Inundated with green beans today, I decided to make Tuna, Green Bean, and Potato Salad. (Text below originally posted May 2009. Recipe by Giada De Laurentiis) What a great salad this is! I will be making it often this summer when the green beans from my garden are ready. Be sure to use tuna that is canned in olive oil. Also, the recipe calls for orzo, but I substituted Acini Di Pepe. It's a tiny, tiny, tubular pasta. If you can find it (I purchased the DaVinci brand), use it in this recipe. • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice • 2 garlic cloves, minced • 1 teaspoon dried oregano • Salt and freshly ground black pepper • 3/4 pounds thin green beans, halved • 2 large Red Bliss potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch pieces • 1 cup Acini Di Pepe, or orzo • Two 4.5-ounce cans tuna in olive oil, drained • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved • 1/4 cup chopped basil • 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley 1. In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil with the lemon juice, garlic and oregano. Season the dressing with salt and pepper. 2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the green beans until tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer the beans to a colander. Add the potatoes to the pot and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to the colander. Add the Acini Di Pepe to the boiling water and cook until al dente; drain well. 3. Add the green beans, potatoes and pasta to the dressing and toss gently to coat. Fold in the tuna, cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature. TAKE a LOOK:
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Yes, Pipi's in my garden. Pipi is always in my garden. But this is what I want to show you... GREEN BEANS! It was a slow start this spring and into summer, but all of my hard work is starting to pay off. I've been picking green beans daily, and tonight there will be a salad of roasted beets! So, what did I make with the freshly harvested haricots verts? ... a pasta salad of penne, poached chicken and green beans with a dressing of olive oil, garlic, basil, and parsley. As you can see, there will be red cabbage again this year. More red cabbage in pots. And Napa Cabbage -- a first for my garden. Thanks for visiting! PESTO GREEN BEANS and PASTA CHICKEN SALAD salad: salt 1/2 pound Penne pasta 1 pound green beans (haricot verts, if possible) 3 cups cooked chicken, cubed 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts dressing: 25 basil leaves 15 parsley leaves 1/4 cup mayonnaise 3 tablespoons pine nuts 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 2 garlic cloves salt & freshly ground black pepper 1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and the pasta and stir. When pasta is cooked within 2 to 4 minutes of doneness (you will need to determine this by the size of your green beans), drop in the beans. Cook just until the green beans are tender. Drain; refresh immediately with cold water. 2. Turn the pasta and beans into a large serving dish. Add the chicken, reserving the 2 tablespoons pine nuts for garnish. 3. For the dressing: Place basil, parsley, mayonnaise and 3 tablespoons pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor and process until creamy. With machine running, pour in oil; blend well. Drop in the garlic and blend briefly. Season with salt and pepper. 4. Pour dressing over ingredients in bowl. Toss to combine. Sprinkle with reserved pine nuts. TAKE a LOOK: A meal in itself with a great loaf of bread (and a glass of wine?). Tortellini and Vegetables with Vinaigrette • 1 pound cheese or meat-filled tortellini • 2 cups broccoli flowerets • 1 1/4 cups finely julienned carrots • 1 1/2 tablespoons thinly-sliced scallion • 6 tablespoons olive oil • 2 tablespoons plus one teaspoon white wine vinegar • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard • 2 tablespoons minced parsley • 2 teaspoons minced fresh basil or 1/8 teaspoon dried • 1 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried • 1 teaspoon minced garlic • 1/2 teaspoon salt • Freshly ground pepper 1. Cook tortellini; Drain immediately and rinse under cool running water. Drain well. Reserve in large bowl. 2. Steam broccoli about 3 minutes. Drain. Rinse under cold water. Steam carrots, about 1 minute. Rinse under cold water. Add broccoli, carrots and scallions to tortellini. 3. Whisk oil, vinegar and mustard in a bowl. Whisk in herbs and seasonings. Pour vinaigrette over salad; toss gently to mix. Refrigerate, covered, at least 2 hours. Remove from refrigerator at least 2 hours before serving. TAKE a LOOK: I usually make this pasta when I have fresh sage in my kitchen garden; and since I didn't have much of a kitchen (actually, no kitchen at all) last summer when my fresh sage was available, I missed the growing season and my chance to make this pasta the way I normally do. But don't do as I do, and limit this pasta to just a few select months. It's too good for that. Substituting dried rubbed sage for the fresh is easy enough. I'm taking a break until the end of March; taking a vacation, actually! That's something I haven't done in over 2 years, and it's something I