Creamy Lemon Pasta with Roasted Salmon and Peas

What is it about a creamy, dreamy pasta dish that can turn a bad day upside down?

This particular recipe is exactly what I want to be eating right now. It's bursting with fresh lemon flavor, but at the same time it is the perfect comfort food dish thanks to a decadent bechamel sauce and buttery roasted salmon. We aren't diving head-first into rich wintertime casseroles, rather we're tip-toeing into what is (in my opinion) the best time of year for cooking. 

Let's talk about this Creamy Lemon Pasta with Roasted Salmon and Peas. Surely it is reminiscent of pasta carbonara, with a super creamy sauce (though not from eggs), a rich fatty protein (this time salmon over bacon), and little bursts from frozen peas. For the pasta, I used bucatini which I just love particularly for it's chewier, sturdy texture. It holds up extremely well to our cream sauce, which is made all the more irresistible on account of it starts with sauteed garlic and sliced leeks in a bit of butter and olive oil before finishing with a generous sprinkle of lemon zest and juice <3 

Oh, and by the way...the salmon? It is AMAZING on it's own, a dinner in and of itself. We are simply taking it to the next level by breaking it up and tossing it into this pasta dish. I roast the salmon skin side down on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and drizzled with olive oil. Then, I generously season the flesh with salt, pepper, and dried thyme. Lay a few lemon slices over the top before baking and viola! Perfectly cooked, ridiculously simple salmon. 

Let's bid farewell to summer and welcome fall with this fresh and cozy pasta! 

Creamy Lemon Gnocchi with Asparagus and Crispy Prosciutto

Internet friends!! Hi!!

Wow, it has been over a month since I shared my last recipe with you, which just happened to be this insanely delicious Sweet Chili Chicken Ramen that I am now officially craving again. Things have been a little crazy on the home-front and that's actually because we bought a home! Things moved at the speed of light, and between packing and moving I also took a quick but truly amazing trip to Sedona, AZ with my BFF. All I'm saying is, although I have been cooking and baking and eating and getting adjusted to my new kitchen, blogging took a bit of a back seat...but today, I am back!

It seemed fitting that I come back from my internet silence with this deeelicious recipe. My Creamy Lemon Gnocchi with Asparagus and Crispy Prosciutto is the quintessential meal for these early spring days. Warmer temperatures always have me craving fresh, crunchy vegetables and bright, citrusy flavors. Asparagus is just ah-mazing right now, I love the super thin stalks so much that I'll sometimes just roast off a bunch with a bit of olive oil and plop a drippy egg on top for a simple and satisfying dinner. And who doesn't love a super lemony dinner to brighten up their day??

The thing is, I live in New England. And that means that one day, it can be 75 and sunny and the next it can be a chilly, rainy and raw. So while we may be craving bright and fresh , we also still need a bit of comfort food to warm us up from the inside out. Gnocchi are basically edible pillows. soft and starchy and chewy. They are the perfect candidate to be doused in an herby lemon cream sauce with copious amounts of parmesan cheese. For an extra special, decadent crunch, prosciutto gets baked in the oven until crisp then crumbled all over the top. It's fancy bacon. It's a necessity.

So there you have it. The perfect balance of fresh and decadence. This meal needs to be on your dinner menu ASAP!

Breaded Pork Chops with Warm Bulgar Wheat and Arugula Salad

Let's talk dinner!

Really good, incredibly tasty, fast and wholesome dinner.

That, after all, is exactly what this recipe is! It's comfort food, but lightened up. It's fresh but fulfilling. The flavors are bold and full of that summer brightness. I just love it, and I'm sure you will too!

I served this recipe for Breaded Pork Chops with Warm Bulgar Wheat and Arugula Salad for Monday night dinner and it was the perfect start to a busy week. I had a couple of 3 ounce pork chops that I sliced in half lengthwise then pounded them out thin. I breaded them the way all good cutlets are breaded: dredged in flour, dipped in egg, pressed into whole wheat seasoned bread crumbs. Fool-proof and delicious.

Along with the crispy and juicy chops, we need a light and refreshing salad. Summertime means lemon, tomatoes, arugula and basil are plentiful, so we must be sure to utilize this season's bounty. For a nutty bite, try ditching the quinoa or rice or barley and walk on the wild side with a bit of bulgar wheat. Bulgar wheat is a whole wheat grain that has been cracked and partially cooked. It has a texture similar to cous cous but is less starchy and a bit more flavorful.

