Pappardelle Pasta with Olives, Thyme and Lemon

I have found this recipe from Martha Stewart and use it whenever I can. It's a very tasty and easy to prepare dish.

According to the magazine the sauce for this pasta dish, is designed by chef George Germon of Al Forno restaurant in Providence, Rhode Island, which made me try the recipe. If they can serve it in a restaurant it must be good, right?:))

The ingredients actually give a very fresh taste to pasta, maybe because of the lemon. In any case, it is delicious and worth the try. Bon Appetite:)

PAPPARDELLE PASTA WITH OLIVES, THYME AND LEMON

Ingredients:
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more for water
8 ounces dried pappardelle or other long, flat pasta
16 kalamata olives, pitted
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Zest of 1 lemon, coarsely chopped
1 three-inch piece orange zest, coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and pappardelle, and cook until pasta is al dente, following label directions. Drain in a colander, reserving 1 cup cooking water.

While pasta is cooking, combine olives, parsley, olive oil, thyme, lemon zest, orange zest, and red-pepper flakes in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse until a chunky purée forms. Transfer to a warm serving bowl large enough to accommodate cooked pasta.

Add pasta, and toss to combine. Add 1/4 cup cooking water, and toss to combine. Add more water if necessary; pappardelle has a tendency to absorb liquid quickly, so more water may be needed. The sauce should cling to ribbons of pasta but should not be dry. Serve immediately.

Muffuletta Sandwich on Sourdough Bread and Creole Olive Salad

This is one tasty sandwich, and it looks very yummy too:)

It's great if you especially prepare it for a lunch box. It will have a lot of time to marry the tastes as Emeril puts it:)

The original recipe also had a sourdough bread recipe, but I don't bake bread, so I skipped it. I just buy bread from the bakery or the market and that's good enough for me:)

I change the olive salad a little bit; I don't use the celery and skip the parsley completely. Instead I use cucumbers so that there is still the crunch that the celery would give. It also makes the salad taste fresh.

I also change the meats and the cheeses around depending on what I have handy at home.

MUFFULETTA SANDWICH ON SOURDOUGH BREAD

Ingredients:
1 large round sourdough bread loaf
3/4 to 1 cup Creole Olive Salad, recipe follows
4 ounces mortadella, thinly sliced
4 ounces cappocolo, culatello, or other cured Italian ham, thinly sliced
4 ounces mozzarella, thinly sliced
4 ounces provolone, or Fontina, thinly sliced
Pickled pepperoncini, garnish

Directions:
Slice the bread in half horizontally, and remove enough of the doughy insides to make room for the fillings. Spread about 1/4 cup of the olive salad and its oil on the bottom and top pieces of bread, spreading to saturate the bread with oil.

Alternately layer the bottom bread with the meat, cheese, and remaining olive salad to taste.

Cut into quarters and wrap tightly in butcher's paper or plastic wrap. Let sit for 30 minutes for the flavors to marry and the oil to soak into the bread. Unwrap and place on a large serving plate with the pepperoncini. Serve.

CREOLE OLIVE SALAD

Ingredients:
1/2 cup pitted brine-cured black olives, such as Nicoise, sliced
1/2 cup large (queen) pimiento-stuffed olives, sliced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 tablespoon finely chopped celery
1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and mix well.

Pasta with Kalamata Olives and Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce

A great comfort food recipe from Bon Appetit which is really easy and doesn't require a lot of changes.

Be careful of how much pine nuts you are adding, it can overpower the taste of everything else. I myself use less than the recipe suggests, but don't omit it completely as the crunchiness is really fun.

Feta can completely disappear if you add it too soon, wait to add it at the end, just before serving. If you don't want to use feta, you can use Parmesan but the taste changes into something else, which is also nice:)

Be careful with the salt also as olives, capers and feta are all salty.

To make it a more complete meal you can add shredded roasted or grilled chicken to the pasta before serving.

PASTA WITH KALAMATA OLIVES AND ROASTED CHERRY TOMATO SAUCE

Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup olive oil
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1 pound farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
1/2 cup halved pitted Kalamata olives or other brine-cured black olives
1/4 cup drained capers
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1 1/4 cups)
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

Directions:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F.

Combine tomatoes, oil, garlic, vinegar, and crushed red pepper in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Roast until tomatoes are tender and juicy, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Stir in oregano. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Return to pot.

Add tomato mixture, olives, and capers. Stir over medium heat until heated through, about 2 minutes.

Add feta and stir until melted and creamy, about 2 minutes.

Divide pasta among 6 plates; sprinkle with pine nuts and serve.

Makes 6 servings.

Warm Goat Cheese Salad with Grilled Olive Bread

This one is an old and a favorite salad recipe from Bon Appetit. The sauce is great, which you can use with any other salad dressing, and the goat cheese turns out to be crunchy outside and silky inside. It is just yummy:)

Don't skip leaving the goat cheese in the fridge for at least an hour. It makes a big difference when you are cooking it. And use dental floss to cut it, it won't crumble or stick to anything, makes it very easy to cut into rounds.

