Warm Potato, Snap Pea and Tomato Salad with Feta and Lemon

This was so good, I just had to share it. I may add a photo the next time I make this.

Ingredients:

Salad:

• 2 large Red Potatoes, diced into bite-sized pieces
• 1-1/2 cups Snap Peas, stringed and sliced in half on the diagonal
• 1 medium Tomato, diced
• 1/2 cup Sheep's Milk Feta, crumbled

Dressing:

• 1 Meyer Lemon, zest and juice
• 2 Tbs Meyer Lemon Olive Oil
• 1 scant tsp Dijon Mustard
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

In a 3-qt saucepan cover potatoes with cold water and about a teaspoon of salt, stir well to dissolve the salt.
Bring to a boil uncovered, then turn to simmer and cook 5 minutes. Add snap peas and time for 1 minute. 

Drain and pour back into the pan.

While the potatoes are cooking, whisk together the dressing ingredients and set aside.

Add the dressing to the drained potato/pea mixture, gently mixing well so as not to break up the potatoes then add the tomatoes and fold until thoroughly coated in dressing.

Top with crumbled Feta and freshly ground pepper.

Serve.

Pappardelle with Shrimp, Tomatoes, Arugula and Pesto

One of my favorite go to recipes.

• 8 ounces Lemon Pappardelle package from Trader Joe's, (unfortunately Trader Joe's no longer sells Lemon Pappardelle)
• 3 quarts boiling water
• 1-2 tbsp salt; water should taste like sea water
• 1-2 tbsp shallot chopped
• 12 large prawns peeled and deveined
• 2 large roma tomatoes diced
• 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
• 3 tbsp pesto, jarred from Trader Joe's
• 1 tsp sumac ground
• 3 large handfuls arugula
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• kosher salt to taste
• 1 cup pasta water as needed to make pasta creamy

Place a large 4 quart pot filled with 3 quarts of water on the stove and bring to a boil.

Finely chop the shallot, dice the tomatoes, peel and devein the shrimp. Measure the Sumac into a tiny bowl. Dry the shrimp with paper towels.

Add the salt and pappardelle and set timer for 8 minutes.

Heat the 2 tbsp. olive oil until shimmery and add the shallots. Saute for about 30 seconds and add the shrimp. Sprinkle the shrimp with the Sumac evenly and salt and pepper to taste using the kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Saute until the shrimp is pink, 2 or 3 minutes, add the tomatoes and a little more salt and pepper. Mix around until tomatoes begin to wilt and turn off the burner and remove skillet from heat.

When the timer goes off drain the pasta into a colander and then put it back into the pasta pot. Mix in the 3 tablespoons of pesto and enough of the pasta water to make it loose and creamy.

Pour in the shrimp mixture and mix in well being careful not to break up the pasta too much. Mix in the arugula and cover with the lid. Let it sit for 4 minutes and serve.

Farfalle Salad with Tomatoes, Peppers, Cucumber, Arugula and Feta

Sorry I don't have a photo of this. It is delicious and I make it quite a bit during the summer months.

I hope you all enjoy it as much as we do.

Dressing:

• 1 med. lemon, juice and zest
• 2-3 T. meyer lemon olive oil or very good extra virgin olive oil if you don't have access to the meyer lemon olive oil.
• Chopped fresh dill, to taste (I used 3 sprigs)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Salad:

• 1 cup Farfalle, uncooked
• 3 whole bay leaves for pasta water.
• 1 T. Salt for the pasta water.
• 1 Persian Cucumber, diced (about a cup)
• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes (measure before slicing), sliced in half or equivalent regular tomatoes.
• 3/4 cup diced sweet peppers, about 1 medium pepper
• 2 large handfuls Baby Arugula
• 2 oz. Sheep's milk feta or to taste, crumbled
• Course Kosher salt to finish

Cook Farfalle until just al dente in plenty of boiling, salted water to which the bay leaves have been added.

Drain, carefully pick out bay leaves and immediately add hot pasta to dressing, mixing thoroughly.

While pasta is cooking make the dressing.

In a large bowl whisk together lemon juice, zest, olive oil and fresh, chopped dill with salt and pepper to taste.

When pasta has cooled mix in the rest of the ingredients and serve.

Makes 5–6 servings.

Couscous with Mint, Feta and Tomatoes

I went for a bike ride this morning and when I returned home I was very hungry.

There wasn't much in the house for lunch but I did have some leftover couscous from the night before, some feta, grape tomatoes, a little fresh lemon juice I needed to use up and mint out in my garden.

