Caramelized Onion, Mushroom and Goat Cheese Pizza

I have been reading other food blogs and noticed

all these people who have been making home-made pizza.

It always looks so good but sounds like so much work.

I actually own a wonderful Pampered Chef Stone which gets

little use as I am not a big baker.

Anyway I convinced myself last night that if

all of you can make pizza than I can too!

Here is my attempt at a

Caramelized Onion, Mushroom and Goat Cheese Pizza

First for the crust:

Recipe from All Recipes.com
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium bowl,
dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water.

Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
Stir in flour, salt and oil. Beat until smooth.

Let rest for 5 minutes.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface

and pat or roll into a round.

Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan.

Spread with desired toppings and bake

in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Toppings:

1 1/2 yellow onion , sliced and caramelized

Mushrooms, sliced

1 cup Mozzarella Cheese

3/4 cup Goat Cheese

1/2 or more of tomato sauce

I have to say that the pizza turned out pretty fantastic!

You really can't go wrong with caramelized onions and

Goat Cheese!!!

This wonderful pizza is going to be submitted to

Kayln's Weekend Herb Event hosted by

Claudia from Fool for Food.

Thai Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

I made Thai Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

a recipe that I read on the 28 Cooks Blog.

Thanks for sharing this recipe with all

of your readers!

I have ordered this type of item as an appetizer at

thai restaurants before but I have

never ventured out and made this dish at home.

I like the recipe and the wraps were very tasty!

The only problem we had is that they were a little messy to eat.

I think the next time I may use Iceberg lettuce because I think it will

be easier to keep all the good stuff in!

Yummy!

Lemon Squares

So often when I make desserts the first

thing that comes to my mind is chocolate!

For some reason, a few days ago I was thinking

along the lines of something sweet or tart.

Ahhh, our friend the lemon is just what

I was in the mood for.

There are so many options for desserts with lemon.

Lemon Ginger Cookies, Lemon Bars, Lemon Almond Cake

and of course Lemon Squares.

Lemon Squares

1 cup flour

1 /4 cup sifted powdered sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 tablespoons sifted powdered sugar

Combine the 1 cup flour and 1/4 cup powdered sugar,

cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture

resembles coarse meal.

Press mixture evenly into a 9 inch

square baking pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Combine eggs, 1 cup sugar, lemon rind

and juice in a medium mixing bowl; beat well.

Combine 2 tablespoons flour and baking powder.

Add to egg mixture and mix well.

Pour mixture into baked crust.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 more minutes.

Let cook, and cut into squares.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Absolutely delightful, especially with a cup of tea!

Spicy Pork and Chili Pepper Goulash

I love it when my husband cooks dinner!

He does have this knack of selected the most

difficult recipes, that usually involve

cooking for two days but his dinners

always turn out GREAT!

The challenge he took on this time

is a recipe by Jamie Oliver for

Spicy Pork and Chili Pepper Goulash

that a friend at work shared with him.

He prepared the dinner on Saturday

and cooked it for the 3 hours on Sunday

for a wonderful Sunday meal!

Spicy Pork and Chili-Pepper Goulash

by Jamie Oliver
4 1/4 pounds pork shoulder off the bone,

in 1 piece, skin off, fat left on

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil

2 red onions, peeled and finely sliced

2 fresh red chiles, seeded and finely chopped

2 generous heaping tablespoons mild smoked paprika,

plus a little extra for serving

2 teaspoons ground caraway seeds

Small bunch fresh marjoram or oregano, leaves picked

5 bell peppers (use a mixture of colors), sliced

1 (10-ounce) jar grilled peppers, drained, peeled and chopped

1 (14-ounce) can good quality plum tomatoes
2 cans or 1 box low sodium chicken stock

4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

14 ounces basmati or long-grain rice, washed

Topping:

2/3 cup sour cream

1 lemon, zested S

mall bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat a deep, ovenproof stew pot with a lid on the stove.

