Gingery Asparagus, Corn, and Tofu Stir-Fry

I've never really considered myself an Asian stir-fry kind of person. I don't know why; they just usually don't get me all that excited. But this one I like so much that I've made it twice now (and recipes don't often get repeated in my house). It's got a great combination of veggies, chewy browned tofu cubes, and a really easy yet super aromatic sauce. And it's the perfect weeknight meal because it takes less than a half-hour to prepare.

Gingery Asparagus, Corn, and Tofu Stir-Fry
From Cooking Light

• 4 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 10 oz extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 2/3 cup fresh corn kernels
• 1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1 julienne-cut red bell pepper
• 6 oz asparagus, steamed and cut into 1-inch pieces (you can skip the steaming if you have super-thin asparagus)
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 cups hot cooked short-grain rice
• 2 scallions, sliced, for garnish

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; swirl to coat. Add tofu and saute for 10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Remove tofu from pan with a slotted spoon; wipe pan dry with a paper towl. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in pan; swirl to coat. Add corn and next 4 ingredients (through bell pepper) and stir-fry 5 minutes. Add reserved tofu, asparagus, and next 4 ingredients (through crushed red pepper). Stir-fry 1 minute or until asparagus and tofu are heated. Divide the rice evenly among 4 plates. Spoon about 1 cup stir-fry mixture over rice, and top evenly with scallions.

Tortellini Salad

I read a fair number of other food blogs in my spare time, you know, for inspiration and recipes and good things like that. One of my favorites is 101 Cookbooks. The author, Heidi Swanson, posts healthy veg recipes accompanied by the most gorgeous photos ever - I'm just constantly drooling over it. Well, it turns out that she recently published a cookbook, so obviously I ordered a copy as soon as I could. And I am in love.

It's called Super Natural Every Day, and every recipe in it is the kind of recipe I would make up if I were any good at making up recipes. It's all fresh and seasonal and contains unexpected but amazing combinations of ingredients. I made my first recipe from it last night and have pretty much the rest of them bookmarked to make in the very near future. For now, here's Heidi's gorgeous tortellini salad.

Tortellini Salad

From Super Natural Every Day

• Fine sea salt
• 1 pound fresh tortellini or about 12 ounces frozen/refrigerated tortellini
• 8 to 10 asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1-inch segments
• 1/2 head broccoli or equivalent broccolini, cut into small trees
• 1 small clove garlic
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Small handful of fresh cilantro or mint, chopped
• Small handful of sprouts
• 1/3 cup/1 ounce pine nuts or almonds, toasted
• 1 medium ripe avocado, sliced into small pieces

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously, add the tortellini, and cook according to the package instructions. About 30 seconds before the pasta is finished cooking, stir the asparagus and broccoli into the pot. Cook for the final 30 seconds, drain, and run under cold water just long enough to stop the cooking.

In the meantime, to make the dressing, use the flat side of your knife to mash the garlic along with a big pinch of salt into a paste. Whisk together the garlic paste, lemon juice, olive oil, and more salt, if needed. Set aside.

When you're ready to serve the salad, toss the pasta, asparagus, broccoli, and cilantro with about half of the dressing. Add more dressing to taste, if needed, and toss well. Add the sprouts, nuts, and avocado. Very gently toss a couple of times to distribute those ingredients throughout the salad and enjoy. Keep the dressing on hand to refresh leftovers; the pasta tends to absorb it overnight.

Mediterranean Penne Salad

Passover's over, so we're back to carbs! Hoorah! Last night I threw together this great pasta salad from the most recent Cooking Light. It's got lots of yummy Mediterranean flavors, like olives and goat cheese, plus roasted vegetables which add a ton of flavor. The dressing is also super delicious -- tangy and the tiniest bit sweet. This is a great warm-weather meal and would make a delightful addition to any picnic, potluck, or other summertime party.

Mediterranean Roasted Asparagus and Tomato Penne Salad with Goat Cheese
From Cooking Light

• 2 cups uncooked penne
• One bunch asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
• One pint cherry tomatoes
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced shallots
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence
• 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
• 2 cups baby arugula
• 2 ounces crumbled goat cheese

Preheat oven to 400 F. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside. Place asparagus and tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss gently to coat and arrange in a single layer. Bake for 6-10 minutes or until asparagus is tender and tomatoes have begun to burst. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.

Combine shallots, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, herbes de Provence, and honey in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, stirring constantly with the whisk. Stir in a big pinch of salt and pepper.

Place pasta, asparagus, tomato, olives, and arugula in a large bowl. Toss. Drizzle dressing over pasta mixture and toss again. Sprinkle with goat cheese. Serve immediately, or cover and chill for 2 hours for a cold pasta salad.

Spring Risotto

I can't even remember the last time I made risotto. It used to be the thing when I was in high school. For some reason I remember making a lot of risottos in my mom's kitchen. Maybe because it's not hard to make, but it's so labor intensive it makes you feel like you accomplished something pretty grown-up? I'm not sure. Either way, I'm really glad I gave this risotto from this month's Cooking Light a try. It tastes way more unhealthy than it is -- always a good thing. Plus, I'm pretty sure I burned like 400 calories just from all the stirring. That's possible, right?

Spring Risotto
From Cooking Light

• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (2 teaspoons if using a non-stick pan)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
• 1 cup frozen shelled edamame
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 ounce shaved Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a saucepan. Add asparagus, and cook for 2 minutes. Drain. Bring 2 cups water and broth to a simmer in the same saucepan.

Meanwhile, heat another large saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil, and swirl to coat. Add onion; cook 4 minutes. Add garlic, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in rice, edamame, and salt; cook for 1 minute. Stir in 1 cup broth mixture; cook for 4 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add remaining broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until liquid is absorbed before adding more (about 20-25 minutes total).

Stir in asparagus, cream cheese, and pepper; cook 1 minute. Spoon risotto into 4 bowls. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese; sprinkle evenly with thyme.