Tomato + Cheddar Lemon Aioli Pasta Salad

With summer finally being thisclose, I’m starting to look for things I can bring to a BBQ or out to the beach—foods that can be served at room temperature, and won't have reduced themselves to some crazy-looking concoctions by the time they’re ready to be served.

Pasta salads are always a good bet, and when you add a homemade lemon aioli (I stole the recipe from my cookbook, Meat On The Side!) and the perfect balance of textures and flavors, you are guaranteed to be the hit of the party!

For the aioli, you just add garlic, mustard, lemon juice, and egg yolk to a blender, then drizzle in some oil.

That’s it!

And the combination of those ingredients, although kind of basic, creates a taste that is out of this world—creamy, tangy, and light!

Once you add your all-star aioli to chunks of cheddar, richly-flavored sundried tomatoes, juicy grape tomatoes, and crunchy lettuce, you end up with a simple pasta salad that doesn’t taste so simple.

This incredible dish is about using familiar flavors, but making them the best they can be.

And this is the best pasta salad EVER!

Tomato + Cheddar Lemon Aioli Pasta Salad

servings: 4 to 6

Ingredients:

• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Juice of 1 lemon + zest of half of the lemon
• 1 small garlic clove, sliced
• 1½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ cup vegetable oil
• 16 ounces dry rotini pasta
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 cups packed spring mix lettuce
• ¾ cup coarsely chopped sundried tomatoes
• 8 ounces cubed sharp cheddar cheese (¼-inch cubes)
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Place a large pot of salted water over high heat for cooking the rotini. Add the egg yolk, vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, and 1 teaspoon of the salt to a blender and blend on high for about 10 seconds. Then, with the machine still running, slowly add ¼ cup of the oil at a time, until the mixture is thick and smooth. Set aside.
2. When the water boils, add the rotini and cook according to the package directions. When done, drain and transfer to a large bowl, allowing the pasta to cool.
3. Once the pasta has cooled, to the same bowl, add the tomatoes, spring mix, sundried tomatoes, cheese, remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, and the pepper, then stir to combine. Serve and enjoy!

: @NikkiDinki

: @NikkiDinkiCooking

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Tomato Soup with Rice + Basil Yogurt Drizzle

Is there really anything better than tomato soup?

Let me clarify—homemade tomato soup.

When I was younger, I was addicted to cans of the Progresso version.

I can picture myself at age 22, squeezing my way into my 2x2 foot kitchen, cracking open that blue can, and then waiting those 2 minutes for the microwave to deliver my spoils.

If only I had known how much better making my own tomato soup could be.

Like, SO much better, and requiring no skills or fancy ingredients.

And what I also couldn’t have imagined at the time was how adding tender rice to my soup would completely take it to the next level.

Or that topping it with a beautiful and refreshing three-ingredient basil yogurt drizzle would boost its amazing-factor sky-high.

But now that I know what I didn't know, let's take our tomato soup there.

We just need to sauté some garlic and onions...

Add some crushed and juiced tomatoes...

And while that all simmers, combine yogurt, basil and a little salt for a drizzle you could never find in a Progresso can.

Tomato Soup with Rice + Basil Yogurt Drizzle

servings: 8 cups of soup, with about ½ cup drizzle; serves 4

Basil Yogurt Drizzle:

• ½ cup Greek yogurt
• ½ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Tomato Soup with Rice:

• One 10.6-ounce package Veetee Microwavable Thai Jasmine Rice (makes 1½ cups)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
• One 46-ounce can tomato juice
• Two 14-ounce cans diced tomatoes
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• Basil Yogurt Drizzle
• Fresh basil leaves, finely chopped, for a garnish (optional)

Basil Yogurt Drizzle:

1. Add the yogurt, basil, and salt to a blender along with ¼ cup water and blend this mixture until it is mostly smooth. If you prefer, you can skip the blender and instead finely chop the basil, then mix it by hand with the yogurt, water, and salt until all ingredients are well combined.

Tomato Soup with Rice:

1. Microwave the rice for 2 minutes as per the package instructions, and set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Then add the onion, garlic, and ½ teaspoon of the salt and cook until the vegetables are tender and fragrant—3-4 minutes.
3. Add the tomato juice, diced tomatoes, remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, and the pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Transfer the soup to a blender and puree it until smooth, then return it to the pot and stir in the rice and cream.
4. To serve, divide the soup into bowls, top with the Basil Yogurt Drizzle, and sprinkle with the basil leaves if desired.

: @NikkiDinki

: @NikkiDinkiCooking

Find more recipes like this in MORE VEGGIES PLEASE!

