Broccoli Pasta Salad with Dried Cherries and Hazelnuts

Like many people, I've been trying to eat more meatless meals lately.  Since it's summer, a nice cool salad is appealing but sometimes you need a change from lettuce or kale.  This bowtie pasta salad is interesting because the slightly sweet and creamy dressing is actually quite thin so it doesn't coat the salad ingredients like a normal mayo dressing.  Instead, you put the broccoli, HOT pasta and cherries into the dressing and basically let them marinate for at least 3 hours, stirring occasionally.  The pasta absorbs the dressing so it's very flavorful without a heavy coating.  You don't want to add the feta with the hot pasta or it will melt away, and you don't want to add the hazelnuts before refrigerating or they'll get soft rather than remaining crisp and crunchy.  Add both the feta and hazelnuts right before serving.

If fresh cherries are in season by all means substitute them for dried. And if you prefer, you could sub goat cheese for the feta, and some other type of nut for the hazelnuts but I particularly like the hazelnuts with the cherries.  This is somewhat similar to a chicken cherry pasta salad that I posted about a year ago, but the dressing is lighter and obviously it's vegetarian.  In addition to being a vegetarian main dish it would be excellent as a side salad for your next picnic or potluck.

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Broccoli Pasta Salad with Dried Cherries and Hazelnuts

Serves 4

8 ounces dried farfalle (bow tie pasta)

1 lb fresh broccoli

1 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup diced red onion

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

½ teaspoon salt

2/3 cup dried cherries

2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese (or goat cheese)

2/3 cup chopped hazelnuts

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  While the water heats, cut the broccoli florets from the stems and separate the florets into small pieces.  Peel away the tough outer layer of the stems and finely chop.  Prepare an ice bath by putting ice cubes and water into a large bowl. Drop the broccoli into the boiling water for 1 minute to set the color, then immediately take all the pieces out with a strainer and drop them in the ice bath.  (Do not discard the boiling water.)

Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook until al dente according to package directions, about 11 minutes.  Drain.

While the pasta cooks, make the dressing by whisking together the mayonnaise, red onion, red wine vinegar and salt in a bowl large enough to hold all the salad ingredients.  When the pasta is done, add it while still hot to the dressing.  Drain and add the broccoli pieces and the dried cherries.  Stir to coat well, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to overnight.  Stir occasionally.  (The pasta will absorb the dressing in the bottom of the bowl over time.)

When ready to serve, add the crumbled feta cheese and stir, then divide among shallow bowls.  Top with toasted hazelnuts and serve. 

Grilled Coffee-and-Molasses-Marinated Pork Tenderloin

I usually make notes on new recipes when I try them - what I changed if anything, and what I thought of it (up to 5 stars).  That maybe sounds obsessive but it works for me.  Anyway, this recipe was rated 5 stars (underlined twice) and with the notation "very excellent", which is about as high up in my terminology as a recipe can get.  So that shows you just how impressed I was although I was skeptical before I tried it because molasses is not normally my favorite.  The molasses here is balanced by coffee, vinegar and other flavors to create a full-flavored marinade and sauce for juicy pork tenderloin.

The big flavors balance well with your usual barbecue sides - grilled veggies, baked beans, corn, potato salad.  Going in a slightly different direction, I served the pork with an organic mixed grain blend and sliced sauteed mini-peppers and particularly liked the peppers in combo with the pork.  Try this recipe in place of your typical ribs or burgers for your next cookout and people will be impressed.

Grilled Coffee-and-Molasses-Marinated Pork Tenderloin

Serves 4

1 cup strong brewed coffee, cooled

6 ounces molasses (about ½ cup)

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon ground ginger

6 to 8 sprigs fresh thyme

1 (1 to 1 ¼ lb) pork tenderloin

Combine all ingredients except the pork tenderloin in a 1-gallon zip-top bag; seal and shake to combine.  Add the pork tenderloin to the bag and turn over several times to coat the pork.  Marinate in the refrigerator for at least two hours and up to overnight, turning occasionally.

Preheat a grill to medium-high.  Remove the pork from the bag, saving the marinade.  Grill the pork for 4 minutes on each of 4 sides until it reaches an internal temperature of 140d.  Let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Meanwhile, pour the marinade into a saucepan and boil gently over medium heat, stirring, until reduced to about 2/3 cup, 12 to 15 minutes.  Remove the thyme stems and keep warm.

Pour any accumulated meat juices into the sauce.  Slice the pork into ½” slices and serve with the warm sauce drizzled over.

