Have I TOLD you how much I love Pinterest?  Especially for recipes.  It is absolutely amazing.   I found this recipe floating around Pinterest, and with my love of asparagus, knew it was worth a try.  SOOO good!  I was totally impressed and surprised by how delicious these ended up being.  Perfect for appetizers, or just a side dish.  Oh, or a lunch.  Seriously–amazing.

Dijon Ham and Asparagus Roll-Ups

(taken from here–and definitely check out the site for some beautiful images.  For whatever reason I didn’t take any pictures of mine!)

16 asparagus spears, cut down to about 3 1/2-inches with the head
1 (8 oz) package refrigerated crescent rolls
1-2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
16 thin slices of ham

Preheat the oven to 375˚F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone liner.

Place the asparagus in a covered casserole dish.  Add water until just covering the asparagus.  Cover and microwave on high for 2 minutes.  Meanwhile, separate the crescent roll dough into 8 triangles and lay flat on the baking sheet.  Spread a thin layer of the mustard on each triangle.

Drain the asparagus.  Wrap two spears together in two slices of ham, then place at the wide end of a dough triangle and roll up the dough.  Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until slightly golden brown.  Serve warm.

I can’t wait for you to try these–I am now dreaming of them and can’t wait to make them again!  Happy Friday.

I made this for Nate one night.  Another enchilada dish, I thought, hoping he would like it.  See, enchiladas were one of the first things I could make.  We had it at least once a week.  Great at first, but then it got old.  I’ve tried a few different recipes, but nothing to blow Nate’s mind.  Until these…

I first found the recipe through Pinterest, which is where it sat for a while.  Until I got up the nerve to try it.  You would have thought Nate hadn’t eaten in weeks with the way he raved about it in between bites, and in between taking seconds…and thirds…  I was pretty darn proud of myself.  So I thought I’d share them with all of you:

Honey-Lime Chicken Enchiladas (originally from here)

So when we made this a few weeks ago I tried to photograph it, but I soon realized my food photographing skills is lacking.  I can’t wait to practice those techniques more, but until then a picture from the recipe’s web-site will have to do.

Seriously, this is one of my very favorite salmon recipes to date.  Nate made it for us on a Sunday evening, and Mackay ate almost all of it before realizing she was even eating fish!  The salty…the sweet…the crunchy…the flaky fish….all of it combines to create a very blissful experience.  Seriously.

Pecan Crusted Salmon (recipe from here)

So about a year ago there was a special tv thing on Fox.  Gordon Ramsay hosted a cook-along.  You could go on-line beforehand and print off the ingredient list, as well as what to have prepped before the show started.  Well, Nate was SUPER stoked to do it.  So I went out and bought the ingredients.  And then went out with the girls while he cooked this gourmet meal with Gordon Ramsay.  When I got home he whipped some up for me (so it would be fresh) and it was DROP-TO-THE-FLOOR delish.

Steak Diane.

Mmmm…

Nate makes it from memory without measurements (because, hello, Gordon does.)  But I went on-line and found the recipe for you all. Seriously, this could impress the peeps.

Gordon Ramsay’s Steak Diane (recipe came from here)

Ingredients:
4 x small sirloin steaks, approx 7 oz.
3 shallots, peeled
4 ounces crimini mushrooms, cleaned (if crimini unavailable use button mushrooms instead)
1 tablespoon salted butter
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 -2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, to taste
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup brandy or cognac
1 cup heavy cream
Small handful of flat-leaf parsley

Preparation
Using a rolling pin, roll out the steaks to flatten and cut off any excess fat. Season the steaks on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a little olive oil in a skillet pan large enough to accommodate the 4 steaks in one layer. Quickly sauté the steaks for up to a minute on each side then remove from the pan and set aside to rest.

To make the sauce for the steaks, heat some olive oil in a separate pan. Slice the shallots and add to the pan, allow to soften briefly before slicing and adding the mushrooms with a tablespoon of butter. Crush in the garlic using a garlic press.

Add the Worcestershire sauce, then the mustard and heat through for a minute. Turn up the heat and tilt the pan away from you. Pour the brandy into the far end and allow it to ignite – be careful that the flame that flares up doesn’t singe your eyebrows! Once the alcohol has burnt off, swirl the juices around the pan. Add the cream and allow the sauce to thicken before turning down the heat. Introduce the steaks back into the pan and cook a little further depending on how well done you would like them.

Chop the parsley and add half to the pan.

To serve, divide some sautéed potatoes between plates with a spoonful of peas. Arrange the steaks alongside, spoon the sauce on top and sprinkle with the remaining parsley.