Asparagus with Balsamic Tomatoes

1 pound asparagus, trimmed
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 C halved grape tomatoes (we used 3/4 C grape tomatoes, 3/4 C roma tomatoes, chopped)
1/2 tsp. minced fresh garlic
2 T balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt
3 T crumbled goat cheese
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1. Cook asparagus in boiling water 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes and garlic, cook 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar, cook 3 minutes. Stir in salt. Arrange asparagus on a platter; top with tomato mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and pepper.

French Potato Salad

original recipe by Lori Valenziano

2 lbs. combination of red and Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
6 T white wine vinegar
1 shallot, minced
3 T fresh chives, minced
1 T of any or all of the following herbs:
- tarragon, mint, dill, thyme, parsley
2 T capers, drained
1 T whole grain mustard (I used 2 T to cut back on the vinegar taste)
6 T extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Place the potatoes in a large pot of cold, salted water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are fork tender - about 20-25 minutes. Drain.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, whisk together the vinegar, shallots, herbs, capers, and mustard. Add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper.
3. While the potatoes are still warm, toss with the vinaigrette to combine. Serve at room temperature.

Cold Cucumber Buttermilk Soup

Original Recipe by Lori Valenziano
Serves 8

2 lbs. cucumbers
Kosher Salt
1/4 bunch Italian Parsley
2 cloves garlic
1/4 C olive oil
2 C plain yogurt
1 C half and half
3 C buttermilk
White pepper, to taste
8 sprigs of mint (optional garnish)

1. Peel, seed and coarsely chop the cucumbers. Sprinkle with salt, place in a strainer and drain for 1 hour. Pat dry and set aside.
2. Pick parsley leaves and chop. Crush garlic cloves with 1 tsp. of salt (or use a microplane).
3. Place garlic in a large glass bowl, beat in olive oil. Stir in the yogurt, half and half and buttermilk. Mix well.
4. Add the cucumbers and chopped parsley. Puree (I used an immersion blender). Taste for seasoning; adjust with salt and white pepper. Chill well before serving - a few hours. Garnish with mint.

Parmesan Crisps

Ingredients
- 4 oz. Parmesan Reggiano Cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Finely grate 2 oz. cheese, set in a bowl. Finely shred another 2 oz. cheese and mix together with grated cheese.

On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, take 1/2 tablespoon scoops and pile on parchment paper. I usually did 12 on a baking sheet. place in oven and bake for 6 minutes. Repeat until all cheese is used.

Serve (can be made a couple of hours ahead of time).

Vegetable and Feta Orzo Pasta Salad

Original Recipe by Lucia
Adapted recipe by Kitchen Groovy

Kosher Salt

1 lb. orzo

½ C freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 3 lemons)

Extra virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. asparagus

1 pkg. grape tomatoes

1 cucumber, seeded and medium diced

¾ lb. feta cheese, crumbled

Parsley, or any other favorite fresh herb!

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Place asparagus on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and kosher salt – roast for 10 minutes.

3. Fill large pot with water, add 1 T salt and bring water to boil.

4. Add the orzo, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking. Simmer for 9-11 minutes. Cook until it’s al dente.

5. Drain and pour into a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, ½ C olive oil, 2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper. Pour over the hot pasta and stir well.

6. Add asparagus to the pasta, toss in the remaining ingredients, adding the feta last. Set aside at room temp for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, taste again for seasoning and bring back to room temp before serving.

Note: more salt is needed when serving dishes cold.

Perfect Turkey Burger

Original Recipe by Food Network
Makes 8 burgers

6-8 oz. baby portobella mushrooms, coarsely chopped into 1" pieces
1 shallot, coarsely chopped
3 T lightly packed fresh parsley, or 1 T dried
1 1/4 lb. lean ground turkey
2 T extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Kosher Salt and Pepper
8 slices of Swiss Cheese
8 English muffins, split
Dijon mustard, mayonnaise and sliced avocado, for topping

1. Place chopped mushrooms, shallots and parsley into food processor and pulse until chopped.
2. Transfer the mushroom mixture to a large bowl. Add the turkey, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp. salt, and pepper to taste; gently mix with your hands until just combined. Divide into 8 burgers. Put on a large plate, cover and refridgerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
3. Preheat a grill to medium. Brush the grates with olive oil. Grill the patties, undisturbed, until marked on the bottom, 4-5 minutes. Give the patties a quarter turn and cook until marked again, 4-5 more minutes. Flip the patties and grill until cooked through, 6-7 more minutes; top each with 2 slices cheese during the last 3 minutes of cooking and cover with a disposable aluminum pan to melt.
4. Toast the English muffins on the grill, then spread with mustard and mayonnaise. Serve the patties on the English muffins; top with avocado.

Chef Note: according to my hubby, it is very important to follow the grilling instructions. It will make a difference in the end result.

Quick Apple Sausage Quesadillas

Original recipe by "No Whine with Dinner" cookbook, pg. 81

2 T canola oil, divided
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1/4" dice (1 1/2 C)
2 fully cooked apple chicken sausages, casings removed and meat coarsely chopped
1 C reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 C frozen corn, thawed
2 T BBQ sauce
5 8" flour tortillas, preferably whole wheat

1. Heat 1 T of the oil in a large nonstick skillet of medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 7 minutes. Stir in the sausage, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until heated through, 2-3 minutes.
2. In a bowl, stir together the cooked bell pepper and sausage, cheese, corn and BBQ sauce. Spread the mixture evenly over half of each tortilla. Fold over, press down gently, and set aside.
3. Heat 1 tsp. of the oil in the skillet over medium-high heat (you may want to wipe out the skillet first). Add 2 of the prepared quesadillas and cook, pressing down occasionally with a spatula, until the bottoms are crisp and golden, about 3 minutes. Flip them and cook until the other sids are golden, about 2 minutes.
4. Repeat with the remaining oil and quesadillas. Cut into halves or quarters and serve.