If there’s one thing that I really love about the onset of warmer weather is the availability of some of my favorite herbs and vegetables and getting my own stuff right from our garden. While our little patch isn’t there just yet, we have been seeing some great ingredients in our local fruit and vegetable market.

This recipe is a flavor bomb of delicious green veggies and is incredibly quick. If you make the gazpacho ahead of time, you only need to season mahi-mahi fillets and give them a quick grill for 5 to 6 minutes per side and you’re at the table depending on what sides you’re looking to serve with it. Here’s how this one’s done.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped English hothouse cucumber (about 1/2 large)
• 3/4 cup coarsely chopped green onions
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 to 3 cloves of peeled and smashed garlic
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
• 2 chopped seeded serrano chiles (i remove the ribs as well before chopping)
• 2 7-to 8-ounce mahi-mahi fillets
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3 ounces small red and yellow cherry, pear, or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
• Ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Combine cucumber, onions, cilantro, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and chiles in processor. Use a combination of on off turns or grinds and chops, blending the mixture until finely chopped. The consistency should be a wet, loose paste that has the consistency of a thicker soup.

Transfer to bowl. Season with more vinegar, if desired, and salt and black pepper.

Sprinkle fish fillets on both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and cumin.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish and cook 5 minutes. Turn over, cover, and cook until fish is just opaque in center, about 5 minutes.

Use a serving spoon to create a pool of gazpacho on two plates. Top each with 1 fish fillet. Scatter tomatoes atop and around fish and serve.

And that’s all there is to it. This is a really refreshing, tasty dish that blends a good mix of heat and power punch of delcious green veggies. Let me know if you try it. If you use the amounts above, you’ll undoubtably have leftover Gazpacho sauce that will be a fantastic quick lunch or salad dressing. Enjoy!

If you’ve never made a Risotto before, it can be a little intimidating and leave you with lots of questions. Did the rice absorb enough stock? Is the cheese going to scald when it hits this pan? Is this texture ever going to be right? Risotto is really a waiting game, and it’s incredibly important to KEEP STIRRING! You have to beat that rice around the pan to be sure you give your infusion ingredients opportunity to work their way in. This is a marriage that takes a little time to make happy. But all that being said, it’s not the most difficult thing you could ever task yourself with making. Here’s how you make this slightly modified version of one of my favorite risottos from Tyler Florence.

Ingredients (2 big servings)

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 pound sea scallops
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 oz assorted mushrooms, such as portobello, crimini, and shiitake, stemmed
• 1 tespoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 cups Arborio rice
• 1/4 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
• 4 cups canned chicken stock, heated
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Preparation:
1. Take a large deep skillet or saucepan and begin heating it over medium high heat. Be sure you pick one with some taller sides if you have one available, as you’ll make almost the entire meal in this single pan. As you heat the pan, put your quart of chicken stock into a sauce pan and begin heating it on your backburner. There’s no need to simmer it, just get it good and warm so that you can add it to your Risotto when the time is right.

2. Once your skillet is warm, give it two or three turns of olive oil. Salt and pepper your sea scallops and cook both sides until you start to see a nice golden brown color start to develop. It should take two to three minutes a side.

3. Remove the scallops from the pan to a plate or bowl and cover them with alumninum foil to keep warm while you make the risotto.

4. Reduce the heat to medium. Drizzle in another 2-count of olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until soft.

5. Next, add the mushrooms thyme, and 2 tablespoons of parsley and cook until the mushrooms lose their liquid. This should take about 8 to 10 minutes. Season your pan contents with salt and pepper.

6. Add the rice and stir for about 2 minutes to coat with the oil. When the grains turn opaque it’s time to give them a drink. Stir in the wine and cook 1 minute to evaporate the alcohol.

7. Pour in 1 cup of the warm stock and stir with a wooden spoon until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid. It’s important to stir frequently and as much as possible.

8. Add another cup of stock. Continue this process until you’re done, stirring constantly and adding the stock 1 cup at a time, allowing the rice to absorb the liquid before adding more. (You may not need all of the stock; the risotto is done when it is slightly firm but creamy.)

9. Fold in the scallops with the last cup of stock to warm them up. When the risotto is cooked, fold in the butter and cheese (it won’t scald, I promise!). Serve hot. Garnish with parsley.

It’s very creamy, gluten free (if you’re not using enriched rice) and reheats well if you pan warm the scallops. This meal takes about an hour or so to bring to the table, so it’s one to plan for. If you make it, be sure to let me know how it comes out, as this one has become a favorite for Dr. Wife.

Spätzle with parsley and Parmesan.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1 3/4 cups flour, plus extra for kneading
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 quarts low sodium chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnish
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. In a medium bowl, combine water, flour, eggs and salt with a wooden spoon. Place dough mixture on a clean cutting board. Flour both sides of the dough and roll into a long rectangle, approximately 12 by 2-inches and 1/8-inch thick. With pizza cutter, cut into strips, 2-inches in length and 1/4-inch wide.