Score the fat on the pork in a criss-cross pattern

all the way through to the meat, then season generously with salt and pepper.

Pour a good slug of olive oil into the pot and add the pork, fat side down.

Cook for about 10 minutes on a medium heat, to render out the fat,

then remove the pork from the pot and put it aside.

Add the onions, chili, paprika, caraway seeds, marjoram

or oregano and a good pinch of salt and pepper to the pot.

Turn the heat down and gently cook the onions for 10 minutes,

then add the sliced peppers, the grilled peppers and the tomatoes.

Put the pork back into the pot, give everything a little shake,

then pour in enough water or stock to just cover the meat.

Add the vinegar - this will give it a nice little tang.

Bring to the boil, put the lid on top, and then place

in the preheated oven for 3 hours.

You'll know when the meat is cooked as it will be

tender and sticky, and it will break up easily when

pulled apart with 2 forks.

When the meat is nearly ready, cook the rice in salted water.

Topping for the meat:

Stir the sour cream, lemon zest and most

of the parsley together in a little bowl.

When the meat is done,

take the pot out of the oven and taste the goulash.

You're after a balance of sweetness from the peppers

and spiciness from the caraway seeds.

Tear or break the meat up and serve the goulash in a big dish or bowl,

with steaming rice and your flavored sour cream.

Sprinkle with the rest of the chopped parsley.

This is an amazing dish!!!

There are so many great flavors and

the meat falls right off the bone!

Thanks for cooking!

Chocolate Bark

Thanks to Jaden at the Steamy Kitchen for the

Dark Chocolate & Toffee Macadamia Bark and to

C at Mele Cotte for another variation of this recipe.

I am trying out this recipe this weekend.

If it turns out good I will be sharing it with my colleagues.

It is going to be a busy week and I thought I would try to

make something for the wonderful people I work with.

You really can't go wrong with chocolate!

Chocolate Bark

1/2 box of graham crackers

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 lb. butter ( 2 sticks)

3 cups dark chocolate chips

1 cup roughly chopped macadamia nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Line baking sheet with foil.

2. Arrange a single layer of graham crackers in pan without

overlapping.

3. In small sauce pan, melt butter and add the sugars.

4. Whisk to disolve . Let boil for a minute then simmer 5 minutes.

5. Pour mixture over graham crackers, using spatula to even out.

6. Bake 10 minutes

7. Remove from oven and spread chocolate chips over .

8. Leave for 5 minutes then spread the melted chocolate evenly.

9. Top with chopped nuts.

10. Let cool. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

11. Break into pieces.

YUM! You have got to give this recipe a try!

* There are many variations.

For the chocolate chips you can use any type you like

or even your favorite candy bar broken into small pieces.

Also, you can decide what type of topping you want.

I made a pan with almonds on top and a pan with cashews on top.

Pasta with Spinach and White Beans

When I crave comfort food I usually look to

pasta to satisfy my desire.

This is a great pasta dish.

It has spinach and white beans with

a wonderful white sauce.

Spinach and White Bean Pasta

pasta of your choice

8 cups baby spinach

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 19-ounce can of whitebeans, rinsed

2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup shredded fontina cheese

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally.

Stir in spinach during the last 2 to 3 minutes.

Drain pasta and spinach.

2. Whisk broth and flour in a small bowl until smooth.

Heat oil in the pot over medium-high heat.

Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, about 30 seconds.

Add the broth mixture and bring to a simmer,

whisking constantly, until it thickens, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add beans, vinegar, salt and pepper, pasta and spinach.

Cook, stirring, until the mixture is heated through,

about 1 minute.

Remove from the heat; add cheese, stirring until it melts.

Then serve.

MMM, pasta with warm cheese !

I am going to enter this dish in Ruth's Presto Pasta Nights.

Is That Snow I See?

Are you kidding me?

I just looked out my window and

you will not believe what I see:

SNOW!!!!

