Roasted Broccoli Salad with Bacon

A twist on a favorite side dish takes on new depth of flavor with roasted vegetables and the addition of bacon all tossed in a flavorful sauce!

I wanted to bring you a quick post with a great recipe for a side dish.  I've had a heavy heart over the past several weeks with all that is happening across the county and one way I like to comfort and nurture those around me is through my love of cooking.

It's the first week in June and the unofficial start of summer, and with that comes lots of outdoor dining.  We love to grill and eat outdoors and today I wanted to share with you a great side dish that goes along any sort of main dish.  We often overlook the side dishes but they are equally important and should balance your meal.

ROASTED BROCCOLI SALAD WITH BACON

This is a simple dish of roasted broccoli and onions, that is topped with pieces of bacon for a smokey flavor.  Roasting your vegetables brings out deeper flavors which make this dish pop. And who can't resist bacon? Everything's better with bacon as they say and this dish is no exception.  Top this with a creamy sauce bursting with flavor and you have a winner of a side dish.

We ate this with some grilled chicken, crusty bread, a green salad and whit wine.  It would be equally perfect with fish, beef or pork.  It's also a great potluck treat, so keep that in mind once we are able to enjoy parties again.

This does require you to turn on the oven for about 30 minutes. You might want to try this dish now before the summer heat hits full force and the oven is a no-no!  Remember, simple, fresh ingredients is all it takes to make a wonderful dish.

Enjoy and be safe!











Roasted Broccoli Salad with Bacon

serves 6

1/4 cup olive oil
2 bunches broccoli, florets separated
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 slices thick-cut bacon
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Toss the broccoli florets and red onion with the olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper and place on a sheet pan.   

Roast, tossing halfway through, until the broccoli edges are crisp, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool, then transfer to a bowl.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, 12 to 14 minutes. Chop and set aside.

For the dressing, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise and milk in a small bowl. Season with the sugar, paprika, 1 tablespoon of the chopped parsley, seasoning with salt and pepper and stir until blended.

Add the bacon and the remainder of parsley to the cooled broccoli, then pour over enough of the dressing to coat and toss until well mixed. (You will have left over dressing!) Serve at room temperature.

adapted from: Foodnetwork.com

Spring Fling: Radiatore with Fresh Herbs and Goat Cheese

A delicate pasta combined with a decadent white cheese sauce and topped with the best mixture of fresh herbs makes a wonderful Spring meal. 

It's time for another Spring Fling recipe!  These are my series of recipes that are light and fresh and use the abundance of spring produce we have right now.

One thing about spring that makes me happy is the abundance of fresh herbs we have.  Fresh herbs lend so much flavor to dishes.  They give a dish a bright pop of flavor that you really don't get with dried herbs.  This recipe showcases a mix of fresh herbs beautiful and screams Spring!

RADIATORE WITH FRESH HERBS AND GOAT CHEESE

A delicate pasta combined with a decadent white cheese sauce and topped with the best mixture of fresh herbs makes a wonderful Spring meal.  Cute little radiatore pasta, named for it's radiator shape, is the base.  Goat cheese melted with half and half make this sauce decadent.  To give this a bright flavor we will use lemon along with a mixture of herbs (parsley, dill, mint, and chives) to top the pasta.  What a fabulous Spring pasta dish this is!

This is the perfect dish to serve for lunch or dinner, eating alfresco, along with some crusty Italian bread and a glass of white wine.  I can't think of a better way to celebrate Spring.

Enjoy!



Radiatore with Fresh Herbs and Goat Cheese


serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound radiatore pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small shallot, minced
1/2 cup half-and-half
6 ounces goat cheese, at room temperature
Freshly ground black pepper
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
3 tablespoons minced fresh dill
3 tablespoons minced fresh mint
3 tablespoons thinly sliced chives
1 cup grated Parmensan Romano cheese mix
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and return to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cook until al dente according to the package instructions, 8 to 10 minutes. Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain.

Meanwhile, add the olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallot and saute until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the half-and-half and whisk in the goat cheese until smooth and warm. Season with pepper. Add the lemon zest and juice and half of the reserved pasta water and whisk until combined. Add half of the parsley, dill, mint and chives.

Transfer the drained pasta to the skillet and cook until the sauce starts to thicken, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, add 1/2 cup of the cheese and stir to combine. Adjust the consistency of the sauce with the remaining pasta water if needed. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.

Divide the pasta among bowls and garnish with the remaining cheese and herbs.  

Spring Fling: Carrot Snack Cake

A wonderfully moist snack cake that's loaded with carrots and pecans and the perfect amount of spice.  The perfect everyday cake!

Here's to another installment in my Spring Fling series (yay!) where I bring you fresh and light recipes that use spring produce.  When I think of Spring I think of Easter, and when I think of Easter I think of Carrot Cake.  This Easter I didn't make a carrot cake so I was missing out on a wonderful family tradition and was literally craving it!  We typically don't have cake around the house so to solve my craving and the dilemma of having too much cake around I sought out an old favorite of mine, the snack cake.

I grew up with my mom making snack cakes.  Instead of making a tradition layer cake she would make a snack cake in a 8x8 pan just so we would have a little something sweet.  No layers, or icing, just a basic sheet cake that's topped with a little powdered sugar.  

I would say may favorite flavor has to be chocolate but since I'm craving springtime carrots, we'll turn a moist carrot cake into a snack cake. 

Hot from the oven this snack cake is loaded with carrots, pecans, brown sugar, and warming cinnamon, and it will fill your kitchen with the most heavenly scent!  

You won't be able to hold off very long before you dig in to this beauty.  This cake is so light and flavorful that is will be the snack cake you make for picnics, desserts, intimate birthdays, and those late night cravings.  The perfect size, and the perfect cake!

Enjoy!






Carrot Snack Cake


serves 9


2 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup canola oil
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Powdered sugar for sprinkling on top

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla. Mix to combine. Add in the dry ingredients, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and flour.  Mix until all combined.

Fold in the carrots and pecans, until distributed throughout.

Spray an 8x8 baking pan with cooking spray. Spread the batter in the prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Note: make sure the center is fully cooked and the top springs back.  Since this is a very moist cake you must make sure the center cooks all the way through, no wet crumbs on the toothpick.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.  Once cooled sprinkle powdered sugar on top of the cake using a fine mesh strainer, cut and serve.

slightly adapted from: Tastesofflizzyt.com