Susan Mallery's Fool's Gold Cookbook: A Love Story Told Through 150 Recipes(8)

8 stalks celery, finely chopped

½ cup dried cranberries

½ cup roasted almonds, chopped

3 ounces baby spinach

Salt and black pepper

1. In a large bowl, whisk lemon juice, oil and Parmesan until a thin paste forms. Fold in warm chickpeas; toss to coat. Fold in celery, cranberries, almonds and spinach. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with additional Parmesan.

TIP: Tossing the Parmesan dressing with the warm chickpeas helps to blend the flavors and create a dressing for the salad.

SPRING

Shaved Fennel Salad with Baby Arugula and Zucchini Ribbons

Slice fennel as thinly as possible—it should be almost translucent. Use a mandolin if you’ve got one.

Serves 4

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 small fennel bulbs, trimmed and sliced paper-thin

1 medium zucchini, very thinly sliced

¼ cup fresh dill, chopped

3 cups baby arugula (about 2½ ounces)

Salt and black pepper

½ cup pine nuts, toasted

1. In a large serving bowl, whisk lemon juice and oil until blended. Add sliced fennel, zucchini and dill; toss to coat. Let sit 20 minutes.

2. Add arugula; toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with pine nuts.

TIP: Zucchini is rarely served raw, but when it’s fresh and very thinly sliced, it adds a certain zip to a green salad.

SPRING

Asparagus and Spring Green Pasta Salad

A fresh pasta salad, bursting with spring vegetables, will be a big hit at your next picnic.

Serves 6

1 pound rotini or penne pasta

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound thin asparagus spears, sliced on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces

1½ cups shelled fresh green peas, blanched 1 minute in boiling water, drained, or frozen peas (do not thaw)

4 scallions, thinly sliced, white and pale green parts only

½ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated, plus additional for garnish

½ cup heavy whipping cream

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon lemon zest, finely grated

½ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped

Salt and black pepper

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the cooking liquid. Transfer pasta to a large bowl.

2. Warm oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add asparagus and cook 3 minutes, stirring. Add peas; cook 2 minutes, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove from heat.

3. To pasta in the bowl, fold in vegetable mixture, reserved pasta cooking liquid, scallions, ½ cup Parmesan, cream, lemon juice, lemon zest and parsley. Season to taste with salt, pepper and additional Parmesan.

TIP: Remember to zest the lemon before you juice it.

SPRING

Roast Leg of Lamb with Spring Herb Pesto and Spinach

Coating leg of lamb with an herb pesto gives it a glossy sheen. After the lamb is cooked, sauté some spinach in all the juices

that have settled in the bottom of the pan.

Serves 8

Herb pesto

⅓ cup fresh tarragon leaves, packed

⅓ cup fresh Italian parsley leaves, packed

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar

3 cloves garlic

2 teaspoons salt

Water, as needed

Lamb

6-pound leg of lamb with bone, well-trimmed and at room temperature

½ cup water

3 tablespoons pine nuts

1 pound spinach, trimmed and coarsely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 425°F; position rack in bottom third of oven. In a food processor, pulse tarragon, parsley, oil, vinegar, garlic and salt until a thick paste forms. Add water, a little at a time, and pulse until paste reaches a spreading consistency. Rub pesto over lamb.

2. Set lamb on a rack in a roasting pan; pour about ½ cup of water into the bottom of the pan. Roast for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Roast another 50 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 135°F for medium-rare. Using tongs, transfer lamb to a carving board; tent loosely with foil and let rest 20 minutes.

3. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the roasting pan; place pan over one or two burners at medium-high heat. Add the pine nuts and spinach; cook until the spinach is tender and the liquid has evaporated. Spoon spinach onto a platter. Carve lamb and arrange slices on top of the spinach.

TIP: It’s important to slice off as much of the surface fat from the lamb as possible.

SPRING

SPRING

Spring Festival Cheeseburger Chili

Cheeseburgers and chili in one bowl! Just for fun, serve with hamburger buns for dipping and sopping up every last drop.

Serves 8

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 pounds ground chuck

4 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

Salt and black pepper

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

3 cups reduced-sodium beef broth

½ cup ketchup

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

1 can (15 ounces) red kidney beans, drained

Cheese sauce

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded