We left early this morning for the drive down to Tucson to pack up Marissa and move her back to Scottsdale. Of course, I love having her home, so that is the really sweet part. But I also know how eager she is to “begin” her independent life, her career, and to have a place of to call her own. I remember that feeling of longing and yearning and wish all those wonderful things for her. But with today’s economy and job market, she is just one of thousands, probably hundreds of thousands, of young adults and college graduates in the same situation. Daily she is sending out resumes, searching on-line, reaching out to every possible connection; lucky to ever get a call, acknowledgement, or interview. So, we’ll store her furniture and other belongings that one doesn’t need when living with your family (meaning parents) in mini-storage and continue to give her all the love and support we can while she waits for her new beginning. And of course, if you are reading this and know of any positions or possible openings for a brilliant, beautiful, and bold graduate with a bonafide Journalism degree, (such as writing, editing, public relations, journalist, newspaper, magazine, etc.) who will move anywhere for an opportunity; please email or call right this very minute!

Happily, Marissa has some very generous, kind, and loving male friends in Tucson who will help us load up the U-Haul in the 100+ degree heat today. So, Alberto and Will and anyone else who is there today – these bittersweet treats are for you, as a small token of my thanks and appreciation. xoxo

No-Bake Haystack Cookies

2 cups (12 ounces) bittersweet chocolate chips, divided
1 3/4 cups butterscotch chips
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 ounces dry chow mien noodles
1 cup peanuts

1/4 cup melted white chocolate chips, if desired

Line 2 or 3 baking sheets with wax paper.

Melt 1 3/4 cups chocolate chips and all the butterscotch chips in a large microwave-safe bowl for 1 minute, stir and return to microwave 45 seconds at a time, until chips are completely melted. Stir in vanilla extract and then carefully mix in noodles and nuts until completely coated. Stir in remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips.

Drop by tablespoon onto wax paper. Put in refrigerator to set. If desired, drizzle with melted white chocolate to “fancy them up”.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, using the same wax paper to place in-between the layers of cookies.

Makes about 3 dozen haystacks

This is the typical sort of dinner you’ll get at our house on a day when I don’t want to venture out in the 110 degree suffocating heat just to get groceries! I will do anything to avoid leaving the air-conditioned loveliness that is my house! First I look in the refrigerator – not much there. More smoked pork, but we’ve had that 2 days in a row, so that will not fly with my guys. Produce drawers – bell peppers, wilting green onions, romaine that has about 24 hours before decisions must be made, and a surprisingly good looking bunch of cilantro. Next stop – garden – ugg! Everything is looking sad, drought ridden, and parched! Snip off the last bit of tarragon and get back into the A/C! What about the pantry – nothing at all inspiring. There is pasta, but that’s always sitting there…. Why in God’s name do these people need to eat every darn day – don’t they know how hot it is?!?!  OK, compose thyself. Last stop the freezer – oh the glorious coldness that flows from the freeze finally gives me the inspiration I have been so very desperate for! What miracles do I find there? Nothing all that much really – shrimp, edamame, and peas – but it is enough.

Peas, now those are a story on their own! The thing you need to know about peas is that…. I Do Not Eat Peas. In any and every instance, other than today, the only reason you would find peas in my freezer is when I have purchased them to use as an ice-pack for injuries.  Frozen peas are excellent injury ice-packs! They mold and form to a hurt knee, elbow, wrist…whatever ailment they are needed for, you can not beat a package of frozen peas to make the ouchie feel better, honestly, frozen peas are better than a mommy’s kiss!

But eating those peas – No Thank You! Where could a girl such as myself acquire such a distaste and violent reaction to the innocent little pea… two words… canned peas! It’s sad but true, I grew up on canned vegetables. Aside from iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, and the occasional corn on the cob; fresh vegetables were not known in my childhood home. And frozen vegetables – barely knew they existed. The only proof of them was on the TV, courtesy of the Jolly Green Giant or Bird’s Eye commercials.