Pastrami and Rye Panzanella

Panzanella is an Italian salad designed to use up stale bread by soaking it in tomato juices to soften it as part of the salad.  This particular recipe is a fun twist on a pastrami on rye sandwich using pastrami, Swiss cheese and rye bread in addition to traditional ingredients like Romaine, red onion, cucumber, and tomatoes.

The Lawyer was the inspiration for this salad when he recently made homemade turkey pastrami, if you can believe it.  It was a three day project starting with brining a turkey breast for a day, then smoking it on day 2, then curing it until the third day.  The results are excellent and I've been looking for a variety of ways to use the pastrami beyond the usual Reuben sandwich.  If you don't have your own pastrami-smoking Lawyer on hand, you can always buy a thick slice at the store.  It's faster but probably not quite as interesting.

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Pastrami and Rye Panzanella

Serves 4

Choose an airy light rye bread over the dark, dense sort; the latter is too chewy for this salad.

1/2 cup very thinly sliced red onion

3 cups cubed light rye bread

1 garlic clove, grated

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine (or sherry) vinegar

1 pound tomatoes, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks (or cherry tomatoes)

1 medium English cucumber

2 Romaine hearts, chopped

3/4 cup basil leaves, large leaves torn

1/4 pound thick-sliced pastrami, coarsely chopped

¼ pound Swiss cheese, cubed

1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

Preheat the oven to 450°F with the rack in the middle. Put the onion in a bowl and cover with ice water for ten minutes, then drain and pat dry. (Soaking raw onion in cold water mellows the harsh bite.)

Meanwhile, spread out the bread cubes on a baking sheet and bake until the edges are crispy and golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Put the oil and vinegar into a bowl, add the grated garlic and whisk to combine.

In a large bowl, combine the cooled bread, tomatoes and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Toss to combine, gently pressing the tomatoes a bit to release some of the juices.

Chop the cucumber into bite-sized pieces. Add the onions, cucumber, Romaine, basil leaves, pastrami, Swiss cheese and parsley leaves to the salad. Whisk together the dressing, add it to the salad and gently toss to combine.

Island Pork Tenderloin Salad

Last Year's Post: Homemade Chicken Stock
Two Years Ago:   Persian Grilled Chicken with Saffron

There's a lot going on in this salad, which makes it pretty and really interesting to eat - sweet heat on the roast pork, crunch from the wonton crisps and toasted coconut, a tart lemon vinaigrette, and creamy avocado not to mention the red bell pepper and orange.  There are quite a few steps but the good news is that you can make the pork, wonton crisps and vinaigrette in advance, which just leaves you with some chopping and assembly when you want to serve the salad.

The star of the salad is the pork: coated in a rub of salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder and cinnamon, then later glazed with brown sugar, garlic and Tabasco, it's a flavor explosion.

The wonton strips are dusted with the same spice combo that went on the pork, then baked until they're crisp and golden brown.  They were a revelation to me - incredibly easy to make, and very crisp and light.  The hardest part was finding the wonton wrappers in my grocery store.  I finally had to ask someone, who informed me they were in the dairy case near the vegetarian foods like tofu.  What?  I've seen them in the produce section in other stores which makes no sense either.  In any case, they're refrigerated so that gives you a place to start.

I love this kind of composed salad because it's healthy, pretty, and really interesting to eat.  I hope you like it too.

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Island Pork Tenderloin Salad

Serves 4-6

Note: the pork tenderloin may be roasted up to a day in advance and refrigerated, tightly wrapped.  The wonton crisps may be made a day or two in advance and stored in an airtight container.  The vinaigrette may be made a day or two in advance and stored refrigerated.

Spice Mix and Pork:

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 pork tenderloin (1 – 1 ¼ pounds)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Glaze:

½ cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon minced or grated garlic

1 tablespoon Tabasco

Wonton Crisps:

8-10 wonton wrappers

1 tablespoon olive oil

Vinaigrette:

¼ cup olive oil

2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

¼ teaspoon salt

Salad:

8-10 cups baby lettuces

1 orange, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, toasted

1 cup fresh pineapple, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 small avocados, peeled and sliced

Preheat the oven to 350d.

Combine the salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Reserve half the spice mix for the wonton strips, and use the remaining spice mix to coat all sides of the pork tenderloin.  Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, then brown pork on all sides, about 1 minute per side.  Leave pork in skillet.

