Summer is upon us and it is time to lighten up a little on our recipes. Well, at least for today. (I have an amazing mac-n-cheese recipe coming soon – sorry!)
I was short on time tonight for dinner and did not have the time to stop at the grocery store. I looked in my refrigerator and saw that I had some tomatoes-on-the-vine. I always have plenty of pasta at home, so I decided to combine the two.
I made this simple pasta dish using the ingredients I had in my pantry. Of course I added my usual lemon zest and fresh lemon juice. Needless to say, this dish took almost no time to prepare. It’s simplicity made it appealing, and I will be making this many more times this summer, especially when the tomatoes in my vegetable garden start to ripen.
This is a fabulous way to get a delicious meal on the table quickly. The cooked tomatoes, combined with the lemon zest, juice and red pepper flakes dance a beautiful waltz in your mouth. This is a memorable side dish that will add some elegance to any main dish. It will make your meal elegant and forever enshrined in your mind.
This Tomato Pasta will serve 4-5 people who will be thrilled to be eating it!
Ingredients for Tomato Pasta
8 ounces pappardelle pasta (or any kind you have at home) 4 medium tomatoes 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 tbsp. lemon zest 1 tbsp. lemon juice 2 tbsp. olive oil 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes 1 tsp. kosher salt 1/2 tsp. pepper 1/4 cup Parmesan-Reggiano
Cook pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain and set aside.
In a saucepan, heat the olive oil.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Toss in the tomatoes, lemon zest, lemon juice salt and pepper.
Cook for about 5 minutes or less, or until you see the tomatoes just begin to soften.
As the years progress, I have somehow inherited the role of hosting most of the holidays at my home. Don’t misunderstand me; that is NOT a complaint. In fact, I enjoy hosting the holidays at my home despite the work. My own family is growing so quickly. Nieces and nephews are getting married and having children. Ten guests have easily grown into 20 over the past ten years. I love having every one of them.
There are some ways that you can make hosting the holidays at your home easier. The most important thing is to be very organized. Plan your meal ahead. Find your recipes and make copies of them. This will keep your cookbook pages nice and clean! Organize your shopping list (read and reread so you do not omit anything) by the location of items in your grocery store (i.e., produce, baking goods). Bring the copies of the recipes with you just in case you need to refer to it while you are in the store.
You can easily shop for your non-perishables a week ahead and your produce 2-3 days ahead. This gives you ample time to run back to the store as needed. (Don’t we always forget something?).
Make what you can in advance. For example, soups, many appetizers and baked goods freeze really well, as does brisket. If you work, you might want to plan your menu around recipes that you can freeze. There are also those recipes that can be prepared the night before, so all you have to do is place them in the oven the next day. Any free time for you is the chance to spend more time with your guests.
Throwing any holiday or family get-together does not have to be stressful. Create place cards for your guests. Turn off the bright lights and light candles, which will give your room a warm glow. Use cloth napkins and fold them in a special way. Don’t forget to plan the music. This will really help set the mood for your holiday. Do as much as you can in advance (i.e., set the table) and you will find yourself stress-free and enjoying every minute.
Onto the recipe for today. I wasn’t sure about the pecans. Then I thought why not? I love almost any kind of oatmeal cookie. I love the texture and the chewy inside. It was worth a try.
To my surprise, I loved these cookies. They were crunchy on the outside and chewy and soft in the middle. They are like eating soft, flavorful mounds bursting with all that crumbly goodness.
Again, Ina Garten’s recipe is spot on. This recipe made about 25-30 cookies. I would make the mounds a little larger than 2-inches, as the recipe calls for. But maybe that’s just me. I like my cookies big. However you make them I know you will love them. It made a pecan-raisin walnut cookie lover out of me!
Ingredients for Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies
1 1/2 cups pecans 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed 1 cup granulated sugar 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. kosher salt 3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal 1 1/2 cups raisins
Preheat oven to 350.
Place the pecans on a sheet pan and bake for 5 minutes, until crisp. Set aside to cool. Chop coarsely.
In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together in a medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla.
Sift the flour . baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together into a medium bowl. With the mixer n low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture.
Add the oats, raisins, and the pecans and mix until just combined.
Using a small ice-cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop 2-inch mounds of dough onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper.
