Seasonal Flavors with MVP Health Care- Herbs & Veggies

St. John’s and MVP Health Care‘s most recent Seasonal Flavors cooking demonstration and educational series featured Herbs & Veggies utilizing home grown herbs from St. John’s Meadows’ gardens! Join us for our next Summer installment on July 17 from 1-2:30 p.m., by registering with Dawn Rivera at 585-271-1000 or via email.

Minty Sweet Pea & Mascarpone Dip

Yields: 3 Cups

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh peas or frozen
• 1 minced garlic clove
• ½ lemon, zested and juiced
• ¼ cup mascarpone cheese
• Salt & Pepper
• Baby carrots
• Cucumber sticks
• Sliced radishes

Instructions

• Boil peas in salted water for 4 minutes, drain and cool
• Add cooled peas, lemon zest, lemon juice, and mint to food processor- puree until smooth
• Stir in mascarpone cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper
• Serve with baby carrots, cucumber sticks and sliced radishes

Source: www.thekitchn.com

Lemon Basil Yogurt Cake

Yields: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
• ¾ cup plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extra
• 1/3 cup finely chopped basil

Glaze Ingredients

• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon milk

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease and flour an 8 inch pan or standard loaf pan
• In a medium bowl whisk together 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoon of salt
• Using your fingers mix the sugar with the lemon zest in a large bowl until the sugar has the texture of damp sand
• Add the yogurt and lemon juice and mix well
• Add the oil, eggs, vanilla and basil and whisk until well blended
• Carefully fold in the dry mixture until just combined
• Pour into prepared pan, bake 40-50 minutes (adjust time according to the type of pan you used)
• Make the glaze by combining the powdered sugar, lemon juice and milk. Stir together, drizzle over the top of the cake when cooled

Source: www.thewoksoflife.com

Spring Vegetable and Herb Tabbouleh Salad

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 15 ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Freshly ground pepper
• ½ pound thin asparagus, cut crosswise into 1 inch pieces
• 4 ounces sugar snap peas, sliced crosswise in half
• ½ cup fine bulgur
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus 1 tablespoon of finely grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 cups chopped parsley leaves
• 1 cup chopped cilantro leaves
• 1 cup chopped mint leaves

Instructions

• Line rimmed baking sheet with paper towels
• Pat the chickpeas dry with paper towels and remove the outer skin
• In a medium saucepan, heat ½ inch of vegetable oil to 375 degrees
• Working in batches and using a slotted spoon, carefully lower the chickpeas into the hot oil and fry until golden and crisp- about 3 minutes
• Transfer the chickpeas to the prepared baking sheet to drain
• Season immediately with cumin
• In a large saucepan of boiling water, cook the asparagus and snap peas until crisp and tender, about 2 minutes- drain well
• Return the water to a boil and cook the bulgur until tender, about 10 minutes- drain well
• In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil with the lemon juice, vinegar, and honey
• In a large bowl, toss the bulgur with the asparagus, snap peas, lemon zest, and herbs
• Fold in the dressing and season with pepper
• Transfer the salad to a serving bowl, garnish with the fried chickpeas and serve

Source: www.foodandwine.com