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Summer of Salads: Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad

partysugar — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 10:15:42 -0700

Whenever I'm cooking for a crowd and need a recipe that's portable, I always consider pasta salad. It's filling and easy to make a large batch. While sometimes I assemble a Mediterranean pasta salad with orzo and feta, I also like to make this recipe with tomatoes and mozzarella.

What provides this salad with incredible flavor is the sun-dried tomato dressing - it's so good I've enjoyed it with fish! Made in a blender or food processor, the dressing is a mixture of tomatoes, capers, and garlic, thinned with oil and red wine vinegar. A generous handful of parmesan cheese and fresh basil finish off the satisfying salad that only tastes better the next day. To make it before tomato season is over get the recipe now

Fast & Easy Dinner: Penne With Triple Tomato Sauce

partysugar — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 08:30:14 -0700

If you love the taste of vine-ripened tomatoes, you'll enjoy this fuss-free vegetarian meal. Three (fresh, sun-dried, and paste) types of tomatoes are combined in the blender to create a quick, no-cook sauce. Tossed with piping hot pasta, the sauce coats each and every cranny.

For extra decadence, grate on some Parmesan cheese. Pair it with a simple green salad, crusty garlic bread, and glass of white wine, and you've got an ultimate Italian meal. Check out the recipe when you read more.

Penne With Triple Tomato Sauce
From Food & Wine

Ingredients

1 pound penne
2 medium tomatoes (5 ounces each), cut into 1-inch dice
4 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 large basil leaves
1 garlic clove
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the penne until al dente.
Meanwhile, in a blender, combine the diced tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, garlic and olive oil. Puree until smooth. Pour the tomato sauce into a large bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Drain the pasta, add it to the sauce and toss well to coat. Serve the pasta piping hot.

Serves 4.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Fried-Egg Caesar Salad

partysugar — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 06:50:00 -0700

Traditionally a raw egg yolk is used to make Caesar salad dressing. However, this ingenious recipe places a fried egg on top of the salad. When the yolk is left runny, it coats the lettuce leaves, resulting in a similar effect. This variation lacks croutons, but crunch is provided by grissini, long skinny Italian breadsticks. Sun-dried tomatoes add a subtle sweetness to this quick, delicious dinner salad.

For the recipe, read more.

Fried-Egg Caesar Salad
From Bon Appétit

Ingredients

8 thin slices prosciutto, each halved lengthwise
8 long thin breadsticks (grissini)
1 12-ounce package hearts of romaine, torn coarsely (about 16 cups)
3/4 cup drained marinated oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (from 8.5-ounce jar), each halved
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese plus more for sprinkling
8 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam) or 3/4 teaspoon anchovy paste
1 small garlic clove, pressed
4 large eggs

Directions

Spiral wrap 1 slice (2 halves) of prosciutto around each breadstick.
Combine romaine, tomatoes, and 1/2 cup cheese in large bowl. Whisk 7 tablespoons oil and next 3 ingredients in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper; toss with salad. Divide among plates.
Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Drop eggs into skillet. Cook until whites are firm and yolks are cooked to desired consistency but remain slightly runny.
Top each salad with 1 fried egg. Sprinkle eggs with more Parmesan cheese; serve with prosciutto breadsticks.

Serves 4.

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Reader Recipe: Blue Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

YumSugar — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:00:21 -0800

TeamSugar regular FinnLover is not only well-versed with the kitchen techniques - she's also full of innovative cooking ideas. I started salivating when I saw her latest creation, chicken breast that's stuffed with creamy blue cheese and tangy sun-dried tomatoes, then topped with a balsamic reduction. Stuffing chicken not only makes dinner more exciting, but it also transforms the relatively lean breast into a succulent cut of meat. This elegant dish would be perfect for a Valentine's Day dinner at home. To see her original recipe, read more.

Submitted by TeamSugar member FinnLover

Blue Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomato Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Original recipe

This recipe is really fast and easy to make. It takes about two minutes to prepare and it tastes amazing. I like to serve it with a Balsamic vinegar reduction. Mashed potatoes, polenta or roasted asparagus all make great sides. If you don't like blue cheese, you can easily use goat cheese or fresh mozarella instead.

Ingredients

- Chicken breasts
- Blue cheese (I normally Bresse Bleu because it's not too strong and it's really creamy)
- Sun dried tomatoes (about 3 for each chicken breast)
- olive oil, pepper
- a good amount of Balsamic vinegar

Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 400 F (200 C).
2. Clean your chicken breasts and remove excess fat.
3. Cut a horizontal slit through one side of each chicken breast half. Don't open them completely!
4. Place your chicken on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Dispose two or three sun dried tomato on one side of the chicken breast. Make sure you remove as much oil as you can from your tomatoes or your oven will transform into a deep-fryer. Trust me. Cover with a big piece of cheese. Or two. I like cheese a lot.