Flatten slightly with a damp hand.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, until lightly browned.
Transfer the cookies to a baking rack and cool completely.
The title of this recipe says it all. What’s not to like? This is a simple (yes, I promise) dish with great flavor.
Mediterranean cuisine is influenced by the wonderful essence of Italian, Greek and French cultures, while using an abundance of basil, oregano, olives and olive oil. Recently, the cuisine has expanded its range to the eastern Mediterranean (i.e., Turkey, Israel) cultures as well. You may have seen a lot of Middle Eastern restaurants serving foods with herbs and spices that are traditionally found in Mediterranean establishments.
This light and easy recipe will tickle your taste buds. Cutting the garlic takes up most of the time needed to prepare this recipe. The greatest thing about this side dish, besides its wonderful flavor, is that it is healthy and can accompany any main course. It is the perfect way to start off the summer. Although it is not technically summer, we are close enough to bathing suit time, to start eating healthy and to reach that weight goal we so desperately seek!
This recipe will serve 4 happy “to be” eating mediterranean people.
Ingredients for Roasted Broccoli and Tomatoes
12 ounces broccoli crowns, trimmed and cut into florets (about 4 cups)
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. capers, drained
Preheat oven to 450.
Toss broccoli, tomatoes, onion, oil, garlic and salt in a large bowl until evenly coated.
Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet.
Bake until the broccoli begins to brown, 10 to 13 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine lemon zest and juice, olives, oregano and capers in a large bowl.
Roasting anything, from potatoes to vegetables, is a very fast and easy way to get dinner on the table. It also elicits the full flavor and a depth of caramelization which delight your taste buds.
These potatoes are coated with fresh herbs, infused with lemon and topped off with Parmesan cheese. Have I got your attention yet? I hope so, because they are just that wonderful. They are roasted to perfection and come out of the oven with a beautiful golden crispy outside and a tender, delicate inside.
This is definitely one of those recipes you will preparing again and again. It is full of fresh flavor and you may find you will be eating many more of the potatoes than you planned to!
This recipe will feed about 4-6 people who will find eating them just too hard to resist! A “must-try”.
Ingredients for Parmesan Roasted Potatoes
2 pounds red baby potatoes, halved 3 tbsp. good olive oil 4 garlic cloves, minced 4tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped 3/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated or shredded 1/2 lemon, zested 1/2 fresh lemon juice 1 tsp. kosher salt 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 450.
In a large mixing bowl, toss the potatoes with the olive oil, garlic, oregano, parsley, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper.
Pour mixture onto a large baking sheet. Potato halves should be facing up (skin side down).
Sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the potatoes are golden brown.
This is another cabbage recipe you must try! Any roasted vegetable is delicious, but with this infused garlic-lemon oil, it takes roasting to another level of flavor.
Many people tell me that some of the recipes on my blog are not “easy.” I think it depends on the recipe and I try to give you a heads up if it may not be so simple. This recipe has to be number one in the uncomplicated department. Read it through. It just does not get any easier than this! `
This cabbage recipe demands virtually no effort, yet is bursting with flavor. I infused the olive oil with garlic to ensure that the garlic would not burn when I roasted it. You really don’t have to. I have made plenty of roasted vegetables with chopped garlic and I never had any problem with it burning. I just wanted to see if the garlic-infused olive oil packed the same punch. I was not disappointed. This is a wonderful, pleasant way of making cabbage.
There is just no reason not to make this recipe. You will get about 3-4 servings, and even if you don’t like cabbage, this one may just make a cabbage-lover out of you!
Ingredients for Roasted Cabbage Wedges
1 large head of green cabbage, sliced vertically, from top to bottom
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped (or any herb you would prefer)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 lemon, zested
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 450.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Pour oil into a small bowl.
Place garlic and lemon zest in the bowl with the oil. Mix well and set aside.
Starting at the top of the cabbage, cut it from top to bottom into 1 inch wedges.
Place cab` bage on the baking sheet.
Strain the oil-garlic mixture through a strainer into another bowl.
Add the lemon juice and mix.
Pour the mixture evenly over the cabbage wedges.
Sprinkle with the oregano, salt and pepper.
Place in oven for 20-25 minutes, until you see the edges of the cabbage turning brown.
