Sun Dried Tomato, Basil & Mozzarella Pasta Salad

My favorite italian meat market and deli sells a salad that is so similar to this one!  It is one of The Captain's favorite things!!  Every time I walk into this deli, the smells that fill the air reminds me of my trips to this same deli as a little girl with my mom and nana . . . it brings back so many fond memories.  

The aroma of this salad is unbelievably delicious and now we can enjoy it at home. 

I'm so happy to have found this recipe from Angela at A Little About A Lot, a new blog discovery.  Visit her blog for more photos of her signature dish and lots of yummy recipes and crafts (link follows recipe) . . . I'm looking forward to checking out more of her posts.  One of the things I love so much about linky parties is finding awesome blogs like hers!  Thank you Angela :)

Sun Dried Tomato, Basil & Mozzarella Pasta Salad
1 lb Pasta (whatever type you like, but Angela likes using anything spiral)
4-5 Roma Tomatoes 
1 lb Mozzarella - chopped
1 cup Basil leaves 
1 cup Parmesan Cheese

Dressing
6 Sun Dried Tomatoes in oil - drain & chop
2-3 Garlic cloves 
6 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
2 tsp Salt 
1 tsp Pepper 

Boil pasta until al dente, drain, drizzle with olive oil and set aside.  

While pasta is cooking make the sauce.  

To make the sauce:
Blend your sun dried tomatoes & garlic in your processor.   Add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt & pepper and blend until smooth.  The longer it blends the more the sun dried tomato gets broken up and creates a darker and smoother sauce.

At this point you'll want to taste the sauce.  If it tastes too much like olive oil, add a splash of vinegar.   Add any additional salt & pepper to your liking.

Chop up the tomatoes & mozzarella and add to the cooked pasta.  Julienne the basil and add to pasta along with the parmesean. Mix and serve :)

Manja!!


Click here to go to Angela's original post with lots of photos of the process.

Quick Creamy Parmesan Chicken Penne

Easy and delicious!  I make a similar meal with alfredo sauce in a jar, which can be an alternative for this dish too.  

What I love about this recipe is that it is made in one pan . . . the pasta cooks in the sauce!  Love the concept :)

Ingredients

• 1 pouch (9 oz) Progresso™ Recipe Starters™ creamy Parmesan basil cooking sauce
• 2 cups uncooked penne pasta
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken (rotisserie, canned or leftovers)
• 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup diced tomato
• 1/4 cup Progresso® Italian style panko crispy bread crumbs  

Directions

HEAT cooking sauce, 1 1/2 cups water, 1 T. butter, salt and pepper to boiling in large skillet.

STIR in pasta; reduce heat to medium. Cover; cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender. Stir in chicken and cheese.

TOP with tomato and bread crumbs. Serve immediately.

Source

Cajun Fries

Love the seasoning and the idea of baked fries.

We love spicy cajun food and I'm sure this will be a regular on our menu.

Ingredients:

4 medium potatoes
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (or to taste)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil


Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a small bowl, combine oregano, thyme, paprika, cayenne, black pepper, sugar, cumin, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, Tabasco sauce, and oil; mix well into a paste.

Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil; pour a small amount of oil onto foil and spread with a paper towel.

Peel potatoes and slice into french fry shapes.

Place fries in a plastic bag with paste and work paste onto fries; alternatively you can do this in a bowl, but the bag method is easier.

Place fries on lined baking sheet, trying not to let edges touch.

Bake in preheated oven for approximately 30-35 minutes (your time may vary with the size fry you cut); turn once during cooking to brown underside.


Photo and Recipe Source

I'm sharing this recipe at . . .

Almond Cake

Love Almond Cake!

SERVES 8 TO 10

If you can’t find blanched sliced almonds, grind slivered almonds for the batter and use unblanched sliced almonds for the topping. Serve plain or with Orange Crème Fraîche.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2cups plus 1/3 cup blanched sliced almonds, toasted
• 3/4cup (3 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 3/4teaspoon salt
• 1/4teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8teaspoon baking soda
• 4large eggs
• 1 1/4cups (8 3/4 ounces) plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
• 3/4teaspoon almond extract
• 5tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/3cup vegetable oil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Grease 9-inch round cake pan and line with parchment paper. Pulse 1½ cups almonds, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in food processor until almonds are finely ground, 5 to 10 pulses. Transfer almond mixture to bowl.
   2. Process eggs, 1 1/4 cups sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, and almond extract in now-empty processor until very pale yellow, about 2 minutes. With processor running, add melted butter and oil in steady stream, until incorporated. Add almond mixture and pulse to combine, 4 to 5 pulses. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
   3. Using your fingers, combine remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and remaining 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest in small bowl until fragrant, 5 to 10 seconds. Sprinkle top of cake evenly with remaining 1/3 cup almonds followed by sugar-zest mixture.
   4. Bake until center of cake is set and bounces back when gently pressed and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes, rotating pan after 40 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Run paring knife around sides of pan. Invert cake onto greased wire rack, discard parchment, and reinvert cake onto second wire rack. Let cake cool, about 2 hours. Cut into wedges and serve. (Store cake in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days.)

HOW WE GOT THE BEST ALMOND FLAVOR—AND CAKE TEXTURE

For a rich, nutty taste and a consistency that’s not too dense, we toast blanched almonds (we dislike the slight bitterness imparted by skin-on almonds) to deepen their flavor. Then we grind them in the food processor. The ground nuts give the crumb an open, rustic texture.

START WITH BLANCHED ALMONDS

TOAST UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN

GRIND WITH FLOUR, SALT, AND LEAVENERS

EGG FOAMS: MIXER VERSUS FOOD PROCESSOR

The goal when mixing most cake batters is to incorporate a lot of air into the eggs so that the cake will bake up light and tall, and a mixer is usually the best tool to get the job done. For our Best Almond Cake, however, we wanted a flat, level top; just a moderate rise; and a texture that was neither too fluffy nor too dense. Ditching the mixer in favor of a food processor did the trick. Here’s why: When eggs and sugar are whipped in a mixer, the whisk gently unfolds the protein strands in the eggs while incorporating lots of air, producing a foam with a strong network that holds on to that air. The outcome? A tall, well-risen, domed cake. A food processor, with its high rpm and very sharp blade, similarly unravels the eggs’ protein strands and incorporates air, but it also damages some strands along the way. The result is just what we were after: a flatter, slightly denser cake.

MIXER: Tall and domed.

FOOD PROCESSOR: Perfectly flat.

Source: Cook's Illustrated