Magazine Wednesday - Martha Stewart Living - Sauteed Peas and Scallions

I have a ton of food magazines, but Martha Stewart Living is one of my favorite magazines to find food inspirations and recipes. One thing I really love about Martha Stewart Living is the pull out recipe cards. It has been years since I started collecting them and I'm still going strong. Every time I get a new Martha Stewart Living magazine I read through the whole thing once, then remove the recipe cards and put them in a safe place.

Peas are great. This past early fall I had amazing split pea soup at a restaurant in New Hope. Peas are simple to cook, especially if you use thawed frozen peas. Fresh peas are going to be popping up in markets before you know it. I think fresh peas would be well worth the time and effort shelling them. I can't wait to be able to pick some up at one of the farm stores by my house. Maybe I could even find a place to pick my own!

This recipe for sauteed peas from Martha Stewart Living is simple and could be done with pretty much any vegetable you could thing of. It would be great with fresh green beans, sweet corn, even asparagus or summer squash. I think the scallions just add something a little special to something as simple as a sauteed vegetable.

Photo from Martha Stewart Living

Sauteed Peas and Scallions
via Martha Stewart Living, April 2005
prep time: 5 mins. total time: 10 mins

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cups shelled fresh peas or thawed frozen peas
3 scallions, white and pale-green parts only, thinly sliced diagonally
course salt and freshly ground pepper

Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add peas and scallions. Cook, stirring, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.


I love how this recipe takes something as simple as a vegetable sauteed in butter and adds something a little unexpected in the scallions. I'd even try this with a mix of fresh vegetables, like peas, corn, and red bell peppers. To really heighten the the flavor you could grill sweet corn on the cob before sauteing in butter with the scallions.

Here's to spring showers and full bellies.
- Cait

Magazine Wednesday - Martha Stewart Living - Haricots Verts with Pecans and Lemon

I have a ton of food magazines, but Martha Stewart Living is one of my favorite magazines to find food inspirations and recipes. One thing I really love about Martha Stewart Living is the pull out recipe cards. It has been years since I started collecting them and I'm still going strong. Every time I get a new Martha Stewart Living magazine I read through the whole thing once, then remove the recipe cards and put them in a safe place.

I love green beans. They are one of my favorite vegetables and probably the green vegetable I serve most in my kitchen. They are simple and delicious and I'll often eat a bunch of them before I even get them to the table. Green beans are kind of like really great french fries to me. I usually cook them very simply - blanching them for a few minutes to get the "raw" taste out, a tiny bit of butter, salt, fresh cracked pepper, sometimes fresh garlic or garlic powder.

One year I used the recipe for haricots verts that I found in Martha Stewart Living and thought it was just great. It really dresses up your average green bean into something worthy of a dinner party. Plus, it's insanely pretty!

Photo from Martha Stewart Living

Haricots Verts with Pecans and Lemon
via Martha Stewart Living, October 2004
prep time: 10 mins. total time: 20 mins
serves 4

coarse salt
1 pound haricots verts or this green beans, trimmed
½ cup pecans
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
freshly ground pepper
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

Preheat oven to 425°. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt and haricots verts. Cook beans until bright green and crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes; drain. Transfer to a serving dish.

Meanwhile, spread pecans in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Coarsely chop nuts when they are cool enough to handle.

Whisk vinegar, sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a small bowl; season with pepper. Whisking constantly, pour in oil in a slow, steady stream; whisk until emulsified. Just before serving, gentaly toss beans with vinaigrette and chopp nuts; sprinkle with zest. Serve warm.


The vinaigrette could easily be used on other vegetables - like asparagus - and be equally as great.

Here's to Martha and full bellies.
- Cait

Magazine Wednesday - Martha Stewart Living - Roasted Red Potatoes

I have a ton of food magazines, but Martha Stewart Living is one of my favorite magazines to find food inspirations and recipes. One thing I really love about Martha Stewart Living is the pull out recipe cards. It has been years since I started collecting them and I'm still going strong. Every time I get a new Martha Stewart Living magazine I read through the whole thing once, then remove the recipe cards and put them in a safe place. One of these recipes have become a "go to" recipe. Now, I don't need to look at the recipe card to know what to set the oven to or how long the recipe needs to be cooked...

That recipe happens to be for roasted red potatoes, which are simple to make - amazing to eat - and look great if you want to serve them at a dinner party...

Photo from Martha Stewart Living, October 2004

Roasted Red Potatoes
Martha Stewart Living, October 2004
Prep Time: 5mins Total Time: 35mins

If you prefer, use fresh thyme instead of the rosemary. Any leftover potatoes can be mashed the enxt day (the crisp pieces add unexpected cruch), or tossed with mayonnaise or dressing to make potato salad.

1½ pounds baby red ptoatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
course salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425°.
Toss potatoes, oil, and rosemary on a rimmed baking sheet.
Roast, stirring once halfway through cooking, until potatoes are golden brown and crisp outside and tender inside, about 30 minutes.

See, told you it was simple... I use all kinds of herbs for this recipe besides just rosemary... It really depends what I'm in the mood for and the herbs I'm using in other parts of the meal. The potatoes are great with Herbes de Provence instead of rosemary... I almost always add garlic to these (dried or fresh) - to taste.

I really hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I have and do..

Here's to warm ovens and full bellies.
- Cait