5. Fold the other side of the chicken breast on top of the tomatoes and the cheese. Close as well as you can. Add as much pepper as you like and drizzle with a little olive oil.

6. Cook in the oven for about 20 minutes. 15 minutes if your chicken breasts were quite thin.
7. If you want to serve your chicken with a Balsamic vinegar reduction: five minutes before your chicken is ready, bring to a boil in a small saucepan a good quantity of Balsamic Vinegar. Let it reduce to about 1/3 to 1/4 of the original quantity. Keep an eye on it at all time and make sure it doesn't turn into caramel.
8. Drizzle some of the Balsamic reduction on top of your chicken and enjoy!

* If you had more time, you could make sure the chicken breast is well closed and sear it in a pan before popping it into the oven. The chicken would be more colorful and flavorful. The cooking time in the oven would then be reduced. I rarely do it because I enjoy the super fast and easy aspects of this recipe.

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Monday's Leftovers: Italian Tuna Melts

partysugar — Mon, 19 May 2008 06:45:26 -0700

Using fresh tuna instead of canned takes the classic tuna sandwich to a whole new level. In this jazzed up variation - it makes a great use of leftover tuna steaks - the tuna is mixed with artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes, and basil.

Served open faced and topped with lots of melted fontina, this sandwich is hearty and delicious. To take a look at the recipe, read more.

Italian Tuna Melts
From Rachael Ray

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves, 1 cut in half
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more for seasoning
1 teaspoon zest plus the juice of 1 lemon
One 14-ounce can quartered artichoke hearts, drained well and patted dry on paper towels
One 12-ounce can water-packed tuna, drained and flaked or 1 cup flaked, cooked fresh tuna
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
10 sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
10 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground pepper
Four 1-inch-thick slices of crusty bread
1 cup chopped arugula
1/2 pound Italian Fontina cheese, sliced

Directions

Preheat the broiler.
In a large bowl, mash the whole garlic clove with the ½ teaspoon of coarse salt until a paste forms. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice and mix until combined. Add the artichoke hearts, tuna, onion, celery, tomatoes and basil to the bowl and dress with 3 tablespoons of the oil. Mash the tuna salad with a fork and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place the bread slices on a broiler pan and char on both sides under the broiler. Rub 1 side of each slice with the cut garlic and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil.
Divide the arugula and the tuna salad among the bread slices and top with the cheese. Return to the broiler and melt the cheese until bubbly, 1 to 2 minutes.

Serves 4.

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What Would You Make?

partysugar — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 10:13:31 -0800

Here's the scenario: You are at home and hungry for food. You have to cook up something scrumptious for you and your boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse/child/friend, but the ingredients you have on hand are limited.

You have a jar of sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, frozen puff-pastry dough, and pesto. Using these products, along with whatever you currently have on hand in your cupboard and refrigerator, what would you make?

To see what I would whip up, read more

While the puff pastry is thawing, I would finely chop the sun-dried tomatoes. I usually have olives on hand, so I would mince a couple.
I would grate some Parmesan cheese and roll the dough out in a thin square.
Next, I would spread the pesto on top of the dough and sprinkle on the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and olives, covering the entire dough evenly. Then I would top this with the Parmesan cheese.
I would roll the creation up like a jelly roll and set in the freezer for the dough to harden.
Ten to fifteen minutes later I would slice the roll into pieces and bake in the oven.
I would call them pinwheels and serve as a snack with a sparkling rosé.

Source and Source

Today's Special: Strata with Sausage and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

partysugar — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 08:51:32 -0700

For a reason I can't exactly pinpoint, I've been craving sun dried tomatoes like mad lately. I blame Michael Chiarello for my sudden, inexplicable craving because I saw him making a puff pastry appetizer with the sweet tomato this weekend. My go to recipe for whenever I am in need of sun dried tomatoes is a pasta one but today I'm not in the mood for pasta, I'm in the mood for a baked strata. This strata is a layered dish similar to a savory bread pudding with sausage, onions, and good mozzarella cheese. Sound, deliciously tempting or what? Throw in a simple side salad, a glass of wine, and you're good to go...for the recipe, read more

Strata with Sausage and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
From Martha Stewart

8 ounces Italian sausage, (about 3), casings removed
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 Cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, (if very dry, soaked in hot water and drained first)
Unsalted butter, for baking dish
8 large eggs
1 Cup milk
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
6 to 8 Ounces Italian bread, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 1/2 Cups shredded mozzarella cheese, (about 6 ounces)

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook sausage, stirring occasionally, and breaking up meat with a spoon, until browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
Add onion; cook. Stirring, until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes. Transfer to a plate; let cool until barely warm.
Butter an 8-inch-square baking dish.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Arrange half the bread in a slightly overlapping layer in bottom of dish. Scatter half the sausage mixture and then half the cheese over the bread. Repeat with remaining bread, sausage, and cheese, pressing firmly. Pour egg mixture over layers. Cover and refrigerate at least 20 minutes or up to overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bake, uncovered, until puffed and golden and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes.