I apologize for the bad photo but I had to find something dark

so that you would be able to see the snow.

YIPEE, now if it would just snow all night!

Chard and Feta Tart

Sometimes I just don't feel like a heavy dinner.

Especially after a weekend of eating rich foods.

So, a light dinner it is.

Chard and Feta Tart

from Eating Well

Crust:

3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or oregano

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

5 tablespoons cold water

* if you don't want to make the crust then you can use a premade one.

Filling

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

6 cups chopped chard (about 1 bunch), leaves and stems separated

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons water

2 large eggs

1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

1. To prepare crust: Combine whole-wheat flour,

all-purpose flour, thyme (or oregano),

salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl.

Make a well in the center and add 1/3 cup oil

and 5 tablespoons water.

Gradually stir the wet ingredients into the dry

to form a soft dough.

Knead on a lightly floured surface until the dough comes together.

Wrap in plastic and chill for 15 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Coat a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom with cooking spray.

3. Roll the dough into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface.

Transfer to the prepared pan and press into the bottom and up the sides.

Trim any overhanging dough and use it to patch any spots that don’t

come all the way up the sides.

Prick the bottom and sides with a fork in a few places.

Bake the crust until firm and lightly brown,

20 to 22 minutes.

Let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes.

4. To prepare filling:

Meanwhile, heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add chard stems and cook, stirring, until just tender, about 2 minutes.

Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 15 seconds.

Add chard leaves and 2 tablespoons water and cook,

stirring, until the leaves are just tender

and the water has evaporated, 2 to 5 minutes.

Transfer the greens to a sieve over a bowl and let drain and cool for 5 minutes.

Whisk eggs, ricotta, lemon zest and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl.

Fold in the greens, olives and feta. Pour the filling into the crust.

Bake the tart until the top is lightly browned

and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean,

30 to 35 minutes.

Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting into wedges.

* I used a red, Swiss Chard. I also forgot to buy the olives so I had

to come up with a substitute : capers was all I had.

The tart was very good.

It was light but full of good flavors.

The chard added a nice sweet flavor to the tart

that I did not expect.

"Dinner Club"

The father of a friend of mine ( The Colonel) sent me this story.

I thought I would share this funny, little story with all of you.

Dinner Club

A group of country neighbors wanted to get together on a regular basis and socialize.

As a result, about 10 couples formed a dinner club

and agreed to meet for dinner at a different

neighbors' house each month.

Of course, the lady of the house was to prepare the meal.

When it came time for Dick and Jane Brown to

have the dinner at their house,

like most women, Jane wanted to out do all the others

and prepare a meal that was the best that any of them

had ever lapped a lip over.

A few days before the big event,

Jane got out hercookbook and decided

to have mushroom smothered steak.

When she went to the store to buy some mushrooms,

she found the price for a small can was more than

she wanted to pay.

She then told her husband,

"We aren't going to have mushrooms

because they are too expensive."

He said, "Why don't you go down

in the pasture and pick some of those mushrooms?

There are plenty of them right in the creek bed."

She said,"No, I don't want to do that,

because I have heard that wild mushrooms are poison."

He then said, "Idon't think so.

I see the varmints eating them all

the time and it never has affected them."

After thinking about this, Jane decided

to give this a try and got in the pickup

and went down in the pasture and picked some.

She brought the wild mushrooms back home

and washed them, sliced and diced them

to get them ready to go over her smothered steak.

Then she went out on the back porch

and got Ol' Spot's (the yard dog)

bowl and gave him a double handful.

She even put some bacon grease

on them to make them tasty.

Ol' Spot didn't slow down

until he had eaten every bite.

All morning long,

Jane watched him and the wild mushrooms didn't seem to affect him,

so she decided to use them.

The meal was a great success, and Jane even hired a lady from town

to come out and help her serve.

She had on a white apron and a little cap on her head.

