Rice Salad Recipe

Healthy, fresh and easy to make. This rice salad is just what you need for these hot summer days

It's so hot today, I cannot believe it! I went for my run this morning and thought I was going to melt on my way back. Really!! The forecast says we'll have a high of  95 degrees for today and tomorrow (that's about 35 degree Celsius). And for those of you who don't know me, I'm in Southern California near the ocean, with an average temperature of about 70 degree all year long. Breezy and cool, and not extremely hot.
With this unexpected heat wave, I don't feel like baking or cooking very much. So here is one of my favorite dishes for these occasions. It's fresh, wholesome, light and easy to make.
This dish can be prepared a day before and can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days. It's  perfect for a picnic or a barbecue. For a light dinner or to take along with you at work or school for a healthy lunch.

You can really make rice salad with many different ingredients. That's what I like about it so much. Change it up every time and make it fun. Today, I've prepared it with mixed pickled veggies, marinated artichoke hearts, olives, fresh mozzarella and hard boiled eggs. And of course, you need a drizzle of tasty olive oil and a sprinkle of chopped fresh basil. Sounds perfect, right?

Here is the video recipe for you.

Note, the quantities of the ingredients added to the rice are just to give  you an idea of what I did. But feel free to add or change anything as you prefer!

Ingredients: serving about 4

• 1 1/2 cups (300 gr) rice ( I used long grain)
• 3 hard boiled eggs
• 1 cup (180  gr) of giardiniera - mixed pickled veggies
• 1/2 cup (75 gr) of marinated artichokes hearts
• 1/4 cup (35 gr) of mixed pitted olives ( I used Greek)
• 6 oz (170 gr) of fresh mozzarella
• a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• salt
• 3-4 leaves of fresh basil 

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Simmer the rice, as directed. it should take about 15 minutes.
2. In a separate small pan, hard boil three eggs: place the eggs in the pan, cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat. When the water starts to boil, lower the flame to the minimum and let cook for about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, run under cold water and peel.

3. In a large bowl, add the mixed pickled veggies, the artichoke hearts and the olives. All cut in small pieces.

4. When the rice is ready, drain and run quickly under cold water to cool it down. Drain well and add to the bowl with veggies.

5. Drizzle with a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

6. Cut in pieces the boiled egg and salt to taste.

7. Add the eggs, mozzarella cut in small cubes, and the basil cut in smaller pieces to the rice.
Mix well. And adjust with olive oil if necessary.

Serve at room temperature or store in the refrigerator up to two days.

Buon appetito! 

Rustic Nectarine Crosata Recipe

Homemade rustic crostata with sweet and juicy nectarines, a touch of cinnamon, over a buttery and flaky crust. 

Perfect dessert for the summer!

Have you ever eaten at GJelina? It's a popular restaurant on Abbot Kinney in Venice, California. So popular that it's always quite hard to make reservations. Even a month ahead! I know, this is L.A. ... what would I expect, right?!?
Anyways, I went there last week with my husband for our special anniversary lunch. And we got lucky. No reservation, and there was a table for two available right away. Woo hoo!
After eating there, now I know what all the fuss is about. Lunch was truly amazing! The menu is fun and interesting. Not really expensive. All the dishes were phenomenal, from start to finish. And without the kids at the table I could really focus on my food. Mmmm... I really want to go back. Soon!

Now it's a week after, and I'm still thinking about that lunch. Especially our dessert. We had a nectarine crostata with olive oil ice-cream. And as you can see from my pictures, I had to try and make it myself right away. 

I searched on line and found a great recipe on Bon Appetit Magazine for a  rustic fruit crostata. As usual, I made modification to the recipe. You know me: I can't help it :)
The result: NOT exactly like the crostata from GJelina. Probably it's impossible to re-create it without getting the secret ingredients from the chef. But mine, we all agreed, came out excellent nonetheless.

