Penne with Asparagus, Feta & Turkey Bacon

It’s been lovely to take a few days off to celebrate Easter, visit family and travel with our kids during their Spring Break – we had the pleasure of hosting the (stuffed) class pet during break – I’m grateful we did not have any of the LIVE ones as they would have been somewhat more challenging to pack!

I’m back to work today, and after fun lunchtime speaking engagement with a group at the Scripps Corporation, I’m  thinking about meals for the week ahead…here’s one that is going on the list. It’s quick, easy, and bursting with flavor – and I think my kids will love it! Just in case you’d pass over this because you dread cleaning your bacon-splattered stovetop, I’ve included easy instructions for a no-mess method for oven-cooked bacon. Sometimes it’s the little things…

 

Penne with Asparagus, Feta & Turkey Bacon

 

serves 4-6

 

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 pound asparagus, tough ends removed, sliced on a bias into 1-inch pieces

1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half

3/4 teaspoon salt

freshly ground pepper to taste

12 ounces whole grain pasta

6 slices cooked turkey bacon, cut into 1/4-inch slices (see note below on oven-cooked bacon)

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

 

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions.

2. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Add the garlic and saute 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the asparagus and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until asparagus is just bright green and crisp tender.

3. In a large serving bowl toss pasta with asparagus and tomato mixture and bacon. Top with feta and serve warm.

 

Note: Here is a simple way to cook bacon in the oven. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil (easy cleanup). Arrange bacon slices on foil and place on the center rack of a cold oven. Close the oven door. Turn the oven on to 400 degrees. Cook for 17-20 minutes until golden brown. (Cooking times may vary depending upon the thickness of your bacon and how quickly your oven heats up.) Remove bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and blot to remove extra grease.  That’s it — no splattered bacon grease and no pan to clean up!

This entry was posted in All blog posts, Featured on Home Page, Food, Recipes on by .

Lemony Angel Food Cake with Honey Yogurt Sauce

My husband’s grandmother adores angel food cake. It makes an appearance at nearly every family gathering upon her request. I love that a woman who has mothered 11 children (yes, eleven!) and grand-mothered nearly 40 more (you can’t make this stuff up) can have her favorite dessert every time her brood convenes for a celebration. And since we convene fairly often, we see our share of angel food cake in a year!

If you need a little twist on the original, here’s a delightful version that would be a great addition to your Easter table. With all the chocolate that’s sure to be on hand this weekend, I think a nice citrus dessert is just the thing to cap off your holiday meal. This one uses lemon juice and lemon zest for great natural flavor, and then the cooled cake is drizzled with a simple glaze made of yogurt, honey, and a little more lemon juice. The combination has a great balance of sweet and tart and the finished cake on a glass stand looks oh-so-pretty next to a basket of dyed eggs and a bunch of fresh tulips.

Happy Easter one and all!

 

Lemony Angel Food Cake with Honey Yogurt Sauce

adapted from www.foodnetwork.com

serves 8

Ingredients:

12 egg whites, at room temperature

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon lemon zest, plus extra for garnish

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup cake flour

fresh mind sprigs for garnish

For the sauce:

1 cup plain yogurt

1/4 cup honey

1 tablespoon lemon juice

 

Directions:

1. Place your oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine the egg whites, salt and cream of tartar in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer. Beat on medium speed until frothy. Add the vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat on high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 to 4 minutes. Gradually add the sugar and beat until the mixture forms stiff peaks, about 2 minutes longer.

3. Sprinkle the flour over the egg white mixture. Using a spatula, carefully fold in the flour until incorporated. Spoon the batter into an ungreased 10-inch nonstick angel food cake pan.

4. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the top is browned and a skewer inserted halfway between the inner and outer wall of the pan comes out clean. Cool cake inverted on a wire rack for 1 hour.

5. For the sauce: Whisk together the yogurt, honey, and lemon juice until smooth. Pour into a small serving pitcher.

6. Gently loosen the cake around the sides and the middle with a spatula. Release the cake and place on a serving platter. Cut into slices and drizzle with the sauce. Garnish with lemon zest and mint sprigs.

This entry was posted in All blog posts, Featured on Home Page, Food, Recipes on by .

Finding focus

It’s awfully easy to get overwhelmed. By work, by volunteer commitments, by family obligations, by debt, by clutter. When you’re overwhelmed by unpleasant things it’s often so uncomfortable that seeking relief is automatic. But when you’re overwhelmed by amazing, exhilarating, exciting things, it’s much more difficult to recognize the need for change. You’re every bit as far under water, but it’s so darn fun that you don’t even realize you’re drowning.

I know. I’m there right now! There are so many incredible opportunities popping up for Nourish and for me that I’m having a hard time staying on top of them all. I need focus. In fact, I CRAVE order. But I’m afraid that if I say no to any of these swirling, flashing, sparkling opportunities, I’ll miss my chance. And I hate missing chances. Don’t you?

I need to do it though, and do it soon! Otherwise I risk neglecting really important things as I chase these unproven but exciting new  things. I need to find my focus.

When I need to focus, I usually work on coming back to the present moment and giving my full attention to the most important things – one thing at a time. I choose a task on my list – any one task- and do it to the very best of my ability. As Abraham Lincoln once said, “Whatever you are, be a good one.” I have a lot of roles – wife, mother, daughter, friend, entrepreneur, manager, coach, volunteer, student, writer, and many others. I can’t be all of them in any one moment. But I can be the very best at whatever I choose…for just a moment.

Focus is so powerful. When you need to stop the swirling, bring yourself to the present moment. “Whatever you are, be a good one.”

 

This entry was posted in All blog posts, Featured on Home Page, Lifestyle on by .