They Call It Mellow Yellow

I was singing this Donovan song to myself while looking over my large pot of yellow vegetables. I was thinking to myself that this soup of corn and yellow squash looked pretty boring and the listed ingredients did not seem like it would pack enough punch to provide a meal of good flavors. Lucky for me, I was quite wrong.

I love that the ingredient list for the soup is short. It only has 7 ingredients. There is a suggested 8th, but that is the squash blossom that would be added for a garnish. As this was just for my consumption and not for a group of people, this was skipped.

Some people who know me, know that I am not a big squash fan. I wish I was, but there is something about the consistency that gets me squeamish. I can't really eat zucchini unless it is the form of bread or muffins. The yellow squash in this recipe gets liquefied, so there was no problem for me.

This soup which looks boring as you pour it into your empty soup bowl provides a delicious corn flavor. If you don't like cornbread, you would not like this soup. But, who could hate cornbread?

While watching the soup simmer, I was thinking that I would have to add my favorite jalapeno slices by Mt. Olive to my bowl to add some flavor. I was worried what the husband would think of it since he would NEVER add jalapeno slices to anything. However, I did not have to add the spicy slices because the corn lent enough flavor to my hungry mouth. Please note, that as of this posting the husband did not eat the soup. He wasn't hungry and decided to skip dinner. He munched on leftover seviche as a snack before I started dinner.

The soup is time consuming. I would not recommend it for an after work dinner. It is good on one of those nights where you are not in a hurry to eat.

I did not pair the soup up with anything else as I was not incredibly hungry. However, I foresee me making this soup for the next time the girls and I have a potluck dinner. I could see it pairing well with a variety of dishes.

Sweet Corn and Squash Soup (Cooking Light Magazine July 2008)
Printable Recipe
1 tablespoon butter
1 large chopped onion
4 cups of fresh corn kernels (about 7 ears)
3 cups water
2 cups chopped yellow squash
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add onion to pan; cover and cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add corn and next 4 ingredients (through pepper); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Cool slightly.
   
2. Place half of corn mixture into a blender. Remove center piece of 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. Strain corn mixture through sieve into a large bowl; discard solids. Note: I only did this for about 1/4 of the mixture. I personally don't mind a slightly thicker soup and I think it gives the soup a bit more flavor.
3. Pour into bowls and serve.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size is about 3/4 cup soup)

Good Friends and Good Food

We are getting older, though of my core group of college friends I am the youngest (thank goodness for that), and it was time to celebrate the birthday of our beloved Kakes. Lea, we would have been with you for your birthday, but you were in NJ and we were in Boston. Regardless, you were missed terribly!

The scene for the 25 plus a couple years birthday dinner for Kakes was Piattini on Newbury Street in Boston. Our resident Back Bay media director, Michele, selected this delicious and quaint Italian restaurant for the celebration dinner. It was a cold and rainy night so we were not given the opportunity to sit outside. That was a bummer, but not a surprise given how terrible the weather has been this summer.

The tables inside have a beautiful copper top on them which lends a bit of color to the small interior of the restaurant. Despite the fact that the interior was small, I didn't feel like we were sitting with the neighboring diners, nor hearing their conversations. I liked that we could speak at a comfortable volume with one another while not feeling like we were too loud.

Our server, forgive me for not remembering his name, was very nice. He noticed the birthday cards on the table for Kakes and wished her a happy birthday. I liked that he let us catch up and picked up on the subtle signals that we were ready for our drink orders. He did not rush us into ordering either.

For drinks, Kakes went with a white wine and I can't remember which she went with. Michele went with the house wine and I am still obsessed with Argentina and went with the Malbec. When we got our wines, our server presented us with a small card that with mentions of where the wine is from with a brief description of the flavors.

The menu is quite large, though not overwhelming. There are quite a few small plates, the English translation of the restaurant name is small plate, but we all opted to have a salad to start and then a pasta dish. Kakes selected the salad special of beets and goat cheese. Michele opted to have the Caesar. I went for the Salmone salad. We were all quite pleased with our selections. I appreciated that the salad was not skimpy with the portions of salmon. I loved the balance of the saltiness of the capers with the soft texture of the smoked salmon.

