Now that the kitchen is back in order, I can continue with the Wedding Diet.
But the Wedding is now over. So that diet will now be called "The Summer Diet".
I'll begin with Pasta Salads and Bruschetta.
Pea Pesto Pasta Salad
1-1/2 lb Rotini Pasta
1/2 cup Prepared Pasta Sauce, Whole Foods 365 Brand
1 cup Peas, frozen
1 cup Corn Kernals, canned
1/2 cup Artichoke Hearts, (canned) chopped loosely
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes
2 tbsp Capers, in brine
Salt & Pepper to taste
Boil Pasta.
Just as pasta is finishing, add the frozen peas to the pasta water to defrost. Drain, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta liquid.
Add Pesto corn, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes and capers. Toss...toss...toss.
If the salad is too sticky, add some pasta water to loosen it up. Season
Serve room temperature, or chilled.
Lady's Simple Pasta Salad
As if I needed a reason to cook, my new friend Lady has a gorgeous kitchen. So I took an opportunity to cook a light and fit meal that we could share in the warm summer month June.
1-1/2 lb whole wheat linguine
2 lbs roma tomatoes, blanched, peeled and diced
1 cup chopped scallions
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 cup black olives, chopped (Lady doesn't like olives, but like many things in my recipes, these are optional)
1 large bunch of baby spinach, fresh (yes, it really needs to be fresh)
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup Feta Cheese
Juice of one lemon
Salt & Pepper
To Blanch a Tomato:
Slice the ends of the tomato with an "X", not very deep, just enough to pierce the skin through to the flesh. Boil in water for 3-5 minutes. Prepare an ice bath, 2 parts ice, 1 part water. Put boiled tomatoes in ice bath. Skins should immediatly shrink away from the "X" or split. Peel the skins away and you have blanched, skinned tomatoes for salads, sauces, cooking, eating, roasting, whatever.
Boil pasta in lightly season water. Be sure to season your water whenever you're boiling pasta, but especially when your using wheat pastas. These pastas are tougher and will have NO flavor if you don't pre-season your water.
Dice your tomatoes, chop your onions, mince the garlic, olives, and toss with oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Once the pasta is cooked, drain all of the water. Toss in the spinach to wilt the leaves. Then drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process.
Toss the tomato mixture with the spinach and pasta.
Add the feta cheese and enjoy!
Bruschetta
One of my all time favorite appetizers, usually I want to lick the bowl and eat it as a meal, but its not balanced enough for that.
1-1/2 lbs Roma Tomatoes, blanched, diced
2 tsp garlic, minced (fresh is best)
3 tbsp fresh Basil, chiffonade (Yes, this has to be fresh too!)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper to taste
Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Baguette loaf, sliced into 3/4 inch slices
olive oil for brushing
Blanch and dice your tomatoes, add garlic and basil. Toss in vinegar, oil and salt & pepper. Place in the fridge to chill.
Slice the bread and brush one side with olive oil. Place the slices, oil side up, on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees until brown. Once the bread is brown, platter the bread, spoon on the tomato mix and top off with cheese.
Eat!
These should hold you for a couple days!
Enjoy Foodies!
But the Wedding is now over. So that diet will now be called "The Summer Diet".
I'll begin with Pasta Salads and Bruschetta.
Pea Pesto Pasta Salad
1-1/2 lb Rotini Pasta1/2 cup Prepared Pasta Sauce, Whole Foods 365 Brand
1 cup Peas, frozen
1 cup Corn Kernals, canned
1/2 cup Artichoke Hearts, (canned) chopped loosely
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes
2 tbsp Capers, in brine
Salt & Pepper to taste
Boil Pasta.
Just as pasta is finishing, add the frozen peas to the pasta water to defrost. Drain, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta liquid.
Add Pesto corn, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes and capers. Toss...toss...toss.
If the salad is too sticky, add some pasta water to loosen it up. Season
Serve room temperature, or chilled.
Lady's Simple Pasta Salad
As if I needed a reason to cook, my new friend Lady has a gorgeous kitchen. So I took an opportunity to cook a light and fit meal that we could share in the warm summer month June.
1-1/2 lb whole wheat linguine
2 lbs roma tomatoes, blanched, peeled and diced
1 cup chopped scallions
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 cup black olives, chopped (Lady doesn't like olives, but like many things in my recipes, these are optional)
1 large bunch of baby spinach, fresh (yes, it really needs to be fresh)
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup Feta Cheese
Juice of one lemon
Salt & Pepper
To Blanch a Tomato:
Slice the ends of the tomato with an "X", not very deep, just enough to pierce the skin through to the flesh. Boil in water for 3-5 minutes. Prepare an ice bath, 2 parts ice, 1 part water. Put boiled tomatoes in ice bath. Skins should immediatly shrink away from the "X" or split. Peel the skins away and you have blanched, skinned tomatoes for salads, sauces, cooking, eating, roasting, whatever.Boil pasta in lightly season water. Be sure to season your water whenever you're boiling pasta, but especially when your using wheat pastas. These pastas are tougher and will have NO flavor if you don't pre-season your water.
Dice your tomatoes, chop your onions, mince the garlic, olives, and toss with oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Once the pasta is cooked, drain all of the water. Toss in the spinach to wilt the leaves. Then drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process.
Toss the tomato mixture with the spinach and pasta.
Add the feta cheese and enjoy!
Bruschetta
One of my all time favorite appetizers, usually I want to lick the bowl and eat it as a meal, but its not balanced enough for that.
1-1/2 lbs Roma Tomatoes, blanched, diced
2 tsp garlic, minced (fresh is best)
3 tbsp fresh Basil, chiffonade (Yes, this has to be fresh too!)
1 tbsp olive oil2 tsp balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper to taste
Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Baguette loaf, sliced into 3/4 inch slices
olive oil for brushing
Blanch and dice your tomatoes, add garlic and basil. Toss in vinegar, oil and salt & pepper. Place in the fridge to chill.
Slice the bread and brush one side with olive oil. Place the slices, oil side up, on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees until brown. Once the bread is brown, platter the bread, spoon on the tomato mix and top off with cheese.
Eat!
These should hold you for a couple days!
Enjoy Foodies!
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