My husband, Dave, on the other hand – he grew up with not only frozen vegetables but fresh as well. He fondly recalls sitting on his back porch in Rockton, Illinois, shelling peas from his dad’s garden. So before this evening, guess how many times I’ve cooked peas for him in the 25 years we’ve been married or the 28 years we’ve been together?  If you know me, you may have already guessed the answer correctly – not once! Oh sure, I’ve scantly added them to paella (then easily picked them out of my portion.) Or layered them in the classic overnight layer salad (which includes iceberg, peas, sugar/mayonnaise, bacon, green onions, hard cooked eggs, etc). Then when I dish up my own plate, I just scoop around the peas and pick off the few that cling to the sweet mayo layer. But actually cook and serve peas as the main ingredient or side dish for dinner – never, not once!

Not until today. Why today? I don’t know, I was at Trader Joe’s a couple days ago, and saw the little bag of frozen petite peas and just felt sorry for Dave and my fierce resistance all this time to serve him his happy childhood memory just because of my own not-so-pleasant childhood memory.  Really -there is only one word for that – selfish. So, you have to know that when I say this pasta with peas is good, it must be Really Good …  ‘Nuff said!

Pea, Edamame, and Shrimp Capellini

2 or 3 large garlic cloves, peeled
Leaves and tender stems from 1 bunch cilantro
1/4 cup fresh tarragon leaves
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
12-ounce package frozen shelled edamame
12 to 16-ounce package frozen petite peas
1/2 pound peeled and deveined shrimp, cut into bite-size pieces
12 to 16-ounce package capellini (angel hair) pasta
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Meanwhile, turn on a food processor fitted with the steel blade, and drop the garlic in through the feed tube, to mince.  Stop the machine and scrape down the bowl with a spatula. Add the cilantro and tarragon leaves to the bowl, and process until finely minced. With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil through the feed tube. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.

When the water in the pot comes to a boil, salt generously, add the edamame and peas; cook 3 to 4 minutes. Remove vegetables from the pot with a strainer or a slotted spoon, and place in another bowl. Return water to the boil and add the shrimp.

Boil just until pink and cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the pot with a strainer or a slotted spoon, and add to bowl with edamame and peas.

Return water to the boil and add the pasta; cook al dente following the instructions on the package. When the pasta is cooked, remove 1/2 cup of the cooking water and add to the bowl with the cilantro mixture. Drain the pasta, and add to the cilantro, toss to combine. Stir in the edamame mixture and toss to combine.  Divide between 8 serving bowls, top with Parmesan and serve.

Serves 8

Bulgur is one of the unsung heroes of the grain world. A staple of the traditional Mediterranean diet for thousands of years, bulgur wheat has recently become popular in modern health food and vegetarian diets. Rich in “B” vitamins, iron, phosphorous and manganese.

Bulgur is wheat in its whole form, which has been parboiled for quick cooking. Bulgur is sometimes confused with cracked wheat, which is crushed wheat grain that has not been parboiled. It comes in three types, coarse grind which has a consistency that is similar to that of rice and can be used in place of rice in any recipe. Medium grind is most commonly used for cereal and fillings, and fine grind which is usually used for tabbouleh and other salads – such as the one below.

The health benefits of bulgur include preventing constipation (it is high in fiber), preventing cancer, and reducing the risk of heart disease. Bulgur contains ferulic acid, which can prevent nitrates and nitrites, common in many foods, from converting into nitrosamines, which have been linked to cancer. Bulgur wheat also contains lignans. Lignans have high antioxidant properties and also prevent cholesterol from being damaged by free radicals, which makes it easier to stick to the artery walls. Less cholesterol on the artery walls means less chance of developing heart disease.

