This dish had potential. The snap peas have a really nice, slightly sweet, but refreshing flavor. I think we might have ruined it by using whole wheat pasta… yes, I know it’s healthy, but it’s just too meaty for me. Regular pasta has a much thinner texture. We’ll definitely try this one again, especially since snap peas are in season right now, but no more whole wheat pasta.

Also, we doubled the garlic (no surprise there – we do that alot), and planned on adding some grape tomatoes, which would have been a good addition, but we forgot. Oops.

Penne with Sugar Snap Peas

Makes 4 servings. Recipe from Epicurious.

Ingredients
1 lb sugar snap peas, trimmed and strings discarded
1 lb penne
1 medium garlic clove, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/2 cup) plus additional for serving

Directions
Cook sugar snaps in an 8-quart pot of boiling salted water 2 minutes, then transfer 1 cup sugar snaps to a colander and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Transfer cooled sugar snaps to a cutting board. Cook sugar snaps remaining in pot until tender, about 2 1/2 minutes more, then transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Measure out and save 1 cup cooking water, reserving remaining water in pot.

Return cooking water in pot to a boil and cook pasta until al dente, then drain in colander. While pasta is cooking, cut 1 cup sugar snaps (on cutting board) crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. Purée half of sugar snaps from bowl, half of garlic paste, 2 tablespoons oil, 1/4 cup cheese, and 1/4 cup saved cooking water in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids), then force purée with a rubber spatula through a medium-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Purée another batch in same manner, forcing through sieve into bowl, and add cut sugar snaps.

Toss hot pasta with sugar snap sauce and, if necessary, enough of remaining 1/2 cup saved cooking water to thin sauce to desired consistency, then season pasta with salt and pepper.

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To top off the top-notch tapas, we made calamari. We bought a bag of frozen, pre cut calamari, and it was surprisingly good. I like this dry fried version, as it is very light and not saturated in oil like some calamari can be. Goes great dipped in the Paprika Aioli!

Dry Fried Calamari

Makes 4 appetizer servings. Recipe from Alton Brown.

Ingredients
2 quarts peanut oil (we didn’t use this much… you just need enough to cover the calamari)
1 pound squid, tubes and tentacles
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plain cornmeal
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Place the peanut oil in a 4 to 5-quart Dutch oven and place over medium-high heat. Heat oil until it reaches 375 degrees F.

Rinse the squid thoroughly and pat dry. Cut the tentacles in half lengthwise and the tubes into 1/2-inch rings. Set aside.

Place the flour and the cornmeal into a medium mixing bowl and stir to combine. In small handfuls, dredge the squid in the flour and cornmeal mixture and shake off the excess. In batches, gently lower the squid into the hot oil. Cook for 1 minute. The squid will not be browned, but lightly golden in color. Remove the squid and transfer to a cooling rack turned upside down set over a newspaper-lined sheet pan. Season with salt and pepper, as desired. Repeat until all of the squid is cooked. Make sure to check the temperature of the oil before each batch to ensure it is 375 degrees F. Serve immediately.

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Did I mention we love tapas? :) We made a whole night of it on Saturday, and it was quite delicious. Don’t forget the Red Wine Sangria!

Warm Citrus Olives

Directions
Take a few jars of mixed olives (we used Niciose, Kalamata, and Garlic Stuffed), and sauté in olive oil with some thyme, rosemary, and citrus zest (orange and/or lemon) for 3-5 minutes. Serve warm

Roasted Garlic Brushetta

Directions
Trim the tops off of 2-3 heads of garlic, drizzle with olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast for 45 minutes. Remove cloves from heads, mash, and spread on thinly sliced brushetta bread. Broil until golden.

Roasted Potatoes with Paprika Aioli

Ingredients
Potatoes
Garlic
Pearl Onions
Salt, Pepper, to taste
Olive oil

for Aioli:
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
6 large garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons hot smoked Spanish paprika (Pimentón de la Vera)* or 1 1/4 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions
Chop potatoes, and toss in casserole dish with garlic and onions. Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle generously with olive oil. Roast until tender, about 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees F.

