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12 March 2010

Martha Stewarts 4 Fast Spring Recipes

From Denny: Martha Stewart has another hit book on her hands if these simple tasty recipes are coming from a place of more of the same! Can you believe it? She now has 70 books to her name. There are two things Martha knows well: one, we like to eat and eat well, and two, it has to be fast and simple to put together. Oh, and a third thing: these recipes are easy on the budget!

This newest book from Martha must be very new in the online bookstores. There seems to be quite a demand, so be patient if the links act up. The link to this second book offering works just fine and it will give you an idea about the newest book.




Check out Martha's new book, go here: “Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast”




and go here: Everyday Food: Great Food Fast

Recipes Featured:

Prosciutto and fig-jam sandwiches
Asian chicken soup
Pasta with spicy shrimp and tomato sauce
Peanut-crusted chicken breasts



You will want to watch this food video as she demonstrates how quickly you really can whip up these recipes. What's more telling is how much The Today Show hosts enjoyed the food. Al Roker was serious about making the shrimp pasta dish that night at home for his kids and check out Matt. He's munching on the fig and prosciutto sandwich during the entire segment. Meredith kept slurping the Asian Chicken Soup. I could see why with all the fresh ingredients added just at serving - like lime juice and chopped scallions to kick up the taste. The minute Martha gave them food they didn't just taste and lay it down politely. They kept eating! :)

Oh, and if you don't like peanuts or are allergic to them, just substitute pecans for the easy baked chicken breasts. That's what we do in Louisiana: use pecans on everything! We enjoy pecans on baked or sauteed fish and shrimp too. Pecans are a soft nut - easy to finely chop even by hand - and so versatile like peanuts.











Peanut-Crusted Chicken Breasts

From:
"Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast" by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia

Serves: 4

Prep time: 40 minutes; total time: 40 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for baking sheet
• 3/4 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
• 3 slices white sandwich bread, torn into small pieces
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1 1/2 to 2 pounds)
• 1 1/2 pounds asparagus, tough ends trimmed
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet. In a food processor, pulse peanuts and bread until coarsely ground. Transfer to a shallow bowl; whisk in the oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

2. In a large bowl, lightly beat eggs; season generously with salt and pepper. Add chicken, and turn to coat. Working with one piece at a time, lift chicken and let excess egg mixture drip back into bowl; dredge in peanut mixture to coat completely, gently pressing to adhere. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Bake (without turning) until crust is browned and chicken is just cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, add a generous amount of salt to boiling water in pot; blanch asparagus until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes (depending on thickness). Drain and transfer to a bowl along with butter and lemon zest; season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.

4. Serve chicken with asparagus.





Prosciutto and Fig-Jam Sandwiches

From: "Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast" by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia

Serves: 4

Prep time: 15 minutes; total time: 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS

For the sandwiches:

• 1 large baguette or soft Italian bread loaf
• Fig jam (recipe below)
• 4 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced
• 4 ounces Asiago cheese, thinly sliced
• 1 small bunch arugula, washed well and dried

For the fig jam:

• 10 ounces dried Calimyrna figs, stemmed and cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1 3/4 cups)
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 cups water, plus more if needed
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

To prepare the sandwiches:

Cut baguette into four 5-to-6-inch-long pieces; split each piece horizontally, leaving one side intact. Spread all bread halves with fig jam; layer bottom halves with prosciutto, cheese and arugula. Fold halves together, and serve.

To make the fig jam:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine figs with sugar and the water. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer until almost all liquid has evaporated and figs are very tender, about 20 minutes.

2. Transfer mixture to a food processor; add lemon juice. Puree until smooth (if mixture is too thick, add up to 1/4 cup additional water, a little at a time). Jam can be refrigerated up to 1 month in an airtight container. Makes 1 3/4 cups.




Asian Chicken Soup

From: "Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast" by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia

Serves: 4 as a main course

Prep time: 20 minutes; total time: 20 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1 garlic clove, cut into slivers
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
• 2 cups water
• 4 ounces soba noodles
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each), thinly sliced crosswise
• 1 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, cut into 1- inch strips
• 6 ounces snow peas, stem ends and any strings removed, sliced diagonally into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 2 to 3 limes)
• 2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
• Coarse salt

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large pot, bring chicken broth, ginger, garlic, red- pepper flakes and the water to a boil over high heat. Add noodles, and reduce heat to a simmer; cook until noodles are just tender, 6 to 8 minutes.

2. Add chicken, bell pepper and snow peas; cook until chicken is opaque throughout, about 1 minute. Add lime juice and scallions, and season with salt. To serve, use tongs to divide noodles among four bowls, then ladle the soup mixture over each.





Pasta with Spicy Shrimp and Tomato Sauce

From:
"Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast" by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia

Serves: 6

Prep time: 40 minutes; total time: 40 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 pound penne or other short tubular pasta shape
• 2 pounds fresh or frozen (thawed) medium (36 to 40 count) shrimp, peeled and de-veined, tails removed
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
• 3 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes in juice

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil; add a generous amount of salt. Cook pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Drain pasta; return to pot.

2. Meanwhile, season shrimp with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over high heat. Add half the shrimp; cook until lightly browned on both sides and opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate; repeat with remaining oil and shrimp. (Reduce heat if the shrimp brown too quickly.)

3. Reduce heat to medium; add garlic, capers, red-pepper flakes and tomatoes with their juice. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are softened and sauce thickens, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Add sauce and shrimp to pasta; toss to combine and reheat over medium-low if necessary before serving.






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