We each ordered different entrees, but all had some pasta with them. The birthday girl ordered the lobster ravioli. It looked spectacular. Michele ordered the Ziti con Pollo. I was eyeing both of these dishes on the menu and once again when they hit the table. I went for the Frutti di Mar. Once again, the portions of fish were not skimpy. There was a generous amount of mussels, shrimp, scallops, but I would have like a tad more calamari. I ordered it with the spicy red sauce and was please with the level of hotness in the dish.

We did not order dessert much to my dismay, but not to the dismay of my hips. Though, when we celebrate my birthday, we will absolutely be ordering dessert. It will be my birthday wish. I can't be the only eating the sweets!

I would definitely go back to Piattini. I liked the casual and laid back atmosphere. The food was delicious and the prices were ok. We did spend a bit, but it could be traced back to the wine. If I go back, I would love to try some things from the small plates portion of the menu and of course I would get something sweet to finish the meal.

A Twist on an Old Favorite

Rice pudding was one of my favorite childhood desserts. My mom would make it upon occasion and it would be saved in a large red Tupperware container. When I visit, I am like Pavlov's dog and sometimes equate that large Tupperware bowl with rice pudding. Though, when I visit it is not filled with rice pudding. Mom, or should I refer to you as "the mother" or "the mom", can it be filled with some rice pudding upon my next visit to PA?

I wanted to try this Latin American twist on one of my childhood favorites. Perhaps, the Latin American twist is only in the name as I have never had rice pudding during my visits to any Latin American country and have no basis of comparison. I suppose that means I should visit another Latin American country soon, whether it be in the Caribbean, Central or South America. I do want to check out Tikal in Guatamala. Maybe I should check on the availability on rice pudding. Oh, darn...husband let's get those passports ready again....

I liked this dessert, but I don't think I would put in the lime zest again. I liked the flavor of the lime, but I was not so into how the zest looked when distributed in the pudding. I would be open to any suggestions on how to better incorporate the lime in this. Also, the husband did not think the pudding was sweet enough. However, I found the level of sweetness to be appropriate, but then again I am trying to watch my calories. If I were not so calories conscious, I'd probably crave a bit more sugar.

Arroz con Dulce (Cooking Light August 2007)
Printable Recipe
2 cups water
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (2 inch) cinnamon stick
1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
2 1/2 cups fat-free milk
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons grated lime rind
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to a boil Stir in rice. Reduce heat to medium, and cook 10 minutes or until liquid is almost absorbed, stirring occasionally. Discard cinnamon stick. Stir in fat-free milk, sugar, and rind; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 25 minutes or until mixture thickens and becomes creamy, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in golden raisins and vanilla.
   

Yield: 6 servings (serving size 2/3 cup)

Foods that are Fun to Say AND Eat

Seviche ( s-vch). Say it again, seviche. Isn't it just so fun to say? Apparently I had a two-day food theme of foods that I think have fun names. First, it was couscous and then it was seviche. Once again, this is far different from life of five years ago if I think that foods have "fun" names. My thirties are awesome.

While on vacation in Belize, the husband and I were dying to have seviche. We ignored travel doctor's warnings about eating raw fish in the Central American paradise and went for it. We were glad that we did. It was delicious as the fish was so fresh and brought the restaurants by local fisherman literally fresh off the boat. Of course, would one really think that fish that wasn't fresh is delicious, would they?

As some readers may be aware, we are moving and emptying out our cabinets. I am only allowing myself to buy fresh ingredients aside from the occassional box of pasta. This makes meal planning a little challenging. I am not letting myself get new oils, vinegars, spices, etc...I have to use what I have.

Hmmm, do I smell a new Top Chef challenge? The chefs are put into kitchens of people with upcoming moves and told they can buy a few fresh ingredients and then only use the pantry items that are in the person's kitchen? The chefs would also be limited to use whatever kitchen appliances that aren't packed up, with the exception of their knives. Ok, I called and posted this challenge here first!

Anyhow, I was challenged with what could I make for dinner this week as my oils, vinegars, etc.. are running low. Coming accross this recipe in a past issue of Cooking Light (really, I should just rename this blog, keatinglovescookinglightmagazine.blogspot.com), I was inspired to try this.