Aside from all the fantastic health benefits of bulgur there is one more thing to know – it tastes great! It has a nutty flavor and is a great substitute for bread crumbs in say, meatloaf. It can also be substituted in for about 1/3 of the flour in just about any muffin, quick bread, or yeast bread recipe. Give it a try the next time you’re baking to “healthy up” your own favorite recipes. You’ll find bulgur packaged in small bags in the grains or health food section of most grocers. Locally the brand most available is Bob’s Red Mill.

Bulgur Salad with Edamme and Dill

1 cup uncooked bulgur
1 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cups frozen shelled edamame
1 pound yellow and red cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup finely minced Italian parsley
1/3 cup minced fresh dill
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh mint
1 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine bulgur and 1cup boiling water in a large bowl. Cover and let stand1 hour or until bulgur is tender, place in a strainer to remove any unabsorbed water then return to bowl.

Cook edamame in boiling water 3 minutes and drain. Add edamame, tomatoes, parsley, dill, mint, and green onions to bulgur; toss well.

Whisk lemon juice and olive oil together in a small bowl, whisk in salt and pepper, add to bulgur and mix well.

Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Serves 8

Black Bean Tortilla Pinwheels

1 garlic clove, peeled
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Five 10-inch flour tortillas, warmed in the microwave for easier rolling
1 1/2 cups canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup canned chopped roasted mild green chiles, drained
1 cup grated sharp cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
1/3 cup chopped pimiento-stuffed olives
1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro
Salsa, if desired for dipping

With the machine running, drop the garlic through the feed tube of a food processor to mince. Remove lid and add the cream cheese and cumin, turn on machine to blend.

Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the tortillas, all the way to the edges. Do not clean out processor bowl.

Place the beans in the food processor and use the pulse button to just slightly mash the beans.

Spread the mashed beans over the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle the chiles, cheddar cheese, olives, and cilantro over the beans and roll-up the tortillas tightly. Wrap each in plastic and chill for at least 40 minutes or up to one day ahead.

Cut each tortilla roll into 3/4-inch slices with a sharp knife and serve with salsa, if desired.

Makes about 40 pinwheels

If you have a food processor, then this is one of the quickest and easiest dips possible. Serve it with the toasted pita wedges as I suggest or go an even easier route and serve with purchased pita chips, tortilla chips, or crudités. It’s fast, it’s yummy, and it’s pretty. What more can you ask from a dip?!

Basil Parmesan Dip with Pita Chips

8 pita pocket halves
Pam
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt

2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup sour cream or Fage yogurt
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut each pita half into 8 wedges.  Place wedges on a baking sheet. Spray wedges with Pam; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper and salt.  Bake at 375 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until crisp.

In a food processor, with the machine running, drop the peeled garlic cloves through the feed tube to finely mince. Remove the lid and add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, basil leaves, parmesan, sour cream, and lemon juice and process until smooth.  Transfer into a serving bowl and chill until ready to serve.

Serve with pita chips.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

One of my dad’s favorite salads is a 3-bean or 5-bean or… if possible, a dozen-bean salad. Personally, I find many of the multiple-bean salads out there to be bland. So I created this Three Bean and Corn Salad for my dad. Needless to say, he loves it. Of course, it’s hard for me to make anything that my dad doesn’t like. Whenever he’s finished his meal, here is what he says, “Honey, you done good!” I have to confess, just typing that now, made me smile. I love you, Dad!

Three-Bean and Corn Salad

15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
15 ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
15 ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 orange bell pepper, seeded, cored, and diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded, cored, and diced
10 ounce package frozen corn kernels, thawed and drained
1 small red onion, peeled and diced

1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1  1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 chipotle chile, finely minced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

In a large bowl, combine all the beans, both bell peppers, corn, and red onion.

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, lemon juice, sugar, cumin, salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic, and minced chipotle. Stir in cilantro.

Pour dressing on bean and corn mixture and toss to combine well. Chill thoroughly, at least 40 minutes, and then serve cold.

