Charred Tomato Vinaigrette from the bittenword.com

6a00e55015ee52883301b7c7c0f901970b-650wi1/2 pound tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped parsley, cilantro or basil
Kosher salt
Pepper

Light a grill or preheat a grill pan to medium-high. In a medium bowl, toss the tomatoes with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Grill, turning, until blistered and lightly charred, 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool slightly.

In a food processor, combine the grilled tomatoes with the vinegar, lemon juice and mustard and pulse to blend. With the machine on, slowly drizzle in the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil. Transfer the vinaigrette to a medium bowl, stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Total Time: 20 minutes
Makes 1 1/4 cups

 

Best Tomato Soup Ever from Ree Drumond

WU0508H_best-tomato-soup-ever-recipe_s4x3.jpg.rend.snigalleryslide.landscape1 medium white or yellow onion
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
Two 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
One 46-ounce bottle or can tomato juice
3 to 6 tablespoons sugar
1 or 2 tablespoons veggie base
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup sherry, optional
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

To begin, dice the onion. Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven. Throw in the onion and cook until translucent.

Now dump in the diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Add the tomato juice.

Next – and this is important – in order to combat the acidity of the tomatoes add 3 to 6 tablespoons of sugar. Now, you’ll want to start on the low side, then taste and add more as needed. Some tomatoes and juice have more of an acidic bite than others. (For what it’s worth, and I realize it’s not worth much, I use 6 tablespoons of sugar.)

Next, add 1 or 2 tablespoons chicken base to the pot. I added 3, and it wound up being a little too much.

Now you can add lots of freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine, then heat almost to a boil. Then turn off the heat.

Add in the sherry if desired. Stir in the cream. Add the basil and parsley and stir.

Serve the soup warm!

Penne Alla Betsy from Ree Drumond

WU0506H_penne-alla-betsy-recipe_s4x3.jpg.rend.sni12col.landscapeSalt
1 pound penne pasta
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup white wine, optional
Two 14.5-ounce cans tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
6 leaves fresh basil, cut in chiffonade
Milk, for thinning
Freshly ground black pepper
Crusty French bread, for serving

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the penne until al dente (firm yet tender). Drain and set aside.

Begin by peeling and deveining the shrimp and rinsing them under cold water.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of the butter and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. When the pan is hot, add the shrimp. Stir and cook on both sides until just starting to turn opaque, about 2 minutes. Remove to a plate and allow to cool slightly.

In a large skillet over medium heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the garlic and onion. Stir to combine and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes.

Pour the wine into the pan if using. Stir and allow it to evaporate, about 45 seconds. Pour in the tomato sauce and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low. Pour in the cream. Mmmm. Stir well to combine; reduce the heat to simmer.

And now for the fun part: remove the tails from the shrimp, chop the shrimp into medium-size pieces and add them to the sauce. Stir gently to combine.

Next, dump in the parsley and basil and stir. Add the cooked, drained pasta. Stir gently to coat. If the sauce is too thick, splash in a little milk to get it to the right consistency. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper. Be sure to taste the seasonings at the end, adjusting if necessary.

Serve directly out of the skillet, or pour the contents of the skillet into a pretty serving bowl. Serve with crusty French bread – and more wine.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/penne-alla-betsy-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Celery and Parmesan Salad from real simple

4 stcelery-parmesan-salad_300alks celery, thinly sliced, plus 1/4 cup celery leaves
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
 kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 ounce Parmesan, shaved

Toss the celery, celery leave, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Gently toss in the Parmesan. Serve cold or at room temperature.

 

Oven-Fried Eggplant Poboy Sandwiches from fatftreevegan.com

eggplant-poboy-sandwich

  • 1 large eggplant (approximately 1 1/4 pound)
  • 3/4 cup non-dairy milk of choice
  • 1/2 cup cornmeal
  • 1/4 cup brown rice flour
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt (if desired)
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (more or less, to taste)
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
  1. Peel the eggplant and trim off the ends. Slice it into rounds about 1/2-inch thick. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all remaining ingredients and mix well. You should have a batter a little thicker than pancake batter. If it seems dry, add a splash of non-dairy milk.
  3. Dip each eggplant slice into the batter and turn it to coat both sides and edges well. Holding the slice between two fingers, allow any excess batter to drip back into the bowl, and place the eggplant on the baking sheet. Repeat with as many slices as you can fit on the baking sheet, being careful that they do not touch. (If your baking sheet is small, you may need to make two batches; batter can thicken between batches, so add more liquid if necessary.)
  4. Place in the oven. After 20 minutes, remove and gently turn each slice–you may have to hold the parchment paper and peel it from the eggplant. Replace and cook until outsides are brown but not burning, about 15 more minutes.
  5. Serve hot on hoagie rolls or French bread with marinara sauce, lettuce, and tomato.