We live near so many great fish stores, so I knew the fish would be very fresh. Because the original structure was wiped out by a fire last May, I felt compelled to buy our fish from James Hook & Company. They are operating out of a temporary structure on the same lot. I'd also get our fish from our fish guy (a friend of a friend who sells his fish to some of the great Boston restaurants and also sells to friends), but we have not recieved any e-mails recently with his offerings.

Seeing how neither one of us got sick after eating the seviche last night, I felt as though the recipe was ok to post today. I adapted the original recipe to change the kinds of fish that we used. We asked the guys at James Hook for a good fish for seviche and went with their recommendations.

Simple First Timers Seviche (adapted from Cooking Light August 2007)
Printable Recipe
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup fresh orange juice (two large oranges)
1 red onion
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (two limes)
1/2 cup lemon juice (husband made me use the bottled stuff that we have)
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 teaspoons hot sauce
1/2 pound striped bass, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 pound haddock, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 peeled and diced avocado

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, and toss well. Refrigerate for 45-60 minutes before serving.
   
2. Serve with tortilla chips.

Yield: 12 servings. Serving size is about 1/2 cup.

I think that when I make this again, I will drain some of the juice before serving. Also, I would have loved to add more pepper to this, but the husband can't handle spicey foods. While I have been using more spicey foods, I opted to not use the jalapeno pepper in the bowl that we shared. I just could not use both hot sauce and jalapeno peppers, he would not have been able to handle it. However, I added jalapeno slices to my bites of seviche.

It Looks Like a Party

Really??! Do I really want to compare couscous to a party? Yes, for some reason this delicious ensemble of couscous and vegetables looked like a party to me. I really need to get out more, especially since I am posting this on a Friday night. Oh, how I enjoy my thirties. I expect it to get even better when we move to the suburbs.

Let's get back to the food. This side dish was snap to make and had a great combination of flavors and smells. The green onions and the vinegar dressing made this smell deliciously fragrant. The red peppers, tomatoes, and green onions looked beautiful when set against a backdrop of tan couscous and chickpeas. Pairing this with a piece of plain grilled chicken allowed the vinegar based dressing and vegetables to shine. This was so good, that I caught myself singing "yum, yum, yum" while cleaning up. Please refer to the first paragraph of this post, I need a life :)

Couscous-Garbanzo Salad (adapted form Cooking Light June 2007)
Printable Recipe
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup uncooked couscous
2 cups chopped seeded tomatoes
1 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 diced red pepper
1 (15.5 oz) can chickpeas, drained
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1. Bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan, and gradually stir in couscous. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Place couscous in a large bowl, and cool completely. Fluff with a fork. Stir in tomato, green onions, red pepper and chickpeas; toss well. Combine oil and the remaining ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add vinegar mixture to couscous just before serving and toss gently.
   

Yield: about 5 servings, 3/4 cup per serving.

No Need to Sneak in Hot Stuff

Change is good. A few years ago, if I saw a recipe that called for anything remotely spicy, I would skip over it because of the husband's dislike of fiery foods. However, over time I weaned him onto slightly spicy foods. It started with using the full amount of black pepper in a recipe, then adding green, yellow, and red peppers, followed by crushed red pepper or hot sauce. Sometimes I warned him and other times I would not tell him and waited for a reaction.

As he recently admitted that he can handle peppers, I have been going back to recipes that I skipped because of his sensitive palate. I've also been packing up our house as we get ready for our move to the suburbs. In this time, I have had a chance to unearth old copies of Cooking Light. I came across what looked like a great pasta with peppers.

It certainly was a great recipe. The corn and the red peppers not only added color to this dish, but it added great flavor. There was a nice harmonious balance with the cumin, onion and cilantro. In our move, we are going to be unable to use our grill. We are moving to a rental while we look for our permanent house and can't use our grill. I discovered that broiling corn tastes great and I think adds to the flavor of corn like grilling does.

I am still trying to work of some weight through diet and exercise. I ate the recommended serving size of this dish (1 cup) and it was filling. The weight loss plan is going well. The trick for me is moderating the portion sizes of what I eat as well as "banking" my calories for something like cheese or sweets. Ah, responsibility....

