Showing posts with label tomatoes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tomatoes. Show all posts

Friday, September 15, 2017

Grilled Tuna Niçoise Salad #FishFridayFoodies

Not the traditional French recipe from Nice, this Grilled Tuna Niçoise Salad is going to be a favorite for folks who aren’t crazy about canned tuna. Lightly grilled fresh tuna brings a lovely freshness to the plate which includes potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, artichokes, olives and mixed greens.

Food Lust People Love: Not the traditional French recipe from Nice, this Grilled Tuna Niçoise Salad is going to be a favorite for folks who aren’t crazy about canned tuna. Lightly grilled fresh tuna brings a lovely freshness to the plate which includes potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, artichokes, olives and mixed greens.

This month my Fish Friday Foodies group is creating recipes with grilled seafood but, frankly, it’s still pretty hot here in Dubai to stand over a scorching charcoal grill. Fortunately, when I asked our organizer and this month's host, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm if something cooked on a grill pan would be okay, she responded positively.

This is another one of those salads that makes a whole meal. It will easily served three to four people as a main course, perhaps with warm bread or dessert to fill out the meal, or six to eight as a starter.

Grilled Tuna Niçoise Salad

Ingredients
For the salad:
8-10 quail eggs, boiled, peeled and chilled (This can be done the day before.)
7 oz or 200g fine green beans, stems removed
450g or 1 lb baby potatoes
1 jar small artichokes, well drained (5 2/3 oz or 160g, drained weight)
8.5 oz or 240g fresh tuna steak
1 tablespoon lime juice
Drizzle olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup or 80g kalamata olives, unpitted
Mixed greens (I used baby cos and arugula.)
5 oz or 140g mixed cherry tomatoes

For the mustard vinaigrette: (Makes just under a 1/2 cup or 115ml)
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
5 tablespoons good quality olive oil
1 teaspoon strong Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
a few grinds of fresh black pepper

Method
Put a large pot of water on to boil with a teaspoon or two of the sea salt. Fill a medium sized bowl with ice and water and set aside.

When the pot of water comes to the boil, put the green beans in for 2 minutes. Fish them out with a slotted spoon and put them directly into the bowl of ice water.


Carefully add the potatoes to the boiling water (you do not want to splash yourself!) and cook till just tender, about 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile make the vinaigrette by adding all of the ingredients into a clean jar and shaking good till they are combined.


Drain the potatoes and put them in a small bowl. Use a sharp knife to cut them into halves, then pour half of the vinaigrette over then, and stir to coat. Set aside to cool.


After you drain the small artichokes, set them upside down on paper towels to absorb even more of the excess water.

As you prepare the rest of the salad, return to the potatoes occasionally and give them another gentle stir. This helps them cool faster as well as making sure that the dressing is being absorbed.

Dry the tuna off with paper towels, then rub it with the lime juice. Drizzle on a little olive oil then season it with a healthy sprinkle of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.


Heat your grill pan over a high heat for a few minutes. It’s ready when a drop of water instantly vaporizes.

Grill the tuna steak for 1 1/2 minutes each side, then just 20 more seconds on the first side. Set it to cool on a clean cutting board.


Use the side of a knife to smash the olives so you can remove the pits.


On a large platter, begin assembling the salad. Start with the greens, then slowly build up.


Try to distribute all the ingredients, except the tuna and quail eggs, evenly around the platter.


Use a very sharp knife to cut the tuna into slices and lay them on the salad.


Use a spoon to drizzle on more of the salad dressing.

Food Lust People Love: Not the traditional French recipe from Nice, this Grilled Tuna Niçoise Salad is going to be a favorite for folks who aren’t crazy about canned tuna. Lightly grilled fresh tuna brings a lovely freshness to the plate which includes potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, artichokes, olives and mixed greens.

Finally, half the quail eggs with a sharp knife and add them to the top. We like our egg yolks runny so I gave these pretty much the same treatment as the green beans with just 2 minutes in boiling water, then an ice water bath to stop the cooking.

