Summer Soup

Adam saw this recipe on Giada at Home and immediately decided he wanted it. Anytime Adam says he wants a soup, I go with it, as it doesn't happen very often. This soup has a great kick and is perfectly refreshing for summer. The recipe calls for polenta croutons, but we just made a loaf of bread as an accompaniment and topped the gazpacho with a dollop of yogurt. This was a perfect meal for a summer weeknight.

Cherry Tomato and Chile Gazpacho (Giada at Home, www.foodnetwork.com, Giada De Laurentiis)

Gazpacho:

1 lb. ripe cherry tomatoes (about 4 cups)

2 medium cucumbers, peeled and chopped, or 4 Persian cucumbers, chopped

1 jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, deveined, and coarsely chopped

1 serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, deveined, and coarsely chopped

1 large or 2 small shallots, coarsely chopped

1 clove garlic, smashed

2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar

2 to 3 tsp. hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning

Croutons:

vegetable oil, for frying

1/2 tube (9 oz) store-bought, pre-cooked polenta, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

3 Tbs. grated Parmesan

1. For the gazpacho: Place the tomatoes, cucumbers, chiles, shallots, garlic, vinegar, hot sauce, and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, to taste. Refrigerate for 2 hours until ready to serve.

2. For the croutons: In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour enough oil to fill the pan with 1 inch of oil. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 375 degrees F. (If you don't have a thermometer, a cube of bread will brown in about 3 minutes.) Working in batches, carefully add the polenta cubes and fry, stirring occasionally to keep the cubes separated, until golden brown, about 2 minutes.

3. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with the Parmesan.

4. To serve: Ladle the gazpacho into 4 soup bowls and top with the polenta croutons.

Boating Bliss

One of Adam's co-workers and her husband took us out on their boat for a day of fun in the sun and water sports. Although I wasn't so great at water surfing, I had a ton of fun. To feed us on the fabulous day, I made a Curried Quinoa Salad with Cucumber-Mint Raita that was perfect for the hot day. The warm flavors of the curry melded wonderfully with the cool mango and cucumber yogurt. Take advantage of this salad on the next (and maybe last) warm day of the year.


Curried Quinoa Salad with Cucumber-Mint Raita (Cooking Light, September 2010)

1 tsp. olive oil
2 tsp. Madras curry powder
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 diced peeled ripe mango
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
3 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
3 Tbs. currants [I used dried cranberries instead.]
1/4 cup finely diced peeled English cucumber
2 tsp. chopped fresh mint
1 (6-oz.) carton plain low-fat yogurt
1 (5-oz.) package fresh baby spinach

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add curry and garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add quinoa and 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 16 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat; stir in salt. Cool completely.
2. Add mango, diced celery, thinly sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, and currants to cooled quinoa; toss gently.
3. Combine 1/4 cup cucumber, 2 tsp. mint, and yogurt in a small bowl, and stir well. Divide spinach evenly among 6 plates, and top each serving with about 3/4 cup quinoa mixture and about 2 Tbs. raita.

One of the Best

This was a meal that was absolutely fabulous. We actually deemed it one of our best meals that we have made recently. And, to top it all off, it was pretty fast. We changed the recipe ever so slightly to Salmon and Tofu with Mint-Yogurt Sauce instead of Arctic Char with Cilantro-Yogurt Sauce, but we still accompanied it with the Red Pepper-Coconut Rice that Cooking Light suggested and sauteed broccolini. Delish! Definitely worth trying this week.

Arctic Char with Cilantro-Yogurt Sauce (Cooking Light, September 2010)

1/2 cup 2% Greek-style plain yogurt
1/4 cup finely chopped peeled cucumber
2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp. fresh lime juice
1/8 tsp. salt
2 tsp. olive oil
4 (6-oz.) arctic char or salmon fillets, skinned
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
lime wedges (optional)

1. Combine first 5 ingredients; chill.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle fillets with 1/2 tsp. salt and pepper. Add fillets to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Serve fillets with sauce and lime wedges, if desired.


Red Pepper-Coconut Rice

Bring 1 cup jasmine rice, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper, and 1 (14-oz.) can light coconut milk to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper; cover and let stand 5 minutes.

Middle Eastern Monday

Middle Eastern food is fresh, light, and perfect for a warm spring evening. And this meal was exactly that. The Spicy Chicken Shawarma was easy to change into a vegetarian dish by substituting the chicken with tofu. Both the chicken and tofu versions were absolutely delicious, especially for a quick and filling weeknight meal.


Spicy Chicken Shawarma (Cooking Light, April 2010)

2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/8 tsp. coriander
5 Tbs. plain low-fat Greek-style yogurt, divided
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice, divided
3 garlic cloves, minced and divided
1 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, thinly sliced
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs. tahini
4 (6-inch) pitas, halved
1/2 cup chopped cucumber
1/2 cup chopped plum tomato
1/4 cup prechopped red onion

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl; stir in 1 Tbs. yogurt, 1 Tbs. juice, and 2 garlic cloves. Add chicken; toss to coat. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken mixture to pan; saute 6 minutes or until browned and done, stirring frequently.
2. While chicken cooks, combine remaining 1/4 cup yogurt, remaining 1 Tbs. lemon juice, remaining 1 garlic clove, and tahini, stirring well. Spread 1 1/2 tsp. tahini mixture inside each pita half; divide chicken evenly among pita halves. Fill each pita half with 1 Tbs. cucumber, 1 Tbs. tomato, and 1 1/2 tsp. onion.

Eda- What?