Rotini with Corn and Roasted Red Pepper with Avocado (adapted from Cooking Light June 2006)
Printable Recipe
2 red bell peppers
2 ears shucked corn
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
13.25 oz whole wheat rotini pasta
2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 chopped peeled avocado
3 cooked chicken breasts (I grilled on the George Foreman)
3/4 queso fresco

1. Pre-heat broiler
2. Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Add corn to baking sheet. Broil 18 minutes or until peppers are blackened and corn is lightly browned. Place peppers in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel and coarsely chop. Cut kernels from ears of corn.
3. Meanwhile follow package directions for pasta. Drain pasta and set aside.
   
4. Combine oil, salt, black pepper, and cumin in a large bowl; stir. Add peppers, corn, pasta, and remaining ingredients; toss. Top with cheese.
   

Yield: about 8 servings

Goat Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta

Richy, creamy, filling, and delectable are some adjectives that could be used to describe the dinner that the husband and I made this evening. The first two don't do much to aid the diet that I am on, but the last two certainly help. I suppose that when it comes to a diet, if you are having something that it creamy and you have it in a smaller portion, the fact that the dish is filling is extremely important. Perhaps, it was the use of whole wheat pasta that helped.

Whole wheat pasta is one of those foods that I don't always use, but should use more often than it's alternative. When whole wheat pasta first came onto the scene, it didn't taste so great. It tasted cardboard-like and it's texture could be described as the same way. However, the pasta I used tonight was not cardboard-like, though I think I should be introduced to a new whole-wheat pasta. Readers, do you have any suggestions? If so, please leave a comment.

Let's get back to the meal. I was fortunate that the husband offered his sous-chef prep skills this evening. He was in charge of starting the water for the pasta as I showered after another hard spinning class. The husband also was put in charge of cutting up the sun-dried tomatoes. As mentioned before, this recipe is not necessarily diet friendly, but I made a couple of modifications to it to help my waistline.

Adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Foods (June 2006)
Printable Recipe
12 ounces short tubular pasta (I actually used the entire 13.25 oz box of Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Penne because I didn't feel like leaving 1.25 ounces of pasta in a box)
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (The original recipe calls for 1 cup that is not oil packed. Unfortunately for me, and my thighs, I only had a jar of oil-packed tomatoes and only had 1/2 cup left)
1/4 cup sliced almonds (The original recipe calls for slivered almonds, but I have to use what I have in my cabinet)
2 teaspoons olive oil (I cut it down from a tablespoon and I think that it could use less oil next time)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (There was no hiding this from the husband, he tasted the heat in the dish, thought it was minimal. He has such a sensitive palate.)
6 ounces crumbled goat cheese (The original calls for 5 ounces, but like the pasta I wasn't going to leave just 1 ounce)

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta three minutes less than package instructions. (Note: the sun-dried tomatoes are supposed to be added here, but I forgot about them until Step 3. If you chose to add the tomatoes here, cook the pasta for an additional 3 minutes). Remove 2 cups pasta water; reserve. Drain and return pasta to the pot.
   
2. Meanwhile, heat a small skillet over medium. Add almonds and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and fragrant, 2-4 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl; reserve. Return skillet to medium heat; add oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 20-30 seconds. Remove from heat.
3. Add garlic mixture to pasta mixture. Add reserved pasta water and cheese. Stir to combine. Let stand until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Divide onto plates and sprinkle with almonds.
   

The husband and I liked the crunchy texture that the almonds gave the pasta. One should also note that this dish would keep vampires away as it quite garlicky. Lucky for me, I love garlic. The numbers of servings suggested by Martha is four, though I think it could be stretched to 6 servings.

Easy "Baked" Beans

As seen in the picture, these beans are not really baked. However, they taste just like the real thing and are so easy and quick to make. This is a favorite of the husbands. He is a big fan of the baked bean and buys the pre-made canned stuff, which I am not partial to.

While looking through the cabinet yesterday, I noticed that we had a nearly empty jar of molasses. Not wanting to waste anything, I remembered that this recipe uses it, thus we had it with our dinner tonight. You can use either navy or cannellini beans for this. Normally, I use navy beans, but we had cannellini on our shelves and wanted to use that.