For the glaze, stir together the brown sugar, garlic and Tabasco and spread on top of the pork tenderloin.  Roast in the middle of the oven until the pork reaches 140d, about 20 minutes.  Let rest for 10-15 minutes.

Turn the oven to 475d.

For the wonton crisps, stack the wonton wrappers together and cut into ¼” strips.  Place the strips in a bowl, peeling the individual strips apart, then drizzle in the 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Add some of the remaining spice mix and carefully toss with your hand.  Taste one of the strips to decide if you want to add more spice mix.  Spread the wonton strips evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 4-5 minutes, stirring once, until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

For the vinaigrette, combine the olive oil, lemon juice and salt in a small jar and shake vigorously (or whisk together in a small bowl).

To assemble the salad, toss the lettuces with some of the vinaigrette and arrange on plates.  Divide the orange slices, red bell pepper strips, coconut flakes, pineapple, avocado and wonton strips between the plates.  Thinly slice the pork and add to each plate.  Drizzle each plate with additional vinaigrette and serve.

French Bread with Roasted Tomatoes and Cheese

 Last Year's Post: Spinach Puff Pastry Tarts
Two Years Ago:    Leek, Bacon and Gruyere Tart

I was thinking this week that breakfast doesn't have to be the same old boring thing.  In Europe, breakfast often involves bread and cheese similar to American breakfasts, but served in different ways.  I wanted to serve some French bread with cheese and roasted tomatoes, and I was inspired to use the idea as an excuse to try a new cheese.  I looked up a list of soft cheeses online and headed to my cheese shop, where I found a cow's milk cheese from southwest France called Chaumes.  The online list of cheeses said it was one of the most popular French cheeses so I decided to give it a try.  It's mild and buttery and tastes a lot like Brie.  As for the tomatoes, I found some nice dark ones at the store but decided to roast them anyway - unless you have perfect peak-of-summer tomatoes, roasting almost always helps intensify their flavor.

One of my friends recently told me she was looking for some 20 minute recipes.  If you count roasting the tomatoes this will take more like 30 minutes, but if you roast them in advance it's about 5 minutes to prep.  And it's so simple that it's basically a non-recipe:  roast some tomatoes and put them on a baguette with some nice soft cheese.  Add a little butter to the bread first if you want, and add some herbs to the tomatoes, and you have a really fast and simple breakfast, lunch or light dinner.  And a great excuse to try a new cheese.

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French Bread with Roasted Tomatoes and Cheese

Serves 2

4 small-ish tomatoes

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

French or Italian dried herb blend (optional but very good)

1 baguette

Butter

Interesting soft cheese (Brie or similar, I used Chaumes)

Chopped parsley, for garnish

To roast the tomatoes:  Preheat the oven to 400d.  Cut each tomato crosswise into slices.  Place on a baking pan and brush with a little olive oil, then sprinkle with salt, pepper and dried herbs.  Roast in the oven for 20 minutes until softened but not collapsed.  Remove and cool.

Cut the baguette crosswise into two pieces, and then cut each piece lengthwise in half.  Spread with a little butter and microwave for a few seconds to warm the bread and melt the butter.  Distribute cheese and tomato slices among the bread pieces and warm for a few more seconds in the microwave if desired.  Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Tuna, White Bean and Fennel Salad

Last Year's Post:  Curried Chicken Salad
Two Years Ago:    Chicken with Caramelized Onion and Cardamom Rice

Tuna and white beans are a time-honored Italian combination for a salad that usually also includes red onion and a lemony dressing.  I recently came across this recipe from the New York Times that includes the fresh flavor and crunch of fennel, which really appealed to me. I decided to adapt it by using canned tuna rather than fresh, and adding some kale to the fennel to make it even healthier.  You could certainly grill some fresh tuna in place of the canned tuna, but I love a good canned tuna salad on occasion and it makes things much simpler and faster.  My personal preference is a high-quality tuna canned in oil because I think tuna packed in water is bland.  I've also heard the tuna packed in pouches tastes fresh, but whichever way you go make sure it's the best tuna you can find.

The key to any great salad is to have a variety of flavors and textures.  This one has creamy beans, meaty tuna, crunchy fennel, tart red onion and bright lemon.  And it's extremely healthy as well, with high-quality protein from the tuna and beans, omega-3s, and all that dark green leafy goodness from the kale.  It's very easy to prepare - can you say no cooking?  (Perfect for a hot summer day...)  All you have to do is make the vinaigrette, chop a few things, and assemble. The recipe recommends serving the salad at room temperature, but the leftovers were just as good cold the next day and the salad keeps extremely well.  Leftovers would be great in a pita at work for lunch.