For Aioli, combine all ingredients in small bowl; whisk to blend. Season aioli to taste with salt and pepper.

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Have I mentioned that Taylor is a curry addict? Needless to say he was really excited when I found this recipe, as I don’t really like or ever want to cook curry. It’s usually too coconut-y and/or spicy for me, but this was pretty darn good! Not to mention easy.

Salmon with Thai Red Curry and Bok Choy

Makes 4 servings (or 2 if one of them is Taylor). Recipe from Epicurious.

Ingredients
8 whole baby bok choy
2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon Thai red curry paste*
1 13 1/2- to 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk*
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh lemongrass or 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla*)
4 6-ounce salmon fillets

*Thai red curry paste and fish sauce (nam pla) are both available at Asian markets and in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets nationwide.
**Canned unsweetened coconut milk is available at Indian markets, Southeast Asian markets, Latin American markets and many supermarkets.

Directions
Cook bok choy in pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Drain. Set aside. Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add curry paste and stir 30 seconds. Add coconut milk, chopped lemongrass and 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Boil until mixture is slightly thickened and reduced to 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 1/2 tablespoons lime juice and 1 tablespoon fish sauce. Set curry sauce aside.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper; add to skillet. Cook salmon 2 minutes per side. Transfer skillet to oven. Bake salmon until opaque in center, about 6 minutes. Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bok choy and sauté until beginning to brown in spots, about 4 minutes. Drizzle bok choy with remaining 1 tablespoon fish sauce. Bring curry sauce to simmer and ladle onto 4 plates.

Arrange 1 salmon fillet and 2 pieces of bok choy atop curry sauce on each plate and serve.

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Impressive looking, not so impressive tasting. These had the potential to be good, but somehow the combination of the rich, buttery puff pastry and the bitter asparagus didn’t go so well. If it weren’t for the curry salmon this meal could have been a bust.

Asparagus Napoleons with Oriental Black Bean Sauce

Recipe from Epicurious. Makes 6 appetizer servings.

Ingredients
For the pastry rectangles
1/2 pound frozen puff pastry, thawed
an egg wash made by beating 1 large egg yolk with 2 teaspoons water

For the sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/3 cup water
2/3 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons Scotch or medium-dry Sherry
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon fermented black beans (available at Oriental markets and specialty foods shops), rinsed well and drained
2 tablespoons fine julienne strips of orange zest
1 1/2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh gingerroot
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and peeled

Directions
Make the pastry rectangles:
Roll out the pastry 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface, cut out six 5- by 2-inch rectangles, and transfer them to a dampened baking sheet. Brush the tops of the rectangles with some of the egg wash, being careful not to let the egg wash drip down the sides, score them in a crosshatch pattern with the back of a paring knife, and brush them again with some to the remaining egg wash. Bake the rectangles in the upper third of a preheated 400°F. oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until they are puffed and golden, transfer them with a spatula to racks, and let them cool. The pastry rectangles may be made 1 day in advance, kept in an airtight container at room temperature, and reheated. Halve the rectangles horizontally with a serrated knife and with a fork pull out carefully any uncooked dough.

Make the sauce:
In a small bowl dissolve the cornstarch in the water and stir in the broth, the soy sauce, the Scotch, and the sugar. In a heavy saucepan heat the oil over moderately high heat until it is hot but not smoking and in it stir-fry the beans, the zest, the gingerroot, and the garlic for 1 minute, or until the mixture is very fragrant. Stir the broth mixture and add it to the bean mixture. Bring the sauce to a boil, stirring, simmer it for 2 minutes, and keep it warm. The sauce may be made 1 day in advance, kept covered and chilled, and reheated.

In a large deep skillet of boiling salted water cook the asparagus for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the stalks are just tender but not limp, and drain it well. Arrange the bottom half of each pastry rectangle on a plate and divide the asparagus among the pastries. Spoon the sauce over the asparagus and around the pastries on each plate and top the asparagus with the top halves of the pastries.

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