed in
EVOO (Wild Planet Wild Albacore Tuna In
Extra Virgin Olive Oil), do not drain, flake…13 oz. jar of Cannellini Beans (Jovial), rinsed and drained…1 T Capers (Crosse & Blackwell Premium Non-Pareil Capers)…1/4 red onion,
diced…2 small fresh garlic cloves, minced…1 T sweet basil pesto (Aldi Priano)…balsamic vinegar (Aldi Priano)…dried oregano, dehydrated
parsley, ground black pepper…mix everything together…no additional salt is
needed, since the tuna and capers have sufficient amounts of sodium…chill for
about an hour before serving with assorted crackers…
Salmon
Basil Patties with Basil Caper Yogurt Sauce
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| (Photo by T. herman( |
…I became inspired with an
abundance of fresh basil from my two basil plants…I was inspired to create some
Salmon Patties and incorporating this aromatic and delicious herb…I used a can
of Wild Alaska Pink Salmon (Wild Planet)…I
used the small amount of water it was packed in and then flaked it…to this I
add an egg, ground black pepper, dehydrated parsley flakes, sautéed diced
yellow onion, sautéed fresh garlic, as a binder, I used crushed crackers and
some pancake mix (Bob’s Red Mill),
and chiffenade of fresh sweet basil…I mixed everything well and formed into
small patties…I heated a pan, added a small amount of canola oil and began
browning the patties on each side…as they were cooking, I made the sauce, which
consisted of plain yogurt, which I added capers and sweet basil pesto and mixed
thoroughly…once the patties were browned on each side, I removed them from the
pan and allowed them to cool a bit, and served with the sauce and some dill
pickles…the finished patties are delicious on their own, but adding the sauce
takes the flavor profile over the top…
Panzanella Salad
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| (Photo by T. Herman) |
…I’ve made this traditional Italian salad many times…it uses
leftover bread as the salad base, and is definitely frugal…while it’s delicious
anytime of the year, it’s the ideal summertime salad…I’m using leftover crusty
Ciabatta bread (Turano Bakery) that
I’ve cut into cubes, EVOO, balsamic vinegar, thinly sliced yellow onion, minced
fresh garlic, chiffenade of fresh sweet basil, sliced grape tomatoes, sweet
basil pesto, chunked salad cucumbers, capers, ground black pepper, dehydrated
parsley, and dried oregano…just mix everything together in a large bowl and let
it rest so that the bread soaks up the vinaigrette and all the flavors meld
together…then, refrigerate for several hours before serving…I drizzled the
serving with Balsamic Reduction (Alessi Foods)…can also be served as part
of a tossed green salad…delicious, refreshing, and frugal…
Red Dragon Fruit & Yogurt
Parfait
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| (Photo by T. Herman) |
…this exotic beauty’s color is a real visual Wow!… this was
my first time ever eating Red Dragon
Fruit (Frieda’s Specialty Produce)…I
cut the fruit lengthwise and scooped out the beautiful intense ruby-red seeded
pulp…I placed spoon-sized scoops in a wine glass…in layers, I alternated with
the Red Dragon Fruit, Greek yogurt, and walnut pieces…I then topped off the
final layer with a bit more of the yogurt and nuts, and then drizzled Aunt Sue’s Raw Wild Honey (Sue Bee Honey)…the addition of the honey brought out the natural juices of
the Red Dragon Fruit, and added just the right amount of subtle sweetness to
this exotic fresh fruit dessert…Dragon Fruit is a nutrient dense fruit, rich in
Vitamins A, B and C, plus
polyunsaturated fatty acids…it’s also delicious…can also be added to fruit
salads, granola, etc….