Have the salad for a light dinner on one of the first warm spring days with a glass of rose wine and imagine you're sitting on a terrace overlooking the Mediterranean.  Ahhhhhh

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Tuna, White Bean and Fennel Salad

Serves 4

½ small red onion, diced

4 cups cooked cannellini or other white beans (or 2 cans of beans, rinsed and drained)

Salt and pepper

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 garlic cloves, pressed or grated

1 large fennel bulb

3-4 large leaves of Tuscan kale, washed, stripped from the stems and thinly cut crosswise

1 (5-6 oz) can tuna (preferably packed in oil), drained and flaked into chunks

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fennel fronds

1 lemon, quartered, for garnish

Soak the diced onion in ice water for 10 minutes (this will tame its bite), then drain.  Drain the beans and put in a bowl.  Add a generous sprinkling of salt, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and the onions and stir.  Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and toss to coat.  Set aside.

To make the dressing, in a small bowl whisk together 2 tablespoons lemon juice, the lemon zest, garlic, a pinch of salt, and 3 tablespoons olive oil.  Set aside.

Cut the fennel tops off and reserve some fronds for garnish.  Cut the bulb in half and cut out the core, then cut crosswise into thin slices.  Add the fennel slices and kale to a bowl, then lightly salt and toss with just enough dressing to barely coat.

To assemble the salad, divide the fennel/kale mixture among 4 plates.  Top with the bean mixture and tuna flakes.  Drizzle a small amount of dressing over each salad, then garnish with parsley, fennel fronds, and lemon quarters.  Serve at room temperature.

Rosemary Chicken with Red Wine Mushroom Sauce

Last Year's Post:  Broccoli Cheese Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Two Years Ago:    Benedictine Sandwiches

I paid a visit to a new international market in town today just to see what was there, since they tend to carry interesting and unusual foods.  In particular, I've found that international markets carry all sorts of produce that you can't find in normal grocery stores.  Case in point, I found some very cute little white beech mushrooms that I decided to add to this recipe.  Of course you can use any kind of wild mushrooms you want but I thought they added visual interest as well as taste and texture, and they're a cute garnish.

Having said that, the primary star of the show is the deep rich red wine mushroom sauce. Tremendous depth of flavor is added by soaking dried porcini mushrooms in hot broth, then adding both the reconstituted porcinis and their soaking liquid to the sauce.  Of course the bacon doesn't hurt, either.  The dish tastes like it came from France or Italy and was simmered for hours.

The original recipe called for grilling boneless skinless chicken thighs.  If it's cold outside and you don't want to grill, just grill the chicken on an indoor grill pan or saute in a regular fry pan.  You could also substitute boneless skinless chicken breasts or cutlets for the thighs, whichever you prefer.

Be sure to serve the chicken with mashed potatoes or pappardelle pasta to soak up all the delicious sauce.

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Rosemary Chicken with Red Wine Mushroom Sauce

Serves 4

1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breast cutlets

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for for drizzling

Salt and pepper

3 stems fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and chopped

1 cup chicken stock

2 slices bacon, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 shallot, finely chopped

8 ounces cremini mushrooms (can also use other wild mushrooms or a mix), cleaned, stemmed and sliced

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 cup dry red wine

Heat an outdoor grill, grill pan or sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Drizzle chicken with oil, season with salt, pepper and rosemary.  Cook chicken 4-5 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through.  Remove from heat and let rest 5 minutes.

Place stock in a small saucepan and heat on high until hot but not boiling.  Add dried porcinis, stirring to make sure the mushrooms are submerged.  Cover the pan and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes to reconstitute the mushrooms.  Remove the mushrooms from the broth and chop.  Strain the broth through a paper towel over a sieve to remove any grit, then set the broth aside.

In a medium skillet, add 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat.  Add the bacon, garlic and shallot and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.  Add the cremini mushrooms to the pan and season with salt and pepper.  Sauté mushrooms for 10 minutes until browned.  Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute.  Add red wine to the pan and stir for 1 minute to reduce and thicken the sauce.  Add reserved mushroom stock and porcinis to the pan and simmer 1-2 minutes longer to combine.

Add the cooked chicken back to the pan and spoon sauce over to re-warm the chicken pieces for a minute or two.  Serve chicken with sauce over the top.