Two Sides and a Dessert

Howard and I tried some more recipes from Home Cooking with Jean-Georges: My Favorite Simple Recipes, which we're happy to see is a cookbook finalist under the recently announced IACP Awards in Chefs and Restaurants.

In the photo above is the buttered asparagus with lemon and Parmesan. So simple and tasty!

Buttered Asparagus with Lemon and Parmesan
Recipe from Home Cooking with Jean-Georges: My Favorite Simple Recipes
(Serves 4)

Kosher salt
16 spears of asparagus, trimmed and peeled
1/2 tablespoon of unsalted butter
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 lemon
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a pinch of salt.
2. Add the asparagus and cook until bright green, about 3-4 minutes.
3. Drain will and transfer to a serving plate.
4. Rub butter all over the asparagus until melted.
5. Using a Microplane, grate cheese to cover the asparagus.
6. Using the same grater, zest a quarter of the lemon over the cheese.
7. Grind black pepper over the zest and serve immediately.

Honestly, butter and asparagus would taste great together, but the layer of cheese and lemon zest helped clear this dish a lot faster.

Herbed Baby Potatoes
Recipe from Home Cooking with Jean-Georges: My Favorite Simple Recipes
(Serves 4)

1 pound of baby potatoes (about 16)
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 large garlic clove
Kosher salt

1. Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan and add water to cover.
2. Add the thyme, rosemary, and garlic. Bring the water to a boil.
3. Add a generous pinch of salt and cook until a knife easily slices the potatoes. About 15 minutes.
4. Drain the water and discard the herbs and garlic.
5. Cut the potatoes in half to serve.

The aromas of the herbs were really infused into the potatoes, these make another great side. And your kitchen will smell great too!

For dessert, we'll have to give you full disclosure. We partnered with Liberté to try their line of Greek yogurts. So we picked up a vanilla flavoured one to make panna cotta - for the first time! Luckily, we found a recipe online from a fellow Torontonian blogger!

Yogurt Panna Cotta
Recipe from Cooking Closet
(Serves 4-6)

1 envelope of unflavoured gelatin (2 1/4 teaspoons)
3 tablespoons of water
1 cup of heavy cream
1/3 cup of sugar
1 vanilla bean
1 (500 gram) container of Greek yogurt

1. In a bowl, let the gelatin and water sit for about 5 minutes.
2. Split open the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds out. 
3. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, let the heavy cream, sugar, vanilla seeds, and the split vanilla bean simmer.
4. When the sugar has melted, remove it from the heat and take out the vanilla bean. Mix in the gelatin.
5. Whisk in the Greek yogurt until smooth and then pour it into glass cups or ramekins.
6. Let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before serving.