On the opposite page from the artichoke ragout is a delicious looking sandwich that sounded really interesting with an edamame pate spread. And best yet, we had just bought some edamame! This sandwich was a sure thing for our weekly dinner menu. I accompanied the sandwich with a homemade tomato soup that would have been delicious all on its own. A perfect soup and sandwich combo!


Edamame Pate Sandwich (Vegetarian Times, March 2010)

This edamame pate is so good that I would just eat it on pita chips or raw veggies as a dip.


1 1/4 cups frozen shelled edamame, thawed
1/2 cup walnuts
1/3 cup mint leaves (packed)
1 green onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
3 Tbs. lemon juice
8 slices whole-grain bread
2 cups arugula
4 jarred red peppers, drained
2 small cucumbers, thinly sliced

1. Puree edamame, walnuts, mint, green onion, and salt in food processor until finely chopped. With motor running, add lemon juice and 3 Tbs. water. Process until smooth.
2. Spread each of 4 bread slices with 1/3 cup pate. Add 1/2 cup arugula, 1 roasted red pepper, and cucumbers to each. Top with remaining bread slices.


Theresa's Double-Tomato Soup (Cooking Light, March 2007)

1 Tbs. butter
1 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
3/4 cup shredded carrot
1 Tbs. minced garlic
1 Tbs. minced shallots
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. salt
10 large basil leaves, divided
3 drain sun-dried tomato halves, packed in oil with herbs (such as California Sun Dry brand)
2 (14.5-oz) cans organic diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14-oz.) can fat-free less-sodium chicken broth [or veggie broth]

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, garlic, and shallots to pan, and cook 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring frequently. Add sugar, pepper, salt, and 4 basil leaves, and cook 5 minutes. Add sun-dried tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour. Remove from heat. Place half of soup in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining soup. Divide soup evenly among 6 bowls. Garnish each serving with 1 basil leaf.

New Fangled Salad

We had a very ripe cantaloupe that needed to be used, and quick! I came across a recipe for a chicken salad that also used cantaloupe, so I thought this would be a perfect light meal. To make a veggie-friendly version, I simply omitted the chicken and replaced it with cubed extra-firm tofu. It worked perfectly! Pair with a crisp white wine to complete the meal.


Cantaloupe-Chicken Salad Sandwiches with Creamy Tarragon Dressing (Cooking Light, May 2007)


1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 Tbs. white wine vinegar
1 tsp. minced fresh tarragon
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 cups (1/2-inch) cubes cooked chicken breast (about 1 lbs.)
1 1/2 cups (1/2-inch cubes cantaloupe
1/3 cup chopped celery
4 cups mixed salad greens
1 1/3 cups thinly sliced cucumber
6 (6-inch) whole wheat pitas, cut in half

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl; stir with a whisk. Add chicken, cantaloupe, and celery; stir gently. Cover and chill 30 minutes.
2. Divide salad greens and cucumber slices evenly among pita halves. Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken salad into each pita half. Serve immediately.

Carly Comes!

My friend Carly visited this past week (along with Rachel). One of her favorite foods that I make is Sweet Potato Fries. Naturally, I couldn't let her down. So, on the night she arrived, she was welcomed with Grilled Mole Chicken/Tofu, Sweet Potato Fries with Peanut Sauce, and a Sesame Cucumber Salad.


Grilled Mole Chicken/Tofu
All we did for the grilled mole chicken was to coat the chicken in Trader Joe's Mole sauce and grill it up on the hot grill. And, I must give Adam all the credit for that. If tofu is more of your style, make sure to press it with a paper towel to release some of the moisture before grilling. But, other than that, it can be grilled just like chicken. Delicious!


Sweet Potato Fries with Peanut Sauce

This is, I have to say, one of my specialties. Sweet potatoes are so wonderful because they are chock-full of nutrients and taste fantastic--what could be better?

2 sweet potatoes (about 1/2 a potato per person), sliced into wedges
olive oil
kosher or sea salt

1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. milk

1. Preheat the oven to 400. Line baking sheets with aluminum foil for easy clean-up.
2. Arrange sweet potato wedges on baking sheets. Brush on olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
3. Bake for approximately 10 minutes. Flip the potatoes and sprinkle with salt again.
4. Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender. If you want the fries crispier, continue baking until desired crispiness has been reached (you may even want to turn up the oven temperature to 450).
5. In the last few minutes of baking, prepare the peanut sauce. Heat a small sauce pan over medium-low heat. Brown the garlic in a tiny bit of olive oil. Add the peanut butter and melt slightly. Then, add the soy sauce and milk. Mix until the peanut butter has completely melded with the other ingredients. Add more peanut butter if the sauce looks too thin or more of the liquids if the sauce is too thick.
6. Dip your sweet potato fries in the peanut sauce with abandon!


Sesame Cucumber Salad (Cooking Light, August 2005)

Although we used all of the ingredients for the salad as Cooking Light suggests, we did not follow the exact instructions for assembly. We just combined all of the ingredients and let it sit while we completed the rest of the meal--and, it was absolutely fantastic! Here is the true recipe though, so you can decide for yourself whether or not to follow it.

1 3/4 cups (2-inch) julienne-cut English cucumber (about 1 large)
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup red bell pepper strips
2 Tbs. rice vinegar
2 tsp. grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tsp. dark sesame oil
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp. black pepper

1. Place cucumber in a colander; sprinkle with salt. Toss well. Drain 20 minutes. Combine cucumber and bell pepper in a medium bowl.
2. Combine vinegar, ginger, and oil, stirring with a whisk. Pour over cucumber mixture; toss gently to coat. Stir in crushed red pepper and black pepper.