Tomato, Bean and Fried Basil Salad

Tomato, Bean and Fried Basil Salad
serves four
from Best Ever Three and Four Ingredient Cookbook

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
11oz cherry tomatoes, halved
14 oz cans mixed beans, drained and rinsed (I used pinto)
5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and ground black pepper

Reserve one third of the basil leaves for garnish, then tear the remainder into pieces. Pour the olive oil into a small pan. Add the torn basil and heat gently for 1 minute, until the basil sizzles and begins to color.

Place the halved cherry tomatoes and beans in a bowl. Pour in the basil oil and add a little salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Toss the ingredients together gently, cover and leave to marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Serve the salad sprinkled with the remaining basil leaves.

Pasta, Pesto, and Peas

Yesterday my parents dropped by on their way home to the Bay Area from Utah. I had lunch ready for them...and oh yeah... the grand babies too. ;-)

I love Ina Garten. Her recipes are easy and always delicious. These are from her Barefoot Contessa Parties cook book.

That morning before we left for violin I rolled out my mom's crescent butter rolls and left them to rise in time for lunch. Then when we arrived home from violin I started working on the fresh pesto and then a fresh fruit salad [strawberries, boysenberries, pineapple and blueberries - layered) and the Pasta, Pesto and Peas salad.

Pasta, Pesto and Peas (serves 12)

3/4 pound fusilli pasta
3/4 pound bow-tie pasta
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 1/2 cups homemade pesto
1 10oz package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
3 Tbl freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/4 cup good mayonnaise
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, defrosted
1/3 cup pignolis (pine nuts), toasted (optional)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cook the fusilli and bow ties separately in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10-12 minutes, until each pasta is al dente. [I cooked them together] Drain and toss into a bowl with olive oil. Cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon jucie. Add the mayonnaise and continue to puree.

Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta, then add the parmesan cheese, peas, pignolis, salt, and pepper. [I added chopped ham and I didn't add add'l salt - didn't need it] Mix well, season to taste, and serve at room temperature.


Pesto (makes 4 cups)

1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup pignolis (pine nuts)
3 Tbl diced garlic (9cloves)
5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups good olive oil
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Place the walnuts, pignolis, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 30 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is finely pureed. Add the parmesan and puree for a minute. Serve, or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.

Ramen Salad

Ok, last post for a bit, I promise. It has been oppresively hot here recently, and my MIL introduced me to this last year, and it is great to not have to heat up the kitchen so much. This recipe is for two people.

1 package of ramen noodles per person
1 cucumber
4 medium slices of ham
1 tomato
2 eggs
1 T. sugar

Any soysauce or oil based salad dressing.

Boil the ramen noodles until cooked but not soggy(the package should say). Do not add the flavor packets. Drain and let cool.

Mix the eggs together and add the sugar. You want them a little sweet, but not overly so, add more or less according to your taste. Cook over medium-low heat like an omlette. Let it cool and then julienne the omlette.

Julienne the cucumber and ham, slice the tomato into 8ths or so.

In a low bowl dish out the noodles and then lay the cucumber, egg, ham and tomato on the side in separate groups. Cover with your salad dressing.

Eat!

tips: I think carrots would probably be pretty tasty here too. Strong flavored veggies may or may not work here, it is up to you.

Somen Salad

Yesterday at our 4th of July BBQ/Pool Party at Cheryl's home - our fabulous cook Tracy whipped up this delicious salad. It's an Asian thing to have cool noodles other similar things during the summer to keep us cool. Tracy passed this recipe along...she's one woman who truly knows her way around the kitchen. (I'm so lucky)

Somen Salad:

Feeds about 10 people

1/2 Head Lettuce - shredded

1/2 C - Cabbage - shredded

2 Carrots - julienned

2 C - Cilantro - chopped

1/2 English Cucumber - julienned

1 Kamaboko - (Japanese fish cake - pink and white) - julienned - optional

1/2 lb Honey ham or BBQ'd Chinese pork

2 bundles of somen noodles (Japanese section) - cooked rinsed and drained

In a large platter:

Layer Lettuce, noodles, top with the rest of the ingredients.

Somen Sauce:

4 T - Sesame seeds

4T - Sugar

1 1/2 t - Pepper

1/2 C- Olive oil

4 T - Rice Vinegar

4 T - Soy Sauce

1 T - Sesame Oil

SHAKE.... POUR DRESSING ON SALAD RIGHT BEFORE YOU ARE ABOUT TO EAT...NO EARLIER OR IT WILL BE SOGGY!

ps. I wish I had taken a picture of the salad... not only was it beautiful - the dish she had it in was exquisite.

Suck it, Rachel Ray!

La Yen's 30 minute Dinner: Herbed Salmon with Bulghur and Vegetable Salad

You need:
salmon fillets
1/2 C bulghur
2 C fresh green beans
2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
Stinky Cheese (feta or whatever), grated or crumbled
1/2 c pine nuts
1/2 onion
butter
herbs of your choice
1/2 head romaine lettuce, torn into bites

MMMKKK--start your timer!

1. Put on about 2 C water to boil. When it is boiling, pour 1 C of it over the bulghur and cover it tightly, for about 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425. This should take about 15 minutes.

3. Steam your beans and let them cool down while everything else is cooking.

4. While the oven is preheating, put 2 T of butter and a generous helping of herbs in a baking dish (I use dill, garlic salt, parsley, and dried chives). Put the dish in the oven while it is preheating.

5. Mince the onion and saute it in butter, over medium.

6. When the onion is translucent add the pine nuts and toast for a few minutes.

7. When the oven is close to being preheated the butter should be sizzling and the herbs should be toasty. Add the salmon fillets. Bake for about 5 minutes, turn over, and bake for another 3 minutes or so. Then take out.

8. Fluff up the bulghur, add the onions and pine nuts, chopped tomato, cheese, green beans, and lettuce. Drizzle with oil/juice and toss.

Summer Salad

I went to a baby shower yesterday and had some of this amazing salad my friend Stacey Ball made.

Here's what it had in it:

Cucumbers chopped
Avocados chopped
Grape Tomatoes
Feta Cheese
Finely chopped red onion
Newman's LIGHT Balsamic Vinagrette
Fresh ground pepper

It was the perfect, summer salad... savory and light.

AVO Baby

For a YUMMY lunch, snack... pick me up for the summer.

Take one perfectly ripe Avocado (buy California) and slice.

Drizzle Marie's Poppy Seed Dressing and... *sigh* ... life really is this fresh.

Mango Salsa - Salad... whatever

Did this the other night... over Tilapia... but then ate some of it as a salad the next day.

1 large mango cubed
1/2 red bell pepper diced
1/2 or 1 avocado diced
1/2 a lime (just the fresh squeezed juice)
1/2 or 1 lemon (just the fresh squeezed juice)
canned cut corn (1/2 can or whatever you prefer)

mix - chill and serve.

I love it because it's fresh, zesty and matches are summer weather in March.