Summer, if you can believe it, is flying by but you can really savor it with this dish. It's quick enough to enjoy on a weeknight, but pretty (and pretty delicious!) enough to serve for a dinner party. Break out a chilled bottle of prosecco or sauvignon blanc and savor every bite!

Lemon Garlic Pasta with Shrimp, Kale, and Goat Cheese

HI HI HI HI!!!

Make this pasta.

OK, bye.

JUST KIDDING.

On a serious note, I want to tell you a little story about this pasta. I got home a little later than usual but I still wanted a hearty, delicious homemade dinner. I didn't succumb to the take out menu, and I am so glad I had that willpower. This meal came together in less than 30 minutes, but I was hungry. Ravenous. I needed food in my belly. I took a bite of this pasta right out of the serving bowl and after that first bite, well. I knew I had to share this with you. I needed to wait just a few minutes longer, snap a few (really unremarkable) photos, and let everyone on the interwebs know what an amazing dish this is.

In the end, it's a happy story. I had two big servings of this pasta, I'm not hungry anymore, and now, just below, you hold this recipe in your hands.

This dish, despite being a pasta recipe, is delightfully light and fresh. It is hearty and flavorful. It starts with a pasta of your choice--I'd recommend a whole wheat or Trader Joe's Brown Rice and Quinoa pasta for gluten free. Pasta = happiness, as we all know, so this is a good place to start. Save a bit of the pasta cooking water too, it will come in handy later when we make our sauce. Then, there is chopped kale, sauteed in a bit of olive oil with two generous cloves of minced garlic. Lovin' ya. Big, juicy shrimps are sauteed until golden brown and gorgeous.

The fun part about this pasta is that we are making a no-cook sauce. In a big serving bowl, we are whisking together the juice of 2 lemons and about 1/3 cup of olive oil with a big handful of grated parmesan cheese and lots of black pepper. SERIOUSLY, that's it. Pasta, kale, and shrimp all get a big toss in this lemon sauce along with that pasta water, creating a nice, slurp-able sauce.

OH wait. You thought that was it? That description there was perfect and you're ready to dig in? That's fine, but wait. There's more more more. And you don't want to miss this. GOAT CHEESE. Yes, yes. Crumbled on top of each bowl while the pasta is still hot. And it's going to melt, and become creamy, and dreamy, and you will finally understand what love is.

Here's what you need for Lemon Garlic Pasta with Shrimp, Kale, and Goat Cheese* (Print Recipe!)

1 pound pasta of choice
1 bunch kale, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined (fresh or frozen & thawed is fine!)
2 lemons, juiced
1/3 cup olive oil, plus more for sauteeing
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and lots of pepper to taste
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Here's what you do

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water (you may not need all of it, but better safe than sorry).

While the pasta cooks, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the kale and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the kale is wilted and tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Be sure to stir occasionally so as not to burn the garlic.

Push the kale to the side of the skillet and add a bit more olive oil to the pan. Add the shrimp and cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side until it is pale pink in color and slightly browned on the edges.

In a large serving bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil and parmesan cheese with a generous pinch of black pepper. Add the hot pasta and toss to coat. Gently fold in the shrimp and kale mixture and drizzle in a bit of the reserved pasta water. I used about 1/4 cup, just to loosen the sauce a bit. Season to taste.

Finally, spoon the warm pasta into bowls and top with crumbled goat cheese. Each person should lightly stir the goat cheese into the pasta to create a nice, creamy finish. Enjoy immediately.



*Gas Stove Girl Original Recipe

Falafel Pita Pockets

I really, truly, deeply wanted to call this post "Totally Amazing Homemade Falafels." I always back off from things like that though because I might be biased. But with this not-so-humble-brag, I guess the cat is out of the bag now.

....Cat.

Ahem. OK. Let us talk about one of my most beloved foods on this earth. That food is FALAFEL. I think I first discovered these vegetarian gems at Pick Pockets in Smithfield, RI while I was at Bryant University. Pick Pockets is a very modest counter within a gas station convenience store that made the most perfect falafel pita pockets. If for whatever random reason you find yourself in Rhode Island, do yourself a favor and go here! I. Was. Obsessed.

