Radiattore with White Beans and Fresh Tomato

White bean, pasta and fresh tomato - summer in a bowl. Make sure there are some kind of fresh herbs and you're good.
1/2 lb tricolor radiattore pasta
2 ripe fresh tomatoes, diced
1 Tbsp butter and 2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh oregano, minced
1 Tbsp fresh lemon thyme, minced
1 can Navy beans rinsed and drained

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and salt well for the pasta.

Add the pasta, stir, and cook just until al dente.

Meanwhile, drain the diced tomatoes well in a sieve.

Heat butter and oil in a non-stick skillet. Add the garlic and herbs. Cook 2-3 minutes. Add the beans and heat through.

Drain the pasta when it is cooked, reserving about 1/2 cup pasta water. Moisten beans with some of the water to make a little sauce. Toss in the tomatoes and cook for about a minute, just to warm them but not cook them down at all. Fold veggie mixture with pasta in a serving bowl.

Serves 4.

Maple Sriracha BBQ Pulled Pork

Next time you want something in a bun for a potluck or summer outdoor dinner, dig out the Dutch oven or slow cooker, and get yourself a pork shoulder.  When the summer gets hot, put the slow cooker out on the back porch and keep your cool.  Serve with your favorite buns and a side of your favorite cole slaw.  When summer brings you crowds to feed, please a crowd with this.
7-8 lb Boston Butt, pork shoulder
1 large onion, diced finely
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh (1 tsp dry) rosemary

Maple Sriracha BBQ Sauce:
18-oz bottled favorite BBQ sauce
1/2 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1-2 Tbsp Sriracha or other hot sauce

Preheat oven to 400F. Bone the pork and remove skin (save for soup!) Cut the pork into 4-6 large pieces. In a large Dutch Oven, brown the pork in a bit of canola oil, in batches, and then remove to a bowl. Salt and pepper generously to taste.

Add the onions and peppers to the same pot, adding a bit more oil if necessary. Cook the onions for about 8-10 minutes, until softened and beginning to color. Add the garlic and rosemary and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Meanwhile whisk the sauce ingredients together. Return the meat to the Dutch oven and add the sauce. Stir to distribute sauce well and bring to a boil.

Cover pot and place in oven. Bake for 4 hours, folding the meat in the sauce every 1-1/2 hrs. Remove from oven and take meat out of sauce and onto a serving platter. Skim the oil on top of the sauce. Adjust the consistency of the sauce with some water if necessary.

Remove remaining solids from the sauce with a slotted spoon or by passing through a coarse strainer.

Using two forks, pull pork apart and drizzle with sauce. Serve with sandwich buns and pickles, passing extra sauce on the side.

Serves 8.

Cook's Note: There is no question that cole slaw is the side dish indicated here, to cut through the richness of the pork with a refreshing crunch.

I have also made this in a crock pot. So long as you brown the pork first, this is a convenient way to cook pulled pork, which requires long cooking to be able to pull apart easily. Make sure you scrape up all the browned bits and even deglaze with a dash of water, and transfer all that wonderful flavor to the crock pot!

Mediterranean Harissa Lamb over Rice

Spicy Harissa- and Chorizo-infused ground lamb offset by sweet sautéed cabbage, fresh ripe tomato and palate-cleansing goat cheese.  A lot going on in a simple stir fry.
1 lb ground lamb
1 link fresh chorizo sausage, chopped
1 onion, diced
About 6 cups shredded cabbage
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds

1 Tbsp Harissa, Moroccan chili sauce, or 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 fresh ripe tomato, diced

Heat a few tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet. Add the lamb and chorizo and brown the meats well, chopping into fine pieces.

When the meats are browned, transfer to a bowl, leaving 2 tablespoons fat in the pan.

Heat the spices in a small skillet for about a minute until they are fragrant, skating the pan almost constantly. Grind the spices in a mill (see Cook's note). Add the onion and cabbage to the skillet and cook for about 10 minutes over medium heat to soften and slightly brown the veggies.

