1.  Goat Cheese & Roasted Asparagus Pasta

This meal is very [...]]]> Ever since I moved to Connecticut I’ve been cooking up a storm! Cooking for yourself or for one other person can be challenging and time consuming, but these 5 meals are quick and easy to make and leave enough leftovers for the next day!

1.  Goat Cheese & Roasted Asparagus Pasta

This meal is very tasty and doesn’t require many ingredients! It serves 4 and takes 20 minutes.

Ingredients:

1 bunch asparagus

12 ounces cavatappi pasta

5 ounces goat cheese

2-3 TBS fresh chives

3 TBS unsalted butter

Olive Oil

Sal & pepper

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Remove ends of asparagus, place on baking sheet, dot with olive oil and salt & pepper. Roast until tender, about 20 minutes.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add some salt, cook pasta until soft. Drain pasta, set one cup of pasta water aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine goat cheese, butter, 1 cup pasta water, salt & pepper to taste, and stir until smooth.

4. Add asparagus to goat cheese bowl and toss with pasta to combine. Serve in bowls and garnish with chives.

2. Salmon and Grilled Asparagus

This is my go-to meal whenever I’m in a crunch and need something quick to make. This dish requires little cleaning of dishes and utensils, which is important after a busy day.

Ingredients:

1 Salmon filet

1 bunch asaparagus

1 minced clove of garlic

salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Rinse asparagus and trim ends. Place asparagus on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and place in oven for 20 minutes.

2. For the salmon, rub 2 cloves of minced garlic on top and season with salt and pepper.

3. Place salmon, skin side down, on baking sheet and bake until salmon is cooked through – about 12 – 15 minutes. I like it a little crispy, so I put it in for about 20 minutes.

3. Beefsteak Tomato, Onion, and Arugula Salad

This salad is one of my favorites because of all the flavors and textures. After a hard workout, this salad is very filling and the colors are simply pleasing!

Ingredients:

1 Beefsteak tomato

1 Red onion

1/2 bag spinach

2 ounces crumbled blue cheese

Steps:

1. Rinse spinach

2. Slice tomato and onion

3. Tosh tomato and onion on spinach. Garnish with crumbled blue cheese.

4. Add Olive oil and balsamic vinegar to taste.

4.  Roasted Pears with Blue Cheese

This recipe calls for a few more ingredients, but they are ones that last and make for a delicious salad. I made a few tweaks, but discovered it in Barefoot Contessa’s Back to Basics Cookbook.

Ingredients:

3  Anjou pears

3 Lemons

3 ounces crumbled blue cheese

1/4 cup dried cherries

1/4 cup toasted walnuts

1/2 cup apple cider

3 TBS port

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup olive oil

6 ounces baby arugula

Kosher salt

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Peel pears & slice lenthwise into halves. Remove core & seeds.

3. Toss pears with lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown.

4. Arrange them core side up in large baking dish

5. Toss crumbled blue cheese, dried cherries & walnuts together in small bowl. Divide mixture amoung pears.

6. In same bowl, combine apple cider, port, and brown sugar, stirring to dissolve sugar.

7. Pour mixture on top of pears.

8. Bake pears for 30 minutes, or until tender, then set aside.

9. Before serving, whisk together olive oil, 1/4 cup lemon juice, & 1/4 cup basting liquid into large bowl.

10. Add arugula and toss well.

11. Divide arugula among plates, and top with pear.

5. Easy Sole Meuniere

If you haven’t guessed by now, I love asparagus! It is one of my favorite summer vegetables and accompaniment with fish. This recipe was also made using Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics Cookbook.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup wheat flour

Kosher salt & pepper

4 sole fillets (3-4 ounces each)

6 TBS unsalted butter

3 lemons

1 TBS minced parsley

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 200 degrees F.

2. Combine flour, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper in large shallow plate.

3. Sprinkle fillets with salt.

4. Heat 3 TBS butter until brown. Dredge fillets in flour on both sides and then dip into butter.

5. Cook fillets for 2 minutes on one side, then turn over and cook for 2 minutes on other side (be careful, fillets are flaky)

6. Add 1/2 tsp of lemon zest and 3 TBS lemon juice into pan.

7. Place fillets in oven for 2 minutes. Remove from oven, place on plate and sprinkle with parsley and salt & pepper to taste.

Last weekend I went to Hubbard Park for a run. I had no idea what I was getting into! I asked a family what the trail was like and they said it was only three miles to the top. I didn’t think anything of it, but then I realized that the last two miles were [...]]]>

Last weekend I went to Hubbard Park for a run. I had no idea what I was getting into! I asked a family what the trail was like and they said it was only three miles to the top. I didn’t think anything of it, but then I realized that the last two miles were all uphill. I’m talking a STEEP incline! When I was getting tired I asked an elderly couple how close I was to the turnaround point and they said “just follow the trail until you reach the castle”. I had NO idea what castle they were talking about, so I kept running until finally I reached the top, and I was so glad I did!

It was definitely my most challenging run, but also the most beautiful six miles. Running through the mountains and admiring nature, the clear water, and cool shade made the run relaxing and fun.

At the top of the almost 1,000 foot journey, stands the 32 feet high is Castle Craig. It was built in 1900 and on a clear day, as you look over the edge, you can see the Sleeping Giant Mountain Range,  New Haven, the Long Island Sound, and even the profile of Long Island.  If you are lucky, you can also see the foot hills of the Berkshires in South Massachusetts!

I told my roommate Kelley about the trail and this past weekend we walked it! Although it was a challenge, she couldn’t get over the amazing views! We can’t wait to visit the top of Craig’s Castle as the seasons change and we plan on taking our “Christmas card” picture there in the Winter!