Indulge In {Pea & Prosciutto Salad}

Without fail, when the weather changes, my food cravings do too. I no longer want hearty stews, chili, and potatoes and start desiring fresh vegetables and lighter fare with fresh tasting ingredients. Bland salads aren't for everybody, and certainly aren't my first choice, but green just seems right as a side dish during the spring. I shared this recipe last year, and as we transition the party outside, I thought I would share it again. This pea and prosciutto salad is light but flavorful and a crowd pleaser for sure. The freshness is what sells me. It goes great with chicken, seafood, and burger and is much nicer alternative to the traditional salad. Here's the recipe!

:: Ingredients ::
4 Slices Prosciutto
2 Cups Frozen Green Peas
1/4 Cup Feta Crumbles
1 Clove Garlic, minced
2 Green Onions, diced
2.5 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

:: Directions ::
1. Cook the four slices of prosciutto until crispy. Set aside. Crumble once cooled.
2. In a medium pot, bring water to a boil. Add frozen peas and cook till defrosted, about 2 minutes. Drain.
3. In a bowl, combine peas, crumbled prosciutto, feta, garlic, green onion, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Indulge In {Homemade Guacamole}

For Christmas this year, I got an amazing lava stone pestal and mortal set. It's perfect for muddling fruit for cocktails, herbs for cooking, and most importantly making fresh guacamole! Guacamole is one of my favorite snacks especially for large gatherings. It's simple to make and makes a big impact. It doesn't really require a lot of work and is almost impossible to mess up. Here's my recipe for party perfect guacamole.

:: Ingredients ::
3 Ripe Haas Avocados
1 Small Slicing Tomato, diced
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Lime, juiced
1 Teaspoon Hot Sauce
Salt & Pepper

:: Directions ::
1. Slice and pit the avocados into a large bowl.
2. Add the tomato, garlic, lime juice, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Muddle or mash with a fork to combine.
3. Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!

Indulge In {Spinach & Prosciutto White Pizza}

Ever since I got my new rolling pin, I've become obsessed with making homemade pizza. It's amazing how much easier rolling out the dough has become with it. I've really enjoyed playing with different toppings and creating different flavor combinations. Once of my favorites though has been the white pizza. I love the taste of no sauce and extra cheese. With a base of olive oil and ricotta cheese and toppings of fresh chopped spinach and diced prosciutto, you can't go wrong. Here's the recipe...

:: Ingredients ::
Store Bought Pizza Dough
Part-Skim Ricotta
Shredded Mozzarella
Minced Garlic
Olive Oil
Chopped Spinach
Diced Prosciutto
Flour
Pan Spray

:: Directions ::
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. On a floured surface, begin rolling out your pizza dough. Once to desired thickness (I prefer a thin crust.) drizzle with olive oil and minced garlic. Spread evenly on dough.
3. Top with ricotta, spinach, prosciutto, and mozzarella.
4. Transfer to a greased pizza pan and bake for 18 minutes for until crust is golden brown.

Indulge In {Pea & Prosciutto Salad}

I've discovered the key to easy and stress free entertaining, especially on short notice, is simplicity. Whether it be the decor or the menu, keeping it simple is what it's all about. There is no need to prepare dishes with 17 ingredients that you have to go to culinary school to even attempt to impress your guests.  Five ingredients or less and a beautiful serving dish are all you need to make a big impact. That's why this is one of my new favorite side dishes for any type of event. This pea and prosciutto salad is simple enough to make and can be served either hot or cold. It's full of flavor and a great compliment to fish, chicken, or even burgers on the grill. What's even better is I usually have most of the ingredients in my fridge so it can be thrown together in the blink of an eye. Here's the recipe...


:: Ingredients ::
4 Slices of Prosciutto
2 Cups Frozen Green Peas
1/4 Cup Feta Cheese
1 Clove Garlic, minced
2 Green Onions, diced
2 1/2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

:: Directions ::
1. In a medium pan, cook the 4 slices of prosciutto until crispy.
2. While cooking the prosciutto, bring 2 cups of water to a boil, add peas and cook till defrosted, about 2 minutes.
3. Once the prosciutto finishes cooking, remove from the pan and chop. Add 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and saute garlic until fragrant.
4. In a large bowl, combine peas, prosciutto, feta, garlic, green onions, and the remaining olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately or place in the fridge until ready to serve.

Indulge In {Shrimp & Tomatoes}

Besides cocktails, I think food may be one of my favorite topics. As a real eater (I'm constantly stuffing my face), I take my food very seriously. But, at the same time, I tend to cook on the whim throwing ingredients together as I go and never following a recipe. Most of the time it turns out tragic, but sometimes it turns out amazing. This is one of those times that throwing things in a pan and hoping for the best really worked in my favor. This shrimp and tomato concoction would be delicious over pasta but is also amazing just the way it is, which is how I ate it. Serve it up with a toasted parmesan round and enjoy! Here's the recipe...

:: Ingredients ::

1 pound medium white shrimp, peeled and deveined 

5 medium tomatoes on the vine, diced

1 medium onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

Salt, Pepper, Red Pepper Flakes to taste

:: Directions ::

1. In a large sauce pan, sautee onion and garlic until onions are translucent. 

2. Mix in tomatoes, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cover and reduce to a simmer.

3. Cook tomatoes down for approximately 10-15 minutes (tomatoes should be broken down and a nice sauce formed). Add shrimp, cover and cook until shrimp is done. Approximately 5 minutes. 

4. Ladle it up with a toasted parmesan round for dipping.

Enjoy!