You can make a lot of variations with this recipe. You can use cranberry or rosemary bread instead of olive bread; add prosciutto and make it a bigger meal; add sun dried tomatoes; use herbed breadcrumbs; add some white wine into the sauce. There is just no end to what you can do with this recipe.

Enjoy:)

WARM GOAT CHEESE SALAD WITH GRILLED OLIVE BREAD

Ingredients:
Vinaigrette
2 garlic cloves, peeled, halved
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons
Dijon mustard

Salad
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 4-ounce logs soft fresh goat cheese, each halved crosswise, halves pressed to 1/2-inch thickness
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten until foamy
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 3/4-inch-thick slices olive bread

Additional olive oil
2 5-ounce packages mixed baby greens

Directions:
For vinaigrette:
Place garlic and oil in small glass measuring cup or ramekin. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave 30 seconds. Transfer garlic to small bowl. Reserve oil.

Using fork, coarsely mash garlic. Add basil, vinegar, and mustard to mashed garlic. Whisk until smooth. Gradually whisk in reserved garlic oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Let stand 1 hour at room temperature and re-whisk before using.)

For salad:
Mix first 6 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Dip each cheese round into egg whites, turning to coat. Coat each with breadcrumb mixture. Transfer coated cheese rounds to plate. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in heavy large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add cheese rounds and cook until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to plate.

Brush bread slices on both sides with olive oil. Grill until beginning to toast, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to plate.

Place greens in large bowl and toss with all but 2 tablespoons vinaigrette; season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide salad among 6 plates. Top each with 1 cheese round and 1 slice grilled bread. Drizzle cheese rounds with remaining 2 tablespoons vinaigrette and serve.

Makes 6 servings.

Goat Cheese in Grape Leaves with Tomato and Olive Salad

I have never tried barbecuing grape leaves before this recipe from Bon Appetit. They taste amazingly good and do great if you have company.

And you don't have to wait for the barbecue, you can just cook them in a pan or a skillet grill. Just watch them while cooking so that you don't char/burn the leaves.

These make great appetizers, and they should always be served with bread. The bread makes a lot of difference, so go for your favorite. Herbed breads that are toasted work out really good, such as rosemary flat-bread from Trader Joes.

GOAT CHEESE IN GRAPE LEAVES WITH TOMATO AND OLIVE SALAD

Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
3/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
12 large grape leaves from jar, rinsed, patted dry, stemmed
3 4- to 5-ounce logs soft fresh goat cheese, each cut crosswise into 4 rounds
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
6 large tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/3 cup coarsely chopped pitted oil-cured black olives (about 30)

6 1/2-inch-thick slices crusty country-style white bread

Directions:
Whisk 1/2 cup oil, thyme, and black pepper in small bowl to blend.

Arrange grape leaves, vein side up, on work surface. Dip each cheese round into thyme oil and place in center of 1 grape leaf. Fold sides of leaves over cheese; fold up bottom and continue to roll up, enclosing cheese completely.

Arrange wrapped cheeses, seam side down, on platter. Brush lightly with some thyme oil. Cover and chill at least 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead; keep chilled. Cover remaining thyme oil and store at room temperature.)

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Whisk 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, vinegar, and mustard in small bowl to blend. Season dressing with salt and pepper.

Slightly overlap tomato slices on large platter. Drizzle with dressing; sprinkle with half of olives.

Place wrapped cheese rounds on grill, seam side down. Grill until cheese softens and leaves begin to char, about 2 minutes per side. Arrange cheeses atop tomatoes. Sprinkle with remaining olives.

Brush bread slices with remaining thyme oil. Grill bread until beginning to brown, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes. Cut toasts diagonally in half. Serve cheese, passing toasts separately.

Makes 12 appetizer servings.

Baked Halibut with Tomato, Capers, and Olive Vinaigrette

This is one of the simplest recipes that I have from the Gourmet magazine. Just put everything together and throw them into the oven.

The cooking time takes longer, up to 20 minutes, so watch it closely so that you don't have raw fish:)

Here are the changes that I make: I skip the black olives, add garlic, and sometimes shallots.

You can try this recipe with different fishes but halibut seems to work the best. Enjoy:)

BAKED HALIBUT WITH TOMATO, CAPERS AND OLIVE VINAIGRETTE

Ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
2/3 cup Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives, pitted and halved
2 tablespoons drained capers, rinsed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (2 pounds) halibut steak (1 1/2-inch thick), skinned, boned, and cut into 4 pieces

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Whisk together lemon juice and mustard. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. Stir in tomatoes, olives, capers, and salt and pepper, to taste.

Arrange the fish steaks in a ceramic or glass baking dish just large enough to hold them in 1 layer. Pour the vinaigrette over fish. Cook the fish in middle of oven until just cooked through and no longer translucent, 7 to 9 minutes.

Serve fish with the vinaigrette from the baking dish.