Food Lust People Love: Not the traditional French recipe from Nice, this Grilled Tuna Niçoise Salad is going to be a favorite for folks who aren’t crazy about canned tuna. Lightly grilled fresh tuna brings a lovely freshness to the plate which includes potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, artichokes, olives and mixed greens.

Enjoy!

Check out all the other lovely grilled seafood dishes we have for you today!



Pin it! 

Food Lust People Love: Not the traditional French recipe from Nice, this Grilled Tuna Niçoise Salad is going to be a favorite for folks who aren’t crazy about canned tuna. Lightly grilled fresh tuna brings a lovely freshness to the plate which includes potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, artichokes, olives and mixed greens.
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Monday, August 21, 2017

Summer Tomato and Edamame Salad

The simplest of dishes, this summer tomato and edamame salad doesn’t really require a recipe with certain amounts that must be followed, although I’ll give you mine below. The important thing is to use the best summer tomatoes you can find – homegrown, if possible, vine-ripened, full of flavor – drizzled with the best quality extra virgin olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar.

Food Lust People Love: The combination of vine-ripened tomatoes, along with a sprinkling of shelled edamame, makes this a fabulous fresh salad full of the flavors of summer. Sometimes the simplest salads are the best.

That combination, along with a sprinkling of shelled edamame, makes this a fabulous fresh salad full of the flavors of summer. Sometimes the simplest salads are the best.

Another tasty recipe for Salad Month
Edamame is one of those ingredients I keep on hand always, in the freezer, for times when I need a little something extra in a salad or soup. Not only are they a lovely green color but they are nutritionally rich, with vitamins, protein and fiber. You can buy them in the pods, which make for a great snack, or already peeled.

Summer Tomato and Edamame Salad


Ingredients
4-5 ripe summer tomatoes
Flakey sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup or 50g shelled edamame
1/2 small onion, minced
Good quality extra virgin olive oil
Good quality balsamic vinegar

Method
Slice the tomatoes and lay them out on a big plate. Season with the sea salt and black pepper.

Sprinkle on the minced onions and edamame. Drizzle the lot with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Seriously, that’s all there is to it. This summer tomato and edamame salad lets the tomatoes shine, with an added boost of protein and fiber from the legumes. Totally delicious AND healthy.

Food Lust People Love: The combination of vine-ripened tomatoes, along with a sprinkling of shelled edamame, makes this a fabulous fresh salad full of the flavors of summer. Sometimes the simplest salads are the best.

Enjoy!

Have I convinced you to join me for Salad Month? Here are a few of my other recipes you might like to try:




Pin it! 

Food Lust People Love: The combination of vine-ripened tomatoes, along with a sprinkling of shelled edamame, makes this a fabulous fresh salad full of the flavors of summer. Sometimes the simplest salads are the best.
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Sunday, April 2, 2017

Cupboard Tomato Mozzarella Salad

A beautiful, colorful, delicious salad made with mostly cupboard ingredients plus tomatoes, mozzarella and purple onions. Great for barbecues, buffets and potlucks. It's even better the next day!



I know that is a strange name but I honestly couldn’t think of a better one.  This gorgeous salad is made mostly with ingredients from your kitchen cupboards, with the exception of fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and a little onion. And perhaps a bit of chopped basil. But look at the colors!

It’s great for a buffet table or to bring to a potluck because this salad just gets better after it sits a while.  So forgiving, beautiful and delicious.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 large purple onion


  • 2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice or vinegar
  • 10.5 oz or 300g red grape tomatoes (I used NatureSweet Cherubs.)
  • 10.5 oz or 300g yellow grape tomatoes (I used NatureSweet Sunbursts.)
  • 1 jar (12 oz or 240g) marinated artichoke hearts
  • 1 can (drained weight 6 oz or 170g) pitted black olives
  • 1 can (15 oz or 425g) chickpeas or garbanzo beans
  • 8 oz or 226g fresh ciliegine or cherry size mozzarella balls
  • 1 can (14 oz or 400g – 7.5 oz or 212g drained) hearts of palm
  • Sea salt
  • Black pepper
  • A few leaves of fresh basil (optional)


Method
Slice your onion very thinly and add to a salad bowl that will be big enough for all of your ingredients.   Pour in the juice or vinegar and set aside for a few minutes.


