Category Archives: Taste

Tasty Tuesday – Lemon and Parmesan Asparagus

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Last weekend was the first in a while that the weather has been dry and nice enough, and I haven’t been sick, for me to get out in to the garden. Both days a lovely chunk of time was spent digging in the dirt getting all the bed prepared for planting. Mission accomplished.

On Sunday as I was weeding the herb bed where the tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths are currently providing me with beautiful perfume and color I started thinking about dinner. My husband was doing a spring cleaning of the grill, I had chicken out that I was going to bake, hmmm what vegetable did I want to have. Spring means asparagus of course. And since the grill would be nice and clean how about grilling instead of baking. Oh yes, dinner was coming together nicely.

Given that I’m a big citrus fan I though Lemon Pepper Grilled Chicken, Red Potato Salad and asparagus – oh yes – Lemon and Parmesan Asparagus. My daughter loves cheese, but asparagus not so much… but if I put cheese on it….a win for the mom column.

When I posted about what I was making for dinner on Facebook (sorry for making you all hungry – again) I got a few request for the asparagus recipe. So…..here ya go.

Lemon and Parmesan Asapargus Photo (c) 2013 Rocky Coast Photography

Lemon and Parmesan Asparagus

1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed
pinch of salt
a few grinds of black pepper
zest of 1/2 lemon
olive oil – enough to coat the asparagus
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat asparagus with olive oil and then sprinkle with the salt, pepper and lemon zest. Gently toss together. Spread the asparagus on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven and sprinkle the Parmesan over the  asparagus. Place back in the over for another  5 minutes or so or until the cheese is melted and turning golden brown.

Serves 4-6

Side note: Since making this I’ve found a few recipes online that are very similar. So while I came up with on my own – I don’t dare say it’s my recipe as it seems this delicious combination of springtime flavors have been around for a while. Guess this just means I have good taste. :)

Behind the Lens – Green Pea Risotto

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The other day I said I’d start showing more of my photos on a regular basis. In keeping to that sentiment here is the first ‘Behind the Lens’ photo*.

While the actual shooting is fun…one of the best parts of doing food photography is when the chef/cook/restaurant lets you taste/eat the final product. Not great for my waistline but….hello cheesy creamy comfort food!

Green Pea Risotto photo (c) 2013 Rocky Coast Photography

A Green Pea Risotto

*All ‘Behind the Lens’ photos are shot via mobile phone camera unless otherwise noted.

Tasty Tuesday – Corn, Bacon & Potato Soup

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So I’ve had my eye on making this recipe since my boss posted it on her blog At Home & At Sea last week. I had bacon left over from the Brussels spouts I made for Thanksgiving and this seemed like a fun thing to do with it.

Corn, Bacon & Potato Soup by Annie Mahle, published on www.AtHomeAtSea.com

Corn, Bacon & Potato Soup

I’m making it tonight and don’t know it tastes yet but it smelled good when I was making a photograph of it for her blog. :) And it smells great as it is simmering away on my stove top.

If you’d like the recipe for Corn, Bacon and Potato Soup just click the link and BAM! you’ll have it. :) Enjoy….I know I will.

Tasty Tuesday – A Roasted Mushroom Medley

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I don’t usually try new recipes for  big dinners such as Thanksgiving in case it doesn’t turn out well. A big family dinner is best done with the already approved dishes. This year I decided that since I wasn’t doing a full dinner, we went to my in-laws, that I would try a couple of sides that sounded good and looked fairly easy to do.

What I ended up with was delicious. I actually had to slap my own hand to stop sneaking little bites “making sure it tasted okay”. My friend Annie has a rule where she says by the third taste you are no longer tasting – it’s true. :)

If you are a fan of mushrooms you are going to love this side! I will absolutely be making it again, though for  my family (only 2 of us like mushrooms) I’ll scale it down a bit.

Roasted Mushroom Medley

Recipe from: Italian Food Forever

2 pounds mixed fresh mushrooms (I used a mix of button, portobello, and shitake)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
salt & pepper
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (I did not use the balsamic as the mushrooms tasted delicious without it)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Wipe the mushrooms with a clean, damp cloth and trim stems.

Slice the mushrooms into pieces no larger than 2 inches in size.

Mix the olive oil with the garlic, herbs and seasonings in an ovenproof casserole dish large enough to fit all of the mushrooms. (I used a standard 9×12 glass baking dish. It was a little full to start but the  mushrooms reduced size so much it was fine. Also I mixed the oil and mushrooms in a bowl before transferring to the baking dish as there was not enough room to mix the mushrooms well.)

Add the mushrooms, and mix well, coating the mushrooms with the flavored oil.

Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through. (This cooking time was accurate at 35 minutes.)

Remove from the heat, and drizzle with the balsamic vinegar.

Serves 4 to 6 people
(As one of several sides this recipe served a lot more than 4 to 6 people plus we had leftovers – hence my adjusting the amount.)

Tasty Tuesday – Pork Tenderloin w/Thyme & Mustard Cream Sauce

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I can’t remember where this recipe originally came (though I suspect it’s from one of Annie Mahle’s columns) from as it has been adjusted and tweaked over time. It has become one of M’s favorites and A got so excited this past weekend when she walked into the kitchen and saw the recipe sheet on the counter – literally  jumped up and down. With enthusiasm like who wouldn’t want to make this?!

I looked back at recipes I’ve shared here and was surprised to not see this one. Well, today I rectify that. :) This is one of those recipes that look like you spend a couple of hours making but in reality it is super simple. If you give it a try, I’d love to hear what you think of it.

Pork Tenderloin with Thyme & Mustard Cream Sauce

1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup Dijon or brown mustard
2 tablespoons thyme, minced
2 pounds pork tenderloin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup white wine

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl stir together cream, mustard and thyme until incorporated.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add the oil.

Sprinkle salt and pepper on the tenderloin and place in the skillet, browning on all sides (about 5 minutes on each side).

Move tenderloin to a shallow roasting pan, keeping the skillet still on the heat.

Pour 1/2 cup of the wine to the skillet and bring to a boil, scraping the bits of brown goodness from the bottom.

Pour the wine mixture around the pork.

Brush tenderloin with approximately 2 tablespoons of the mustard/cream mixture.

Bake for 10 minutes and then add the other 1/2 cup of wine, bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the internal temperature is 145.

Place the pork on a serving dish and cover.

Whisk the rest of the mustard mixture into the pan juices.

Slice the tenderloin into medallions and either pour the sauce over the pork or serve separately table side.

Serves approximately 4 people