desperately need right now. We're also in the midst of another renovation (our basement and two bathrooms). Yes... time to go. Heading to northern California. Hope to eat well, drink some good wines, and take a lot of beautiful photos. • • • • • • Pasta with Turkey Italian Sausage and Sage • 2 tablespoons olive oil • 1 pound bulk turkey Italian sausage • 1/2 cup diced red onion • 3 garlic cloves, chopped • 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage • 1 14.5 ounce can Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes • 1 pound Mezzi Tubetti • 1 cup half-and-half • 1/3 cup heavy cream • 1/2 cup dry white wine • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus addition to garnish • Fresh sage and diced tomatoes, to garnish, if available • Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add the turkey Italian sausage, red onion and garlic, stirring to break up the sausage. Cook until the sausage is no longer pink. Add the sage and canned tomatoes. Toss the mixture in the sauté pan with the cooked pasta. In a small saucepan, heat the half-and-half and heavy cream; add the wine and cook over low heat until slightly reduced and smooth. Stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Add to the pasta mixture and toss. Garnish with additional Parmigiano-Reggiano, chopped tomatoes and fresh sage sprigs. TAKE a LOOK: Loved this dish! I'm a big fan of tossing fresh greens into hot pasta. Leftovers the following day were good, as well, when I warmed the pasta ever-so-briefly in the microwave, drizzled a bit more dressing, then added another handful of arugula and a few shards of Parmigian-Reggiano. Delicioso! • Penne with Beef and Arugula• recipe by Giada de Laurentiis • 1 (1 pound) New York Strip Steak • 1 teaspoon herbs de Provence • 1 garlic clove, minced • 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons • 1 pound penne pasta • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard • 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for steak and pasta water • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for steak • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves • 2 cups arugula 1. Season the steak with salt and freshly ground black pepper, herbs de Provence, and minced garlic. In a skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Cook steak about 7 minutes per side. Remove the meat from the pan and let set for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak. Set aside. 2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender, but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water. 3. In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, the Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, fresh herbs, and 3/4 cup of olive oil. In a large bowl, toss the pasta with half of the salad dressing and the reserved pasta water. Add the arugula and steak, more dressing, and season with salt and freshly ground pepper, as needed. TAKE a LOOK: While without a kitchen this summer and not doing much baking (uh... any baking?), I made regular trips to the library to get books so I could at least read about food and baking. One cookbook that I picked up was, Macrina Bakery and Café Cookbook by Leslie Mackie. It is probably an understatement to say I loved this book. I ended up renewing it three times. At that point, I realized I needed to have this book in my own culinary library. The recipes for breads, pastries, sweets and savories will inspire you through-out an entire day in your kitchen. Lemon-Sour Cherry Coffee Cake in the morning. Corn Chowder with Pink Potatoes & Cream at lunch. And, Salmon Paillard on Mixed Greens with Mustard Vinaigrette for dinner. These are all recipes I plan to try soon. If they're as good as the Orzo Salad with Cucumber, Peppers (Tomatoes was printed instead of Peppers; a typo, I believe), Basil & Feta I just ate, this cookbook is definitely a winner. The only change I made to this recipe was to substitute Acini di Pepe for the Orzo, a substitution I often make. Pasta Salad with Cucumber, Peppers, Basil & Feta adapted from the Macrina Bakery & Cafe Cookbook by Leslie Mackie and Andrew Cleary Serves 4 to 6 • 1 cup walnut halves • 1 cucumber • 1 red bell pepper • 1 yellow bell pepper • Kosher salt • 1 1/2 cups dry Ancini di Pepe or Orzo pasta • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil • 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved • 1/2 cup diced scallions • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil • 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley • 1 1/4 cups crumbled feta cheese • 1/3 cup Lemon Vinaigrette (recipe follows) • Freshly ground black pepper 1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. 2. Spread walnuts on a baking sheet and toast on center rack of oven for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool, then coarsely chop and set aside. 3. Peel and core cucumber and cut it into 1/2-inch cubes. Core the red and yellow peppers and cut them into 1/2-inch square pieces. Set aside. 