Garlic-Oil and Artichoke Pasta

I have been the busiest of bees.  Meaning, I haven't had the time to cook a real meal in awhile (thank goodness for Trader Joe's).  Tonight, I tried another one of my hospital magazine recipes.  Jouir.

Garlic-Oil and Artichoke Pasta

Pasta (I chose thin spaghetti)

Olive oil

1 large clove garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Thyme

Basil, sliced or chopped

Frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and patted dry

1) Thinly coat the bottom of a skillet with oil.  Toast the garlic in the oil, and remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl.  Increase the heat to medium-high.

2) Season the artichokes with kosher salt.  Cook, cut side down, until golden-brown.

3) Stir in lemon juice and about 1 tablespoon thyme.  Toss with the pasta and garlic.  Top with fresh basil and serve.

Très délicieux. This would be great tossed with other veggies too!

Strawberry Tart

Yesterday was just the day I needed.  I wasn't called into work.  My afternoon class was cancelled.  And I didn't volunteer at the hospital because I still have a cough.  It was beautiful.  I was finally able to go buy a fuchsia to plant and run some errands.  I took a blissful two hour nap.  Finally, in the evening I watched War Horse and baked a rustic strawberry tart.

Rustic Strawberry Tart

1 frozen puff pastry sheet (or pie crust), thawed*
1 pound organic strawberries, destemmed and quartered
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Juice from half a lemon
water for brushing
Turbinado sugar for sprinkling (or more regular sugar)
*I learned it is very important to remember to thaw the dough

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment.

2) Wash, destem, and quarter the strawberries.  Add them to a large bowl with the sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice.  Stir and set aside to marinate.

3) Roll out the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface until about 1/8 inch thick.  Transfer to baking sheet.  Spoon strawberry mixture into center of the dough, leaving about an inch and a half at the border.  Fold up the sides of the dough.  Lightly brush the sides with water and sprinkle with sugar.

4) Bake for 30-35 minutes until crust is golden and strawberries are bubbling.  Let cool 5 to 10 minutes.

Beautiful and delicious. I wish everyday could be like yesterday.

Homemade Pho Ga

I caught a cold this week.  It's my third time being sick in the past month, and the whole time I've been craving a large, warm, cozy bowl of Pho Ga (chicken pho).  My friend Sophie and I had a dinner date, so we improvised a pho recipe!

Pho Ga

Chicken broth
1/2 onion, chopped
2 inches of ginger root, minced
1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded
1/2 pound rice noodles
3 cloves
1/4 teaspoon coriander
basil
hosin sauce
(if you have them, we didn't: scallions)

1) In a large pot, bring broth to a boil (or make broth with water and chicken bouillon).  Add onions and ginger. Let simmer a few minutes.

2) Add chicken, cloves, and coriander.  Allow to simmer while cooking rice noodles.

3) Put dried noodles in a large bowl.  Boil enough water to completely cover the noodles.  Pour the water over the noodles and gently stir.  Let noodles sit in hot water for 3-8 minutes (depending on thickness of noodle), and drain when ready.

4) Put portions of noodles in bowls and spoon the broth over them.  Serve immediately with basil and sauces (to taste).  Also, feel free to experiment with whatever else you think would taste great, such as bean sprouts or lime.

It was perfect.  Exactly what I needed to get through the end of my cold.  Thanks Sophie!

Spinach Pesto

I always really like the idea of pesto.  I love basil and I love cheese.   However, for some reason basil pesto can be too rich for me sometimes so I don't have it very often.  I always end up buying a jar of it, using it once, and then leaving it in a far corner of the fridge to slowly go bad.  While at the hospital, I found a recipe for pesto made from spinach instead of basil.  It seemed a lot healthier and the magazine also included a few fun variants on how to make it (such as using roasted red peppers).  My best friend, Noel, came over for dinner and we made this savory pesto.

Spinach Pesto

2 tablespoons roasted almonds
1 garlic clove
1 teaspoon lemon zest
4 ounces baby spinach (about 4 cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons pecornio or parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
Pasta of choice (I used tri-colored fusilli)

1) Cook pasta according to directions. Reserve some cooking water.

2) In a food processor, pulse almonds, garlic, and zest until finely chopped.

3) Add spinach, oil, and cheese. Puree until smooth.

4) Toss with pasta and some reserved pasta water if necessary.

5) Serve with best friend and an episode of Sherlock.

Thanks Noel!