Olive Tapenade Grilled Cheese

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yum

 

 

 

my version

my version made with lemon boy tomatoes and provolone cheese

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Makes one big sandwich

  • 2 slices rustic bread, sliced
  • 4 tablespoons black olive tapenade
  • 2 slices mozzarella cheese
  • 2 slices tomato
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons butter

yu Pat tomato slices dry, sprinkle with salt, and set aside while you assemble the other ingredients. Spread each slice of bread with two tablespoons of the tapenade. Top with cheese, and the sliced tomato. Butter outside of sandwich, and cook in a skillet over medium heat until cheese melts and bread is golden brown.

Read more: http://www.fromaway.com/sandwiches/olive-tapenade-grilled-cheese#ixzz2bOhcdP8M

 

Tomatonaise Is The Condiment Of The Summer from food republic

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Note next time I make this I will whirl the tomatoes and then add other ingredients.

Happy first hot day of the summer! Why am I wearing a cardigan? I don’t know! How long do air conditioning units last? I think mine’s broken, or else the filter is unhappy. But I’m super happy because hot weather, besides making blow-drying one’s hair absolutely excruciating and sweaty enough to basically be pointless, means there will most likely be tomatoes at the farmers market this weekend. And that means tomatonaise sandwiches.

What is tomatonaise? It’s my secret summer weapon. It’s just super-ripe tomatoes food-processed, or immersion-blended, with mayo, salt and pepper in a ratio that only you can dictate. If it’s more tomatoey, it’s an amazing spread or finishing touch on fish. If it’s more mayo-esque, it’s also an amazing spread on a simple sandwich like leftover baked ham or sharp cheddar. If it’s chunkier, it’s a nice little salad with some basil. You cannot lose. Unless you don’t like tomatoes or mayonnaise, and some people don’t. Crazy people.

Here are some other things you can do with tomatonaise, other than loading it into a baguette and eating the whole thing:

  • Toss it with shredded chicken for a super-juicy and flavorful closer-to-vegetarian tomato chicken salad. Nobody said Meatless Monday was about cold turkey. Ooh! Tomato turkey salad!
  • Top your burger with it = ketchup pouts in the corner. Pouts harder when the party turns into a pizza burger.
  • Top your meatball sandwich with it = tomato sauce pouts in the corner.
  • Mix with pasta and anything that goes with pasta or tomatoes (slow pitch right there) and chill for pasta salad.
  • Introduce it to brie.

Guaca-chi The Washington Post, August 7, 2013

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This marriage of kimchi and guacamole isn’t anything close to traditional, but it’s what happened when Food editor Joe Yonan was called upon to make a quick appetizer for a group of hungry people while he was staying in an unfamiliar house.

Don’t mash the avocados the way you would when making guacamole; they’re best left in chunks. The dish is best served just after it has been made.

Serve with tortilla chips or crackers.  Makes 1 3/4 cups (4 appetizer servings)

  • Flesh of 1 ripe avocado, cut into large chunks
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)
  • 1/2 cup homemade or store-bought kimchi, preferably spicy, with its liquid
  • Sea salt (optional)

Toss the avocado chunks with the lime juice in a serving bowl.

Chop the kimchi if the pieces are bigger than bite-size, then gently toss it and all of its liquid with the avocado. Taste, add salt if necessary, and serve.

Grilled Portobellos mushrooms with tomato and fresh mozzarella salad Giada

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3 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for greasing grill pan
4 large portobello mushrooms (about 5 inches in diameter), stemmed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 small to medium sized vine ripened tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
8 ounces fresh water-packed mozzarella, drained, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Prepare the grill (medium-high heat).

Drizzle 3 tablespoons of olive oil over both sides of the mushrooms. Sprinkle the mushrooms with salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil on grill pan to prevent mushrooms from sticking. Grill until the mushrooms are heated through and tender, about 5 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, whisk the extra-virgin olive oil and garlic in a medium bowl to blend. Add the tomatoes, cheese, and basil and toss to coat. Season the tomato salad, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Place 1 hot grilled mushroom gill side up on each of 4 plates. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper. Spoon the tomato salad atop the mushrooms, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil to finish, about 1 tablespoon and serve.

Chickless Pot Pie Trisha Yearwood

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1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 cup frozen green peas
1 cup small diced potatoes
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup butter substitute, such as Earth Balance
1/3 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 3/4 cups vegetable broth
2/3 cup almond or soy milk
Two 9-inch deep dish, unbaked pie crusts, lard free

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
In a medium saucepan, combine the carrots, peas, potatoes and celery. Cover with water, bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the onions in the butter substitute until they are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, celery seed and garlic powder. Cook for 2 minutes to get the flour taste out. Slowly stir in the broth and then add the milk. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until thick, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the drained vegetables.