Recipe from Martha Stewart Everyday Food (February 2007)
Printable Recipe
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cans (15 oz each) of either navy or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
1/2 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon mustard powder

1. In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add onion and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook until softened, 3-4 minutes. Add beans and 1/2 cup water; simmer until beans have softened, 5-7 minutes. If beans are not soft after 7 minutes, add more water and continue to cook.
   
2. Add molasses, ketchup, and mustard powder. Simmer until sauce has thickened, 8-10 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
   
3. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate up to 1 day.
   

Serves 4

Coconut Tapioca Pudding

As I have mentioned in a previous post, the husband and I are moving and therefore need to clean out some items in our pantry. We have a bunch of random things in boxes and bags. Some items were used once, while others were never used in the instance that I had plans to make something and then never followed through on it.

I can not recall what I bought the shredded coconut for, but it was never used. It seemed like an odd item for us to have as neither of us are huge coconut people. I love the smell of it, but the consistency gets me.

Regardless of my feelings on coconut, I was looked through an old issue of Martha Stewart Everyday Food and saw a recipe for this pudding. I thought it would be great to try as I had both tapioca to use (from the Raspberry Rhubarb Pie) and the coconut.

To my surprise, I really liked the dessert a lot. The recipe says that it is just four servings, but I think it could serve more than four.

1 large egg
1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup sweetened coconut
1/2 cup small pieces of fresh pineapple, OR 1 can (5.5 oz) pineapple chunks, drained

1. In a medium saucepan, lightly beat egg. Add coconut milk, milk, sugar, and tapioca; whisk to combine. Set aside, at least 5 minutes, until tapioca is slightly softened.
   
2. Stirring occasionally, bring mixture to a boil over medium heat; stir in vanilla. Transfer mixture to a bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Let cool until no longer hot, about 30 minutes. Refrigerate until cold, 2-3 hours (or up to 3 days).
   
3. Meanwhile, pre-heat oven to 350F. Spread coconut on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast, tossing once or twice, until golden, 10-15 minutes; let cool.
   
4. Just before serving, whisk pudding to loosen. Divide among four serving glasses or dishes; top with pineapple and toasted coconut.
   

As I said, I am not the biggest coconut person, but the toasted coconut added a buttery sweetness to the dessert.

Sassy Salsa Deviled Eggs

When I worked in New York, I worked with so many wonderful people. In particular, I worked with three great women who I am still great friends with today. Two of these ladies, are from the South and taught me and our other friend on finer points of being Southern. For example, I learned that pearls must be worn at all times, something that I practice upon occasion (one should always look nice even when working hard during spinning). I learned that bourbon is a perfect liquor to have with Coke when tailgating. I learned that when talking about someone in conversation, you should always say "Bless her heart". Finally, I learned the importance of the deviled egg. This fine treat is served at any and all proper Southern gatherings. A common shower gift at Southern bridal showers is to bestow a deviled egg tray upon the bride.

When I left NYC to move to Boston (further up in Yankee territory), my friends gave me a small recipe book filled with ideas for deviled eggs. This book goes beyond the traditional deviled egg and has ideas for sweet, spicy, and everything in between. The ladies also wrote such sweet messages inside the book. Each time I look at the cookbook, I smile when I think of the great times, conversations, and laughs that we shared.

Last night, I finally tried one of the recipes. The husband and I are moving in a few weeks and need to try to use up some items that we have in the refrigerator and pantry before we leave. One such item is the egg. With the help of our very sweet (and Southern) neighbor who lent me two eggs, I made this fine appetizer when we had the Fannon/Doherty's over for drinks.

This recipe was so easy to make and very spicy. As some readers may know, the husband does not do spicy and would not try the eggs. I love spicy stuff, so I thought the eggs were good.


Sassy Salsa Deviled Eggs
Printable Recipe
6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled, cut in half, and yolks mashed in a bowl
1/2 cup chunky hot salsa, drained
2 teaspoons Tabasco chipotle sauce
1 tablespoon, plus one teaspoon chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons sour cream
2 teaspoons chopped pickled jalapenos, drained
salt and pepper to taste
Coarsely crushed tortilla chips for garnish

1. Combine the thoroughly mashed yolks with the salsa, Tabasco, onion, garlic powder, sour cream, and jalapenos. Taste, then season with salt and pepper. Note: I didn't think that the mix needed the additional salt and pepper, so I omitted it and it worked fine as the tortilla chips gave it some salt.
   
