Emeril's Macaroni Salad

courtesy Martha Stewart; from Everyday Food, July/August 2008

• Prep Time30 minutes
• Total Time35 minutes plus cooling
• YieldServes 6

Ingredients

Coarse salt and ground pepper

• 1 pound elbow macaroni
• 2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into strips
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese (2 ounces)
• 1/4 cup pitted Cerignola olives (or your favorite olives), sliced
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook macaroni until al dente. In a small skillet, cook prosciutto over medium until crisp; discard fat.
2. Combine shallot, vinegar, and mustard in a large bowl; whisk in oil in a slow, steady stream. Add tomato, cheese, prosciutto, olives, and capers.
3. Drain pasta; add to bowl with tomato mixture, and toss. Add parsley; season with salt and pepper. Cool to room temperature, and serve.

Cook's Note

To store, refrigerate up to 1 day.

JENNIE'S NOTES:

I was worried about adding the pasta (while it was still warm) to the goat cheese; I ended up adding everything together BUT the goat cheese before I stirred the pasta in. Then I added the goat cheese. It mixed in anyway, but I think I like it better that way-- distributes among all of it, makes a creamy kind of sauce. The picture that comes with the recipe online looks like nothing was really mixed together; I like it better how it is above.

I used three Roma tomatoes instead of one medium.

I used Barilla small elbow macaroni; it has little ridges which hold everything better.

I didn't want to have to search out Cerignola olives at a specialty store, so I bought pitted green olives (in a can) from Trader Joe's. They aren't that great, I found... (more sweet, than brine-tasting like most other olives I like). I added them anyway since I had them, don't know if they added anything to the taste. I'd try a stronger-tasting green olive next time; I think Kalamatas would overpower the salad though.

Next time I'm going to try sautéing/slightly caramelizing the shallots first. Shallots are strong! and I don't like the heavy lingering onion taste that pervades my mouth. And I did use a small one.

Make sure you use Italian/flat-leaf parsley.

I think this makes way more than six servings... unless you're serving it as a main dish-?

Watermelon and Feta Salad

 I first had this as an appetizer on a cruise ship... and LOVED it! So fresh tasting. I couldn't quite tell what it contained besides watermelon, feta, and pumpkin seeds... and it looks like it might have had scallions in it.

Looked up a bunch of recipes and found some included kalamata olives, most included mint. A little olive oil, etc. When I made it for Artichokes, I used the first recipe below (basically), except I omitted the olives, added basil, and forgot to add the pumpkin seeds (oops). Tried to make my own dressing version using their balsamic vinegar and orange juice idea, but it turned the feta brown and I didn't like that (though I could have sprinkled the feta on at the end if I'd plated the salad like above, OR just drizzled the dressing over it instead of mixing it all together). Yuka made the genius suggestion to use lime juice and I agree with that.

Since then, I was looking through one of my breakfast cookbooks, and-- lo and behold-- it had a recipe for "Watermelon with feta cheese and mint"-- and looks perfect! (and with lime) (but no pumpkin seeds). That one is listed second and then a more specific (in terms of amounts) is listed third. Personally, I say just cube your watermelon and feta to 1/2-to-1-inch cubes, mix in some pumpkin seeds, sprinkle over a little olive oil, lime juice, salt and ground pepper, and add a little mint... but I know some people like exact measurements :).

I also realize this is a lengthy writeup for a suuuuper simple recipe, hah.

Oh! One last thing--? BJ's Pizza now has a watermelon and feta salad on their menu! So it MUST be cool! :)

RECIPE ONE--
Watermelon and Feta Salad
courtesy of:  cookingweekends.blogspot.com

The flavours in this light and refreshing salad are amazing; sweet, salty, sour and a bit of mint.
salad
4 cups cold seedless watermelon, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup feta, cut into 1/2" cubes
1/2 cup Kalamata olives
2 tbsp salted pumpkin seeds
1 1/2 tsp fresh mint, finely chopped
freshly ground black pepper

Divide and arrange the ingredients between 2 plates. Grind a bit of fresh pepper over the salads.
dressing
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp orange juice

Combine the vinegar and orange juice. Sprinkle evenly over the salads and serve.

courtesy of:  cookingweekends.blogspot.com

RECIPE TWO--
Watermelon with Feta Cheese and Mint
courtesy of: "Breakfasts", Jacque Malouf
serves 4
preparation time: 5 minutes

Sounds unusual, but the combination of salty feta, sweet watermelon, and zingy mint is a deliciously refreshing one.

5 1/2 C watermelon flesh, chilled
7 oz feta cheese
10 large mint leaves, roughly chopped

Cut the watermelon in large cubes, removing as many seeds as you can. Place in a large serving bowl.
Crumble the feta cheese over the watermelon and top with the chopped mint. Sprinkle over some olive oil and lime juice and top with a few grindings of black pepper. Toss lightly and serve.