I think I managed to come up with a pretty tasty lunch.

Couscous with Mint, Feta and Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Couscous, prepared
• Juice of 1/2 Lemon
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, good quality
• 1/4 cup Feta, crumbled
• 1 cup Fresh Mint Leaves, chopped
• 8-10 Ripe Grape Tomatoes, cut into quarters

Method:

Fluff the couscous with a fork and mix in the lemon juice and olive oil thoroughly.

Mix in the rest of the ingredients in order and enjoy.

Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, if desired. I didn't need any.

Tortellini Soup with Chicken Andouille and Vegetables

It's gone back to winter weather here and was cold and windy yesterday, soup weather. I had been wanting to make a tortellini soup for awhile and had some Chicken Andouille sausages from New Frontiers market that I needed to use.

I had just seen a recipe for Tortellini and Vegetable Soup on the Williams-Somoma web site and decided to modify that.

This is what I came up with and my husband said it was possibly the best soup I'd ever made.

Tortellini Soup with Chicken Andouille and Vegetables

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 links chicken andouille, from New Frontier, crumbled
• 1 tsp thyme, dried
• 1 1/2 cups celery, sliced
• 1/2 whole onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 large carrot, sliced in half lengthwise then thinly across
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced in half lengthwise then thinly across
• 2 large plum tomatoes, 1/2 inch dice
• 3/4 cup cheese tortellini, dry
• 1 tsp smoked paprika, Spanish sweet style. DO NOT use Hungarian Paprika as a substitute, you will ruin your soup.
• salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
• parmesan cheese, to garnish (optional)

Method

1. In a 4qt. heavy soup pot heat olive oil until shimmery.
2. Remove sausages from casings and place in pan, breaking up with 2 heatproof spatulas or wooden spoons until crumbled.
3. Saute until browned and almost cooked through.
4. Add thyme, onion, garlic and carrots and sprinkle with a tiny amount of salt. Stir for about a minute and add celery.
5. Saute until vegetables begin to soften and onion is translucent.
6. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil.
7. Lower heat to simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
8. Turn heat back to medium-high and add tortellini. Cook for 5 minutes and add zucchini, tomatoes and smoked Spanish sweet paprika. Continue to slowly boil for 10 more minutes or until tortellini is just done (don't overcook).
9. Adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground pepper and serve. (At this point I didn't need to add anything so be sure to taste it first.)
10. Ladle into bowls and top with a little freshly grated parmesan.
11. Serve with a nice crusty whole grain bread.

Chicken Sausage with Carrots, Broccoli and Spinach

I put this together for dinner tonight. It took about 40 minutes including cutting up the vegetables and makes about 6 servings.

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 carrot, scrubbed and diced
• 3 chicken sausage, your choice (I used Trader Joe's Chicken Jalapeno and Spicy Chicken Italian), slice into quarters lengthwise then into 1/2 inch dice.
• 2 cups broccoli, cut into small bite-sized pieces
• 5 cups baby spinach, washed and drained
• 1 large green onion, white part sliced lengthwise in half then thinly sliced across along with some of the green part.
• 1 small sprig fresh thyme, minced.
• 2 pkgs. Seeds of Change Quinoa and Brown Rice with Garlic
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat a large heavy stainless steel skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add the carrot and allow to lightly brown. Next add the sausage and heat through for about 5 min. Add broccoli and stir until bright green, cover and let cook over low heat for about 3 min.

Meanwhile, heat the Seeds of Change in the microwave according to instructions and add to the skillet once the broccoli has begun to soften. Stir until well mixed in and add the spinach. Mix it in the best you can and cover to let it wilt a bit, about 1 min. Remove the lid and stir until the spinach is completely wilted.

Sprinkle in the onions and the thyme, and season with salt and pepper.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

It's been a longtime since I've posted here, sorry about that but no one reads my blog anyway so ...
I just had to post this recipe. I have always hated Brussels Sprouts, they made me gag. Yuck.
That was until I discovered roasted Brussels Sprouts. Now I absolutely love them.
Here's the method:
Preheat the oven to 400°. If you have a convection oven use the convection roast setting.
Take the desired amount of small Brussels Sprouts, trim them of undesired leaves and slice them in half.
Place them in a large (gallon size) ziplock bag.
Add about a tablespoon of olive oil, seal the bag and shake well to coat.
Next add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Again seal and shake well to coat.
Line a large, sided baking sheet with aluminum foil (nonstick if you have it, if not, spray with cooking spray). Arrange the Brussels Sprouts on the pan cut side down and not touching.
Place on rack in upper 1/3 of oven and roast until well browned, about 20 min, less if using convection. Be careful the golden brown doesn't turn to black.
That's all there is to it. Serve either as a snack or as a vegetable side-dish.