Notes

I used soy milk, which thickens with the addition of lemon juice. If you use another plant-based milk, you may need to add a little extra flour if the batter seems thin.

Other flours should work, but I have only tested it at this time with brown rice flour. If you use a different flour, use your judgement about whether the batter needs to be thinned with extra milk or thickened with extra flour.

Preparation time: 20 minute(s) | Cooking time: 35 minute(s)

Smoked Corn and Black Bean Salad

  • 3 or 4 eaFD-smokesignalsJuly150181435429156rs smoked corn 
  • 1/3 cup diced sweet onion
  • 1/2 cup seeded, diced green bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup seeded, diced red bell pepper
  • 1 teaspoon minced, seeded and stemmed serrano pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 16 ounces cooked or canned, no-salt-added black beans (if using canned, drain, rinse and dry on paper towels)
  • 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro leaves
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more as needed
  • 3 or 4 grindings of black pepper, or more as needed

Scrape enough kernels from the ears to yield 3 cups. Transfer to a large bowl; discard the cobs or reserve for making broth (see related recipe). Add the onion, bell and serrano peppers, garlic, black beans, cilantro, oil, lime juice, salt and pepper (to taste); toss gently to incorporate.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (and up to 5 days). Taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed; serve chilled or at room temperature.

 

Roz’s Caprese Salad with Grape Tomatoes, Mozzarella & Basil

RosalindCorieriPaigeCaprSaladCopyrighted1

  • 4 – 5 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in halves
  • 1 lb fresh imported Italian mozzarella, cut into ¼ – ½” cubes
  • ¼ cup extra virgin, first preseed Italian olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar (or red wine vinegar for a more mild flavor)
  • 10 – 15 large fresh basil leaves (to taste)
  • Italian sea salt to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Fresh Italian bread
  1. Toss together the tomatoes, mozzarella, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.
  2. Tear the basil into large pieces and toss into the salad.
  3. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  4. Serve immediately (can be refrigerated to serve a little bit later too).
  5. Serve with fresh, crusty Italian bread

 

Buffalo Cauliflower from twobites.com

buffalo-cauliflower-4Cauliflower
1 medium head cauliflower
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp hot sauce

Buffalo sauce
3 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp Frank’s hot sauce
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt

 

  • Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
  • In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower with the olive oil and buffalo sauce.  Spread out onto a baking sheet.
  • Roast for 15 minutes, flip the pieces of cauliflower, then return to the oven to roast for 10 more minutes.
  • Whisk together the melted butter and hot sauce.  Drizzle over the cauliflower and gentle toss to coat each piece.  Return the cauliflower to the oven for 5 more minutes.  Serve hot with a side of ranch or blue cheese for dipping.

Notes

  • You can use more or less hot sauce in the buffalo sauce to make them as hot as you’d like!  I used Frank’s Hot Sauce.

Spinach and Berries Salad with Dill, Phyllis Keating

spinach_and_berries_salad_w_dillRed Wine Vinaigrette
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
2 clove garlic
1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoons pepper
1/4 teaspoons dry mustard
1/4 teaspoons onion powder

Salad
1 cup almonds
1 pounds baby spinach
1 pounds butter lettuce
1 bunch scallions
1/2 pints strawberries
1/2 pints raspberries
1/2 pints blueberries
1/4 c dill weed

Toast the almonds for about 5 minutes at 350F . Cool. Toss the almonds, spinach, lettuce, onions, fruit and dill week in a large bowl. Add the vinaigrette just before serving and toss to coat.  Serving Size: 8

Dante’s Potato Salad Recipe adapted from

“Feeding the Fire: Recipes & Strategies for Better Barbecue & Grilling,” by Joe Carroll and Nick Fauchald

Feature-Image-Potato-Salad-Feeding-The-Fire-Dinner-Party-Entertaining-Joe-Carroll-Spuyten-Duyvil-St.-Anselm-Fette-Sau-Brooklyn-Williamsburg-NYC-BBQ-Grilling-Outdoor-Cooking-Recipe¼ cup, plus 1 tablespoon, olive oil, divided
1 large Spanish onion, diced
4 pounds Yukon Gold or other waxy potatoes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
¼ cup cider vinegar
Pinch of cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons finely chopped chives

1. In a large skillet over medium-low heat, warm 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until translucent and just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. You don’t want the onion to brown. Transfer the onion to a bowl and let cool.

2. In a large saucepan, cover the potatoes with water by 1 inch and season generously with salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain the potatoes and transfer them to a cutting board.

3. While the potatoes are cooling, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar and cayenne. Slowly whisk in the remaining ¼ cup of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

4. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them into ½-inch dice.

5. Toss the warm potatoes and reserved onions with the vinaigrette. Add the chives, season with salt and pepper, and toss again. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 day.  Yield: 8 to 10 servings