Open the jar of marinated artichokes and add them to the onion, with all of their marinade, along with the tomatoes and mozzarella.


Drain the cans of olives and chickpeas, rinsing the chickpeas if necessary, and add them to the salad bowl.


Drain the can of palm hearts and cut into pieces about the size of your tomatoes.


Add them into the bowl.


Toss and then sprinkle the whole bowl with sea salt.  Add black pepper to taste.


If you are adding basil, stack the leaves, roll them up and slice them thinly.  Add to the salad and toss again.  (This salad did actually have basil but, unfortunately, I wasn’t able to photograph that step.)

Bring to your sister’s house for a barbecue or wherever you have been fortunate enough to be invited.


Enjoy!



My mom took this one showing a little of the basil.  Thanks, Mom! 
If you are looking for more dishes using fresh tomatoes, you are going to love this week's Sunday Supper. Check out the link list below to see what our talented tastemakers are sharing. Many thanks to our host, Rini from Healing Tomato, and our event manager, Cricket of Cricket's Confections.

Sunday Supper Recipes Using Fresh Tomatoes

Chicken Recipes

Main Courses

Pizza, Pies, and Pastas

Side Dishes

Snacks

Soups and Salads

Friday, November 18, 2016

Mediterranean Eggplant Poppers #FishFridayFoodies

Mediterranean eggplant poppers combine the lovely flavors of za’atar, roasted eggplant, mozzarella and tomatoes for a great appetizer your guests will love. They are even more special topped with shrimp.



When I have the time, I like to head to the big hypermarket not too far from my house and wander around the fresh produce section looking for inspiration. They carry an amazing selection of fruit and vegetables from near and far, all shiny, bright, colorful and clearly full of nutrition and vitamins.

Just a couple of days ago, I came across the loveliest little eggplants there. I shifted through them looking for the smallest ones, trying to select ones of similar size, with good stems still attached. Right there, in my head, I made up this recipe. Like this: What goes with eggplant? Garlic and tomatoes. What goes with garlic and tomatoes? Mozzarella, of course. And because today I am joining the Fish Friday Foodies in sharing appetizers, I decided to top the whole lot with some seasoned shrimp.

And that is the weird and wonderful way my brain works.

Ingredients
8 small eggplants
2 cloves garlic
Generous handful parsley, plus more to garnish, if desired
olive oil
salt
pepper
2 teaspoons za’atar
1 ball fresh mozzarella (about 4.4 oz or 125g)
4-5 grape tomatoes
16 cooked medium-sized shrimp

Method
Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C.

Scrub the little eggplants clean then cut them in half, trying to split the stem as well. Scoop out the insides, chop and set aside. I use a melon baller for the scooping. Put them in a baking pan.



Mince the garlic cloves and chop the parsley finely.

Cook the eggplant insides in a small pan with a good drizzle olive oil, sprinkle of salt and pepper plus one teaspoon of the za’atar. When all of the water has cooked out of the eggplant and it’s browning, add in the garlic and cook for a couple more minutes.



Tip in the parsley and cook for another 30 seconds or so, until the parsley wilts. Taste the filling and add more salt, if necessary. Remove from the heat.



Cut the mozzarella ball into thin circles. Fit them into the eggplant halves. Add the filling, dividing it between the eggplants.



Slice the grape tomatoes and put one slice on top of the filling. Drizzle on some olive oil.



Roast in your preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until the eggplants start to slump a little and are browned around the edges. Some leakage happens but when you scrape those bits up with a metal spatula, you get to eat them. Score! Make sure you are in the kitchen alone when these come out of the oven and you won't even have to share that bonus.

Meanwhile, dry your shrimp and put them in a small bowl. Drizzle them with a little olive oil and toss them around to coat. Add the last teaspoon of za’atar and toss again.

Note: There are various za'atar recipes. I prefer what's known as Lebanese za'atar but you can use your favorite.