This rustic crostata is super easy to make. Much easier than baking a pie. And it tastes just as good, with a flaky and buttery crust, and a juicy and fruity filling. And let's not forget the delicious aroma of cinnamon.
I made the dough by hands, which takes a little longer than using a food processor. The dough needs to be chilled in the refrigerator for an hour or longer. Once chilled, you can roll the dough, pour the filling, fold the edges up, and stick it in the oven. It's rustic, and it needs to look homemade. So anybody can do it and it doesn't have to look perfect.
You will need to wait a few minutes for the tart to cool down a bit, before cutting yourself a big slice. And if you are anything like me, you will eat it warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice-cream on the side!!
As usual, I'm not just going to tell you how to prepare this dessert, but I will show you in this short video. Enjoy :)

Ingredients: to make a 10 inch (25 cm) tart, serves about 8                       PRINTABLE RECIPE

For the crust:

• 1 2/3 cups (250 gr) of all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup (50 gr) of corn meal
• 3 tablespoons (45 gr) of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• grated zest of an orange (organic)
• 1 1/2 sticks (6 oz, 170 gr) of unsalted butter, chilled
• 5-6 tablespoons (75-85 ml ) of cold  water

For the filling:

• 1/4 cup (50 gr) sugar
• 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, plus a bit to sprinkle on top (optional)
• 3 large nectarines (mine were about 1 3/4 lb = 850 gr) ripe
• 2 tablespoons of milk, for glaze (or one beaten egg)
• sugar crystals (optional) for decoration

Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus 1 hour inactive and 1 hour baking
Directions:
1. Combine the flour, the cornmeal, the sugar and the orange peel in a large bowl.

2. Add the butter, and using the tip of a knife, cut the butter and reduce it to small (pea-size) pieces or as small as you can. If you have a processor, the job is a lot faster. Pulse only for a few seconds. Do not over mix.

3. Add 4 tablespoons of water. Mix with a spoon until the dough comes together. Add one or two more tablespoons of water if necessary. I used about 6 tablespoons total (85 ml) but that can vary.

4. Move the mixture to a large piece of plastic wrap. Make it into a disc. Wrap it in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour, or overnight if needed.

5. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle the top with flour, and turn the dough often to make sure it doesn't stick to the counter. Roll to about a 14 inch (36 cm) circle (diameter). Place it on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, helping yourself with your rolling pin. Refrigerate again while you prepare the filling

6. Preheat the oven to 375º F (190º C). In a bowl mix the sugar with the cornstarch and the cinnamon. Add the nectarines cut in slices (about 16 slices each) and mix with a spoon.

7. Place the fruit in the middle of the dough and distribute evenly. Make sure to leave an edge around the border of about 2 inches (5 cm). The tart will come out to be about 10 inches in diameter. Brush the edge with milk.

8. Fold the edge over the fruit as shown in my picture. If the dough breaks at any point, don't worry! Pinch the dough to seal.

9. Brush the border (outer part now) with more milk. Sprinkle with sugar crystals and more cinnamon if you wish.

10. Bake at 375º F (190º C) for about 55-60 minutes, until golden on top. Let the crostata cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting. Serve at room temperature, or warm ... and how about  with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream?! Delicious!!

CHOCOLATE WHOOPIE PIES

This recipe makes a Whoopie Pie that is light as air and very tender. I like to wrap them individually (after they are completely cool) which makes them perfect for lunch boxes. They are also very popular at potlucks and bake sales.

 

Preheat oven to 450° and spray cookie sheets with cooking spray

WHOOPIE PIE COOKIES

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup shortening (no substitutions)
2 eggs
1 cup sour milk (*see note below)
1 cup BOILING water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsweetened bakers cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda

*NOTE: To get sour milk,  put 1 teaspoon of lemon juice in a cup and then fill it up with milk; let it stand for 5 minutes.

DIRECTIONS
Beat the eggs, shortening (I use butter flavored Crisco) and sugar in a large bowl until very smooth, scraping sides.

In a separate bowl, mix sour milk, boiling water, salt, cocoa and vanilla. Stir till smooth.

In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and baking soda.

PUT IT ALL TOGETHER

Mix the cocoa-liquid mixture into the creamed butter and sugar mixture. Mix well.  Gradually add the flour mixture and beat until smooth.   Let batter sit for 5 minutes.

BAKE

Drop batter (about 2 tablespoons per cookie) onto greased cookie sheet and bake at 450° for 5 to 7 minutes. NOTE: My electric oven takes 5 minutes (don't over bake because at this high temperature, the cookies will burn quickly).

