Another Spring-like endeavor! And I think that Pea Pesto might be my favorite new type of pesto. It is light and refreshing and can be used cold as a spread as in this application, or used on pasta in a warm dish. This open-faced sandwich can be dressed up with the addition of cherry tomatoes too. Yum!
After the success (and deliciousness) of the Homemade Spinach Pasta that I made earlier this month, I decided to have another go at it and made this absolutely amazing Roasted Red Pepper Fettuccine. It is seriously delicious, if I do say so myself. Unlike dried pastas that should taste like roasted red peppers but never really does, these actually do in a nice mild, smokey kind of way. The dish on the right pairs the pasta with more sweet bell peppers and pan-seared sea scallops (no recipe). Positively delightful and wonderfully colorful.
Here is a variation on my usual beef stew recipe, this time using some Guinness as some of the braising liquid. I usually use red wine (or even coffee), but thought that since it was St. Patrick’s Day-ish (and I had a bottle of stout available), I would use that instead. Adds a nice bitterness to it. Note that you should not use Guinness Extra Stout (just the draught) otherwise it will be too bitter. Also, in addition to my usual potatoes and carrots, I had a few parsnips from the winter market, so I used them too.
Looks kind of crazy, doesn’t it? I’d seen crazy breads (aka pull-apart breads) before, but this was a first attempt. I think that the yeast went crazier than expected though, because the loaf bloomed like mad and quite overflowed the pan. Oh well, nice effect, I guess. The cranberries and walnuts are a nice contrast to the funkiness of the camembert. Not sure if I should consider this a “sweet” or “savory” bread, but I do think that the presentation will wow.