Ignore the little tails on the shrimp. I did remove those before I put the shrimp on the eggplant poppers.




Remove the baking pan from the oven and top each eggplant with one shrimp. Pop the pan back in the oven for another five minutes to warm the shrimp through.



Serve warm, sprinkled with a little more chopped parsley, if desired.

For a vegetarian option, skip the shrimp step. We love shrimp but these Mediterranean Eggplant Poppers are fabulous even without them. And they are just as pretty. Here they are pre-shrimp.



Update: Just ate a leftover eggplant popper straight out of the refrigerator. They are even good cold.

Enjoy!





Many thanks to this month’s Fish Friday Foodie host, Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm. If you are looking for creative holiday appetizers or first courses with seafood, you’ve come to the right place!


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Friday, December 25, 2015

Easy Cheesy Salami Tomato Tart #FridayPieDay

Easy to throw together, this tart starts with puff pastry, topped with pesto, salami, fresh tomatoes and semi-soft cheese, for a savory slice of deliciousness that’s perfect for lunch or dinner. Or enjoy it cold the next day for breakfast. I did!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

It is my pleasure to join my friend, Heather, today for another edition of Friday Pie Day. Make sure to scroll on down to the bottom for the link to her take on classic mince pies.

One of the standard items in my freezer is pre-rolled puff pastry. It thaws fairly quickly and I find it can be ready to unroll by the time my oven preheats, which makes tart making a breeze. The filling is easily adapted to whatever you have on hand - as long as you make sure to include some melty cheese! - so it’s perfect for busy days when you want a special meal but are short on time. Like during the holidays.

This tart is adapted from a recipe at cuisineAZ.

Ingredients
8 oz or 225g all butter puff pastry dough
3 1/2 oz or 100g salami
3 medium tomatoes (Mine weighed about 9 oz or 260g.)
8 3/4 oz or 250g semi-soft cheese (I used Morbier.)
3 tablespoons fresh pesto (Mine was made with wild rocket or arugula.)
Freshly ground black pepper

Optional garnish: chopped green onions

Method
Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C and line your tart pan with baking parchment.

Unroll your puff pastry dough circle (or roll it out with a rolling pin if it’s in a block) and fit it into your tart pan.

Dock the dough with a fork and bake in your preheated oven for about 8-10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and then turn the temperature down to 350°F or 180°C.

Spread the base of the tart with the pesto.



Top with salami.



Slice your tomatoes very thinly. Cut the hard rinds off of your cheese and slice it as thinly as possible, which frankly is a little tricky with a semi-soft cheese. Do your best.



Top the salami with the tomato slices.



Then top the tomatoes with the cheese slices and give the whole tart a good few grinds of black pepper.



Bake in your preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is all melted and golden.

Sprinkle with chopped green onions, if desired.



Allow to cool slightly before cutting and serving. You can also serve it at room temperature.


Enjoy!

This easy cheesy salami tomato tart is my contribution to this month's Friday Pie Day, the brilliant creation of Heather from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen. (Formerly girlichef.)




I am pleased to join her on the last Friday of each month for pie and crust recipes, techniques, tools of the trade, and other inspiration.

This month Heather has baked mini cranberry mince pies, an essential for Christmas!

For more information and recipes, please check out her #FridayPieDay page!


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Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Crusty Caprese Loaf for #TwelveLoaves

All the gorgeousness of my favorite summer salad, baked into a lovely crusty loaf, with basil proofed in the dough, mozzarella tucked inside and, finally, a smattering of colorful little tomatoes roasting on top. 

It’s summertime and that means plentiful, flavorful tomatoes and long and leggy overgrown basil. Which makes this the perfect season for making Caprese salad. And crusty Caprese bread. This month Twelve Loaves is celebrating summer fun! We’ve got nine great recipes for you and hope you will be inspired to turn that stove or oven on, despite the heat.

What’s your favorite taste of summer? Aside from the cherries and homegrown tomatoes, mine has got to be fresh purple hull peas, which are really a type of bean. They are hard to come by most of the year but my farmers’ market in Houston has them during the summer and they are divine. A fresh bean is NOTHING like its dried cousin. If you’ve never tried them, start looking for them now. Well, right after you bake some bread, okay?