4. Fill a large saucepan full of water. Add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Drop in pasta and simmer for approximately 5 minutes, or until tender. Remove the pan from the heat and drain the pasta in a colander, then cool the pasta by running cold water over the colander. Shake the colander to remove excess water and transfer the cooled pasta to a medium bowl. Toss with olive oil to keep pasta from sticking together. 5. Add the toasted walnuts, cucumber, peppers, olives, scallions, basil, parsley and feta. Drizzle in Lemon Vinaigrette and toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and store in refrigerator for up to 2 days. Lemon Vinaigrette Makes approximately 1 1/4 cups • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard • 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar • 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice • 1 teaspoon honey • 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped • 1 teaspoon kosher salt • 1/4 teaspoon pepper • 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1. Combine mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, lemon zest, garlic, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Mix well with a whisk. Add olive oil in a slow stream, whisking as you pour in the oil. Continue whisking until the dressing has emulsified, then cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: My vegetable garden has been neglected this summer. Not having a kitchen for almost 3 months, it was hard for me to be motivated and plan meals around my fresh produce. But that is all changing, and just in time to make good use of the deluge of tomatoes, peppers and eggplants from my garden. I found four eggplant, peppers, and have a bumper crop of TOMATOES! Can you believe the size of that yellow tomato? It weighs 1.75 pounds! I happily spent the day in my new, almost completed kitchen, trying to make sense of the massive amounts of vegetables piled high on the table. I roasted sweet bell peppers and eggplant to combine with fresh tomato sauce for the pasta dish. Tomatoes were peeled and chopped for Bruschetta Rossa. Cheese was grated. Wine was poured, and all was served al fresco on the patio. How absolutely wonderful to be cooking again in my kitchen! And this is just the beginning... Radiatori with Roasted Peppers and Eggplant adapted from the Union Square Cookbook by Danny Meyer and Michael Romano • 1 eggplant (about 1 pound), peeled • 3 tablespoons olive oil • Kosher salt • Freshly ground black pepper • 2 large sweet bell peppers • 1 teaspoon minced garlic • 4 cups tomato sauce (my favorite recipe here) • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan • 1 pound Radiatori • 1/2 cup grated ricotta salata cheese • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 1. Preheat the broiler. Cook the peppers under the broiler until their skins blacken, turning every few minutes to color evenly. Place charred peppers in a tightly closed paper bag. Peel off the skins, discard the seeds and cut into a 1/2-inch dice. Set aside. 2. Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. 3. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise, then slice each half lengthwise into thirds. Keep the slices together to retain the original shape of the eggplant (this step helps keep the eggplant from drying out during baking). Slice across the eggplant at 1/2-inch intervals. With a wide spatula, carefully lift the cut eggplant onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle eggplant with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and roast in the oven for 45 minutes. When done, the eggplant should be very tender. 4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. 5. In a medium saucepan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over low heat. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute without browning. Add the roasted eggplant and peppers and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese and bring to a simmer. 7. Cook the pasta until al dente and drain. Spoon pasta into bowls and top with sauce, ricotta salata and chopped basil. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: I've been busy lately. Very busy. I have finally gotten around to planting my garden with eggplant, beets, tomatoes, and much more. Oh yes... there are also red cabbage. You might remember my red cabbage from last summer. And I'm back in my old routine of assembling a large pasta salad early in the day. It makes my time spent turning garden soil, planting and watering a lot easier knowing a great meal is waiting for me in my refrigerator. This recipe makes a lot of pasta and vegetables. Halve the ingredients if it sounds like too much for you. I use any leftover Basil Sauce in sandwiches. : Smoked Turkey Pasta Primavera : Serves 12 • 12 ounces uncooked fettuccine • 1 1/2 pounds fresh broccoli, cut into flowerets • 2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced • 6 green onions, thinly sliced • 1 sweet red pepper, sliced into thin strips • 1 small can pitted ripe olives, sliced • 4 cups chopped, cooked smoked turkey • 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper • Basil sauce (recipe follows) • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved 1. Cook fettuccine; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain. 2. Combine fettuccine and next 9 ingredients, tossing well. Add 2/3 cup Basil Sauce, plus any additional sauce to your liking, and the cherry tomatoes; toss gently and chill. • Basil Sauce • • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil • 1 large clove garlic • 2 eggs • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar • 1 1/2 cup canola oil • 1/2 cup sour cream 1. Combine basil and garlic in the container of an electric blender or food processor; process 30 seconds or until basil is minced. Add the eggs and next 4 ingredients. Process 20 seconds, scraping sides of processor bowl if necessary. With motor running, gradually add oil in a slow, steady stream, mixing just until well blended. Add sour cream and process. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: • • • • • • • • • • Pasta With Sun-Dried Tomatoes from Barefoot Contessa Family Style by Ina Garten I really liked this ! • 1/2 pound fusilli pasta (spirals) • Kosher salt • Olive oil • 1 pound ripe tomatoes, medium-dice • 3/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and diced • 1 pound fresh mozzarella, medium-dice • 6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped For the Dressing: • 5 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar • 6 tablespoons good extra-virgin olive oil • 1 garlic clove, diced • 1 teaspoon capers, drained • 2 teaspoons kosher salt • 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan • 1 cup packed basil leaves, julienned 1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water. Drain well and allow to cool. Place the pasta in a bowl and add the tomatoes, olives, mozzarella, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes. 2. For the dressing, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, capers, salt and pepper in a food processor until almost smooth. 3. Pour the dressing over the pasta, sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and basil and toss well. * This salad sits well, so you can make it early in the day. Add the Parmesan and basil just before serving. If I feel like making and eating lasagna, this is the recipe I usually reach for. The red sauce is loaded with roasted sweet peppers and is layered between no-boil lasagna noodles along with a béchamel sauce and Parmesan cheese. If you want to make the dish a bit more substantial, add some spicy Italian sausage. I will normally roast my own peppers, blistering and blackening them under the flames of my gas oven's broiler, but recently I've purchased jars of roasted peppers where the work has already been done for me. When peppers are plentiful and cheap it makes sense to roast my own, but when they're running $2 to $3 each, I'm not spending any more for the roasted peppers in a jar; so why not? Saving time... a gift to myself. The thin no-boil lasagna noodles also help this lasagna go together quickly and nicely complement the delicate béchamel sauce. -RedPepperLasagna- adapted from a recipe found in Country Home Magazine • 4 medium red sweet peppers, or two 7-ounce jars roasted red sweet peppers • 1 tablespoon olive oil • 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes • 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil • 4 cloves garlic, minced • 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 8 ounces sweet or hot bulk Italian sausage, browned and drained (optional) • 1/3 cup butter • 1/3 cup flour • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 3 cups whole milk • 12 no-boil lasagna noodles • 1 1/4 cups finely shredded Parmesan cheese 1. For red pepper sauce, halve sweet peppers; remove stems, seeds, and membranes. Place peppers, cut side down, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil until skin is bubbly and blackened. Wrap peppers in foil; let stand 20 minutes. Peel skins from peppers and cut peppers into thin strips. (Or, if using bottled roasted red peppers, drain and cut into thin strips.) 2. In a large saucepan cook pepper strips in hot olive oil over medium heat one minute. Stir in the undrained tomatoes, basil, garlic, black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring often. Cool. Stir in cooked sausage, if using. 3. For béchamel sauce, in a medium saucepan melt butter. Stir in flour, nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until smooth. Add milk. Cook and stir until thickened. Set aside to cool. 4. Grease the bottom of a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Cover bottom of dish with 3 lasagna noodles. Spread about 1 cup of the red pepper sauce over the pasta. Top with 3/4 cup of the béchamel sauce, spreading evenly; sprinkle about 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese over the sauce. Repeat for 3 more layers. The final layer of noodles should be completely covered by sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese. 5. Bake, uncovered, in a 350˚F oven for approximately 35 minutes, or until light brown on top. Let stand 20 minutes before cutting. To Make Ahead: Assemble lasagna as directed. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours. To bake, remove plastic wrap and cover with foil. Bake in a preheated 350˚F oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake an additional 15 to 25 minutes, or until bubbly. |
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