Recipe Of The Week: Pasta Salad

It has been a SWELL–tering week and it looks like our abnormally hot weather is pushing into next week as well.

I don’t know about you but I HATE to cook anything when its this damn hot! Now I know some of you who live where it’s hot most of the time are scoffing at our wimpiness but we here in the Puget Sound area are just not used to temperatures much over 85 so when it reaches 100+ we tend to melt as most of us do not have air conditioning! I can tell you hubs has a fan going in every room and our dogs get hosed down at least 4 times a day to keep them cool.

Below is a wonderful, tasty and super easy (almost no cook) pasta salad.

In addition to the ingredients listed I also add sliced black olives and pepperoni! We also use those tri-colored twisted pasta noodles for a nice contrasting color. I omit the pimento (yuk!) and I substitue green onions for the scallions and instead of using cherry tomatoes for garnish I add them as an ingredient to the salad.

Pasta Primavera Salad
Serves 8-10

1 pound Pasta Shells
3/4 c. Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbl. Red Wine Vinegar
2 Garlic Cloves, peeled & crushed
3 Tbl. Parsley, minced
2 c. Broccoli Florets
4 Scallions, minced
1 c. Mozzarella Cheese, cubed
1 Pimento, sliced
Cherry Tomatoes, halved, for garnish

Cook pasta following package directions.

Combine olive oil, vinegar and garlic in small jar, shake well to blend. Set aside.

To the cooked, cooled pasta add parsley, broccoli, scallions, cheese and pimento (and any other ingredients you want to throw in there!). Drizzle the olive oil dressing over the top and mix thoroughly.

Refrigerate for at least 3 hours to blend flavors.

Garnish with cherry tomatoes and serve.

Pasta Primavera Salad

Rebecca

Recipe Of The Week: Breath Mint Pie

As I stated yesturday I am not fond of eating ‘mint’…..

However….
The recipe below (courtesy of Guy Fieri) sounds simply ‘breath-taking’!

Do YOU have a favorite mint recipe???
Email us (sales(at)countrymeadowltd(dot)com with your recipe and picture and we will post it here in a future blog post!

Breath Mint Pie
Courtesy of Guy Fieri

Ingredients
6 ounces (1 1/4 sticks or 10 tablespoons) butter
6 cups chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs (recommended: Oreo(r))
1 quart mint chocolate chip ice cream, slightly softened
1 pound dark chocolate covered mint candy, frozen (recommended: Junior Mint)
1 cup whipped cream
1 cup chocolate syrup
12 mint sprigs

Directions
In saute pan, heat butter over medium-low heat until softened. Remove from heat, add cookie crumbs to pan and stir until butter is evenly distributed through the crumbs.

Line a “half sheet” size pan (approximately 13 by 18 by 2 inches deep) with plastic wrap. Spread half the cookie crumb mixture over the plastic.

With a mixer on lowest speed (or by hand), combine ice cream and mint candy, mixing slowly and trying to avoid breaking up the mints.

Pour the ice cream mixture over the cookie crumbs and spread gently throughout the pan, trying not to break the cookie crumb base. Top evenly with remaining cookie crumb mixture, cover with plastic wrap and re-freeze for a few hours.

Cut into 12 triangular pieces, by cutting in half lengthwise, then thirds crosswise, and cutting each resulting rectangle into right triangles. Serve each triangle topped with whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and mint sprigs.

Rebecca

Recipe Of The Week: Mahi Mahi Lettuce Wraps

This recipe is courtesy of Paula Deen and it sounds absolutely scrumptious and would make an excellent dinner on a hot summer night!

I was always under the impression that Mahi Mahi was dolphin. It does not resemble a dolphin in any way, shape or form and I guess until right this very moment I had no idea what a Mahi Mahi was! Pretty weird looking fish if you ask me!

You can see what a Mahi Mahi looks like on Captain Tommy’s website.

I have printed out this recipe and have placed it in my ‘to-try’ pile!

Mahi Mahi Lettuce Wraps
Courtesy of Paula Deen

Ingredients

1 mango, diced
2 plum tomatoes, diced
1 red onion, diced
1/2 jalapenos, diced
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
2 limes, juiced
Salt and pepper
2 mahi mahi fillets
Olive oil, as needed
Lettuce leaves (recommended butter or romaine)

Directions

Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.

Combine the mango, tomatoes, jalapeno, cilantro and lime juice in a medium mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper. Season the fish with salt and pepper and brush with olive oil. Grill for roughly 3 to 4 minutes per side, until just opaque in the center. Set aside to cool

When slightly cool, chop into large chunks. Add to the reserved salsa and fold carefully as to not break up the fish. Add mixture to the middle of the lettuce leaves and roll.

Rebecca

Recipe Of The Week: Tomato Basil Tart

I have the recipe below listed on my recipe’s to try list!

Borrowed from the Food Network:

Heirloom Tomato & Basil Tart
(Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis)

Ingredients

Crust:
1 (9-inch) refrigerated pie crust

Pesto:
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts* see Cook’s Note
1 garlic clove, peeled
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
1/2 to 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2 medium (12 ounces) heirloom or 4 plum tomatoes, cut into 1/8-inch thick slices
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Kosher salt

Directions:

For the crust-
Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the pie crust on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 7 minutes until lightly golden. Cool for 20 minutes.

For the pesto-
In a blender or food processor, pulse the basil, pine nuts, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until finely chopped. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil until the mixture forms a smooth and thick consistency. Add the Parmesan and pulse until combined. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Using a spatula, spread the pesto over the cooled crust. Arrange the tomato slices on top of the pesto and garnish with the sliced basil. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Cut the tart into wedges and serve.

Cooks Note: To toast pine nuts, place on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 8 to 10 minutes in a preheated 350 degree F oven until lightly browned.

Heirloom Tomato & Basil Tart

Rebecca