Add the garlic and the spices and cook another 2-3 minutes. Add the tomato and chili sauce (or flakes), and return the meats to the skillet.

Salt and pepper to taste. Cook the mixture for another 10-15 minutes over medium-low heat to soften the tomatoes and meld the flavors.

Serve over Rice.  Serves 4.

Cook's Note:  Some on the southern side of the Mediterranean may not eat pork, while others on the Northern side might.  If preferred you can use an all beef sausage, or eliminate the sausage altogether.  Chick peas would make a nice substitution.

This lamb mixture would also go very well with couscous.

Barley Miso Stew

Crispy toasted breadcrumbs pair with garden fresh tomato and zucchini for a sort of ying and yang of texture and flavor. A satisfying vegan meal in about an hour.
1/2 cup pearl barley
1 quart broth (vegetable or other favorite)
3 Tbsp barley miso (or other miso)
2 Yukon gold potatoes, diced 1/2-inch

8 oz mushrooms
2 leeks, trimmed, cleaned and diced
Dash red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced

1 brick extra-firm tofu, diced 1/2-inch
2 small zucchini, diced (about 2 cups)
1 large fresh, ripe tomato, diced
1/2 loaf unsliced, crusty bread, cubed (about 4-5 cups)
1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp olive oil
Palmful fresh cilantro leaves, minced

In this recipe you'll have two parallel processes - a broth and a sauté that get mixed together towards the end.

Bring broth to a boil in a medium Dutch Oven or soup pot. Add the barley, return to a boil, stir and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile cook mushrooms over high heat in a bit of olive oil in a large skillet. Allow the mushrooms to release what water they will, and to brown up a bit. Add the leeks and red pepper flakes, and sauté gently to soften the leeks, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic for another 5 minutes.

Set veggies aside off the heat.

After 20 minutes, add the miso and the potatoes to the broth and cook another 20 minutes on a simmer. Stir from time to time. Then add the tofu, and the zucchini and the leek-mushroom mixture, and cook another 20 minutes. Add a bit of water if necessary.

Melt the butter in the oil in a small bowl in the microwave. As the soup finishes cooking, brown the bread cubes in a large non-stick skillet. First toss the cubes dry over high heat. As they start to dry and brown just a bit, add the butter-oil mixture and continue cooking to form nicely browned croutons.

Right before serving, fold in the fresh tomatoes into the hot soup.  Serve the stew in wide bowls sprinkled with cilantro and croutons.

Serves 6.

Cook's Note:  I used ciabatta bread for the croutons, but you can use any good fresh bread you have on hand.

Freshly-made toasted, buttery brown croutons add a huge dimension to this dish and counterbalance the fresh tomatoes which garnish this soup as well. I would say store-bough prepared croutons should be considered a last resort.

Warm Lentil Kale and Tomato Salad over Toasted Flatbread

Summer is sweet and light, and so should we nourish ourselves.  Salads are great for summer. And if you're concerned about a salad fueling all your summer activities, dig into this one, and tell me you weren't satisfied!
1 cup French Puy green lentils
6 cups kale, washed and sliced
1/4 cup Feta cheese (or toasted walnuts, if vegan)
5 oz yellow cherry tomatoes, quartered (1/2 pint container)
1/4 cup favorite fresh salsa
1 orange pepper, finely diced
1/2 onion, diced

4 Naan, or pita flatbreads

Dressing:
juice of 1 lime (about 2 Tbsp)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander

Start cooking the lentils by bringing 6 cups water to a boil in a medium pot. Stir in the lentils and bring back to a gentle boil.

Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook 20 minutes, stirring a few times. Add about 1/4-1/3 tsp salt and cook another 5 minutes, checking for done-ness. Lentils should be firm but not hard, and most certainly not mushy.

If vegan, and using walnuts, toast them on rimmed baking sheet, in a 400F oven, for about 3-5 minutes, watching carefully. When fragrant, remove to a stovetop and cool. Watch carefully - they can burn easily.