Serves 10

This may look like one of the longest and most complicated cupcake recipes ever, but honestly it is super easy – so easy, in fact, that you use a boxed cake mix.  So why all the long explanation and endless paragraphs? Well, 272 of the 373 words in the direction portion of the recipe are explaining how to get the fruit out of the peel and from the seed/stone of a mango. So that means the recipe itself is really only about a 100 words, and not at all complicated. In fact – it is “easy-breezy”.

Coconut Mango Cupcakes

2 to 3 large fresh mangos
1 purchased white cake mix
3/4 cup coconut, toasted and divided

Frosting
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 18 muffin tins with cupcake liners.

Remove the flesh from the mango by following these steps: Place the fruit stem end down on a cutting board. While holding the mango, place a paring knife at the top, about a quarter of an inch from the center. Slice straight down. You will be cutting next to the seed; if you hit resistance, move the knife over slightly.

Repeat the process on the other side of the mango, along the other side of the seed. You now have two large slices and the center flat slice containing the large seed.  Place the center slice flat on the cutting board. Place the tip of the knife between the skin and the mango flesh, and, working around the slice, cut the skin off.  Cut the remaining flesh off the mango seed. You will have a small amount of flesh, the major amount of flesh will come from the remaining two half pieces.

Switch from the pairing knife to a table knife; take one half in your hand and without breaking through the mango skin, us the table knife and cut parallel slices into the mango.  Turn the mango 90 degrees and make parallel cuts on the mango once again, forming a grid pattern.  Turn the mango inside out by pushing up on the skin underneath the fruit. You know have something that likes kinda like a hedgehog.

Using the table knife or a spoon, scrape the mango pieces off the skin. You now have cubes of flesh.  Discard the seed and skin. Place the mango cubes in a food processor and puree. Remove puree from processor into a small bowl and set aside to use in both the batter and the frosting. (You will need 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons mango puree to complete the recipe. If your mangos do not produce enough puree, just thin it out with orange juice, pineapple juice, apple juice, or even water if necessary to have the correct amount.)

Make cake batter by following the cake box directions for cupcakes, but reduce the water called for by the cake box directions to 1/4 cup.

Fold 1 cup of the mango puree and 1/2 cup of the toasted coconut into the batter. Fill cupcakes about 3/4 full and bake as instructed on box directions. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting: Using a hand beater or standing mixer, beat together powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons mango puree, and milk until well combined.  Spread the frosting smoothly on top of the cupcakes.  Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of toasted coconut.

Makes 18 cupcakes

One of my many favorite things from Costco is their large bag of sugar snap peas. It’s nearly impossible for me to walk through the cold produce room without snagging a bag!  And it is really c-o-l-d in that room. I see people shivering and little kids in shopping carts whining to their parents about it.  I linger, take my time and try to soak it up! I’m the same way at shopping malls and movie theaters. Other people (including my dear daughter, Marissa) endlessly complain and even plan ahead and bring along sweaters to warm their little bones. It’s 110 degrees outside and they are carrying a sweater! And they say I’m the crazy one, go figure.  But I digress – in that sweet produce room, I get my bag of sugar snap peas (and it’s a really big bag!) come home and either eat them raw and straight from the bag as a snack or cook them up into an “easy-breezy” worthy dish such as this.

Orange-Sesame Sugar Snap Peas

Vinaigrette
1 large orange
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon hot chile sauce (such as Sriracha)

Salad
2  teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced seeded red bell pepper
3/4 cup  thinly sliced peeled carrot
12 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup green onions (white and green portions) cut on diagonal
6-ounce package fresh baby spinach
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted

Vinaigrette: Finely grate 1 teaspoon orange rind; set zest aside.  Squeeze 1/3 cup juice from orange and pour into a medium bowl. Whisk juice, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, and chile sauce in a small bowl to combine.

Salad:  Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and carrot slices to pan; sauté 1 minute, stirring occasionally.  Add reserved orange zest, sugar snap peas, and salt; sauté 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a large bowl; cool 5 minutes.