Bulgar with Shrimp, Spinach, Tomatoes, Feta and Mint

I buy shrimp at Costco and split it into 1/2 lb. packages to freeze. I was able to pick more tomatoes from my vines in spite of the cool wet weather we've been having. I have lots of fresh mint growing in the garden, and garlic that I harvested in the early summer.
I decided that would be a lovely combination over some bulgar with a little Feta sprinkled on top.
Bulgar is so quick and easy and I love the flavor and texture.

1/2 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined. If you cut them in half it will seem like loads of shrimp.
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T. butter (do not use margarine, the flavor will suffer.)
1 T. olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup Bulgar
2 cups chicken broth, low-sodium, organic
2 cups diced fresh tomatoes
About 6 oz. baby spinach, washed and stemmed
4 - 5 T. fresh mint, minced
1/2 - 3/4 cup feta, crumbled

Prepare all of your ingredients before beginning and it will go together very quickly.

In a 2 quart saucepan over medium-high heat put bulgar, chicken broth and 1 T. butter and bring to a boil. When it begins to boil turn heat to simmer and set a timer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile in a large saute pan set over medium heat, melt the remaining 1 T. butter with the olive oil and saute the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add shrimp and some salt and pepper. Saute the shrimp until just pink and set aside in a bowl to keep warm.

Add the spinach to the pan and toss until it begins to get limp, then add the tomatoes.

As soon as the timer for the bulgar goes off add the shrimp back into the pan with the spinach and sprinkle with half the mint.

Toss the bulgar with the rest of the mint.

To serve:
Put about 1/2 cup of bulgar on a plate with about a cup of the shrimp mixture, sprinkle with a little feta and serve.

Tracey's French Style Potato Salad with Tarragon and Tomatoes

I was looking for a salad that would use some excess tomatoes and tarragon I had on hand. I was really hoping for a simple French style potato salad. Since I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for I made this one up. It turned out delicious so I thought I'd share it with you. The measurements are not exact so feel free to add more or less of the ingredients as your taste-buds dictate.
Note: I used a combination of sweet-100 cherry tomatoes, yellow pear tomatoes and Better Boy tomatoes and French Tarragon from my garden.

Ingredients
4 whole Yukon Gold potatoes, medium, cut into 6 pieces
3 quarts water, boiling
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoons white wine vinegar, approx. or to taste
1 teaspoon dijon mustard, or to taste
salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
1 small clove garlic, put through a garlic press
2-3 whole scallions, sliced or about 1/2 cup, including greens
1 1/2 - 2 cups tomato, 1" dice or if using cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2-3 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves, chopped, or more to taste
Method
1. Cover the potatoes with 3 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Add a couple of tablespoons of salt to the water and turn to simmer. Simmer for 10-15 min. or until potatoes are just tender.

2. Meanwhile whisk the olive oil, vinegar, dijon mustard, pressed garlic and salt and pepper together well.

3. When the potatoes are done, drain them in a colander and pour into a large bowl. Pour the dressing over them and mix well but gently so you don't break up the potatoes. Let them sit until cool.

4. When the potatoes have cooled, slice the scallions, dice the tomatoes and chop the fresh tarragon leaves.
Mix into the cooled potatoes, adjust the salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

5. If you need to make this ahead of time you can put the dressed potatoes into the refrigerator covered for an hour or two. Remove from the fridge and bring back to room temperature before adding the other ingredients and serving.
Do not add the tomatoes, scallions and tarragon until just before serving.

Notes:
My 3-qt All-Clad pan continued boiling even on simmer so I turned off the flame and timed the potatoes for 15 min. They came out perfect.

About 6 servings

Caprese with Yellow Pear Tomatoes and Basil

Made a caprese salad using more of our bounty of Yellow Pear Tomatoes and some potted Basil.

2-3 cups yellow pear tomatoes or cherry tomatoes or a combination, sliced in half.

Couple handfuls of fresh basil, stacked and rolled into cigar shapes then sliced into strips.

8 ounces fresh mozzarella cut into small pieces

2 tablespoons very good extra-virgin olive oil, more or less to taste

salt and pepper to taste.

You can mix the mozzarella, basil, olive oil and salt and pepper together a little ahead of time if you like but don't put the tomatoes in until just before serving.

