Recipe for Roasted Asparagus Wrapped in Ham

Roasted asparagus wrapped in slices of lean ham.

(For Phase One Fridays I highlight Phase One recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites.  This roasted asparagus wrapped in ham tastes perfect this time of year.)

It's a sure sign of Spring when recipes featuring asparagus start popping up on the food blogs. Both of the markets where I shop regularly are selling low-priced asparagus, so I've been having fun experimenting with it lately. I've seen recipes using asparagus paired with prosciutto or bacon, but to make it more South Beach Diet friendly I thought I'd try asparagus roasted with lean ham. The smoked and slightly browned ham paired wonderfully with the barely roasted asparagus, and this is something that would make a nice addition to a menu for Easter brunch or lunch.

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Recipe for Sauteed Chicken Cutlets with Sage and Capers

These Sauteed Chicken Cutlets with Sage and Capers are easy for a work-night dinner.

(Updated with improved and step-by-step photos, March 2012.)  I first posted this recipe for Sauteed Chicken Cutlets with Save and Capers back in 2005, when I made it for a quick after-work dinner after a busy day teaching school.  I'd had it on my list of recipes needing updated photos for quite a while, so when I recently found myself with two chicken breasts thawed in the fridge and thinking about something for dinner, it was a win/win decision to cook it again.  I made this when it was nearly dark outside, so I used my Lowel Ego Lights to take the photos, and although I prefer natural light, I'm happy with the new photos compared to what I took in 2005 with the little point and shoot camera I had then.  Best of all, I liked the chicken as much as I did the first time, and this was a great dinner.

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Recipe for Lentil and Barley Greek-Style Salad with Tomatoes, Feta, and Capers

A wonderful meatless barley and lentil salad to welcome spring!

I bet I'm not the only salad-obsessed person who starts thinking about new salad combinations as soon as the weather gets warmer.  It's no secret that I love salads of every type, but I think grain and bean salads are especially nice in spring, when it's not really hot weather but you're getting in the mood for lighter meals.  I loved the idea of a salad combining barley and lentils, and it worked perfectly with the tomatoes, Feta, capers, and a Greek-style vinaigrette for a lovely meatless salad.  There are many types of lentils, and you can probably use any green or brown lentils here, but I used lentils du puy, a green lentil from France that holds its shape well in a salad.

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Nick's Chipotle Grilled Shrimp with Black Bean Salsa

(Dedicated to the memory of Nicholas Rhodes 7/3/26 - 3/21/12)

(Updated March 2012:  When I started my blog in 2005, one of the first people who shared a recipe with me was Nick Rhodes, the father of my good friend Mary.  Nick passed away suddenly this week at the age of 85.  Nick was still active and very involved in life, and he will be greatly missed.)

When my friend Mary told me her Dad was going to send me a recipe for the blog, I was sure it would be good. After all, Nick was a great cook; I had tasted his Pastitsio at Christmas, and it was fabulous. When Nick sent me this recipe for Chipotle Grilled Shrimp with Black Bean Salsa, I couldn't wait to try it, and I wasn't disappointed. Nick told me he originally tasted this at the El Dorado Hotel in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and after a few tries at home he came up with this recipe.

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Kalyn's Kitchen Picks: Sun Pix Hearts of Palm

Hearts of Palm are one of my favorite ingredient for spring and summer salads!

I may have let out a tiny squeal yesterday when I saw that my Costco had Sun Pix Hearts of Palm back in stock!  If you're not familiar with Hearts of Palm, they're a tender and flavorful vegetable that come from the center of the stems of palm plants.  They're labor intensive to harvest, so even though domesticated Palms are now grown for this crop, they're still not that common.  I rarely buy them at the regular grocery store where they're ridiculously expensive, but each year I stock up when Costco gets them as a seasonal product.  A two-pack of these 25 oz. jars was $8.59 at my Costco yesterday.  Costco in Utah sells these in the spring and summer, and then stops stocking them in the winter, so every year I wait for them to appear again!

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Recipe for Pan-Fried Asparagus Tips with Lemon Juice and Lemon Zest

This simple and amazingly delicious recipe for Pan-Fried Asparagus Tips has only 3 ingredients!

(For Phase One Fridays I highlight Phase One recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites. This recipe for lemony pan-fried asparagus tips is something I make over and over.)

Every spring I look forward to the arrival of low-priced asparagus in the grocery store. I love asparagus and I'm definitely a convert to the "less is more" approach when it comes to cooking it. I've tried a lot of good asparagus recipes, but I'm not sure any of them can beat this simple pan-fried asparagus with only three ingredients: asparagus, olive oil, and a lemon. To make it even better, I like to use just the asparagus tips for this recipe, and save the thicker parts of the asparagus stalk to cook using a different method. If that doesn't work for you, cook the thicker parts of the asparagus stalks for a couple of minutes before you add the tips.

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Recipe for Sauteed Tilapia with Parmesan Crust

This tasty method for cooking Tilapia finishes it with a crust of mayo and Parmesan that's browned under the broiler.  (On the side is Creole-Spiced Rice and Kale.)

(First posted in 2006; updated with better photos and step-by-step instructions in March 2012.)  If you haven't tried Tilapia, it's a very mild flavored white fish which is easy to cook.  I love to use Tilapia because it's inexpensive compared to most fish, but admittedly it can be a little boring if you don't do something to add flavor.  This recipe uses a flavorful fish rub before the Tilapia is sauteed and then the fish is brushed with a tiny bit of mayo, sprinkled with Parmesan, and finished under the broiler for a delicious result.  Of course if the budget doesn't matter so much, you could use any type of white fish filets to make this.

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