It was first class. After everyone had finished,

they all began to kickback and relax and socialize.

The men were visiting and the women started to gossip a bit.

About this time, the lady from town

came in from the kitchen and whispered in Jane's ear.

She said,"Mrs. Brown, Spot just died."

With this news, Jane went into hysterics.

After she finally calmed down, she called the doctor and told

him what had happened.

The doctor said, "It's bad, but I think we can take care of it.

I will call for an ambulance and

I will be there as quick as I can get there.

We'll give everyone enemas and

we will pump out everyone's stomach.

Everything will be fine.

Just keep them all there and keep them calm.

"It wasn't long until they could hear the wail

of the siren as the ambulance was coming.

When they got there, the EMTs got out with their suitcases,

syringes, and a stomach pump.

The doctor arrived shortly there after.

One by one, they took each person into

the master bathroom, gave them an enema

and pumped out their stomach.

After the last one was finished,

the doctor came outand said,

"I think everything will be fine now,

and he left."

They were all looking pretty peaked

sitting around the living room,

and about this time,

the town lady came in and said,

"You know, that fellow that ran over

Ol' Spot never even stopped!!

Chicken Piccata

Chicken Picatta is often on the menu at Italian Restaurants.

I have never ordered it for my meal because I wasn't really sure about the flavor.

Well, now that I have made it - I know I really like it.

Chicken Picatta

Recipe from Eating Well

4 skinless boneless chicken breast

1/3 cup all purpose flour, divided

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

2 cups chicken broth
3 teaspoons olive oil, divided

1 10-ounce pack of mushrooms sliced

2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons drained capers

2 teaspoons butter

6 ounces of angel hair pasta

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Add pasta and cook until just tender,

4 to 6 minutes or according to package directions.

Drain and rinse.

2. Meanwhile, whisk 5 teaspoons flour and broth in a

small bowl until smooth.

Place the remaining flour in a shallow dish.

Season chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper

and dredge both sides in the flour.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large

nonstick skillet over medium heat.

Add the chicken and cook until browned

and no longer pink in the middle,

2 to 3 minutes per side.

Transfer to a plate; keep warm.

3. Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil

in the pan over medium-high heat.

Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until they release

their juices and begin to brown, about 5 minutes.

Transfer to a plate.

Add garlic and wine to the pan

and cook until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes.

Stir in the reserved broth-flour mixture,

lemon juice and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Bring to a simmer and cook,

stirring, until the sauce is thickened,

about 5 minute.

4. Stir in parsley, capers, butter and the reserved mushrooms.

Measure out 1/2 cup of the mushroom sauce.

Toss the pasta in the pan with the remaining sauce.

Serve the pasta topped with the chicken and the reserved sauce.

** The only change made to this recipe is I added a pinch of lemon zest .

I found this dish served over a thin spaghetti to be very enjoyable!

Sweet Potato and Andouille Soup

Yeah! the temperature dropped

and it finally feels like Winter in

Georgia!!

( This was last week for all you locals)

The drop in temperature put me in

the mood to try out a new soup recipe.

I came across this one
Sweet Potato and Andouille Soup

by Emril on the Food Network.

I thought is sound very interesting and different.

Since it is my first time making this soup,

I did not make many changes.

You will noticed that I sliced my sausage instead of crumbling it.

I also added just a little nutmeg to the recipe.

Sweet Potato and Andouille Soup

3 tablespoons peanut oil

1 1/4 pounds sweet potatoes

1/2 pound bulk andouille sausage, crumbled,

1 cup julienned onions

1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 quart chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Coat the sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon of the oil

and place in a small baking dish.

Place the baking dish in the oven and roast the sweet potatoes

for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the potatoes

are fully roasted and fork tender.

Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle,

remove and discard the skin from the potatoes.

Reserve the sweet potato flesh until ready to use.

Heat a 1 gallon stockpot over medium-high heat

and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil.

