Macaroni Salad with Summer Tomatoes

September 20, 2008

White balsamic vinegar helps this side dish maintain its fresh appeal. Serve with grilled chicken. Or, for a meatless entrée, add mozzarella, feta, or goat cheese.
Yield

8 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup salad, about 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs, and 3/4 teaspoon basil)
Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked medium elbow macaroni

• 3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

• 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

• 3 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil, divided

• 2 teaspoons minced garlic, divided

• 4 cups chopped seeded tomato (about 6 tomatoes)

• 1 (1-ounce) slice white bread

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

Preparation

1. Cook elbow macaroni according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain. Cover and chill.

2. Combine white balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon basil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, sugar, and crushed red pepper in a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons oil and 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic, stirring with a whisk. Add cooked pasta and tomato; toss well to coat.

3. Place bread in a food processor; pulse 5 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1/2 cup. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add breadcrumbs and remaining 1/2 teaspoon garlic to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until browned and crisp, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cool. Serve with pasta mixture and sliced basil.

Nutritional Information

Calories: -   187 (29% from fat)
Fat: 6.1g -  (sat 0.9g,mono 4.2g,poly 0.8g)
Protein: -   4.8g
Carbohydrate:  -  28.4g
Fiber: -   2g
Cholesterol: -  0.0mg
Iron: -  1.5mg
Sodium: -  285mg
Calcium: - 19mg

Recipe: Creamy polenta with roasted red pepper coulis

July 30, 2008

Dietitian’s tip: Polenta, coarse-grind Italian cornmeal, can be served hot and creamy, cut into shapes and grilled, or baked until set. Here, it’s mixed with a red pepper coulis for added flavor and color.

SERVES 6

Ingredients

1 red bell pepper (capsicum), roasted and seeded
1 garlic clove
1 3/4 cups water
1 3/4 cups plain soy milk (soya milk) or 1 percent low-fat milk
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup polenta, preferably stone-ground
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped thyme

Directions

In a blender or food processor, combine the roasted pepper, garlic and 1 tablespoon of the water. Process until smooth; set the coulis aside.

Preheat the oven to 450 F. Lightly coat a 9-inch round cake pan with olive oil cooking spray.

In a large saucepan, combine the soy milk, remaining water, olive oil and salt. Whisk in the polenta and place over medium heat. Whisk constantly until the polenta begins to thicken. Reduce the heat to low and resume stirring with a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring frequently, until the polenta pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 15 minutes. Add the coulis and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake until firm, about 15 minutes. Let stand in the pan for 10 minutes before serving. Cut into 6 wedges and sprinkle with the thyme.

Recipe: Chickpea polenta with olives

Dietitian’s tip: Panisse, a polenta-like side dish from southern France, is usually cut like french fries and fried. This adaptation is baked, then broiled until crispy. Chickpea flour can be found in Italian or East Indian markets.

Ingredients

Directions

In a blender or food processor, combine the flour, soy milk, stock, olive oil, garlic, thyme, mustard, salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Pour the batter into a large bowl. Let stand for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

In a large, spotlessly clean bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until puffed and lightly browned around the edges, about 15 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes.

Preheat the broiler. Position the rack 4 inches from the heat source.

While the polenta is cooling, make the topping. In a small saute or frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and lightly golden, about 6 minutes. Add the olives and tomatoes and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.

Carefully spoon the onion mixture evenly over the baked polenta and sprinkle with the cheese. Broil until the top is lightly browned. Watch carefully; this takes only about 1 minute. Sprinkle with the parsley. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Cut into 8 squares, then cut the squares on the diagonal into 16 wedges. Serve immediately.