RECIPE THREE--

Watermelon Feta Salad with Mint

Servings: 8 servings

Kosher Key: Dairy

Total Time: 20 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 7-8 lb. seedless watermelon, chilled
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 limes, juiced
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup fresh chopped mint leaves
• 1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese (goat or sheep milk feta is best)

• Note: This salad is best made just prior to serving. Prepare one hour or less before your meal.
• Cut rind from the watermelon, then chop the fruit into 1 inch chunks. Place chunks in a colander to drain as your chop.
• In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, fresh lime juice, salt, and black pepper to create a dressing.
• Place watermelon in a large salad bowl. Pour dressing and chopped mint over the watermelon and toss gently to coat.
• Pour the crumbled feta into the salad bowl and stir gently to integrate the cheese into the salad. Serve.
• The salt and the citrus in the dressing will activate the juices in the watermelon, so a lot of liquid will collect in the bottom of the salad bowl. This is normal, and does not affect the flavor. To avoid having liquid transfer to your plate, serve the salad with a slotted spoon.

For food photographs and step-by-step instructions, please visit http://www.theshiksa.com.

30 Min Chicken Tagine from Dream Destinations Night

Serves 4.   From The Best 30-Minute Recipe.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

In search of a shortcut that could put our chicken tagine recipe on the table in 30 minutes, we gave the chicken a head start by precooking it in the microwave. After trying a variety of powers and cooking times, we found the power and time combination that gave us what we were looking for: halfway cooked chicken that cooked through in the braising liquid in about 10 minutes. For the chicken itself, we most liked boneless, skinless chicken thighs, which were packed with flavor and had a very moist texture, for our chicken tagine recipe.

Tagines are meat stews that feature a blend of sweet and savory ingredients. The dish of chicken will be very hot coming out of the microwave—be sure to set it on a clean, dry surface or trivet, and be careful of hot steam when removing the plastic wrap. Serve the tagine over couscous or rice.

INGREDIENTS

• 2pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1onion , minced
• 2teaspoons garam masala (see note)
• 4garlic cloves , minced
• 2tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1(14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1/2cup dried apricots , quartered
• 1(15-ounce) can chickpeas , rinsed
• 2tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS

1. MAKING THE MINUTES COUNT: Immediately start the chicken in the microwave, then mince the onion. Measure out the flour and broth and chop the apricots while the onion cooks.
2. 1. MICROWAVE CHICKEN: Season chicken with salt and pepper and arrange in single layer in ­microwave-safe casserole dish. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave on 50 percent power for 15 minutes.
3. 2. SAUTÉ AROMATICS: While chicken cooks, heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Stir in onion, garam masala, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4. 3. BUILD SAUCE: Stir in flour and cook until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in broth, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in tomatoes, apricots, and chickpeas, bring to simmer, and cook until apricots begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
5. 4. SIMMER CHICKEN: Reduce heat to low and add microwaved chicken with any accumulated juices. Cover and continue to cook until chicken is tender, about 10 minutes.
6. 5. FINISH: Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Easy Weeknight Chili

INGREDIENTS

• 1(28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2(15-ounce) cans beans ,(see note) rinsed
• 2 - 3teaspoons minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
• 2teaspoons sugar
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1onion , minced
• 3tablespoons chili powder
• 2teaspoons ground cumin
• 3garlic cloves , minced
• 1 1/2cups frozen corn , thawed
• 2tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. PUREE TOMATOES: Pulse tomatoes and their juice in food processor until slightly chunky, about 5 pulses.
2. 2. HEAT TOMATOES WITH BEANS: Bring tomatoes, beans, chipotle chile, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to boil, covered, in large saucepan. Reduce to simmer and continue to cook until needed in step 5.
3. 3. SAUTÉ AROMATICS: Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, chili powder, cumin, and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4. 4. COMBINE AND SIMMER: Stir in tomato-bean mixture, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.
5. 5. FINISH CHILI: Stir in corn and cilantro and return to brief simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
   
   
   Notes:
   
   Target (east Pas) sells the chipotles in adobo sauce.  You use so little I end up freezing the rest of the can for later use.
   
   
   To make this more kid friendly: 
   Use only 1 TBS of chili powder or less.  I used 2 TBS chili powder on this night.  
   Omit the chipotles from the main pot and only add them to your individual bowls.  I feel the chipotles add a lot of the flavor and you don't want to miss out on them, so this is a good compromise.
   
   
   Meat Option:
   Add 1/2 a package of TJ's shredded BBQ chicken (precooked and by the cheese) or BBQ brisket/beef.  I've done both to use leftovers and it added a nice sweetness to the chili.