While the lentils are cooking, sauté the kale in a large skillet with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, over medium-high heat. Stir almost constantly, as the kale sizzles, and cooks down. After about 5 minutes, the kale should be reduced by about a half, and should be softened to the palate.

Salt and pepper gently, to taste, and set aside.

Now strain the lentils, and while they drain, whisk together the dressing in a small bowl. Toast the flatbreads, ideally in a toaster oven (although I LOVE to use a gas grill!). Toaster works, but is last resort and requires attention - may have to flip flatbreads halfway through.

Final assembly: Tip the Feta (or walnuts), tomatoes, salsa, peppers and onion into a large bowl. Add the lentils and the kale and fold gently together. Pour the dressing over the mixture and fold again. Tip into a serving bowl.

To serve, place a hot, toasted flatbread on each of four plates. Top with a generous serving of lentil salad. Garnish with cilantro and serve with extra lime wedges.

Serves 4.

Cook's Note:  This weekend I used fresh-cut curly kale from my Brother-in-Law Hans' garden; sweet, superb, fantastic, exquisite...  But I don't always have access to such outstanding kale.  I think Lacinato, or Tuscan kale would be especially wonderful here.  You are the cook - use your nose!

Grilled Balsamic Marinated Peppers

Don't think just meat or fish for the grill.  Veggies caramelize beautifully on the grill, but might require just a bit of marinade to shine. This was an inspiration from the Japanese Grandmother of our son's roommate, of Japanese heritage.  Our son returned from Japan with a description of something like this.  It seems everyone around the world appreciates grilled peppers, and knows a marinade of Balsamic vinegar. Welcome to the Globe.
3 bell peppers, different colors, seeded and quartered lengthwise
1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and freshly group pepper

Grill the peppers on a hot grill, spraying them just a bit with oil. Grill until the edges brown up and they soften considerably.

If you like, you can put them in a paper bag and allow them to steam for about 5 minutes, and then peel them. I didn’t.

Pour the oil and vinegar into a bowl and toss with the peppers. Allow to marinate at least an hour. Salt and pepper lightly to taste.

Seres 4 as a side dish.

Black Beans and Rice

Serve with some greens, or another vegetable side dish, for a satisfying vegetarian meal.  Or cut your meat in half and serve a generous portion of these beans and rice on the side - a great way to get a full protein complement and cut down the meat a bit.
1 cup long grain rice
1 Tbsp canola oil
2 cups water
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup fresh hot salsa

In a medium pot, fry rice in oil for about 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly. Do not let rice brown at all, but let it go from translucent to white. Add the water and turn the heat to high. Add the turmeric, garlic and onion powders and salt. Stir, bring to a gentle boil, and stir again. Lower heat to a very low simmer and cover pot. Allow to cook for about 15 minutes. Then remove from heat and remove cover. Sprinkle TE beans over the rice and cover pot with a small tea towel. Then return cover onto pot. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Afterwards, fluff rice gently with a fork and gently fold in the salsa.

Serves 4 as a side dish.

Cook's Note:  This is a dish which can be ultimately customized - which is good so it can be eaten over and over again, without too much repetition.  Add your favorite curry powder, or Moroccan Ras el Hannout spice.  Add Old Bay seasoning.  Use different beans, like pink beans, pinto beans, or chick peas.  I love to eat this with a yogurt sauce like Cilantro Mint Sauce or Moroccan Yogurt Sauce.  Or just sour cream.  And Shrirach, of course!

Sriracha Blue and Cheddar Gratin of Summer Squash

As the asparagus passes the baton to the summer squash, its getting that time to remember how to cook zucchini and yellow squash in a hundred different ways.  Don't be left empty handed, or you may find yourself up zucchini's creek with no paddle.  And zucchini's make a terrible paddle.
1 yellow squash, sliced
1 zucchini, sliced
½ red onion, sliced

2 oz blue cheese, crumbled
2 oz Cheddar cheese, grated
¼ cup grated Parmesan and/or Romano cheese
Sriracha or other favorite hot sauce
¼ cup Panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 400. Lightly oil a 10-inch pie plate or casserole. Layer half the squash and onion on the bottom and sprinkle half of each of the cheeses on top.