Add the andouille to the pot and saute until most

of the fat has rendered and the meat is well caramelized,

stirring constantly, 5 to 6 minutes.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the andouille

and drain on a paper-lined plate.

Set aside until ready to use.

Add the onions and saute until softened, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the minced garlic to the pot

and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.

Add the cayenne pepper and chicken stock

to the pot and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to a simmer.

Add the roasted sweet potatoes to the soup and stir to blend.

Simmer for 10 minutes, then blend with an immersion blender

or in batches in a bar blender until smooth.

Return the soup to the pot, if necessary,

and stir in the heavy cream.

Season with the salt and if necessary more pepper.

Garnish with the cooked andouille, chopped chives and serve.

Wow, this has a really good flavor!

It is a hardy soup with spicy chicken andouille sausage

swimming in a robust sweet potato base.

(Description is from those who tried the soup).

Tools of the Trade

There are so many great tools available for people who enjoy cooking.

For Christmas this year I received some great everyday tools

that I want to share with you.

First, there is my new chopping block!

They say every good cook needs a chopping block.

There is no better surface for chopping than wood.
If you get a new chopping block you should check out this link

on how to care for it so that it will last a lifetime.

Second, I received some really good knives - Wustof knives.

The following is what makes the Wustof knife so great!

Blade: Precision-forged of high-carbon, stain-resistant steel, skillfully honed by hand, laser-tested, long-lasting razor-sharp edge, easy to resharpen; computer-controlled grinding and polishing yields precise tapering from bolster to tip and back to edge.

Handle: Black completely hygienic, virtually indestructible Hostaform-C plastic,

buffed and polished by hand and secured to tang with distinctive silver-nickel rivets.

Signature bolster/finger guard accounts for the heft, the solid,

balanced feel that makes it a prime choice of many professional chefs.

Blade tang is fully visible throughout the length of the handle, triple-riveted for strength and durability. Dishwasher-safe; hand-washing is recommended

The other great gift I received was an Herb Savor.

It is very easy to use .

The idea behind this Herb Savor is that you place your

herbs in a storage device that allows the herb stems to sit

in water so that your herbs last longer.

So I am trying it out to see

how many weeks my fresh herbs will last

once placed in the Herb Savor.

What are your favorite kitchen tools?

Goat Cheese and Mushroom Stuffed Chicken

I always look forward to vacation!

It is so much fun to catch up with family and friends.

What a pleasure to have the time to hang out, go out to lunch,

shop or even clean or organize.

But after about 5 days something begins to happen.

I begin to miss work!

There are many reasons but the easiest to explain

is that I find work to be fun and challenging!

So, I will enjoy a few more days of a relaxed schedule

and then I am back to work.

With all this time off I have been able to

spend a little more time in the kitchen.

This Goat Cheese and Mushroom Stuffed Chicken is

a recipe made up because of the ingredients I noticed in my cabinets.

I am sure if you google the main ingredients,

you may be able to come up with a more formal recipe.

But here is what I did.

Goat Cheese and Mushroom Stuffed Chicken

3 tbsp vegetable oil

8 - 10 mushrooms, chopped

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

6 basil leaves, chopped

3 oz of goat cheese

Saute the onions and mushrooms in vegetable oil.

Take off the heat and drain the liquid.

Add the goat cheese and basil.

Mix well and set aside.

Breaded Chicken

I pounded out the chicken making it nice and thin.

Then I mixed almonds, cashews and flour in my food processor.

I dipped the chicken in a milk and egg mixture.

Then I coated it with the nut mixture.

I placed the chicken in a skillet with a little oil

and cooked each side for about 2- 3 minutes.

Then, I took the mushroom and cheese filling and placed

a few spoonfuls in the center of each

piece of chicken and rolled it, securing it with a toothpick or two.

I greased a baking dish, placed the stuffed chicken in the dish

and placed it in the oven at 375 degrees for about 3 -5 minutes.

