Asparagus Ricotta Tart (With Variation)

I've long wanted to try this Asparagus Ricotta Tart that I saw on Stacey Snacks. Look how pretty:

I've held off for two reasons. First, I had a feeling 50% of the household wouldn't dig it. Second, despite being the season for asparagus, I have to say what I've seen in the stores looks pretty awful. Maybe it's not yet quite the season?

But that box of frozen puff pastry in the freezer is calling me. I think it's the concept of the tart that I find so appealing, more than the ingredients. Can I make this more kid friendly, or at least appeal to 75% of the household? Forget Redman, he can have a scrambled egg. Let's see...

Ricotta Tart with Ham and Peas

  • 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1/4 cup cubed prosciutto or ham
  • 1/2 bag frozen peas, thawed and drained
  • zest of a whole lemon
  • salt and pepper

Roll out puff pastry in a tart pan, or lay free-form on a baking sheet. You can use whole, or cut into individual "tartlets."

Mix ricotta cheese, egg, zest, salt and pepper. Spread in the center of puff pastry. Sprinkle with ham and peas (if you are making an asparagus tart, use pre-blanched spears).

Let cool 5 minutes then slice with a pizza cutter. This wasn't as pretty as Stacey's, but it was a total hit. We killed it to the crumbs. "We" meaning 75% of us: Redman took no notice of it but Panda had three pieces. Definitely making this for a party, and with the asparagus.

Spinach Pie

When I think Spinach Pie I immediately think Spanikopita. Until I saw this on Stacey Snacks.

I guess technically this is a quiche but whatever name you call it, this was so easy, and so delicious.

Easter Spinach Pie (from Stacey Snacks)

  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1 packet Lipton Vegetable or Onion Soup Mix (Stacey used vegetable; I had onion)
  • 1 cup of cubed Gruyere or Swiss Cheese
  • 10 oz package of frozen spinach, thawed, excess water squeezed out
  • 10-12 cherry tomatoes, halved (my own addition)
  • 1 frozen pie shell

Mix all together and fill the pie shell. Bake 40 minutes at 350. Can be served hot, warm, or room temperature. Can be the appetizer, the side, or the main course. Stacey advised, and she is right, to not add any salt whatsoever because the soup mix is so heavily seasoned. The next time I make this I may experiment with half the soup packet, or at least try the vegetable mix.

Stacey and the Roasted Broccoli

Get used to the name Stacey. She is Stacey of StaceySnacksOnline. Her amazing food blog upped my cooking game like nothing else. I had no idea you could do so much with cauliflower, but suddenly I was buying a head every other week and roasting it with red onions and grapes (click it, try it, it's insane). Everything I have made from her blog has been easy and delicious. No strikeouts. So click here for her recipe for roasted shrimp and broccoli. Roasted broccoli, have you tried it? It's killer. Stacey said she made it once for her husband and thereafter he wanted it no other way. I made it once for JP and now we're both addicted. I served the shrimp and broccoli over coconut rice and it was fantastic.

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The very next night, JP asked for roasted broccoli again. So I made it but this time tried it with salmon. We get great boneless salmon steaks from Horizon Foods and I usually broil them and often for too long, resulting in somewhat dry salmon. This time, in following the recipe, the broccoli roasted first for 10 minutes at 425. Then I put the salmon on the hot baking sheet and put it in the oven for five minutes. Perfection. Perfectly perfect salmon, I was so happy. I tried the technique again to make sure it wasn't a fluke but no, it works perfectly. So regardless of the vegetable, here's how salmon goes down at our house:

Preheat oven to 425 with the baking sheet in the oven

Drizzle salmon steaks or fillets with olive oil, brown sugar and dill.

When oven reaches 425, take out tray, put salmon on it, and put back in the oven for 5 minutes.

Serve.

Die.