Ancho Deviled Eggs
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| (Photo by T. Herman) |
…the other day, I tried my hand at making Chef Pati Jinich’s “Ancho Chile Salsa
(Pickled)…simple ingredients…I’ll list the YouTube video clip for your
reference…anyway, the longer this concoction marinates in the fridge, the
better and more intense the flavors…it actually becomes sweet and savory…since
I’m trying to use up what I have on hand (frugality), and it being the July 4th
Holiday Weekend, I decided to try making deviled eggs, using the Ancho recipe,
plus other traditional ingredients…I peeled and halved hard boiled eggs and then
removed the yolks, setting the yolks aside in a mixing bowl…I then smashed the
yolks to a fine grainy consistency, and added salad dressing, dehydrated
parsley, sweet Hungarian paprika, ground black pepper, and generous amounts of
the Ancho recipe…I mixed thoroughly and made sure I had the desired
consistency…I then filled the empty egg white halves with the mixture and
smoothed out the filling…plated and embellished with sweet basil leaves made
all of these combined flavors absolutely delicious…
Cream
of Spring Green Soup
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| (Photo by T. Herman) |
…what better way to celebrate
being frugal and using what’s on-hand, recuperating from the flu, and welcoming
the arrival of Spring and Palm Sunday
this weekend by making a delicious and comforting pot of seasonal soup…chicken
broth (2 cans), Tanimura & Antle
Artisan Lettuces (Petite Oak and Petite Tango), diced baby asparagus
(reserve tips for garnish), bay leaves (2), black pepper, and dehydrated
shallots, yellow onion, garlic, celery, and parsley…half n’ half…on a medium
heat, simmer the chicken broth, diced asparagus, dehydrated veggies, bay
leaves, and black pepper until asparagus are thoroughly cooked and fork
tender...remove bay leaves…add lettuces and cover, allowing for steam to cook
lettuces (wilted)…turn heat off and let rest for fifteen minutes…then, using an
immersion blender, begin blending everything until it becomes a smooth
puree…slowly add the half n’half and heat for fifteen minutes…serve with a
drizzle of EVOO and a dollop of plain yogurt and garnish with a few of the
asparagus tips…
Italian Garbanzo Bean Salad
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| (Photo by T. Herman) |
…this is a simple salad to make, with flavors and seasonings
that are definitely Italian…here’s what I used: in a large bowl, combine 13 oz
of drained and rinsed Garbanzo Beans
(Jovial), 2 cups mini Grape Tomatoes,
1 T drained capers, one-half yellow onion diced, one medium garlic clove
minced, 1-2 T sweet basil pesto (Aldi Priano),
ground black pepper, 1 T dried oregano, 1 T dehydrated parsley, EVOO, and
balsamic vinegar…mix thoroughly and chill for one to two hours before
serving…this is great as a side salad, or added to cooked pasta, or added to
chopped Romaine lettuce…use whatever beans you like and whatever seasonings you
prefer to make it your own, but try this recipe, and I know you’ll make it one
of your favorite, quick and easy, go to salads…delicious…
~ Resources ~
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| (Image from www.withfoodandlove.com) |
Alessi Foods https://alessifoods.com
Vigo Foods https://vigofoods.com
Crosse & Blackwell http://www.crosseandblackwell.com
Sue Bee Honey http://www.suebee.com
Atlantic Sapphire http://www.atlanticsapphire.com
Tanimura & Antle Produce http://www.taproduce.com
Jovial Foods https://jovialfoods.com
Kikkoman USA http://www.kikkomanusa.com
Wild Planet Foods http://www.wildplanetfoods.com
Turano Baking Company https://turano.com
Frieda’s Specialty Produce http://www.friedas.com
Chef Pati Jinich https://patijinich.com
Bob’s Red Mill http://www.bobsredmill.com
Palermo’s Pizza http://www.palermospizza.com
Aldi https://www.aldi.us
~ In Closing ~
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| (Image from www.ovioorganics.com.au) |
Take time to enjoy the new season.
Open those windows and find some new ways to create a tasty dish that’s
easy to prepare and delicious. That’s it
for this edition. Until the next one, remember
to always celebrate yourself and your culinary curiosity. Happy creating…happy
cooking…happy eating!
By Terry Herman
TERRY HERMAN continues perfecting her passion for food and
wine. She has been covering culinary
related for many years as it relates to wellness and a healthy lifestyle. Her popular blog, Terry's Spa, Beauty and Wellness
Go-To has featured formidable reviews of cookbooks, restaurants, wine and
food, food prep and tools, chef interviews, and coverage of prestigious events
such as International Home+Housewares Show, National Restaurant Show, Sweets
and Snacks Expo, United Fresh, and Food Marketing Institute. She has served as a food judge at the
Bellavita Italian Expo Excellence Awards (Chicago). She has been published since the mid-1990s in
both consumer and trade publications, and is regarded as an expert in spa,
beauty, wellness, travel and lifestyle, and is frequently interviewed by
publications for her expert content. She
has also presented at major industry conferences, and has served with
distinction on numerous governing and advisory boards. She has a background in strategic and qualitative
management, consulting, and motivational speaking. In addition to her blogs, her social media
outreach also includes Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Don’t forget to “Like” her Facebook Page, Terry’s Second Helpings. Please note that the “Comment Section” has
been disabled. For additional
information, email her at terry.herman@gmail.com.
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(Photo credits as indicated, or as represented by the
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