2. Fill the whites evenly with the mixture, then refrigerate, covered tightly with plastic wrap until reader to serve.
3. Just before serving, garnish each egg half with crushed tortilla chips.
   

Browning, Fancy, and Tancy, this dish made me think of you guys. I look forward to our fall weekend get-together. Miss you guys!!

p.s. When the husband I finally settle into the new and final digs, I am getting a deviled egg plate.

Asian Inspired Tuna Salad

I had a goal this weekend to try a bunch of new recipes and flavors. So far, I have been pretty happy with what has come out of my kitchen. I normally don't do a lot of Asian inspired dishes and was intrigued by this recipe. I changed a few things from the original recipe as I didn't have certain items in my cabinets. With our impending move (location TBD), I don't want to stock up on items in the pantry, rather I want to get rid of things. This allowed me to use some of the sesame oil and rice vinegar that I have had for quite some time.

The more I ate this dish, the more I liked it. The flavors were fresh and good for a summer day. The husband and I had this for lunch on the deck. I think we should eat on the deck every nice weather day we have since it has been so awful out recently.

Recipe adapted from Sunset
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon horseradish
12 ounces fresh tuna, sliced 1/2 inch thick
10 cups of bite size pieces rinsed and crisped iceberg lettuce (about one head)
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons ginger
1/2 thinly sliced green onions
1 cup thinly sliced radishes

1. In a small bowl, stir together vinegar, soy sauce, and horseradish.
2. Rinse and pat dry fish. Cut fish into 3 inch long strips.
3. Mound lettuce equally on four dinner plates.
4. In a 12 inch frying pan heat sesame oil over medium high heat. Add tuna and ginger and stir fry until just opaque but moist looking in center.
   
5. Add tuna to bowl with dressing and toss to coat. Top lettuce with fish mixture. Top salad with green onions and radishes.
   

Stuffed Tomatoes

It is a rare occasion when I post a side dish recipe on here. It isn't that I don't do sides, but I don't often do a creative side. Usually, it is a mixed salad, rice, potatoes, or a plain steamed veggie. Yesterday, I felt like doing something different and then making a plain protein to accompany the veggie.

These tomatoes were easy so easy to make and tasted great with steaks that the husband picked up during my Lauren Day. Lauren Day was spent in a great spinning class followed by a great yoga class and a nice slow walk from the gym to the bus while enjoying the nice weather. It was a wonderful day off from work.

4 ripe tomatoes
1/2 cup feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped, pitted Kalamata olives
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
2 tablespoons fresh basil

1. Pre-heat broiler.
2. Cut tops of tomatoes. Scoop out pulp and set aside in a small bowl. Finely chop pulp and combine with olives, cheese, parsley, and basil.
   
3. Scoop mixture back into tomatoes and place on broiler pan coated with cooking spray.
   
4. Broil for 2-3 minutes.
   

Pineapple Sangria

It was so nice to have break from the constant rain that we have been experiencing in the Northeast. It was even better to have great weather on a day off from work. What better way to celebrate than with some sangria?

My friend Michele is the sangria maker and makes a great traditional beverage. Because I don't think I could top her sangria, I didn't even try and saw this recipe for a pineapple sangria. It was terrific and so nice to enjoy on the deck with the husband with a great meal on a nice relaxing summer Friday evening.

Recipe from Sunset Magazine
1 lemon
1 orange
2 tablespoons sugar
3 1/2 cups refrigerated pineapple juice
3 1/2 cups dry white wine of your choosing
3 cups sparking water (the husband picked up seltzer instead and it worked as well)
2 cups ice cubes
6-8 strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and sliced

1. Cut 2 or 3 thin slices from centers of lemons and orange; put slices in a pitcher. Squeeze juice from ends of fruit and add to pitcher, along with sugar; stir until sugar is dissolved.
   
2. Add pineapple juice, wine, sparkling water, ice , and strawberries. Stir well and pour into glasses.