Category: Main Dishes

Main Dishes, Pasta, Recipes

Garlicky Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil

Sarah

Just so I don’t alienate any non-pumpkin lovers… here’s a gem of a dinner that is super fast, super tasty, and super healthy. Can it get any better than this?

I know I’ve been saying this all. summer. long. but being in a CSA is so awesome. I get so excited heading to the park each week to pick up my basket of fresh produce. The drive home is the perfect time to dream up things to make with the week’s haul.

Today’s dish is the result of one of those drives. I had just picked up a basket chock-full of juicy, ripe tomatoes, luscious heads of garlic, and the most incredible basil you ever did smell. This is late summer/early fall at it’s finest. I got home, did some googling and set my sights on a dinner of Garlicky Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil [try saying THAT three times fast. Whew! Takes me back to second grade tongue twisters!]. What definitely makes this dish is the freshness of the ingredients–they have so much personality and standing on their own that no meat is required to, excuse me, beef up this dish. Ha! Winter tomatoes and herbs? Blah central. Call in the chicken. But serve up this vegetarian pasta dish with a big ‘ole salad and some crunchy bread and you’ve got yourself a meal to impress even the toughest meat-loving critic. This pasta dish might not seem like much, but simplicity sometimes can’t be beat, huh?

Reader Question ~ How do you do simple in the kitchen?

Garlicky Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil [adapted slightly from Cooking Light via My Recipes]
printable version

Ingredients:

  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 cups chopped tomatoes [I used a pint of cherry tomatoes + a couple roma tomatoes]
  • large handful chopped fresh basil
  • 2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 ounce angel hair pasta

Directions:

Begin by setting a large pot of water to boil. While water is boiling, prepare your ingredients–mince the garlic, chop the tomatoes and basil, grate the cheese, etc. When water is ready, add pasta and set timer.

Then, pour a little olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. With about three minutes left in the pasta’s cooking life, add the garlic to the pan and saute for about 30 seconds. This should allow the garlic to begin cooking and smell fragrant, but not burn. Next add tomatoes, stirring gently to mix with garlic. Cook for about two minutes or until heated through. Stir mixture occasionally.

By now the pasta should be done. Drain and return to pot, then pour in tomato mixture and toss together. Fold in the basil and cheese, then season with pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Yield: 3 medium servings or 2 generous servings.

Time: 20 minutes.

Main Dishes, Recipes, Soups

Butternut Squash Apple Soup

Sarah

It’s been a chilly, rainy start to fall so far–and what better way to warm up than with a cozy bowl of Butternut Squash Apple Soup?

I haven’t had butternut squash in over a year thanks to the Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese overdose of winter 2009, but a large butternut squash at the Farmer’s Market looked so yummy that I just had to bring it home. I loved the sweet-tart flavor of this soup, intensified by roasting the squash and slowly cooking a plethora of other produce including pieces of onions, carrots, celery, and apples. Some spices top off the delightfulness of this creamy soup. For a little extra treat, try stirring in some sour cream for a cool twist on this hot dish!

Reader Question ~ What’s your favorite fall soup?

Butternut Squash Apple Soup [from Simply Recipes]
printable version

Ingredients:

  • 1 large butternut squash [should yield ~4.5 cups]
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1/4 cup celery, chopped
  • 1 large carrot, chopped
  • 1 large Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped [should yield ~1.5 cups]
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup water
  • pinches of nutmeg, cinnamon, cayenne, and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise, then scoop out seeds and membranes. Place flesh side up on a large baking sheet, then roast for 25 minutes or until tender. Let cool for a few minutes and then scoop out squash and place in a bowl.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Then add onion, celery, and carrot to the pot and saute for 5 minutes. Vegetables should begin to soften but not brown.
Next, add squash, apple, chicken broth, and water. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until softened. Puree with an immersion blender and return to the pot. Add spices to taste and serve with warm bread.
Yield: 4-6 servings.
Time: 70 minutes [15 minutes active].
Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes

Honey Mint Glazed Chicken

Sarah

Even though Ben and I can get herbs every week from our CSA, I bought several plants at the farmer’s market early this spring to grow on our porch. Some have failed–like our cilantro and most recently, our basil, but others have thrived and are now officially out of control… such as our mint plants. Yes, plants, plural. We have a regular mint and a chocolate mint plant, neither of which I really know what to do with except use for Honey-Lime Fruit Salad and to flavor water. So when I found this simple Honey Mint Glazed Chicken, I was super excited. It sounded so refreshing and flavorful that I just had to try it. And it did not disappoint.

I used this sweet glaze to amplify already flavorful chicken thighs, but feel free to use any cut you’d like. The original called for a whole chicken, cut into parts, so anything would work. The only change I would make is patting some of the oil off the chicken before cooking on an indoor grill, as marinating in olive oil causes a lot of splattering. This is definitely a winner of a chicken dinner that will make an appearance on our table again and again. If this isn’t a reason to buy your own mint plant next summer, then I don’t know what is.

