Roasted Asparagus and Tomato Penne Salad with Goat Cheese

I love the warm weather of Spring after a very long Winter. Not only does it feel so good to shed the bulky winter wear and finally have some sun on my skin, but my body also appreciates the fresh food that can now be prepared!

Wednesday evening was warm, enough so that the windows were closed and the air conditioner was on. Not only that, but my husband was out of town, so I did not want to prepare a large meal with lots of dishes to wash myself. Luckily I has the perfect dish for such a night!

This salad is super delicious and good for you. If you don't like goat cheese, try sprinkle a bit of feta cheese on the salad instead. Left over salad makes a great lunch the next day ... Enjoy!

Roasted Asparagus and Tomato Penne Salad with Goat Cheese

Modified slightly from Cooking Light May 2011

2 cups uncooked penne or other tube-shaped pasta

1 bunch asparagus spears

12 or more cherry tomatoes

4 TBS olive oil, divided

salt and pepper

1 TBS minced shallots

2 TBS fresh lemon juice

1 TBS Dijon mustard

1 tsp dried herbs de Provence

1 1/2 tsp honey

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved

2 cups or more baby arugula

1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

2. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside.

3. Place asparagus and tomatoes on a jell-roll pan. Drizzle with 1 TBS olive oil, sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper. Toss gently to coat. Arrange asparagus and tomato mixture in a single layer and bake at 400 degrees for 6 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Remove asparagus from pan. Place back in oven and bake tomatoes an additional 4 minutes. Remove tomatoes from pan, let asparagus and tomatoes stand for 10 minutes. Cut asparagus into 1-inch lengths.

4. Combine shallots and the next 4 ingredients (through honey) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add remaining 3 TBS olive oil, stirring with a whisk. Stir in a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

5. Place pasta and asparagus/ tomato mixture in a large bowl. Add arugula and olives. Drizzle with dressing and gently toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese.

Tuna and White Bean Salad

Yesterday was the warmest day of the year yet and I had a serious case of spring fever! Rather than cook a meal, I wanted something fresh and light and this dish fit the bill. We ate outside on the back deck, enjoying the amazing spring weather and savoring the deliciousness of this meal!

Tuna and White Bean Salad

1 bunch asparagus spears

1 TBS or less capers, drained

1/2 TBS or more chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 TBS white wine vinegar

2 TBS fresh lemon juice

3 TBS extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 (15 oz) can white beans, rinsed and drained (any white beans you like)

4 - 6 cups of salad greens

2 (5 oz) cans solid white tuna packed in olive oil, drained and broken into chunks

1. Snap off tough ends of asparagus spears and cut into 2 inch pieces. Steam asparagus, covered for 3 - 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain.

2. Combine capers and next 6 ingredients through pepper in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk.

3. Place 1/4 cup juice mixture, cherry tomatoes and beans in a small bowl; toss gently to combine. Reserve remaining dressing.

4. Place asparagus and lettuce into a large bowl, gently toss. Sprinkle tuna chunks on top of lettuce.

5. Place some lettuce onto plate, drizzle with a bit of the reserved dressing, top with some of the tomato mixture.

Serve with a hearty dinner bread for a lovely spring or summer time meal!

Asparagus and smoked salmon frittata

I found this one in the new Cook.ing Light magazine and modified the dish ever so slightly. It called for smoked trout, but I chose the smoked salmon instead due cost and package size. The substitution was great! I also chose to saute the asparagus rather than steam it. This is a super easy dish to make, coming together in about 30 minutes or less.

8 oz thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup green onion, chopped
1 TBS 2% reduced fat milk
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp salt
4 large eggs
4 large egg whites
1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan (I used the Quattro Formagia blend from Trad.der Joes)
1 1/2 tsp fresh dill, chopped ( I used 1/2 tsp dried dill)
4 oz smoked salmon, skinned and flaked

1. Pre-heat oven to 450
2. Saute asparagus in non-stick skillet over med-high heat until crisp tender, about 3 - 5 minutes. Add green onions just before removing from heat.
3. Combine milk, salt, pepper and eggs in a bowl. Whisk.
4. Transfer asparagus mixture into an oven proof skillet coated with oil or cooking spray (cast iron worked well) and add eggs, stirring to combine. Sprinkle with cheese and cook over med-high heat for a few minutes until edges begin to set.
5. Place skillet in oven and cook 8 minutes.
6. Increase heat to broil and cook another 2 minutes until brown and bubbly.

I served this with a side of fresh local tomatoes, sliced and sprinkled with salt/ pepper and a crusty dinner bread. YUMMY!

Asparagus, Green Onion and Goat Cheese Quiche

Alright, if you like asparagus this is the quiche for you. Jason and I visited the farmers market last weekend and found delicious local produce and goat cheese perfect for this dish. There was no local asparagus, but we did find green onions and goat cheese which were used for this dish. I can not say enough about how fabulous this quiche is. Really, this is the best quiche yet!!!

I did make a couple minor changes from the printed recipe - I used a pre-made pie crust rather than fixin' up my own and I added a small amount of white cheddar cheese.

I served this with a side of temphe and corn.

Asparagus, Green Onion and Goat Cheese Quiche (modified from April 2009 Cooking Light)

1 pre-made roll out style pie crust

2 TBS butter

1 bunch fresh asparagus, chopped into 1 inch chunks (hard base stem removed)

1/4 tsp salt, divided

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 cup sliced green onions

4 oz. soft goat cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup white cheddar cheese (Cabot brand is tasty)

4 large eggs

3/4 cup 2 % milk

dash of ground nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 425

2. Press the pie crust into a glass pie dish.

3. Melt the butter in a skillet over med-high heat. Add asparagus, 1/8 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Saute about 5 - 8 minutes until crisp-tender. Do not over cook!!

4. Add onions and saute 2 more minutes until asparagus just begins to brown. Remove from heat.

3. Spoon asparagus into the pie dish in an even layer. Arrange goat cheese and cheddar in an even layer over asparagus.

4. Combine eggs and milk and remaining salt/pepper and nutmeg. Stir with whisk. Pour into the pie dish.

5. Bake 30 minutes until set in the center.