Add green onions and spinach to the bowl and stir to combine. Pour vinaigrette over salad; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Serves 8

Cheater’s Chicken Enchiladas

It’s the second day of “operation refrigerator clean-out”. Today I found a bag of parsnips I purchased at the Scottsdale Farmer’s Market from the McClendon’s Select booth 2 weeks ago.  I bought them with the thought that my boys might like to use them for their Mother’s Day dinner, but the boys had other plans for the vegetable course. It actually didn’t surprise me, in my opinion parsnips are one of the most underrated root vegetables. For example; if you search for potato recipes on epicurious.com, over 2100 entries come up. The search for carrot brings forward nearly 1600 recipes.  And for parsnips – a mere 209 entries.  That’s not right! Like potatoes and carrots, parsnips are a root vegetable. And a delicious one at that, they are related to carrots,  and they resemble carrots, but have a paler, light tan peel. Until the potato arrived from the New World, parsnips were the root vegetables of choice in Europe and elsewhere around the world. Parsnips are naturally sweet and can be boiled, roasted, pureed, or used in stews, casseroles, and soups.  Additionally, they are rich in potassium and are a good source of dietary fiber.  So, I give you this recipe as I give out props to parsnips!

Roasted Parsnips

1 1/2 pounds (about 6 medium) parsnips, peeled, cut on diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. On the foil, toss parsnip slices with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Spread parsnips in single layer on baking sheet.  Drizzle with melted butter.

Roast parsnips 20 minutes. Using tongs, turn parsnips; roast until lightly browned, about 15 minutes longer. Transfer parsnips to plate and season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parsley.

Serves 4

I developed this recipe about a dozen years ago. It’s been featured in two cookbooks, FamilyFun Cooking with Kids and Reflections Under the Sun, and I will be making it on Channel 12 NBC Valley Dish with Tram Mai next month (4:30 PM, Wednesday, June 3rd). The thing I love about it is how quickly it comes together and how, with just a itty bitty bit of planning, you can get it on the table in about 10 minutes. How is that possible? Make the marinate in the morning before you head out the door, (it literally takes less then 5 minutes to do) throw in the chicken, cover and refrigerate. When you come home, get the water for the pasta boiling while you drain the peppers and sun-dried tomatoes and stem/string the peas (or purchase them already stringed in the bagged lettuce area of your supermarket), steam or blanch the peas in the “pasta water” – before you add the pasta to it. Once you throw the pasta in the salted water, you get busy browning the chicken – and by the time you’re done reducing the sauce and heating it all through, the pasta will be ready – hopefully you’ve gotten one of the kids to set the table, because dinner is ready!

Penne Pasta with Maple Mustard Chicken

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
3 or 4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves, pounded thin
1 cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 cups fresh or jarred roasted red or yellow bell peppers, drained
1/2 cup jarred sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/2 pound snow peas, stemmed and lightly steamed or blanched
1 pound penne pasta, cooked according to package directions

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds.  Add rosemary, chives, and vinegar; cook 30 seconds.  Pour into a large bowl; cool.  Whisk in maple syrup and mustard.  Add chicken to bowl; turn to coat.  Cover;  chill at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium high heat.  Remove chicken from bowl, reserving marinade.  Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.  Add to skillet and sauté 2 minutes per side.  Reduce heat to medium.  Continue cooking until chicken is cooked through and browned, about 2 more minutes per side.  Transfer to cutting board.

Add wine to pan to deglaze and reduce wine by half.  Add chicken stock and the reserved marinate to pan, bring to a boil over high heat and reduce to a thick sauce, about 3 or 4 minutes.  Meanwhile, slice chicken breast on a diagonal, cut larger slices in half.  Add chicken, roasted peppers, tomatoes, and snow peas to reduced sauce and heat through.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

In a large serving bowl, toss chicken mixture with pasta and serve immediately.

