Balsamic Tortellini with Bacon and Roasted Asparagus

 Ingredients:

 3/4 lb. asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. package of frozen tortellini
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. dijon mustard
4 strips of bacon
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 large shallot, diced

3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. chopped fresh sage

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. 
2. Place the asparagus on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix well and roast for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
3. While asparagus roasts, cook the tortellini according to package directions. Drain well.
4. In a large skillet or dutch oven, cook the bacon until crisp, turning occasionally. Remove bacon from skillet and place on paper towels and crumble when cooled. Drain the bacon fat and return 1 Tbsp of it too the skillet.
5. Cook the shallot in the bacon fat for 3-5 minutes, until slightly golden. Add the asparagus and saute for 2 minutes, then add the tortellini. Reduce heat to low and cook until heated through, stirring occasionally for 2-4 minutes.
6. Mix the vinegar, mustard, and thyme in a small bowl. Add to the skillet and scrape the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits. Stir to combine, then top with the Parmesan and sage.

Banana Mango Smoothie

Ingredients

1 very ripe banana, peeled
1  mango, peeled and sliced
1/2 c. skim milk
2 c. ice
1/4 tsp. nutmeg (freshly grated, if possible)

Directions

Place all ingredients in blender and blend on high speed until thoroughly combined. Divide into 2 glasses and sprinkle with nutmeg.

Blender = Supercharged Cheese Grater

I recently purchased a new blender, as my old one broke in the middle of pureeing a soup. It was messy. I needed to grate a cup of Parmesan for tonight's dinner (roasted cauliflower fettuccine) so decided to try it in the blender.

Ten seconds after I started the blender, the cheese was completely broken down, even faster than in the food processor, and the blender is easier to clean. If I don't feel like grating by hand, this is going to be my go-to grating method for hard cheeses.

Caramelized Onion and Sun-Dried Tomato Tart

The sweetness from the onions and sun-dried tomatoes goes great with the salty, tangy feta cheese.

 Ingredients:

1 sheet of refrigerated pie dough
2 tsp. olive oil
2 large onions, sliced
1 1/2 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
6 sun-dried tomatoes, halved
1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese
1/4 c.grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425F.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and thyme, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring often. If the bottom of the pan (where the fond is) starts getting too dark, add a small amount of water and scrape up the brown bits. (Check out this post to learn more about fond!)
3. Place the cooked onions onto the pie dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Add the halved tomatoes and feta on top of the onions. Fold the edges of the dough towards the center, leaving an open 6-incharea in the middle.
4. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. After removing from onion, sprinkle with the Parmesan. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.