Recipe Dish Type: Lunch

Shrimp and Tomato Salad with Basil-Vodka Dressing

  • Using toothpick or skewer, pierce each tomato from stem end to base through the middle. Lay basil leaves on top of each other and roll up tightly into cylinder. Slice thinly crosswise; set aside.
  • In bowl, whisk together oil, vodka, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper; add shrimp, celery, tomatoes and basil. Toss gently. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, for up to 24 hours.
  • To serve, let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Serve on salad plates lined with lettuce leaves.

Tip: Piercing the tomatoes allows the dressing to penetrate for extra flavor.

 

Recipe Provided by Chef Sharon Sanders

Sicilian Cauliflower Salad

  • Separate cauliflower into small, uniform florets. Cook in large pot of boiling salted water for 1 minute; drain well. Transfer to salad bowl. Add olive oil, garlic, wine vinegar, olives, onion, peppers, tomatoes, chickpeas, parsley and capers to bowl. Season with salt to taste; toss well.
  • Cover with plastic wrap; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. (Make-ahead: Salad can be refrigerated overnight; bring to room temperature before serving.)

 

Tips:

  • You can substitute 1/4 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil for fresh tomatoes if desired.
  • If you like chickpeas, add an extra 1/2 cup to the salad.

 

Recipe Provided by Chef Mary Ann Esposito

Sauteed Garlic Potatoes

  • Place potatoes in large colander; rinse under cold running water. Drain well; pat dry.
  • Heat olive oil in large nonstick skillet set over medium heat; cook potatoes in single layer, stirring and turning frequently, for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Add garlic. Cover and reduce heat to low; cook very gently, shaking pan and stirring mixture occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender when pierced with fork.
  • Remove garlic; discard skins. In small bowl, crush garlic; stir in lemon juice. Add to potatoes; mix well. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until heated through. Transfer to serving dish; sprinkle with chives and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Rotini in Summer Tomato Basil Sauce

  • In large bowl, combine tomatoes, 3/4 cup olive oil, basil, garlic and salt; let stand for 30 minutes at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
  • In large pot of boiling salted water, cook rotini for about 8 minutes or until al dente.
    Drain pasta and return to pot; toss with tomato sauce. Let stand for 5 minutes. Taste, adding up to 1/4 cup olive oil, if needed, for flavor. Season generously with pepper.

 

Tip: This dish must be made with very ripe tomatoes, preferably locally grown. For variety, try adding drained capers, slivered ripe olives or cooked shrimp or scallops to the sauce.

 

Recipe Provided by Chef Sharon Sanders

Rosemary Scented Grilled Chicken

  • In large resealable plastic bag, combine olive oil, lime juice, green onion, oregano, chopped rosemary, salt and pepper. Add chicken to bag, ensuring all pieces are well coated with marinade; press out as much air as possible. Reseal bag and refrigerate for 3 to 5 hours.
  • Preheat grill or prepare coals to medium heat and soak rosemary sprigs in water for 30 minutes. Place rosemary sprigs directly on coals or place on grill grate.
  • Grill chicken pieces, bone side down, about 4 inches above the coals and cook for 12 minutes, brushing frequently with marinade. Turn chicken; grill for 12 minutes, basting frequently. Continue cooking for 20 minutes longer, turning and basting chicken, until well browned and juices run clear (do not baste during final 5 or 6 minutes of grilling). Serve with lime wedges.

 

Recipe provided by Chef Jim Coleman

Rosemary Beef Stew

  • Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in large saucepan set over medium heat; sauté celery for 2 minutes. Stir in parsley, basil, thyme, oregano and pepper. Pour in tomatoes; stir well. Cover and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, in Dutch oven, heat remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Add beef; cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until browned. Using slotted spoon, transfer beef to plate; set aside.
  • Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic to Dutch oven; sauté for 2 minutes or until golden. Pour in wine; cook over high heat, stirring constantly and scraping up browned bits, for 3 to 5 minutes or until wine is reduced by half. Return meat to pan, then stir in rosemary. Pour in tomato sauce and stir to combine. Reduce heat; cover and simmer on low for 1 1/2 hours or until meat is tender.

Rotini with Broccoli

  • In large pot of boiling, salted water, cook rotini according to package directions, adding broccoli for last 2 minutes of cooking time.
  • Drain pasta and broccoli; return to pot. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with Parmesan and red pepper flakes. Toss until well combined.

Recipe provided by Chef Sharon Sanders

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

  • Preheat oven to 375ºF. Place squash, cut sides down, on lightly greased baking pan. Roast for 45 minutes or until flesh is tender when pierced with fork. Remove from heat; let cool. Using large spoon, scoop flesh into bowl of food processor.
  • Add jalapeño, cumin and coriander to squash; pour in broth. Purée until smooth, adding water (if needed) to facilitate puréeing.
  • In Dutch oven or large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and shallot; sauté for 2 to 3 minutes or until shallot is translucent.
  • Transfer squash mixture to Dutch oven; stir to combine with garlic mixture. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Stir in lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste.

 

Tips:

  • If you do not have vegetable broth on hand, substitute equal parts V8 vegetable juice and water.
  • If desired, roast squash up to three days ahead of time; refrigerate until ready to use.

 

Recipe provided by Chef Jim Coleman

Quick Turkey Parmigiana

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush large shallow baking dish with 1 tbsp olive oil. Layer turkey in bottom of dish; season with salt and pepper to taste. Layer cheese over top, then layer tomatoes over cheese.
  • Sprinkle basil over top; drizzle with remaining olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes or just until cheese has melted.

 

Recipe provided by Chef Mary Ann Esposito

 

Pork, Chickpea, and Spinach Saute

  • Cut tenderloin in half lengthwise; cut each half lengthwise into 2 strips. Flatten each strip; cut into 1-inch chunks. Season with salt and pepper; toss with 1/3 of the garlic. Sprinkle with cornmeal; toss to coat, then shake off excess cornmeal.
  • Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in large sauté pan set over medium-high heat; cook pork, turning as needed, for 6 minutes or until browned on all sides. Place pork in single layer on tray; keep warm. Add remaining olive oil and garlic to pan; cook for 30 seconds or until sizzling. Stir in chickpeas, red pepper flakes and 1/4 tsp salt; increase heat to high and cook for 3 minutes.
  • Add tomato purée; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add pork along with any accumulated juices; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in spinach; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until spinach wilts. Garnish each serving with lemon wedge.

 

Recipe Provided by Chef Sharon Sanders