Serves 4

Graduation was wonderful! We stayed at the Marriott Starr Pass Resort in Tucson, which was beautiful. Had a celebratory dinner at J Bar after the big event, which was beyond delicious. Went back to the girls’ house for a dessert party after dinner, which was the perfect way to end the night. Then the next day, we were able to spend a relaxing morning with our graduate at the resort pool and then had a fun lunch at Frog & Firkin (a University of Arizona hang-out) before heading back to Phoenix.  All in all – a momentous and memorable weekend!  To keep with the theme of relaxation and ease, here’s an “easy-breezy” and versatile dish that can be used as an impressive appetizer or a quick dinner. To make it a meal, just toss with cooked linguini or spaghetti and add garlic bread.

Shrimp and Olive Salad

36 peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp with tails left intact
2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
36 pitted Kalamata olives
2 cups diced seeded tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven broiler to high. Line a baking dish with foil. Lay shrimp in a single layer on foil, drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with oregano. Toss to coat well.  Broil for 3 minutes on one side, remove from oven and turn over, broil other side for 2 to 3 minutes until pink and cooked through. Set aside to come to room temperature.

In a large bowl combine olives, tomatoes, parsley, remaining 1/4 olive oil, lemon zest and juice. Add shrimp and toss to blend.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Serves about 12

A photographer, I am not! I know this, and I accept it. And if you stop by here often, then I am guessing you know and accept it too.  Sometimes I just can’t get the correct light, or unable to correct the light and color in Photoshop. I’ve never taken a Photoshop course and really only know a couple quick tricks out of the whole big program. Marissa and I signed up for a community college photography night class five years ago, when she was a senior in high school. We quickly discovered that the instructor wasn’t really organized enough to teach. Being the great example- setting mom that I am, after only two very disappointing classes, I turned it into girls-night-out for shopping and dinner instead. Hmm?

Imagine this blog without food pictures, even mediocre pictures. Hard to do, at least for me. So I take on average between 6 and 10 shots of each picture I want to feature and hope for the best. That didn’t work out so well for today. I took 9 different shots of this broccoli last night. Then we had it for dinner.  This morning, I downloaded the photos and every single one is out of focus! It sure didn’t look that way in on the camera screen last night. Please forgive me, I still want to post the recipe because it was really good, but I won’t go to the store to buy more broccoli just to get a focused picture.

On a happier note; at the same time that Maris and I signed up for the photography class, we also signed up for a weekend watercolor class. I think there were five other women in there and Maris and I were, by far, the youngest… and the least talented! I mean, we were awful! And please keep in mind, that my son, Connor is a great artist! That is one of his many watercolors above, which he did when he was 11 years old. We came home each week with our pitiful “art” and I do not know how he kept a straight face. But we stuck with it! And we had fun. It helped that our instructor was very sweet and encouraging even though it was obvious that neither of us was getting any better. If you’re interested in seeing my talented son’s artwork, you can check out some of his work at this link. Most of the art posted there is done with a Pen Pad and his computer. Plus there is are a few photographs of some of his oils as well. Hope you enjoy the broccoli and the art.

Steamed Broccoli with Warm Sherry Vinaigrette

1 1/2 pounds broccoli
1 1/2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, peeled and lightly mashed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large tomato, diced

Cut broccoli  into florets. Use a vegetable peeler to peel the stems and then cut stems crosswise into 1/4-inch slices, set aside. Set up a steamer and bring to a low boil.

Whisk vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl.

Cook garlic in oil in small heavy skillet over moderate heat until golden, 1 to 2 minutes, discard garlic, reserve oil.

At the same time, steam broccoli in covered steamer set over boiling water, until just tender, 3 or 4 minutes, then transfer to a large bowl.

Add hot oil to vinegar mixture, whisking until emulsified, then add to broccoli and toss to combine. Garnish with diced tomato.

Serves 4