Ingredients
1/4 oz or 7g active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups or 355ml tepid water
1 teaspoon sugar
12 oz or 2 3/4 cups or 345g flour plus extra for kneading
3 oz or 3/4 cup or 85g wholemeal flour
1 teaspoon salt
11 cherry/grape tomatoes, approximate weight  4 1/4 oz or 120g
7 oz or 200g mozzarella
2g or about 10 medium-sized leaves fresh basil plus more for garnish, if desired
Olive oil

Method
Put 1/4 cup or about 30g of flour into your large mixing bowl with the sugar and yeast. Add the tepid water and stir well. Allow to proof for 10 minutes. If the yeast gets foamy, it’s all good.

Meanwhile roll your basil leaves up really tightly and slice thinly. Fancy chefs call this chiffonade and you can too.

When the yeast mixture is ready, add in the basil and stir.



Add in the rest of the flours and the salt.  Mix until well combined and you have a soft dough.

If you are using a stand mixer, change to the bread hook and knead. You may have to add a little more flour. Otherwise, remove from the mixer and knead by hand until smooth and stretchy.

Form into a nice round ball. Drizzle a little olive oil in your bowl and roll the ball around until coated with oil.



Cover the bowl and put in a warm place for a couple of hours. You can continue the process at this point or you can let it rest overnight in the refrigerator for added flavor.



If you put the dough in the refrigerator overnight (like I did) remove it and allow it to come to room temperature before proceeding.

Meanwhile you can cut your mozzarella into thick slices.



Punch down the dough and form it into a nice circle again. Put it in a greased pan.

Use a sharp knife to cut deep slits in the dough and tuck a slice of mozzarella into each.



Pierce a hole with that same sharp knife in each small tomato and push them into the dough.



Cover with a mixing bowl and put in a warm place to rise for about an hour. Set your timer for 45 minutes and preheat your oven to 375°F or 190°C when it rings.

Bake the loaf, uncovered, in your preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes or when the internal temperature of the loaf reaches 180°F or 82°C.

If you want a crusty loaf, turn the oven off and leave the bread in it for 10 more minutes. Otherwise, remove from the oven and allow to cool.


Remove from the loaf from the pan and cool completely on a rack. If you can wait that long to slice it.


Enjoy!



Check out all the beautiful summer breads we’ve been making for you!


  • Blueberry and Japanese Yuzu Citrus Muffins from Kim at NinjaBaking.com
  • Citrus Pecan Quick Bread from Renee at Magnolia Days
  • Courgette, Feta, Honey and Sesame Seeds Pull-apart Bread from Luisa at Rise of the Sourdough Preacher
  • Crusty Caprese Loaf from Stacy at Food Lust People Love
  • Fruit and Veggie Quick Bread from Felice at All That’s Left Are the Crumbs
  • Gluten Free Berry Bread from Sherron at Simply Gourmet
  • Grilled Naan Bread from Reneé at Kudos Kitchen by Reneé
  • Iron Skillet Pizza by Karen from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
  • Upside Down Banana Bread from Holly at A Baker's House 


  • Would you like to join us this month? Choose a recipe featuring the flavors of summer! Whatever you bake (yeasted, quick bread, crackers, muffins, grissini, braids, flatbreads, etc.) have fun and let's have a delicious month of seasonal bread. Let's get baking!

    If you’d like to add your recipe to the collection with the Linky Tool this month, here’s what you need to do!

    1. When you post your Twelve Loaves bread on your blog, make sure that you mention the Twelve Loaves challenge in your blog post; this helps us to get more members as well as share everyone's posts. Please make sure that your bread is inspired by the theme!

    2. Please link your post to the linky tool at the bottom of my blog. It must be a bread baked to this month’s Twelve Loaves theme – Summer Fun.

    3. Have your Twelve Loaves bread that you baked this July 2014, posted on your blog by July 31, 2014.

    #TwelveLoaves is a monthly bread baking party created by Lora from Cake Duchess.