summer veggies

Today i picked our first cucumber of the season!
We are excited for the many tomatoes, peppers, squashes, and green beans to come.

le cruset

I got my first Le Cruset piece about 2 weeks ago and I love it! I just wish i didn't have such a tiny stove and oven.


I made this yummy braised rosemary pork roast from The Silver Spoon (which Stephen gave me as a "prize" for getting a new job)

Pesto

Pesto has come to be one of our favorite things to eat. We eat it on pasta, sandwiches, with veggies. It is really easy to make and is ten times better homemade than bottled. This is our favorite pesto recipe--it is from Bride & Groom first and forever cookbook.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup pine nuts
4 cups lightly packed fresh basil
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for dirzzling3/4 cup grated Parmesan, preferably parmigiano-reggiano

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spread pine nuts on a baking sheet and cook until aromatic and golden brow, 8-10 minutes. Stir the nuts frequently to ensure even cooking. Remove from oven and let cool.

Combine basil, pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, kosher salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until the ingredients are well incorporated, about 15 seconds. Shut off the motor and scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the motor running, slowly add the 1/2 cup olive oil through the feed tube. Shut off the motor and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Ad the cheese and pulse until the mixture comes together and looks like a tick paste. Use immediately or transfer to a container, drizzle with a thin layer of olive oil, cover tightly, and refrigerate. This pesto will keep for two weeks.It is yummy with angel hair pasta, chicken, and cherry tomatoes.

Sunday Dinner

Since I've been married I've been cooking a lot. Its not because of my new responsibility to feed another being, because really, Stephen will eat almost anything, but because I've been gifted all sorts of neat cooking things. I thought I should post a few recipes I have enjoyed so far.

We usually go to Provo or Highland for Sunday dinners with family, but this Sunday, we stayed in and cooked a yummy Sunday dinner. We had Salmon, twice baked patatoes, and green beans.

I've used this recipe for Honey Dijon Salmon several times--it is really delicious and simple!



Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
• 4 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
• 4 (4 ounce) fillets salmon
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 lemon, for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. In a small bowl, stir together butter, mustard, and honey. Set aside. In another bowl, mix together bread crumbs, pecans, and parsley.
3. Brush each salmon fillet lightly with honey mustard mixture, and sprinkle the tops of the fillets with the bread crumb mixture.
4. Bake salmon 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until it flakes easily with a fork. Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with a wedge of lemon.

For the Green Beans I just steamed enough for Stephen and I in a saucepan until it was cooked but still firm then added butter, salt, and pepper.

Stephen was incharge of the twice-baked potatoes, and he did an amazing job! He tried this recipe for the first time

Ingredients:

• 4 large baking potatoes
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
• 1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Use a fork to pierce the potato skins.
2. Bake the potatoes unwrapped for about 1 hour, or until soft, in the preheated oven.
3. Slice open the baked potatoes and, keeping the skins intact, scoop the insides into a medium bowl. Transfer the onion mixture to the bowl. Mix in the sour cream. Pour in 1/2 of the cheese and continue mixing until all ingredients are well blended.
4. Using a large spoon, fill the potato skins with the mixture. Top with cheese and chives.
5. Return the potatoes to the preheated oven and continue baking for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the filling is slightly brown.