Sprinkle with Sriracha to taste. Lightly salt and pepper to taste.
Repeat with the remaining squash, onion and cheese.

Top with the Panko crumbs and bake for about 45 minutes.

Seres 4 as a side dish.

Cook's Note:  I use a fluted slicer that my wife got me as a gift from Pampered Chef one day.  It not only makes things look good, but the ridges it forms seem to separate the slices in the casserole better, making it less dense than with a flat cut with a knife.  A simple gadget with no plug - great stocking stuffer for the chef among you.

Grilled Salmon with a Cilantro Mint Sauce

Salmon can be grilled with salt and pepper, and - done; wonderful.  But imagine if you pinged it up with a bit of coriander and dill.  And then served it with a BIG flavor accent cilantro and mint sauce and a simple quick couscous side.  Better yet, imagine the sauce and side were actually, really (I swear!), a couple of minutes each to prepare.

Dreaming?

Read more, if you come home tired and hungry after working for a living; you'll believe!
1-1/2 lb salmon fillet, portioned in four servings
dash powdered coriander
dash dried dill weed
salt and fresh-ground pepper to taste

cilantro mint sauce

Heat a grill to high. Prepare cilantro mint sauce.

Season the salmon fillets with coriander, dill, salt and pepper.

Spray lightly with canola oil and grill flesh-side down for about 4-5 minutes. Do not touch the salmon, or it is likely to fall apart.

Stand away from the salmon and no one will get hurt.

Only when the salmon had crusted up a bit, gently coerce the salmon off the grill with a sharp spatula and flip. Cook another 3-4 minutes, depending on the thickness. Serve with cilantro mint sauce.

Serves 4.

Asparagus and Apple Couscous

Couscous is quick and flexible.  What savory and sweet tidbits do you have hanging around the kitchen that you could throw in?  Most any would work, especially for something quick after work!
1 cup water
1 cup couscous
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, diced
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
1 apple, peeled, cored and diced
1/4 golden raisins
1 jalapeño pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced

Bring the water to a boil in a small pot. Add the oil, couscous and salt. Stir well, cover and remove from heat.

Cut 2 inches of each spear off and reserve. Dice the remaining stalks.

Sauté the onion for about 5 minutes in a bit of olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the asparagus, apple, raisins and pepper. Cook until the asparagus is just crisp tender, about another 5 minutes.

Place reserved asparagus tips in a bowl with a tablespoon water. Stir to wet all the spears. Microwave for 1-1/2 minutes. Drain

By this time, the couscous should be done. Fluff the couscous with a fork and tip into the veggie mixture. Toss to mix well. Tip into a serving bowl and top with the reserved asparagus tips.

Serves 4 as a side dish.

Cilantro Mint Sauce

A good, simple sauce can make many a dish.  Try this with vegetarian dishes, to liven up the presentation, or with most any grilled meat or fish.
2 cloves garlic
1 palmful mint leaves
2 palmfuls cilantro leaves
juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup plain Greek non-fat yogurt
1/4 cup good, real mayonnaise
1 Tbsp prepared wasabe

Pulse the garlic in a small food processor. Add the herbs and pulse to chop coarsely. Add the remaining ingredients and blend to form a smooth cream.

Makes about 1 cup sauce.

Cook's Note:  We had a sauce akin to this at Buckley's Tavern, in Greenville DE.  It came with their fried calimari and we continued asking for it with their fish tacos.  We loved it.  It definitely works for fish, but we also found, at home, that it is especially fantastic for vegetarian dishes, and is great for grilled meats as well.  Explore.

