1/2 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon Caribbean jerk seasoning
1 small sweet red pepper, chopped
DRESSING:
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Directions
Carefully peel back corn husk to within 1 in. of bottom; remove silk. Brush corn with oil. Rewrap corn in husk and secure with kitchen string. Grill corn, covered, over medium heat for 25-30 minutes or until tender, turning often.
Meanwhile, cook orzo according to package directions. Drain and rinse in cold water; set aside.
Thread asparagus spears onto two parallel metal or soaked wooden skewers. Rub shrimp with jerk seasoning; thread onto two skewers. Grill asparagus and shrimp, covered, over medium heat for 5-8 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender and shrimp turn pink, turning once.
Cut corn from cob; place in a large bowl. Cut asparagus into 1-in. pieces; add to bowl. Add the shrimp, orzo and pepper. In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients. Pour over salad; toss to coat. Yield: 2 servings.
This meatless meal has plenty of mushrooms and vegetables in a rich tomato sauce. Serve over whole wheat pasta for an added nutritional punch.
8 Servings
Prep: 50 min. Cook: 45 min.
50 45 95
Ingredients
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 whole garlic bulb, peeled and minced
15 plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 medium zucchini, grated
2 medium carrots, grated
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 pound fresh mushrooms, quartered
Hot cooked multigrain pasta
Shredded Parmesan cheese
Directions
In a large saucepan, saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add the tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, peppers, water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in mushrooms; cook 10 minutes longer or just until mushrooms are tender.
Serve over pasta. Sprinkle with cheese. Yield: 6 cups.
Nutrition Facts: 3/4 cup (calculated without pasta and cheese) equals
1. In a small saucepan, combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic and ginger. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 3 minutes.
2. Combine the remaining ingredients and pour the hot peanut sesame dressing over the pasta and vegetable mixture.
3. Chill and serve cold.
Turn braised short ribs into a ragù that’s fabulous over tube-shaped pasta and sprinkled with Parmesan (you might need to reserve some of the pasta cooking water for loosening the sauce). But you can also leave the ribs whole and serve them, along with their sauce, over mashed potatoes or polenta.
Serves 6
3 to 4 lb. meaty bone-in beef short ribs, preferably English style Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil 3 oz. thickly sliced pancetta (about 3 1/4-inch-thick slices) or 3 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch squares 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 heaping cup) 1 celery stalk, diced (about 1/2 cup) 1 carrot, diced (about 1/2 cup) 1/2 cup sliced white mushrooms 3 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped 2 Tbs. tomato paste Pinch crushed red pepper flakes 1/2 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth 1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 300°F.
Cook the ribs:Trim away any excess fat from the top of each rib down to the first layer of meat, but don’t remove the silverskin or tough-looking tissue that hold the ribs together or onto the bone. Pat the ribs dry with paper towels, and season them with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven (or other heavy pot with a lid) over medium heat until hot. Add only as many ribs as will fit without touching, and brown them on all sides, turning with tongs until nicely browned, 3 to 4 min. per side. Transfer to a platter, and continue until all the ribs are browned. Pour off and discard most of the fat from the pot. Return the pot to medium heat, and add the pancetta or bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta or bacon has rendered some of its fat but is not crisp, about 3 minutes. Add the onion, celery, carrot, mushrooms, and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 min. Add the tomato paste and red pepper flakes, and cook for 2 min., stirring. Add the wine, increase the heat to medium-high, stir to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot, and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes and their juices and bring to a simmer.
Transfer the ribs to the oven:Return the short ribs (and any juices) to the pot in a single layer, nestling them into the sauce. Crumple a large sheet of parchment and smooth it out again. Arrange it over the pot, pressing it down so it nearly touches the ribs, allowing any overhang to extend up and over the edges of the pot. Set the lid in place, and transfer to the oven. Braise, turning the ribs with tongs every 45 min., until fork-tender and the meat is pulling away from the bone, about 2-1/2 hours.
Make the ragù:Use tongs or a slotted spoon to carefully transfer the ribs to a shallow baking dish or wide bowl. Set aside until just cool enough to handle. Skim any visible surface fat from the braising liquid and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. If the tomatoes haven’t broken up, break them up with a wooden spoon. If the sauce seems watery, increase the heat to medium-high and simmer to thicken. If not, keep it warm. Taste for salt and pepper. When the beef is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and the bands of connective tissue that encircled the bones. Chop the meat into bite-size chunks or pull into large strips. Return the meat to the sauce, and keep warm until ready to serve, or if making ahead, cool and refrigerate.
Make Ahead Tips
The finished ragù can be refrigerated, covered, for up to three days.
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 Tbsp tomato sauce
2 tsp sugar (may use sugar substitute)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp dried marjoram leaves
1/4 tsp basil
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste (optional)
1 cup uncooked penne or similarly shaped pasta
1 large tomato, cubed
1 small zucchini, cubed
1 medium red or yellow pepper, seeded & chopped
1 cup broccoli or cauliflower florets
Directions:
Combine vinegar and tomato sauce in a large serving bowl; stir to mix well. Stir in the
sugar, oil, garlic, marjoram, basil and salt (if desired). Set aside.
Cook the pasta according to package directions. Transfer to a colander and rinse under
cold, running water. Drain.
Meanwhile, add the tomatoes, zucchini, pepper and broccoli to the bowl with the
dressing. Stir to mix well. Stir in pasta. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate 1 hour
or up to 36 hours before serving. Stir before serving.
Nutritional Information (per 1/2 cup serving): 44 Cal; 2 g Total Fat; 6 g Carb; 0 mg
Cholesterol; 14 mg Sodium; 1 g Fiber; 1g Protein.
Set aside cheese packet. Cook macaroni in a large pan of boiling water 8-10 minutes, or until just cooked through. Drain and keep warm. Melt butter in a heavy nonstick pan over medium high heat. Cook ham about 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until browned. Stir in milk, dry mustard and reserved cheese packet. Bring to a boil over high heat, whisking constantly, until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in macaroni, scallions and pepper.
Cook pasta in boiling salted water 8-10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain. Melt butter in a heavy nonstick pan over medium high heat. Add pasta, herbs, peppercorns, and half the cheese. Stir until heated through. Serve sprinkled with remaining cheese
6 oz canned water-packed albacore tuna, drained and flaked
2 tbsp black olives, chopped
3/4 cup tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 oz shell macaroni
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, crushed
4 green lettuce leaves
Cooking Directions:
Cook pasta in a large pan of boiling water 8-10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain. Combine next 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Combine pasta with remaining ingredients, except lettuce, in a large bowl. Pour in dressing and mix gently until well coated. Arrange lettuce leaves onto individual serving plates. Top with salad.