Cool cookies on a wrack.  When they are completely cool, put two cookies together with filling.

 

FILLING

1 cup  UNSALTED butter at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
(1) 7 ounce container of marshmallow fluff

Cream the room temperature butter until fluffy (takes about 3 minutes on high speed).

Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating well in between each addition.

Add the marshmallow fluff and vanilla and whip on high until well mixed.

ASSEMBLY
Add a nice thick layer of filling in between two cookies. If they aren't going to be eaten immediately, wrap them in plastic wrap. Recipe makes 24 pies.

ENJOY !!!

Pasta Salad with Grilled Eggplant and Sun Dried Tomatoes

A fresh and healthy pasta salad with grilled eggplants, sun-dried tomatoes and fresh mozzarella

 An irresistible combination of Mediterranean flavors!

 A hot weekend is coming up here in Los Angeles. I can't wait to jump in the warm ocean water and relax on the sand. And if, like me, you are planning to spend your Sunday at the beach or somewhere else fun, here is a great picnic lunch idea.

This pasta salad is very simple to make. It's vegetarian, healthy, fresh and very tasty. You can prepare it ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator. And then you just bring it along to the beach or park in your cooler.
I generally prefer eating this salad at room temperature (not cold from the refrigerator and not hot from the stove). I chose farfalle pasta this time, but you can really use any shape of short pasta. I would really not recommend spaghetti for a pasta salad.
Here is the recipe for you. And have an amazing weekend :)

Ingredients, serving 4 people:                  PRINTABLE RECIPE

• 1 medium eggplant
• a couple of whole sun-dried tomatoes (I used about 5 halves - Colavita, tomatoes in olive oil)
• 1 garlic clove
• 8 oz of fresh mozzarella cheese
• extra virgin olive oil
• oregano
• salt
• 12 oz pasta

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta.
2. Cut the eggplant in thin slices. Grill the eggplants, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt.

3. Cut the grilled eggplants in small strips. In a large bowl, add the eggplants, the garlic cut in slices, the sun-dried tomatoes cut in pieces and sliced garlic

4. Drain the pasta, run it under cold water to stop it from overcooking. Add to the bowl and mix well. Add the mozzarella cut in small cubes and mix again. Add more olive oil and oregano if necessary. Easy as that :)

Buon Appetito!

MAC and CHEESE BITES

This is such a fun (and easy) recipe. It is great for kids parties or teen parties and you can even jazz them up for adult appetizers. They stay warm for quite a while, but are even tasty at room temperature (nice and creamy).

Mildly seasoned for picky toddlers (perfect size), or add a little zip by using half cheddar and half pepper jack cheese and/or bacon bits.

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1  1/2 cups milk
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (divided)
2 ounces cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
small pinch of cayenne
1 beaten egg

Boil the elbow macaroni in SALTED water for 8 minutes, then drain and set aside. Preheat oven to 400° and spray MINI muffin pan with cooking spray.

Note: Salting the water is important. If you don't you will have to increase the amount of salt in the sauce.

In medium size pan, melt butter and stir in flour until smooth and bubbly, let it simmer for about 30 seconds or so.

Slowly add the milk (whisk while you add it) and bring it to a simmer (it will thicken just a little).

Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the cheese (set aside the other 1/2 cup) and add the cream cheese, salt, pepper and cayenne. Stir to melt.

Mix the cooked macaroni, the cheese sauce and the beaten egg. Spoon mac and cheese into greased mini muffin cups and top with just a few shreds of the remaining cheddar cheese.

Bake at 400° for 15 minutes.  IMPORTANT: Let cool for 5 minutes before you take them out of the pan.

NOTES: I cook mine for 14 minutes, then put them under the broiler for the last minute (but watch them so they don't over brown).

NOTES: If you like a little spice, use half shredded sharp cheddar cheese and 1/2 pepper jack cheese.

NOTES: You can even sneak in some finely chopped broccoli for color.

 

This recipe makes about 4 dozen mini bites

 

 

ENJOY !!!

 

Original recipe found at www.chef-in-training.com   (and adapted by Coleen's Recipes)