Making sure to allow the rest of the chicken to cook and the filling to warm.

The combination of the Goat Cheese and mushroom filling

was very good with the nut breading.

Did you call me a fruit?

At the market today my husband discovered a fruit called "Sharon".

Who knew?

I knew that my name was a flower: The Rose of Sharon .

but I did not know my name was also a fruit.

The Sharon Fruit is a persimmon variety.

It is very popular in Europe, the United States and the Far East.

The entire fruit is edible - soft or firm: It is always ready to be eaten!!

The Sharon fruit has no seeds or pips .

It doesn't have the astringent taste that most persimmons have.

The best is: it can be eaten firm like an apple or soft as a peach,

with or without the skin.

It can be refrigerated for 12 days

or will soften at room temperature within 6 days.

Sharon-fruit is a good source of Vitamin A

which is required for healthy skin, mucus membranes and for night vision.

The fruit have significantly high levels of sodium,

potassium and magnesium, iron, calcium.

Eating one Sharon fruit a day is enough

to help prevent heart attacks and reducing the risk of heart diseases.
An average size fruit is only 70 calories.

Now, that is some fruit: The Sharon!

Lemon and Herb Crusted Swordfish

We celebrated a quiet New Year's Eve at our house.

The earlier part of the day was spent with friends hanging out

and having fun outside since the weather was so beautful.

Then home to begin cooking .

The menu was:

Lemon and Herb Crusted Swordfish,

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and

Cold Aspargus with Lemon, Garlic and Parmesan Cheese.

Trust me that this is a dinner worth talking about - It was EXCELLENT!!

For the Swordfish (which I have not made before), I used a Emeril Lagasse recipe.

Lemon and Herb Crusted Swordfish Recipe
2 teaspoons chopped lemon zest

2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill

2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

2 teaspoons chopped fresh chervil

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper

2 (6-ounce) swordfish steaks

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 cups cleaned fresh arugula leaves

2 tablespoons olive oil

Combine the lemon zest, dill, parsley, chervil, and black pepper.

Season the fish with salt and pepper,

then lightly brush with Dijon mustard on one side.

Firmly press the mustard coated side of the swordfish into the lemon-herb mixture. I

n a skillet (preferably non-stick) heat vegetable oil.

Place fish, coated side down into the hot oil.

Cook for 4 minutes, until the crust turns golden.

Flip and continue to cook for 3 more minutes.

( I placed my fish over Bok Choy) but here is the rest of the original recipe.

Meanwhile, in a bowl toss the arugula

with 1 teaspoon olive oil, and season with salt and pepper,

and then divide between 2 plates. Place the swordfish onto the arugula,

drizzle with the remaining olive oil.

The Roasted Cherry Tomatoes recipe is from "Real Simple" Magazine.

2 pints cherry tomatoes

3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves, torn if large

Heat oven to 400° F.

Combine all the ingredients except the basil in a roasting pan.

Roast for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are just bursting.

Carefully transfer the tomatoes to a bowl and set aside.

Place the roasting pan on the stove over medium heat

(or transfer the liquid to a small saucepan)

and reduce the liquid until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

Toss the tomatoes with the basil.

Drizzle some of the thickened balsamic sauce on each serving.

Then for the Cold Asparagus with Lemon, Garlic and Parmesan Cheese

1 bunch asparagus

2 tbs butter, melted

1 tsp garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp lemon zest

2 tsp lemon juice

salt

Blanch the asparagus for about 4 minutes

Then place in a serving dish.

Mix the melted butter, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice in a bowl.

Drizzle over the asparagus. Sprinkle a salt on top.

Then place in the refrigerator to chill until dinner.
Serve with a little fresh parmesan cheese.

* This is a light, refreshing side dish to any fish

and so I am submitting it to WHB ,

created and hosted by Kalyn from Kalyn's Kitchen.

Here is what dinner looked like once served!

Fantastico!!