This lovely recipe is a little different and is from the BBC Good Food website. Try playing with it a bit, by adding chopped Kalamata olives or fresh corn or capers or…
7oz (200g) quinoa
1 tsp olive oil
1 shallot or ½ onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh tarragon, roughly chopped
14oz (400g) can Puy or green lentils rinsed and drained or a 14oz vacuum-package of lentils
¼ cucumber, lightly peeled and diced
4oz(100g) feta cheese, crumbled
6 scallions, thinly sliced
zest and juice 1 orange
1 tbsp red or white wine vinegar
Cook the quinoa in a large pan of boiling water for 10-15 mins until tender, drain well, then set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small pan, then cook the shallot or onion for a few mins until softened. Add the tarragon, stir well, then remove from the heat.
Stir the softened shallot and tarragon into the cooled quinoa along with the lentils, cucumber, feta, spring onions, orange zest and juice and vinegar. Toss well together and chill until ready to serve.
Recipe from blog “Just a taste”
I love Caesar salad and I love pasta, so what’s not to like about this?
Serves 8-10
FOR THE DRESSING:
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup good quality mayonnaise
2 tsp minced fresh garlic
1 tsp anchovy paste
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
FOR THE PASTA SALAD:
8 oz. uncooked pasta, such as rotini or penne
2 hearts of Romaine
Shredded rotisserie chicken or chopped cooked chicken breasts or thighs
Croutons (optional)
Parmesan cheese, for serving
MAKE THE DRESSING:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire, mayonnaise, minced garlic and anchovy paste until well combined. Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese and 1/4 teaspoon pepper then set the dressing aside while you make the salad.
MAKE THE PASTA SALAD:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and transfer it to a large serving bowl.
Cut the Romaine hearts into 1-inch pieces then add them and your protein of choice to the bowl with the pasta.
Add the prepared dressing and toss to combine. Add the croutons (optional) and garnish with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately or refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.
Springy ramen noodles and a cilantro-miso sauce bring a welcome twist to a classic pesto recipe.
4 cups baby spinach
2 cups cilantro leaves with tender stems
1 Tbsp. white miso
1 garlic clove
½ cup grape seed or sunflower oil
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt
2 5-oz. packages fresh ramen noodles (you can find them fresh at Asian grocery stores and some Whole Foods—we like the Sun Noodle brand)
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Toasted sesame seeds (for serving)
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.
Meanwhile, purée spinach, cilantro, miso, garlic, grape seed oil, sesame oil, and lemon juice in a blender until mixture is smooth and very green. Season with salt and pour pesto into a medium bowl.
Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and add to bowl with pesto. Add butter and toss until butter is melted and noodles are coated in sauce.
Divide noodles between bowls and top with sesame seeds.
Do Ahead: Pesto can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Color might darken slightly.
Recipe from Bon Appetite magazine
It’s not about the number of steps or ingredients in a dish. If you shop smart, buying peak-season produce and quality protein, you don’t have to do much at all (like with this easy salad recipe).
8 oz fresh mozzarella or burrata cheese
8 oz sweet, ripe fresh figs, cut into quarters
Torn basil leaves (for serving)
Coarsely ground black pepper
Flaky sea salt
Olive oil (for drizzling)
Tear mozzarella into medium pieces and arrange on a platter.
Tuck figs around cheese and scatter basil over top.
Season with pepper and lots of salt.
Drizzle generously with a good quality olive oil.
This is a riff on a Middle Eastern dish. Sole, cod, sea bass or snapper would work well too. Serve with warm pita bread and a nice chopped summer salad.
This is also great for a buffet.
Serves 6
2lbs halibut fillets
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
pinch of cayenne
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced into half-moons
1/2 cup tahini
2 cloves garlic, crushed to a paste with 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup old water
2 tbsp pine nuts
1 tbsp fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
Cut the fish into 2-inch chunks and toss with the salt, pepper, cayenne and 2 tbsp lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
In a large non-stick frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and a deep golden brown, about 20 mins. Remove from the heat and set aside to drain on paper towels.
Place the tahini in a bowl. Slowly whisk in the garlic paste, lemon juice and water until smooth and creamy.
Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 375F
Lightly oil a baking dish that will hold the fish in one layer. Place the fish in the dish, cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 5-10 mins longer until the fish is just cooked through.
Spread the tahini sauce over the fish.
Sprinkle with the onion, pine nuts and parsley.
Serve warm or at room temperature
This is a wonderfully simple and highly flavorful dish to make, especially if you want to impress!
Serves 6
4 pork tenderloins, approx 2lbs in total
Salt and pepper to taste
Vegetable oil, for the frying pan
1/2 cup (120ml) dry white wine
3/4 cup (180ml) whipping cream
1/4 lb (113g) gorgonzola cheese, at room temp
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tbsp minced chives
Preheat the oven to 350F
Season the pork all over with salt and pepper.
Oil a heavy cast iron frying pan lightly with vegetable oil and heat over high heat.
Add the pork and brown on all sides. Remove from the pan to a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 mins until cooked through but still a bit pink
In a small saucepan, reduce the wine over moderate heat to 1 tbsp (15 mls)
Add the cream and reduce by half.
Remove from the heat and whisk the gorgonzola and butter into the sauce, whisking constantly until incorporated. Season to taste and add the chives.
To serve
Slice the tenderloin into 1-inch (2.5cm) slices and place on heated plates.
