Cherry Tomato, Feta & Basil Salad

 

Recipe from Monica Pileggi

I was supposed to make a Tabbouleh salad for our most recent LOTL's pool party but something came up that I didn't have the time to make it.

I had a bunch of cherry tomatoes and fresh basil on hand, so I whipped this up quickly for the party.

Ingredients

1 clove garlic, minced

3 T. Olive Oil

1 T. Balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Squeeze of lemon juice, maybe 1/2 t.

2 C. Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half

Fresh basil, chopped, about 12 leaves

1/4 C. Crumbled Feta cheese

Directions

Combine the first five ingredients in a serving bowl and whisk together. 

Add the tomatoes, basil, and feta cheese; toss to combine. 

Orange Chicken with Bulgur Pilaf

 Recipe from Debbie Zrike

Recipe link: https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/orange-chicken-bulgur-pilaf

Ingredients

4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest plus 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
½ cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
1 cup bulgur wheat  

6 scallions, sliced

Directions

In a large bowl, toss the chicken with the zest, half the scallions, 2 tablespoons oregano, 1 tablespoon oil, and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper.

In another bowl, combine the tomatoes, olives, 2 tablespoons oil, the remaining scallions and oregano, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Heat the remaining teaspoon of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.

Add the chicken and cook until golden, 8 to 9 minutes per side. Add the orange juice during the last minute of cooking.

Meanwhile, cook the bulgur according to the package directions. Toss with the tomato mixture; serve with the chicken.

Notes from Debbie: I used Red & White Quinoa in place of the bulgur wheat; purchased at Lowes.

Deviled Eggs

Recipe from Monica Pileggi

There are many, many recipes for making deviled eggs. This is my creation.

Ingredients

1 dozen extra large eggs, hard boiled and peeled

4 T. Mayonnaise

1-1/2 t. Dijon mustard

1 T. Blue cheese dressing

1 T. minced white onion

A little bit of dried Dill

Dash of Curry

Salt and pepper to taste

A dash or two of hot pepper sauce (optional)

Paprika to garnish

Cut the eggs in half lengthwise. Scoop the yolks in a large bowl (I actually slightly bend the white and it pops out); place the whites in a serving platter.

Combine the yolks with the remaining ingredients (except for the paprika) and mash until smooth with a fork. 

Fill each white with the yolk mixture with a spoon. Sprinkle the tops with paprika. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for a few hours.

Notes: 

I add the mayo, dijon, and blue cheese dressing a little at a time until I get the right consistency and taste. Adjust to your liking. You may want more blue cheese, or less. If you don't like curry, leave it out. I don't add much, so it's not that noticeable.

I use my Instant Pot (IP) to hard-boil the eggs, using the 5-5-5 method: 5 minutes pressure cooking, 5 minutes natural pressure release, and 5 minutes in an ice water bath using a large bowl. 

If you don't have an IP, you can follow this method on steaming eggs (skip the crazy shaking of the eggs in a food storage container and follow my ice water bath method):   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV9nz1qlY64.  Steaming is a better method than boiling directly in the water because the eggs will peel very easily.

Jeweled Israeli Couscous

Recipe from Candy Elzey for a Lakes book club

Recipe link: https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/jeweled-israeli-couscous

Ingredients
 
3 Tbs. olive oil
2/3 cup Israeli couscous
1/4 cup finely chopped shallot (from about 1 large shallot)
1-1/3 cups chicken broth
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
2 Tbs. golden raisins
1/3 packed cup fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped (or parsley or cilantro)
1/4 cup pomegranate arils
3 Tbs. toasted salted pistachios, coarsely chopped
1-1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
 
Preparation
 
In a small saucepan with a lid, heat 2 Tbs. of the oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the couscous and shallot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallot is tender and the couscous is lightly toasted, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the broth and salt, stir to combine, and bring to a boil. Cover, leaving the lid ajar, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 12 minutes.
 
Remove the pot from the heat, stir in the raisins, cover, and let stand 5 minutes. Transfer the couscous to a serving bowl and let cool to room temperature. When the couscous has cooled, stir in the mint, pomegranate arils, pistachios, zest, and juice. Stir in the remaining 1 Tbs. oil, and serve.

Candy’s Notes: Exchanged chopped dates for raisins. Doubled the recipe.

Sweet Potato Wedges with Farro and Tahini

Recipe from Maria Dowd

This is a recipe from Maria’s cookbook: Love and Lemons Every Day: More than 100 Bright, Plant-Forward Recipes for Every Meal by Jeanine Donofrio.  She did not make it with the sweet potatoes.

See the following link for a photo of the recipe:
https://www.parentscanada.com/food/sweet-potato-wedges-with-farro-and-tahini-recipe/
 
Ingredients
 
1 medium sweet potato, halved lengthwise and cut into 12 wedges
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Red pepper flakes (optional)
 
Lemon tahini dressing

1/4 cup tahini
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons water
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
 
Herbed farro

2 cups cooked farro or soft wheat berries (see tip below)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped chives
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 cups baby arugula
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the sweet potato wedges on the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with pinches of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Toss to coat, then spread the wedges on the baking sheet with a little space between each one. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges.

Make the farro: In a large bowl, toss the farro with the olive oil, salt, lemon juice, parsley, cilantro, chives, cayenne, arugula, and a few grinds of black pepper.

Arrange the farro salad on a platter and top with the roasted sweet potatoes. Drizzle with the tahini dressing. Serve with lemon wedges and red pepper flakes, if desired.

Tip

For farro: 1 cup dry + pot of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, 25 to 40 minutes for farro and soft wheat berries, 45 to 60 minutes for hard wheat berries, or until tender. Add more water if necessary. Drain excess water.

Curried Couscous

 

Recipe from Monica Pileggi

This is a recipe that I’ve made quite a few times and it’s always a hit. I adapted the recipe from: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/curried-couscous-recipe-1951578
 

My changes are in [ ].

1 1/2 cups couscous
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups boiling water [I use low sodium chicken broth. You can use vegetable broth too]
[I added 1/4 t of salt to the water]
 
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt [Too much in my opinion! I only used 1/2 teaspoon]
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
[I added a pinch of sugar]
 
1/2 cup small-diced carrots
1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup dried currants or raisins [I used dried cranberries]
1/4 cup blanched, sliced almonds [Or more]
2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
1/4 cup small-diced red onion
[I added a can (15.5 oz) drained garbanzo beans]
 
Place the couscous in a medium bowl. Melt the butter in the boiling water [add the salt before boiling the water] and pour over the couscous. Cover tightly and allow the couscous to soak for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
 
Whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, vinegar, curry, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Pour over the fluffed couscous and mix well with a fork. [I doubled the yogurt dressing, as the couscous soaked up the dressing and was a little on the dry side].
 
Add the carrots, parsley, currants, almonds, scallions, and red onions, mix well, and season to taste.
 
Serve at room temperature.
 
My Comments:
 
1.5 cups of couscous makes a huge portion, even for a dinner party of 14 people. Now I just use 1 cup of couscous but keep the same measurements (along with doubling the dressing.
 
You can be creative and add whatever vegetables, dried fruits, diced grilled chicken, etc., that you like. It’s really a versatile recipe.