Fresh Herbs and Lemon Pasta

Simple, fresh, delicious. The perfect meal for the day before you go grocery shopping (when there is no more food in your kitchen). 

*from CuisineNie

INGREDIENTS:

Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 lb. whole wheat pasta
1 Tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (about one lemon's worth)
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice (about half a lemon's worth)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh herbs (I used parsley and chives. Tarragon and Rosemary are also good options.)
cheese (feta, goat, and parmesan are all good options)

DIRECTIONS:

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water, and return to pot.

Add butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Add some pasta water to adjust the consistency, if needed, and top with cheese.

Enjoy.

Grilled Nectarine Summer Salad

When summer comes around, there is a lot of talk about grilling. I love it. There's nothing like a fresh meal that has been cooked outside in the open air. BUT...grills are for boys. BIG tools, BIG fire, and BIG slabs of meat. So, my feminine touch on grilling ironically involves a very masculine man...George Foreman. The George Foreman grill is perfect for small bites. Easy clean up. And you can use it year-round. This recipe, of course, can also be done outside--a great option if you're already heating up that fire-breathing bad boy.

INGREDIENTS:

(for the dressing--adapted from organicauthority.com):

1 nectarine, peeled and pitted

3 Tablespoons olive oil

3 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 Tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (slightly less if you have a mild palette)

(for the salad):

6-10 oz. fresh greens (spinach, spring mix, or butter lettuce would all work well)

1-2 oz. fresh goat cheese (or fresh feta cheese)

2 firm, but ripe, nectarines, pitted

1-2 Tablespoons pine nuts (can also substitute almonds or pistachios)

DIRECTIONS:

Make the dressing. Blend all dressing ingredients together in a blender or food processor. Pour into a serving dish, cover, and let chill in refrigerator.

Prepare the salad ingredients. Slice each nectarine into 8 pieces. On a well-oiled grill (or George Foreman ;) ), place the nectarine slices. Let cook for about 2 minutes and flip, using tongs. Cook about one more minute. Set aside on a plate and let cool. 

Heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat and add pine nuts. Let sit for a minute and stir around. Once toasted, remove pine nuts from heat and let cool.

Once pine nuts and nectarines are cool, mix all ingredients together and let the summer sizzling begin!

SERVING SUGGESTION:

For a more filling alternative, serve with sliced grilled chicken or blackened chicken on top.

Lemony Shrimp with White Beans and Couscous

The first time I had couscous was at my grandmother's house. I remember I got such a kick out of the name. She told me we were having couscous for dinner and we went back and forth for about five minutes saying, "Couscous! Couscous!" The faster we said the word, the funnier it sounded. Because of this memory, I bought a box of couscous a while back and finally found a good recipe to use it for. Couscous is a lower-calorie carb option which means you can eat a lot and not feel super-full. Also, this dish uses lemon and garlic for its flavoring, a savory-fresh delight that makes my tummy happy.

*Recipe from Real Simple

INGREDIENTS:

1 10-ounce box of couscous (1 1/2 cups)

kosher salt and black pepper

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cloves garlic, chopped

4 scallions, chopped

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 15.5-oz can canellini beans, rinsed

1/2 cup fresh parsley

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

In a saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Stir in the couscous and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover and let sit off heat for 5 minutes; fluff with a fork before serving.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and scallions and cook for 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring, until they begin to turn pink, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the beans, parsley, lemon juice, the remaining butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cook until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve with the couscous.

Bon Appétit!