Note: Never refrigerate tomatoes as they will lose there flavor.

Yellow Pear Tomato Salad with Orzo and Basil

I have an overabundance of yellow pear tomatoes and needed to figure out a way to use some of them up. I came up with this and since my husband absolutely loved it I decided to post it. I hope you enjoy it as well.

6 servings

1 cup Orzo, dried, whole wheat
2 quarts Water, boiling
2 tbsp salt
¼ cup Olive Oil, good-quality extra virgin
1 whole Lemon, both juice and zest. Zest first and squeeze using a citrus press.
1 tsp Spanish Smoked Paprika
salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
½ cup Fresh Basil Leaves, tightly packed. Washed and spun dry in a salad spinner then sliced into strips
2 cups Yellow Pear Tomatoes, sliced in half, or more if you like.

Method
1.In a 4 quart pot: Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil, add 2 T. salt and the orzo and cook according to directions on the package, about 8 min.
2.Meanwhile: In a large bowl grate the zest of 1 lemon and using a citrus press juice the lemon (you should have about a 1/4 cup.). Add salt and pepper to taste and whisk to blend.
3.Holding the bowl in place with a rolled up towel: Whisk in the olive oil in a thin stream until well blended.
4.When orzo is done: Drain the orzo and pour the hot orzo into the dressing mixing well. Mix in the smoked paprika and let cool.
Do not substitute Hungarian Paprika for the Spanish Smoked Paprika. If you don't have Spanish Smoked just eliminate it from the recipe.
5.Just before serving: Slice up the tomatoes and basil and gently mix in. Adjust the seasoning with salt and freshly ground pepper and serve.

Orzo with Shrimp, Spinach, Tomatoes, Olives and Feta

Had some shrimp I needed to use and came up with this.

• 1 lb Orzo, Whole Wheat
• 1 lb Shrimp, Peeled and deveined
• 1 tsp Spanish Paprika, Hot Smoked
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 tbsp lemon juice, Juice of 1 lemon and the zest
• ¼ cup olive oil, also some for sauteing the shrimp
• 8 whole kalamata olives, quartered
• 1 cup baby spinach, packed and chopped
• 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 6 ounces Greek Feta, crumbled

For the Shrimp: Mix the 1 tsp. Spanish hot smoked paprika and the 1/2 tsp. salt in a small bowl. Pat the shrimp dry and put them into a small bowl. With your fingers, evenly distribute the spice mixture onto the shrimp.

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Pour in the shrimp and saute until pink and cooked through.
Remove from the pan and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to boiling: Add 2 tbsp. salt and the Orzo and cook until just al dent, 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile: Zest the lemon and measure about 3 tbsp. of juice into a large bowl. Whisk in the 1/4 cup of olive oil and salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

When the orzo is done drain it into a fine mesh colander, shake out the excess water and dump it into the bowl with the dressing. Mix very thoroughly and add chopped spinach mixing well until spinach begins to wilt. Let cool.

When cool mix in shrimp with accumulated juices, kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes and feta.
Adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground pepper and serve.

Can be refrigerated and served later.

Source: Tracey Adams | 8 servings

Curried Chicken with Potatoes and Spinach

I had thawed a couple of boneless, skinless chicken thighs and wanted to make something a little different with them. After much searching on the Internet I decided to come up with my own recipe.

I'd bought some Vadouvan Curry Powder from Williams-Sonoma and wanted to try it out.
This is what I came up with. We liked it so much, I'm sure I'll be making it again really soon.

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 whole chicken thighs, skinless, boneless
• ½ cup yogurt, plain, whole milk
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 tsp curry powder
• ¼ tsp cayenne, or more to taste
• salt, to taste
• 3 tbsp curry powder, Vadouvan from Williams-Sonoma
• ¼ tsp garlic powder, or 1 clove minced fresh
• 1 pound potatoes, Yukon Gold, cut into 1" pieces
• 2 large Italian plum tomatoes, cut into 1" chunks
• 1 medium onion, cut into 1" chunks
• 3-4 cups baby spinach
• 1 cup yogurt, plain, whole milk
• ¾ cup chicken broth, or as needed
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1.Chicken Thighs: Preheat oven to 500 degrees and line a baking sheet with nonstick foil.
In a medium-sized bowl put 1/2 cup yogurt, salt and pepper, and 1 tsp. curry powder. Coat chicken pieces and place on baking sheet.
Place baking sheet in lower center of oven and turn heat to 400 degrees.
Bake for 15 min. and turn, bake for another 15 min.
Remove to plate, cover and let cool enough to cut into bite-sized pieces without burning your fingers.
2.In a large skillet: Heat oil over medium heat. In hot oil cook curry powder until fragrant, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
Stir in potatoes and onions mixing thoroughly. Cook until onions are transparent and potatoes begin to soften. Add chicken, cayenne and salt and pepper to taste and stir well to combine.
Add chicken broth as needed to keep the mixture from drying out too much.
3.Cover: Continue cooking stirring frequently until potatoes are tender. Add yogurt, tomatoes and spinach.
Simmer uncovered for about 10 more minutes or until spinach is cooked and tomatoes begin to soften.
4. I served it over brown basmati rice.


