Baked Mac and Cheese
Is there anyone who doesn’t love mac and cheese? It’s a rare indulgence for me but when I succumb to the craving I admit that I can eat quite a bit of it in just one sitting. Butter, cheese, and pasta don’t exactly make for …
Author: Lesley at Lola Rugula
Classic Potato Salad with Peas
I love experimenting and creating new recipes but who doesn’t love good old-fashioned potato salad? Mine’s pretty much a classic skins-on potato salad with peas added for their bright flavor and nutritional punch. I prefer to use red potatoes because I love their flavor and …
Asparagus Frittata
I have to confess I’ve been on a bit of a frittata kick lately. I mean really, what’s not to love about something that’s so easy to make and that you can pack full of all the veggies you love?
Asparagus is growing rampant in our garden right now; it’s seriously one of the best gardening investments that I’ve ever made. It comes back in full force year after year, it’s really nutritious and, of course, it goes great with eggs. So, needless to say, asparagus frittata has been on our menu more than a few times in the last few weeks. So far, my husband isn’t complaining.
Easy Asparagus Frittata Recipe
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (or butter)
- 2 cups diced asparagus
- 3 scallions, sliced
- 8 large eggs
- 3/4 cup cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese – I used an Italian blend for this mix which consisted of mozzarella, provolone, parmesan and asiago
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Preheat oven to 375
Over medium-high heat, heat olive oil in10-inch ceramic or other non-stick skillet.
Add asparagus and scallions and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The asparagus should still have a bit of a “bite” to it when adding the egg mixture.
While the asparagus is cooking put the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together until well-blended and frothy.
Add the egg mixture to the asparagus mixture and place in a preheated. Cook for about 18-20 minutes. When done, the center will have puffed up a bit and the edges will be just starting to turn golden. Remove from the oven, let sit 5 minutes, slice and serve.
I love a good frittata – it’s a wonderful Meatless Monday dish, especially if you serve it with a mixed green salad on the side.
If you’re not a fan of asparagus, feel free to substitute your favorite veggie (or veggies) because trust me, this is great with broccoli, broccolini, sweet peppers, zucchini…use your imagination and play with your food a bit.
Enjoy!
Green Garlic Meatballs
One of my favorite spring garden treats is young, tender green garlic. I always pull up some of it to enjoy – I add it to rubs, sauces, salads and more. Green garlic has a more mild taste than mature garlic and can be used …
Pasta with Shrimp, Fresh Tomatoes and Basil
Hallelujah, spring is upon us! Even though it’s hardly been a brutal winter here in Northern Illinois, I’m still excited for longer and warmer days. This weekend was a much-needed stay at home treat for me, as there’ve been many personal issues that have had me …
French Flower Pot Makeover
This is, without a doubt, one of my easiest makeover projects ever and the results are beautiful. I’ve had these French flower pots for many, many years. I stumbled upon them at a flea market for next to nothing and knew they’d be perfect for my plethora of summer flowers.
As the years have passed, however, their colors faded and they began to rust. Here’s a shot of 2 of them from a couple of summers ago, packed with lavender from our gardens.
You can see on the rim of them where they were rusting. so I took a bit of sandpaper and sanded the rusty spots down. After sanding, I rinsed them off, wiped them down and let them dry.
Then, with a few light coats of spray paint that I had on hand, I now have beautiful, bright French flower pots again.
The sage green color I used here is XO Rust gloss in Reed and the orange is Premium Decor gloss in Banner Orange.
This was an easy one-day makeover project that makes me feel like I have brand new flower pots.
The gorgeous flowers are compliments of my husband, who surprised me with them one night, for no other reason to except to say “I love you”.
Spray paint is such an easy way to make over small items, such as these pots. You want to start with as smooth and clean of a surface as possible, making sure the surface is dry before painting. Shake the paint vigorously for a minute or two and then always do a test spray on a piece of paper or cardboard. Then, apply the paint from at least a foot away, using sweeping motions as you paint, to help prevent drips.
Let each coat dry an hour or so before applying the next coat. These pots have 3 coats of spray paint on them.
Of course, you should always use spray paint outside or in a large, well-ventilated area.
Have you done any spray paint projects lately? I’d love to hear about them!
Bloody Mary Shrimp
This is a ridiculously easy recipe that’s just as fun to serve as it is to eat. I love a good Bloody Mary and I love shrimp, so these Bloody Mary Shrimp are the best of both worlds. I keep my recipe pretty simple, with …