Reader Question ~ What else should I make with fresh mint? I’ve got to use it before winter comes along!

Honey Mint Glazed Chicken [from Simply Recipes]
printable version

Ingredients:

  • 1/8 cup white vinegar
  • 1/8 cup olive oil
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1-2 tablespoons water
  • 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped

Directions:

Mix together vinegar and oil in a medium bowl, then add chicken and allow to marinate for 30-60 minutes. Next, stir together honey, mint, and a little water to create a good basting consistency. Set aside.

When chicken is almost finished marinating, preheat grill to medium-high heat. I used a George Foreman, but any grill should work. Remove chicken from marinade, and season with salt and pepper. Place on grill and cook for two minutes on each side, then baste with the honey mint glaze and cook for another two to three minutes per side. Chicken is done when juices run clear when cut and internal temperature reaches 180 degrees.

Yield: 2-3 servings.

Time: 90 minutes [30 minutes active].

Candy, Chicken, Desserts, Main Dishes, Recipes

Saturday Dinner: Football Style

Sarah
when you can't have Chipotle... make your own!

Dinner: Homemade Chipotle Bowls

  • Spinach
  • Chipotle Lime Rice
  • Black Beans
  • Spicy Rubbed Chicken [boneless, skinless chicken breast rubbed with chili powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, cumin, freshly ground lemon pepper, and garlic… drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and baked at 325 for about 30 minutes]
  • Fresh Tomatoes
  • Fresh Avocado
  • Sour Cream
  • Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
  • Trader Joe’s Smoky Peach Salsa <— the best jarred salsa I’ve ever had!
  • Cilantro
  • with green Tabasco sauce for Ben!
yum!

Dessert: Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

recipe to come… but pretty similar to these delicious treats 🙂

Hope you’re all enjoying your weekend!

Main Dishes, Recipes, Salads

Corn Cake Salad

Sarah

So, in addition to my Farmer’s Market finds that helped create this fantastic lunch, I also gathered some extra veggies to help create the salad of my summer. The one, the only, the colorful, the complex… Corn Cake Salad!

I mean serrrrriously, people. Can you just see why this is the salad of the summer? Let me just count the reasons.

  1. Tons of veggies… check.
  2. Juicy peaches for sweetness… check.
  3. Lime juice for kick… check.
  4. Fried, slightly spicy corn cake for a delicious awesome topping… check.
  5. Avocado and tomato relish for pizzazz… check.

What more can a girl ask for?

Maybe a dessert other than six year old candy from study abroad that she can’t bear to eat, throw away, or deal with in any other way except storing in the pantry in the same bag she received from the store that said candy was purchased at… in Cameroon… in 2005.

Umm, yes. I’m weird. And I ate some, in case you were wondering. So did Ben. Afterwards, it went right back into the pantry. Sugar doesn’t rot, does it? Fortunately, the making of this salad does not require prior discovery and/or consumption of six year old foreign candy. But it does require quickness as the end of the season of  summer sweet corn is rapidly approaching. So what are you waiting for? Pumpkin will still be here next week!

Corn Cake Salad [from Annie’s Eats]
printable version

Ingredients:

for corn cakes

  • 3 large ears of corn, shucked
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup cornmeal
  • 1/4 cup onion, finely diced
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 tablespoons milk [or buttermilk]
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • canola oil

for relish

  • 1 large tomato, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
  • pinch garlic powder
  • juice of half a lime
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

for salad

  • mixed baby greens
  • 1 peach, pitted and sliced thin
  • 1 carrot, shaved
  • 2 roma tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 small green bell pepper, diced
  • juice of half a lime

Directions:

Place 2 cups of corn kernels in a food processor and pulse several times to render the corn chunky but still pureed. Transfer the corn to a bowl with the remaining kernels, then stir in flour, cornmeal, onion, basil, baking powder, and baking soda. Season with salt and pepper, then gently mix in eggs, milk, and butter.

Make the relish by mixing together all ingredients except avocado and salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, then fold in avocado. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, add a little oil [once around the pan] to a large skillet set over medium heat. Form cakes by dropping 1-2 tablespoons of batter in the skillet, and fry 1-2 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy. You can prepare 4-5 at a time depending on the size of your skillet. Remove to wire rack or a plate lined with paper towels.

Lastly, make salad. In a large bowl, toss together mixed baby greens, sliced peaches, shaved carrot, chopped tomatoes, and diced pepper. Squeeze lime juice over salad and toss again. Serve corn cake over salad, relish over corn cake, and enjoy!

Yield: 12 corn cakes, ~1.5 cups relish, and 1 large salad [for two].

Time: 30-45 minutes.