Nutrition facts do not include rice.

Nutrition Facts:

Servings: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 189
Total Fat: 6.27g
Cholesterol: 14mg
Sodium: 144mg (the sodium will vary depending on how much salt you add.)
Total Carbs: 24.84g
Dietary Fiber: 3.53g
Sugars: 7.37g
Protein: 9.56g

Tracey's Vegetarian Chili

Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
3 tsp ancho chile powder, rounded (Williams-Sonoma brand)
½ tsp smoked serrano chili powder, or to taste (Williams-Sonoma brand)
1 tsp smoked spanish paprika, slightly rounded
1 tsp thyme, dried and crushed
1 ½ tsp oregano, dried and crushed
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 cup roasted corn, Trader Joe's Roasted Corn in the freezer section
2 cans black beans, 15 1/2 ounce cans
1 can crushed canned tomatoes, 15 1/2 ounce can
1 can Del Monte Diced Tomatoes in Juice, 15 1/2 ounce can
2 cups broth, or more if it needs it.
salt and ground black pepper to taste
Method
1.Preheat oven to 350°.
2.In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and sprinkle with a little salt, cook stirring until translucent (about 2 min.) and add garlic, stirring frequently until garlic is fragrant and soft (about 2 more min.). Add cumin and chili powders along with salt and pepper and cook until the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Add both cans of tomatoes, the thyme and oregano and the beans. Stir to mix and add 2 cups of broth.
3.Bring to a boil and add the zucchini. Turn off the stove, stir, cover and place on lower middle rack in oven. Set timer for 25 minutes. When timer goes off add the corn, mix well, return to oven and cook for another 5 minutes just to heat through.
4.Serve with cornbread.
Source: Tracey Adams (6 servings)

Pasta with Shrimp, Tomatoes, Spinach, Mushrooms and Zucchini

Last night was another late night for Chris so I wanted to fix something tasty and quick. I threw together an old standby for me with a little twist to make it interesting.
1 lb. lg. Shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut in half.
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves Garlic, chopped
3 lg. ripe Roma Tomatoes, diced
2 cups Cremini Mushrooms, sliced
1 small Zucchini, diced
6 oz. pkg Baby Spinach
2 cups Penne Pasta, dry
2 tsp. Williams-Sonoma Vandouvan Curry powder or any mild curry powder
3 tbsp. Brown Cow Cream on Top Plain Yoghurt
Salt and Freshly ground pepper to taste.

Fill a large heavy pot with water and bring to a boil. Put the spinach in a colander in the sink.
Chop the tomatoes, peel and chop the garlic, slice the mushrooms and dice the zucchini.
Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan until just shimmering and add shrimp, some salt and pepper, and 1/2 tsp. of the curry powder. Saute the shrimp, stirring frequently until just cooked, remove from pan and keep warm.
When water comes to a boil add 2 tbsp. salt and the pasta, set timer for whatever your package says (if it says 10-12 min. set the timer for 10 min.)
Add a little broth or white wine to the pan to deglaze it and add the garlic, sauteing until fragrant, about a minute, next saute the mushrooms until they begin to soften then add the zucchini and tomatoes sauteing until zucchini is tender.
By now the pasta should have only a minute or two left to cook. Turn off the heat under the tomato mixture and add the shrimp as well as the curry powder and the yoghurt. Stir until thoroughly combined.
Remove a cup of the hot pasta water and drain the pasta into the colander with the spinach. Shake it gently to remove most of the water then pour it back into the pasta pan. Using tongs or a pasta fork distribute the spinach through the pasta, add the tomato, shrimp mixture to the pan and stir until well mixed adding some of the pasta water if it seems dry.
Cover and let sit for 2-3 min. so the pasta can soak up some of the liquid. Adjust the seasonings and server.