 

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Charred Tomato Garlic Bread

I love bread.

And by that, I mean:

I. LOVE. BREAD.

And if you have a fresh loaf of bread, according to me (or you!), of course it’s good all on it’s own.

But let me tell you how it gets even better...

It's so simple to char the bread in a grill pan with a little olive oil—on high heat.

It will get mouth-wateringly crusty on the outside, while still remaining soft and chewy on the inside.

And when it’s crisp and browned, take it off of the grill pan and rub it with cut garlic and tomato.

This infuses those flavors ever-so-delicately—and just so incredibly perfectly!—into the bread.

Sprinkle this amazing bread with salt and another drizzle of olive oil, and you have definitely transported that fresh loaf of bread to a whole new level.

Charred Tomato Garlic Bread

servings: 4 to 6

Ingredients:

• One 8 X 5-inch loaf ciabatta bread (or other crusty bread)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, more for drizzling
• 1 garlic clove, halved
• 1 medium tomato, halved
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

1. Heat a grill pan over high heat. Cut the loaf of bread in half length-wise and drizzle all sides of it with the olive oil. Place the bread crust side-down on the pan, and cook until grill marks appear and the bread is crusty—2 to 3 minutes. Flip the bread over, then press it down to ensure good contact with the pan; continue to cook until grill marks appear and the bread is charred in spots—2 to 3 minutes more.
2. Remove the bread from the heat and and rub the cut side with the cut side of the garlic, going over the bread a few times. Then rub the bread with the cut side of the tomato, squeezing the juice out of the tomato and onto the bread as you do so.
3. Sprinkle the cut side of the bread with the salt and a little extra olive oil. Serve hot and enjoy!

: @NikkiDinki

: @NikkiDinkiCooking

Find more recipes like this in MORE VEGGIES PLEASE!

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Blooming Tomato

Why should onions have all the fun?!

Forget the Blooming Onion (though it is undeniably delicious), because this summer the Blooming Tomato is taking over!

I’m always looking to do something new with veggies—to transform them into something special.

And sometimes just cutting a veggie in a different way can accomplish that goal...

This tomato becomes the centerpiece of a salad, and suddenly the salad is an experience—not just some veggies tossed together on a plate.

The trick is to cut it into wedges while leaving the bottom center intact.

Then top it as you like!

I’m going with Caesar dressing, lettuce, bacon, croutons—and to make it really special, some crab.

And just imagine this with some summer heirloom tomatoes!

Oh man, get ready for a lot of Blooming Tomatoes on my Instagram!

Blooming Tomato

servings: 1; makes 1 salad

Ingredients:

• 1 bacon strip
• 1 large tomato
• Pinch kosher salt
• Pinch ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons Caesar dressing
• 1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
• ¼ cup croutons, cut into small pieces
• Crab meat (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp—6 to 7 minutes, turning once. Then transfer the bacon to a paper towel to drain.
2. While the bacon cooks, remove the tomato’s stem and place it stem-side-up on a cutting board. Then cut the tomato into 8 wedges making all of your cuts on the stem side and leaving the bottom intact (first cut the tomato in half one way without cutting all the way through, then cut it in half the other way without cutting all the way through, and finally cut each quarter in half without cutting all the way through—for 8 even wedges).
3. Next, sprinkle the cut tomato with the salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the dressing over the tomato, fill it with the shredded lettuce, and top it with the croutons and crab meat (if desired). Finally, when the bacon has finished cooking, remove it from the pan, crumble it over the blooming tomato, and serve.

: @NikkiDinki

: @NikkiDinkiCooking

Find more recipes like this in MORE VEGGIES PLEASE!

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Burst Tomato Pasta

RECIPE:

¼ Olive Oil

8 Garlic Cloves - sliced

6-8 Large Tomatoes cut into 1 inch chunks or 3 pints cherry/grape tomatoes

3-4tsp Kosher salt

1 tsp Red Wine Vinegar

3-4 Tbs Chopped Basil

1lbs Linguine

2 Chicken Breast, split in half, breaded and cooked See Recipe

Heat oil in a pan on medium low and add garlic.  Cook till just slightly golden about 3-5minutes and add tomatoes.  Let tomatoes cook until tender, 15 -20minutes.  Smash tomatoes down with a spoon and add vinegar, basil and salt, cook for another 5-15minutes until you have the consistency you want. Taste to see if it needs more salt.  Toss with pasta and serve.

Serves  4-6 portions

Notes:

• Depending on what tomatoes you use you may have more or less liquid during cooking
• Don’t over-cook the tomatoes; they should still be chunky with some liquid in the pan

 

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