Roasted Figs with Honey and a French Salad

Oh yum! Fresh figs are amazing. Better yet: roasted, and topped with honey... and stuffed with cheese.... and served with a delicious salad....oh my!

Ingredients:
5-10 Figs, split into halves
olive oil
salt and pepper
balsamic vinegar
honey
goat, gorgonzola, or ricotta, for filling
pancetta (optional, for those that eat meat)
herbs: thyme or rosemary



Directions:

1. Split figs in half. Drizzle with olive oil and use hands to rub around the whole fig. Salt and pepper, and splash with balsamic vinegar.
2. Set oven to 325 degrees and bake for 10 minutes, until figs are runny with juice.
3. Turn off oven and top each fig with desired cheese, more pepper, herbs, and drizzle of honey.

For the Salad:

Ingredients:
Mixed delicate and bitter Greens (such as endive, radicchio, dandelion, baby spinach, etc)
Strawberries or cherry tomatoes
walnuts (optional)

French Mustard Vinaigrette
Shallot, finely chopped
Red Wine Vinegar, 1-2 capfuls
About 1 tsp of Dijon or Champagne Mustard, Grainy or smooth
salt & pepper
Olive Oil

Whisk the mustard, shallot, and vinegar together in a bowl. Slowly stir in the olive oil. Salt and pepper, taste, and adjust flavors.

Serve the figs with the salad and enjoy!!

Bean Curd with Bok Choy and Shitake Mushroom

Did you know 'Bean Curd' and tofu are synonymous? It took me a while to realize that this was the same ingredient on many Chinese menus. This is a simple and delicious dish, and the earthy shitake compliments the delicate bok choy. I love using pre-made bases from the weekend in my weeknight meals- hence the red pepper coulis (leftover from making pizzas- and then used again in some eggs... and now finished off here) and the garlic stock (the water was left over from boiled garlic I used in garlic and chive butter).

Ingredients:
Bok Choy
Shitake Mushroom, stems removed and lightly washed
carrots, peeled and cut into round
chicken or vegetable stock
water (If you happen to have some garlic stock or mushroom stock, even better)
salt & pepper
Red Pepper Coulis (finely chopped red bell pepper, garlic, and onion, strained)
soy sauce or tamari
honey
olive oil
fresh grated ginger (a thumb-size piece, peeled)
firm tofu, patted dried and cut into pieces

Directions:

Lay the bok choy on the bottom of a baking pan, making a bed of greens. Top with the tofu, shitake mushroom, and carrot pieces. Pour on the red pepper mixture, then the garlic and chicken stock- enough to fill the baking dish about 1/3 to 1/2 way. Drizzle with olive oil, honey, and soy sauce. Grate ginger on top. Salt and pepper. Stir together, and bake at 325 degrees for about 30 minutes. Great with noodles or jasmine rice!!

Pasta Primavera

This is an awesome spring and summer dish!! I had some pesto already made (see my recipe here- and threw that into the mix!)

Ingredients:
Yellow squash
Broccoli
bell pepper
tomato
black pepper and salt
white wine
garlic butter or olive oil
Chicken Stock
spoonful of cooking water from pasta
Pesto (or if not handy, chopped fresh basil, garlic, and shaved pecorino and parm cheese)
Twisty pasta (The shape IS important- you want something with nooks and crannies to catch the sauce) Boiled in salted water, left a little extra al dente

Directions
Melt the butter or olive oil in a large saute pan. Put all the veggies in the pan, and stir until soft. Splash with chicken stock and white wine, and allow to cook off. Season. Stir in pasta, splash of cooking water, and the pesto (or the herbs, cheese, and garlic). Stir. If not using prepared pesto, add additional olive oil if need be.