Roll out one of the unbaked crusts and place in a 9-inch-deep pie plate. Pour the mixture into the bottom crust. Roll out the second pie crust and place on top. Seal the edges and cut small slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Bake until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbly, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Cook’s Note: Line a jelly-roll pan or baking sheet with foil and place the pie on that before cooking. It will keep any filling from dripping into the oven and burning.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/chickless-pot-pie-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

Classic Chicken and Grape Salad

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Always a hit! Serves 8-10

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, poached and cooled to room temperature.
  • 5 ribs celery, coarsely chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups seedless green grapes, cut in half
  • 1 1/2 t. dried thyme
  • 1 1/2 t garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 cups (or less, as needed) Hellmann’s mayonnaise use much less
  • slivered almonds

DIRECTIONS

  • Use un-chicken, cut up (Cut the chicken breasts in 3/4 – 1″ chunks)

  • Toss the un-chicken, celery, and grapes together in a large bowl. Season with the thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Bind the salad with the mayonnaise. You want to use enough to make the salad moist and creamy.

  • Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

Source: Nantucket Open House Cookbook

Arugula, Watermelon and Feta Salad Ina Garten

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For the vinaigrette:
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/4 cup minced shallots (1 large)
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 cups baby arugula, washed and spun dry
1/8th seedless watermelon, rind removed, and cut in 1-inch cubes
12 ounces good feta cheese, 1/2-inch diced
1 cup (4 ounces) whole fresh mint leaves, julienned
Directions
Whisk together the orange juice, lemon juice, shallots, honey, salt, and pepper. Slowly pour in the olive oil, whisking constantly, to form an emulsion. If not using within an hour, store the vinaigrette covered in the refrigerator.

Place the arugula, watermelon, feta, and mint in a large bowl. Drizzle with enough vinaigrette to coat the greens lightly and toss well. Taste for seasonings and serve immediately.

Notes:  I did not measure anything except the dressing.  I substituted baby lettuces for the arugula, used less feta and played around with the vinaigrette using 3 tbsp olive oil, 3 tbsp oj and I tbsp lemon juice with the other listed ingredients.

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“Chicken” and Broccoli Stir-fry

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1 unchicken, cubed
3 scallions, whites only, thinly sliced on an angle
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
About 1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 to 6 cups broccoli, trimmed sliced stalks and medium florets (keep the 2 cuts separate)
3/4 to 1 teaspoon red chili flakes, optional
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
Garnish: toasted sesame seeds, optional
Serving suggestion: Jasmine rice

In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with the scallion whites, about half the garlic and ginger, the soy sauce, sugar, 1 teaspoon of the cornstarch, 1 teaspoon of the salt, the sherry, and the sesame oil. Marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes. Mix the remaining cornstarch with 1/3 cup water.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and heat. Add the broccoli stems, and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the florets and the remaining garlic, ginger, 2 tablespoons of water, and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Stir-fry until the broccoli is bright green but still crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Get the skillet good and hot again, and then heat 2 more tablespoons oil. Add the chicken and chili flakes if using. Stir-fry until the chicken loses its raw color and gets a little brown, about 3 minutes. Add the hoisin sauce, return the broccoli to the pan and toss to heat through. Stir in the reserved cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil to thicken. Add more water if need to thin the sauce, if necessary. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if you like. Mound the stir-fry on a serving platter or divide among 4 plates and garnish with sesame seeds; serve with rice.

SERVES 4; Calories: 431; Total Fat 16 grams; Saturated Fat: 2 grams; Protein: 32 grams; Total carbohydrates: 40 grams; Sugar: 8 grams Fiber 4 grams; Cholesterol: 66 milligrams; Sodium: 1,097 milligrams

Notes: The garlic and ginger can be chopped together in a minichopper to save time.

Scallion greens can also be used to garnish, if you like that extra onion-y flavor and you want to use up the scallions.

The broccoli stems are used (love all that fiber) to add textural contrast and also to help bulk up the dish, and why waste them?

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/chicken-and-broccoli-stir-fry-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

Orange Pecan Wild Rice Ina Garten

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1 cup wild rice
1 1/4 cups veggie stock
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
kosher salt
1 cup green seedless grape, halved
1/2 cup scallion, sliced in rounds, white and light green parts (2 scallions)
1 cup pecan halves, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Place the rice, chicken stock, 1 1/4 cups water, 1 tablespoon butter, and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover the pot and lower the heat to simmer ( she pulls the pan halfway off the burner) and cook for about 1 hour, until the rice is tender and the grains begin to burst open. Stir the rice occasionally while it’s cooking, scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent it from sticking. Turn off the heat, and allow the rice to steam for about 5 minutes.

Stir the remaining tablespoon of butter into the rice, then add the grapes, scallions, pecans, orange zest, orange juice, 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper and toss. Taste for seasonings and serve hot.