Golden Beet and Arugula Salad with Strawberry

One of my favorite restaurants in Boston, across from the Prudential Center is The Atlantic Fish Company.  They are renowned for their swordfish chop - the only time I've had a bone-in fish chop - outstanding.  But what is even more outstanding is their golden beet and strawberry salad.  It has been quite some time now, but this is what is burned into my memory.
2 golden beets, washed
4-6 strawberries, quartered lengthwise
2 cups arugula
2 cups iceberg or romaine lettuce, torn
1/4 cup purple onion slices
2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
1 Tbsp pumpkin seeds
1 Tbsp sunflower seeds

Dressing:
2 Tbsp sherry vinegar
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
dash salt and freshly ground pepper

Advance work - A few hours ahead:
Preheat oven to 375F. Trim the beets of their stalk and root tail. Place the beets on a large sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil over the beets and wrap them in the foil together tightly. Roast for an hour. When cooked, remove from the oven and allow to come to room temperature. Refrigerate until ready to use.

When ready to eat - Assembly:
Whisk together the dressing in a small bowl. Toss together the arugula and iceberg leaves. Peel and slice the beets. Top the lettuce with the beets, strawberries, onion and cheese. Sprinkle the seeds on top. Pour the dressing evenly over the salad and serve.

Serves 4 as a side dish.

The Prudential overlooking the Charles River, Boston

Grilled Short Ribs with Orange Bourbon Glaze

What's more American on the 4th of July than grilling with BBQ sauce?  Grilling with Bourbon BBQ sauce.

2-3 lbs beef short ribs, I used boneless, here
Orange Bourbon Glaze

Salt and pepper the ribs generously. Heat Grill to high. Grill ribs for 3-4 minutes, flip and grill other side.

Turn heat to medium and baste the ribs with glaze. Keep turning every 2 minutes or so and basting generously, until the ribs brown up nicely, and are cooked to your liking.

Serves 4.

Cook's Note:  This Orange Bourbon Glaze can be used on many meats.  I also use it on boneless pork country ribs.

Serve with crunchy slaw.

Orange Bourbon Glaze

Don't crack open a generic plastic bottle of BBQ this holiday weekend - you're worth better than that, aren't you?  A few shots of Bourbon and orange juice with honey and spices to kick it up, is all it takes.  Minutes for something truly memorable.
1/2 cup Bourbon
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 Tbsp Sriracha or other hot sauce


Bring the Bourbon and orange juice to a boil and cook down to reduce volume in half. Reduce heat and add the remaining ingredients. Whisk together well.


Makes about 1 cup of glaze.

Pork Tenderloin Paillards with Mushroom Apple and Golden Raisin

I'm a big fan of the pig.  Smart animals, often friendly, will eat anything, and happy as a... well, you know what I mean. I think they deserve respect.  I think the Buddhists would agree they have a high degree of acceptance of the world.  Acceptance is important. And they have an important place in a holistic farming viewpoint.

The tenderloin is an exceptional cut, that should definitely be treated with respect - sautéed only very briefly, and not over cooked.  Here, matched with mushrooms for depth, and apples and raisins for a sweet finish, the tenderloin is in its element.
1 large pork tenderloin, sliced into about 6 disks
1/2 tsp Pimenton, Spanish smoked paprika
1/4 tsp ground coriander

10 oz mushroomed, sliced
1 small apple, peeled, cored and finely diced
2 Tbsp golden raisins
2 Tbsp butter

Flatten each pork disk slightly, with the palm of your hand to form a flatter ‘paillard’ of pork. Sprinkle the paillards with the paprika and coriander. Salt and pepper generously to taste.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet to high on the stove. Add a dash of olive oil and tip in the mushrooms, stirring. Allow the mushrooms to sizzle and cook down, releasing any water they might. Let the mushrooms brown well, then remove to a bowl.

Add a bit more oil to the skillet and allow to heat almost to smoking. Place each of the pork paillards into the pan and sear on the first side for about 2 minutes. Flip and brown the second side about another 2 minutes. The pork should just be on the user-done side, as it will continue cooking as it sits while the apples and raisins cook. Set the pork aside on a plate, covered.

Add the butter, apple and raisins to the skillet. Cook about 3-4 minutes, until the apple bits brown up a bit, and the raisins soften. Stir in the mushrooms to reheat. Tip the apple mixture onto a serving platter. Top with the pork paillards and serve.

Serves 2-3.