shrimp asparagus spinach stir fry

this is a dish i've been returning too often, now that the spring asparagus is in, with it's very thin, grassy stalks. perfect for this dish. this is based on a thai/vietnamese stir fry traditions, but i invented it myself. the prep work takes about 20 minutes but the cooking takes less than 5. so fast. great for a weeknight dinner. kind of want to eat this a couple of nights a week at this point, it is so fast and easy, yet full on flavor.

Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry

serves 4

marinate the shrimp for 20 minutes while you chop the other ingredients:

1lb peeled and deveined shrimp

1.5 TBSP fish sauce

1.5 TBSP grated palm sugar (could substitute brown sugar or honey or agave nectar here, but i do love palm sugar in this)

1 TSP minced cilantro stems

place shrimp in a bowl, add in the fish sauce, palm sugar and cilantro stems. stir several times to coat the shrimp in the mixture. set aside.

1 large bunch thin-stalked asparagus, cut into 2 inch lengths

1 large bunch scallions cut into 2 inch lengths

2 cups of baby spinach leaves (4-6 oz)

1 large shallot, minced

5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

1 TBSP minced cilantro stems

2 TBSP olive oil

1/2 cup of water

to finish the dish

1 cup of cilantro leaves

juice of 1 lime

get your wok nice and hot. sizzling hot. add in the oil and the garlic/cilantro stems/shallot and shrimp quickly. dont stir for a minute while the shrimp sizzles and sears on one side. then stir. now add in the asparagus. stir again. add in the 1/2 cup of water and cover for 1 minute. maybe 2. until the asparagus is tender/crisp and bright green. add in the spinach and scallions. stir fry for 1 minute. it should be done now. add in the lime juice and cilantro leaves and stir one more time to combine. serve at once with some fluffy jasmine rice. guaranteed deliciousness.

spinach garlic pasta

taking time for dinner even with busy schedules this month is especially nice. loved the piece in NYT yesterday about the joys of a pot of water boiling on the stove. you can read it here. good things come from a pot of water boiling on the stove. you can make a whole dinner out of one pot of boiling water. like this breathtakingly simple spinach garlic pasta recipe. so ridiculously easy, light, tasty, unfussy. here are the ingredients: pasta, spinach, parmesan cheese, garlic, olive oil, water. molly's latest recipe on orangette reminded me to make this, hers has a similar rustic, simplistic spirit, but with prosciutto and butter, not spinach and olive oil. either way, cozy weeknight family dinner. grazie mille.

spinach garlic pasta

serves 4

1 lb dried or fresh pasta

12-16 oz fresh spinach

3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

1 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese

2 glugs (TBSPs) extra virgin olive oil

a bit of salt for the pasta water

set the giant pot of water to boil. meanwhile smash a peel the cloves of garlic. salt the water. once the water is boiling furiously, place the fresh spinach in the pot. just for a second. scoop it out with a strainer. continue to drain spinach. add one glug of olive oil and then the pasta to the same pot of water, as long as it is boiling furiously again. it will of course be slightly green this water, perhaps if we are lucky, infusing your pasta with extra vitamins and minerals or perhaps a certain complexity of taste only spinach water can bring to the noodles. i notice no difference in taste, only a difference in the amount of pots i must clean and amount of water i must boil. i find it agreeable this dual pot use. while the pasta is cooking, chop the drained spinach. reserve. when the pasta is done, but still quite al dente, maybe even a little more al dente than usual, drain the pasta into a colander, reserve one to two cups of the twice used water, and and discard the rest. set the same pan on high heat, add the smashed garlic. let it roll around and sizzle in the pan for a minute or two, turn down the heat a bit so it doesn't burn. add in the spinach now. a bit of salt to taste. cook another minute. now add the drained pasta and the reserved water. cook for one minute. add in the cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese. serve immediately.

spinach lasagna

my kids are crazy for spinach lasagna. it is the most requested dish. last night it turned out especially delicious. i got lots of compliments. lots of "i love you moms" "best mom in the universe" that sort of thing. 

this lasagna is much more than the sum of its parts, comforting, noodly goodness, with an entire pound of fresh organic baby spinach hidden inside of there.

spinach lasagna

1 box lasagna noodles 

16 oz ricotta cheese

milk

somewhere between 6 and 16 oz mozzarella (depending on taste and type)

16 0z fresh baby spinach leaves

giant jar italian tomato basil pasta sauce

1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

olive oil

salt

i always start this process by assembling all the ingredients. it goes together quickly then. preheat oven to 375 degrees. put giant stock pot of water to boil.

hum to yourself as you open the ricotta and squeeze and wiggle the plastic container until the ricotta falls out into a medium mixing bow. grab a small wire whisk and mix in the milk. (milk? you ask, yes, milk, if you thin your ricotta with milk it is much easier to spread, and your lasagna is more liquidy-juicy and not at all dry. i learned this trick from lidia bastianich). mix in enough milk until it is about the consistency of cake batter. i never measure but it is a bit more than half a cup and can vary depending on the thickness of the particular ricotta you choose. now add a whole lot of freshly grated parmesan cheese. again, i grate and don't measure but i would guess that it is about 3/4 cup parmesan. we like a lot of parmesan

about now the stock pot should be boiling. dash over and throw all the spinach in the water. stand by with a nice mesh strainer. push all the spinach under the water. as soon as it wilts, it is done. which is immediately. now scoop it all out with the strainer into a bowl. let cool for 2 minutes. meanwhile. keep the stock pot water at a low boil. add a tablespoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pot. drain the water from the spinach and place it on a cutting board. chop away with a large kitchen knife. mix the chopped spinach into the ricotta milk parmesan mixture and stir till combined. now add your lasagna noodles to the stockpot. cook for 3 maybe 4 minutes tops. no more. they should still be quite undercooked (they cook more in the oven) don't listen to the package that tells you to cook them for 6 to 9 minutes, they will be overdone.

time for assembly. add a couple tablespoons tomato sauce to the bottom of the lasagna pan. layer your noodles. 3 per layer i find. leave plenty of space around them. next smear the ricotta mixture. top with some grated or slice mozzerella. but not too much. add another layer of noodles. now smear some more ricotta. so easy with a little spatula. sprinkle or layer on some more mozzarella. okay more noodles. okay repeat until you end with a layer of noodles on top. now pour the gigantic jar of italian tomato basil jar across the noodles. cover all the noodles and all the sides. now for the final step. layer on another 1/2 to 3/4 cup of freshly grated parmesan. into the oven it goes for 45 minutes. allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving. maybe serve a caesar salad with homemade croutons, or some steamed artichokes or broccoli or something and you are good to go.