Surround with the sauce and serve immediately with some crusty bread to mop up the sauce.
Quickly wash the strawberries and dry by setting them on paper towels. Hull and cut the berries into quarters. Transfer to a bowl and add the port and sugar. Stir gently to combine and let sit at room temperature for 1/2 hour.
Whisk the mascarpone with the honey until smooth and fold in the whipped cream.
Spoon the berries into four wine glasses and garnish with the mascarpone crea
This recipe stands well on it’s own with an interesting salad, or as an accompaniment to grilled meat. Serve warm or at room temperature
Serves 6
1 1/2lbs (680g) small red potatoes
4 tbsp (60 ml) unsalted butter, at room temp
1/4lb (113g) soft goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup (120 ml) sour cream
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
Put the potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water by 2 inches, bring to the boil and cook until the potatoes are barely tender. They should be very firm and barely cooked in the center. Drain and cool.
Oil a 9-inch square baking dish and line with parchment paper or well buttered heavy duty aluminum foil, allowing the ends to hang over the side for easy removal later.
Preheat the oven to 375F (190C)
In a large bowl, cream the butter and goat cheese together. Beat in the sour cream, eggs, salt, pepper, parsley and rosemary. Slice the cooled potatoes into 1/4″ slices.Gently stir the potatoes into the goat cheese mixture. Transfer to the baking pan and gently smooth the top.
Bake for 35 – 45 mins, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife. Place on a rack to cool. Lift the potato cake out of the pan and cut into pieces, discarding the foil or parchment paper.
This is a wonderful Southeast Asian take on dirty rice adding shrimp paste, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves. Although less common in supermarkets, shrimp paste is paramount in developing a complex, funky and savory aroma/taste that makes Southeast Asian dishes so robust and relentlessly addictive. (It’s available on Amazon)
Serves 2-4
4 oz (110 grams) of chicken liver
2 stalks (60 grams) of lemongrass (white parts only), diced
3 cups (450 grams) of cooked rice (preferably jasmine rice), cooled or 1 day-old
1 cup (175 grams) of peeled and deveined shrimps
2 large eggs
1 tbsp of fish sauce, divided in half
1 tbsp of soy sauce
1 tsp of old bay seasoning and dried chili flakes
2 ~ 3 thin scallions, finely diced or cut into thin strips
Trim off any unwanted fat-tissues attached, then soak the chicken liver in milk for a few hours to overnight, to draw out excess blood. Drain off the milk and add the liver to a blender, along with diced lemongrass, Asian shallots, garlic, ginger, kaffir lime leaves (the soft leaf-parts only), soy sauce, shrimp paste and ground white pepper. Blend until smooth and pureed (the livers and vegetables should emit enough liquid to blend). Heat up 3 tbsp of oil in a skillet over high heat, then cook the paste until slightly browned, approx 3 min. The paste should lose most of the liquid. Set aside (can be made the day ahead).
Mix 1/2 tbsp of fish sauce together with soy sauce, then set aside. Mix the remaining 1/2 tbsp of fish sauce with shrimps with a bit of cracked black pepper, set aside. Beat the eggs only slightly, and have all the rest of the components ready on the side.
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a skillet over high heat, and cook the shrimps until just cooked through, then remove from the skillet. Add another 1 tbsp of oil and add the slightly beaten eggs. Scramble with a spatula until 1/2 of the eggs are cooked with the other 1/2 still runny. Add the rice right now soit can be partially coated with the runny eggs.
Once the rice is added, add another 2 tbsp of oil and the fish sauce/soy sauce mixture, then quickly but gently break up the rice with wooden spatula, fold and cook over high heat until some of the eggs are slightly browned. The faster you fry the rice, the shinier and prettier it will remain (so the higher the heat, the better). Now add the liver paste, cooked shrimp, old bay seasoning and dried chili fakes, and scallions. Fold and cook only for a min until fragrant, and evenly incorporated.
Though this may look like regular old chicken, don’t be fooled: It’s buzzing with the bright flavors of ginger and lime. Mayonnaise is the secret ingredient in this recipe, which is a trick J. Kenji López-Alt has written about. When slathered on boneless chicken and cooked, the beloved condiment carries flavor, sticks to the meat well, encourages browning and prevents the pieces of lime zest and ginger — or whatever seasonings you choose — from burning. Try this technique first with ginger and lime zest, then experiment with grated garlic, jalapeño, lemon, Parmesan and whatever else you can imagine. Serve with a pile of white rice and a fresh green salad topped with thinly sliced avocado.
Recipe from the New York Times Food section
1 ½ to 2pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
Kosher salt and black pepper
⅓cup mayonnaise
1tablespoon lime zest (from about 2 limes), plus lime wedges, for serving
1tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger (from a 3-inch piece of peeled ginger)
Pat the chicken dry and season all over with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. In a medium bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, lime zest and ginger; season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the mayonnaise mixture and stir to coat. (The chicken can sit in the marinade for up to 8 hours in the fridge. Let come to room temperature before cooking.)
To grill: Heat a grill to medium-high. Grill the chicken over direct heat until cooked through and juices run clear, about 5 minutes per side for thighs and about 4 minutes per side for breasts, turning as necessary to avoid burning.
To cook in a skillet: Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Cook the chicken until juices run clear, about 5 minutes per side for thighs and about 4 minutes per side for breasts.
Serve chicken with lime wedges, for squeezing on top.