And from then on, I was HOOKED on all things falafel. Falafel is quite simply pulsed chickpeas mashed together with amazing flavors and spices and breadcrumbs, formed into balls or patties and fried to golden perfection. You can eat falafel in all sorts of ways--on salads, as an appetizer or snack, or--my personal favorite--wrapped up in a pita with all the fixin's.

These Falafel Pita Pockets are just that. Simple and delicious homemade falafel patties wrapped up in warm pitas with a cucumber yogurt sauce, lettuce, tomato, cucumbers and feta cheese. Feta makes everything betta!

Yes, yes. I know. I am a wizard with words.

For a while I reserved falafel for the professionals. Why I was doing this, I have no idea. Homemade falafels are so easy to pull together and the taste and texture is out of this world. These are a regular in our dinner rotation and will be for a long time.

Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies

Real talk -- I love cookies.

I'm a huge fan of cookies that are chewy and soft and bursting with flavor. These Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies totally fit the bill.

Fresh, bright lemon flavor is packed into these sweet little bites. They are reminiscent of traditional butter cookies, with a fun and crunchy poppy seed twist.

These cookies did not last long around our house. We brought them to a picnic one night, and what few remained were a fun midday snack on Monday. The cookies are just slightly golden brown with a nice gooey center.

I also just got this seriously adorable citrus juicer from Marshall's and a new microplane! Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies were the perfect way to break in my new gear...do you like to use new kitchen gadgets as soon as you get them!? Clearly I do!

To start, we need to sift together all purpose flour, baking powder, salt, cream of tartar and crunchy poppy seeds. I just love the way the flecks of black make this batter look rustic and charming.

I worked a ton of lemon zest into a bowl of sugar with my finger tips. This is a fun trick out there in the food world that releases the aromatic flavor of the zest and blends that flavor into the entire cookie!

Butter and lemony sugar are creamed together before egg, honey, and lemon juice join the party. While the mixer is running on low speed, the dry ingredients get combined slowly and completely into the wet ingredients. The dough should come together pretty solidly on the paddle attachment.

After a bit of chill time, it's time to bake! This dough shouldn't be too runny and the cookies will hold their shape for the most part while they bake up.

When the tops of the cookies begin to crack, we take the cookies out of the oven and smush them down with the bottom of a very flat glass. This was fun to me. I need more hobbies.

I totally loved these cookies. The crunch of the poppy seeds and the golden brown edges are the perfect complement to the chewy center and tangy bite of the lemons. Now, your favorite flavor muffin is a delicious dessert!

Let's not delay any longer -- I know you want to get your hands on a batch of these cookies!

Strawberry and Goat Cheese Crostini

 

I am so obsessed with goat cheese. It's one of those things I'll see in a dish on a menu and immediately order that without looking at the rest of the offerings. It's creamy, and soft, and just a little bit tangy.

Goat cheese is an all-inclusive cheese. It works well with savory dishes and is also great with some sweet pairings.

I particularly love goat cheese in these delicious snacks I made last week. The cheese is mixed with lemon and honey, spread on top of crispy crostinis and topped with slices of fresh, ripened strawberries.

These Strawberry and Goat Cheese Crostinis are the perfect summertime appetizer or snack. With the exception of toasting the bread, there is hardly any time spent dwelling over a hot stove. The strawberries are sweet and juicy, the perfect compliment to the natural sweetness of the honey. The soft goat cheese spread on top of crispy baguette slices is just the contrast you crave in a small bite. Simple but elegant--sounds like a great deal to me!

Here's what you need for Strawberry and Goat Cheese Crostinis (Print Recipe!)

1 French baguette, cut into 1/2 inch slices
4-6 ounces fresh goat cheese
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons honey, plus more for drizzling
1 cup strawberries, sliced thin vertically

Here's what you do

Place the slices of bread on a dry baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes until just browned. Watch carefully to ensure they don't burn. Set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, use a fork to mash together the goat cheese, lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons of honey. Add in a splash of lemon juice if the mixture isn't smooth.

Spread about a tablespoon of the goat cheese mixture onto each baguette. Arrange 2 to 3 slices of strawberries on top of the goat cheese. Drizzle with more honey just before serving. Garnish with torn mint leaves if desired.