Allyson, Recipe Ranger: May in remains...a pinch of June

Ok, so maybe a corny and un-creative of a title for the the festival of food creations that rounded out the month of May, but hey...it's the end of the school year, I've graded papers till my hand couldn't uncramp from the claw position, and frankly, my kids have worn me out. They can be cute, for sure, but at the close of the school, the cuteness wanes. Excuses, excuses, I know.

So what have I been cooking? Well, a whole host of items. Let's begin with when I partnered up with Courtney (from my college small group) for a Rachael Ray menu. I did diverge from Giada's book, and at this point in my cooking adventures, I feel more secure in doing so. We made Ray's Orange Balsamic Glazed Chicken and Lemon Risotto. These recipes hailed from an episode entitled "Tangy and Terrific," and I concur. I'm always interested in a new chicken dish, and as you know, risotto is a new favorite of mine. The chicken is very simple...you'll have most of the items already on hand with the exception of green onions and perhaps orange marmalade. My sauce took a while to thicken up, and I thought that next time I might use chicken tenders because the chicken breasts were a bit too big for me. Now the risotto is another story, one I don't want to rewrite. I'm not a fan of long ingredient lists, so this one had me a bit concerned at first, especially when I realized I had to "supreme" lemons (sectioning out the citrus...free of that stringy white stuff...you'll need to become adept with a paring knife). Despite the longevity of the list, I persevered, and we enjoyed every bite. The dishes tasted great together, and I will definitely make them again. I do apologize for the picture. It's actually a picture of the leftovers because I had forgotten to replace my memory card in my camera. See what I'm talking about? Sanity not so much in my grasp. If you're looking to make this a meal, complete it with some sort of roasted green veggie, like asparagus. It'll bring more color to the plate.

Moving on to sweeter items. I needed some sort of quick treat for my last meeting with my small group, and after grading all Sunday morning and afternoon at Foster's Market, I wanted to bake. What to bake? What do I have on hand already but will satisfy my desire to preheat the oven for baking glory? Tada! The Pioneer Woman saves the day. I made Ree's Apricot Bars, and if you need something super easy and aren't afraid of a little butter, go for it. I would like to try them with blackberry or raspberry preserves sometime, but as is, they're just great. I would resist eating them right away...it really is important that they cool so they can be cut well (you'll see that my picture puts my geometry skills to question). And they need only be small squares, like 1" to 1 1/2" at most. These treats are rich.

Back to the world of Giada and her Fried Smashed Potatoes with Lemons. Back in March I saw her make these potatoes (here's the video), and I will admit that smashing them with my hand seemed like fun. I'm still a bit of a kid who likes to play with her food. What was challenging was not smashing the potatoes so much that they fell apart. I did like the flavors, but, dare I say it, I don't think I will make this Giada recipe again. I'd rather roast the potatoes (or do that potato masher trick that Dad did thanks to the Pioneer Woman's idea) and then drizzle them with the lemon dressing. Basically, the whole process of cooking the potatoes was a little much for me, not to mention it made a mess on the stovetop (oil splatters everywhere in spite of my new splatter shield). Still, they do pose nicely for the camera, don't they?

Who doesn't love the farmer's market? I finally went to the big one in downtown Raleigh with frequent market shopper/friend Elizabeth, and in approximately five seconds, I was completely sold. Who doesn't love free samples of blueberries, peaches, cucumbers and $1.00 plants? Amazing. Elizabeth told me I'd love it, and she was completely right. I could walk up and down that concrete slab and simply gawk at all the fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs. Someday I want to take my camera down there and snag a bunch of pics. So the bigger question is what did I make with my market find? Blueberry muffins. Apparently the Pioneer Woman had some sort of a contest in the past and this recipe, the Awesome-est Blueberry Muffins, won. A simple baking process yielded some tasty muffins, though I would consider putting a little more sugar, like another 3 or 4 tablespoons. I didn't make the suggested sauce, but next, will do. And bravo to the blueberries. They played their part perfectly.

Calling all vegetarians! Calling all fresh fruit and herb lovers! Calling all those who aren't afraid of trying new grains like Israeli couscous! Giada delivers another scrumptious dish: Israeli Couscous with Apples, Cranberries, and Herbs. With crisp Granny Smith apples, crunchy (oven toasted) almond slivers, to tangy dried cranberries, I might just have found a side rivaling the greatness that occupies the Whole Foods salad bar. My roommate loved it, which is always a good sign. If the ingredient appeal, I definitely recommend you making it sometime this summer, though truly, it could be made any time of year. It's refreshing and full of flavor thanks to the combination of herbs and the absolutely perfect vinaigrette (made with real maple syrup!). Even more fun, the recipe gave me another chance to use my rosemary, thyme, and parsley plants on the porch. Growing my own herb garden continues to be wholly satisfying and wonderfully convenient.