Serves 6.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo

partysugar — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 06:50:56 -0700

While purchasing a store-made pasta sauce is incredibly convenient, you'd be surprised how easy it is to throw together a delectable homemade tomato sauce. This recipe combines fresh tomatoes with their sun-dried counterpart. The sauce base is water, but it's flavored with garlic, herbs, and vinegar before being tossed with quick-cooking orzo and seared chicken.

To give your family a whole new take on rustic Italian cuisine, serve them this meal! Get the recipe and read more.

Chicken & Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo
From Eating Well

Ingredients

8 ounces orzo, preferably whole-wheat
1 cup water
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed), divided
1 plum tomato, diced
1 clove garlic, peeled
3 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram, divided
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed (1-1 1/4 pounds)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 9-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1/2 cup finely shredded Romano cheese, divided

Directions

Cook orzo in a large saucepan of boiling water until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
Meanwhile, place 1 cup water, 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, plum tomato, garlic, 2 teaspoons marjoram, vinegar and 2 teaspoons oil in a blender. Blend until just a few chunks remain.
Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent burning, until golden outside and no longer pink in the middle, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; tent with foil to keep warm.
Pour the tomato sauce into the pan and bring to a boil. Measure out 1/2 cup sauce to a small bowl. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes to the pan along with the orzo, artichoke hearts and 6 tablespoons cheese. Cook, stirring, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Divide among 4 plates.
Slice the chicken. Top each portion of pasta with sliced chicken, 2 tablespoons of the reserved tomato sauce and a sprinkling of the remaining cheese and marjoram.

Serves 4.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Sun-Dried Tomato, Goat Cheese and Artichoke Pizza

partysugar — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 09:57:39 -0800

Why order a pizza when you can make one in less time than it takes for it to be delivered? If you keep the pantry stocked with tomato sauce and the freezer filled with pizza dough, fresh and delicious pizza is only minutes away. Tonight, top your pie with sun dried tomatoes and artichokes. This pizza makes an excellent impromptu dinner party meal when paired with salty olives and a quick side salad. For the recipe, read more

Sun-Dried Tomato, Goat Cheese, and Artichoke Pizza
From Vegetarian Times magazine

1 12- to 14-inch pizza crust
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup pizza sauce
1 cup chopped baby artichokes or artichoke hearts, frozen or water-packed and drained
2 cups shredded soy, low-fat, or regular mozzarella
4 oz. goat cheese, in small pieces
1 cup dry sundried tomatoes, reconstituted, or 1/3 to 1/2 cup oil-packed, sun-dried tomatoes

Preheat oven to 450°F. Prebake fresh pizza crust, if using, for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool slightly.
Brush oil on crust. Top crust with sauce and artichokes. Sprinkle with soy mozzarella, goat cheese, and sundried tomatoes.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and serve.

Serves 6.

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Monday's Leftovers: Salmon Quesadillas with Sun-Dried Tomato Guacamole

partysugar — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 07:31:31 -0800

An unexpected way to use leftover salmon from Sunday's Dinner is in a quesadilla. Sure, everyone has had chicken quesadillas, but tortillas filled with salmon are far less common. Jalapeno peppers provide a delicious kick when paired with the salmon and melted cheese. Sun dried tomatoes are a surprising flavor in the guacamole, making this a highly flavorful, super original meal. To start your week off with an exciting, easy dinner, get the recipe and read more.

Salmon Quesadillas with Sun-Dried Tomato Guacamole
From Robin Miller

Cooking spray
8 flour or whole-wheat tortillas
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend or shredded Monterey Jack
2 cooked salmon fillets, pulled apart with 2 forks into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 cup sliced pickled jalapeno peppers
2 Hass avocados, pitted and flesh removed from skin
1/2 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Coat a large griddle with cooking spray and preheat to medium-high.
Arrange 4 tortillas on a flat surface. Top each tortilla with 1/2 cup cheese. Toss salmon with chili powder and place on top of cheese.
Top with sliced jalapeno peppers and a second tortilla.
Place tortillas on hot griddle and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden brown and cheese melts.
In a blender, combine avocado, sun-dried tomatoes and lime juice. Process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, fold in cilantro and season with salt and pepper.
Serve quesadillas with guacamole on the side.

Serves 4.

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