2. Bring chicken stock to a boil in a large saucepan. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Drop spätzle in batches into boiling stock and cook until pasta floats to the surface. Remove and immediately transfer to the ice bath. Drain spätzle and hold on sheet pan. Continue with the other batches.

3. Once you’ve completed the cooking, in a medium saute pan, add butter, and melt over medium heat until butter turns a light brown. Add garlic and cook until it becomes lightly colored. Add spätzle to the pan to heat through. Add parsley, cheese, salt and pepper, to taste.

It’s really wonderful, very filling and is pretty simple. If you’ve never made your own noodles, this is a great dish to give it a go. It can be made gluten free with Red Mill flour as well.

They’re easy to make, albeit a tad time consuming. Since you’re getting a whole bell pepper, you’re getting a lot of veggies, and the ground chicken with melted Parmesan is really warming. Here’s how you make it.

Ingredients :

• 1 lb. Fresh Ground Chicken
• 2 cloves garlic diced
• 1/2 cup chopped Spanish onion
• 1 tablespoon ginger
• 1 6 oz. can tomato paste
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup soy sauce (gluten free)
• 4 medium sized red, green or yellow peppers
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. Heat the oil in a pan; add garlic, onion, ginger and ground chicken; cook until chicken is cooked through and white in color.

2. Drain any grease from the pan add tomato paste, water and soy sauce.

3. Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat.

4. Cut the tops off of the peppers; remove the seeds and the white inner fleshy parts (veins).

5. Stuff each pepper with the cooked chicken mixture, sprinkle stuffed peppers with Parmesan cheese. We layer our cheese throughout, building it the same way you would a layer cake.

6.Place your peppers on a non-stick baking sheet and bake at 325°F, until they are brown or the cheese melts (about 30 minutes).

Makes 4 servings.
Nutritional info:
Calories: 431
Total Fat: 19g
Sat. Fat: 8g
Cholest.: 139mg
Sodium: 2,800
Carb.: 20g
Fiber: 2g
Protein: 44g

They’re absolutely fantastic and impossible to screw up.

Sautéd Broccoli with red pepper and garlic alongside our Teriyaki Salmon.

This is a really simple side, but the combination of garlic, crushed red pepper and just the hint of olive oil is really wonderful. You’ll have some interesting aromas in the kitchen and it’s really a nice combination to the sweetness of the Teriyaki glaze on the strong salmon. I won’t bother to go over the fish recipe again. This quick post is really all about the star side!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound of broccoli crowns, cut into florets (about 2 or 3 cups)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons of dried crushed red pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. Place raw broccoli into a large bowl and toss with olive oil to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add red pepper.

2. Heat a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add garlic, broccoli and sauté for about 6 to 8 minutes, or until the broccoli reaches your desired tenderness. You may need to add a little more oil as you go.

3. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

It’s absolutely delicious and really fast. A batch takes no more than 7 or 8 minutes at the absolute most. Enjoy.

I know it’s not gluten free, but I was feeling brave and had some Mission Carb-Lite tortillas. No problem to report.

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs
• 1 large pre-cooked turkey and chicken chorizo link cut into rounds and quartered
• 1/2 an orange bell pepper – diced
• Black and Manzanila Olives – sliced
• 1/4 Spanish onion – diced
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• A splash of milk
• 1/4 cup of your favorite Mexican blend cheese
• Two burrito sized tortillas
• Two tablespoons fresh salsa
• Fresh cilantro to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. Heat olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add diced onion, bell pepper and salt and pepper. Cook until onions become translucent.
2. Add olive and chorizo to the pan with your veggies and cook until your sausage is warmed through.
3. In a separate pan, crack eggs and mix with splash of milk. Heat over medium high until first of the eggs begin to solidify. Turn off heat and begin to scramble the eggs, adding chili powder, salt and pepper to taste. Once most of your eggs have scrambled add the cheese.
4. Combine your ingredients in a tortilla shell, top with a spoonful or two of your favorite salsa. If you have it, a couple leaves of fresh cilantro make this a real treat.

It’s spicy, it’s hearty and it’s probably the best thing I’ve had for breakfast in a very long time.

Grilled Chicken in Feta Cheese Sauce

Here’s how you do it.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 onion sliced thin
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 TBS olive oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1/2 cup feta cheese
• 2 chicken breast
• 1 teaspoon of corn starch

Preparation:
1. Heat a large grill pan over medium high heat. Grill chicken breasts for 6 to 8 minutes per side.

2. As chicken grills, heat olive oil in medium saucepan over medium high heat, add onions, garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook until softened and beginning to caramelized (about 6 minutes). Add garlic, cook for 1 minute.

3. Add half-and-half and feta cheese. Stir until thickened and cheese begins to melt. For a thicker sauce dilute corn starch in a 1/4 cup of water and add to sauce gradually. Stir constantly until desired thickness is reached.

We served ours with asparagus spears and some sliced cherry tomatoes. The feta sauce was great over the asparagus as well. Give her a go. Let me know how it turns out.