Creamy Avocado Potato Salad

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs white, red, or fingerling potatoes, cut into 3/4 inch chunks
2 avocados
2 Tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp sea salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp chile pepper (optional)
1 small tomato, chopped, or 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in to quarters
1 small red onion, diced small
1/2 field cucumber, peeled and diced very small

DIRECTIONS

Put the cubed potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Cover pot and bring water to a boil. Lower the heat to a rolling boil and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Drain and set aside to cool.

Once the potatoes have cooled, prepare the dressing. Do not prepare too far in advance or it will brown. Scoop the avocado flesh into a food processor. Add the lime juice, salt, and chile powder (if using) and puree until smooth. Once smooth and creamy, add the tomato and onion. Pulse until they are incorporated but not completely blended; you should still be able to see bits of tomato and onion in the final dressing.

Mix the cucumbers and potatoes together in a large salad bowl. Add the dressing and mix well. Wrap tightly and chill until ready to use.

Spicy Tomato Pasta

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, drained and sliced
1/4 cup black olives, sliced
2/3 cup chopped fresh basil
4 lbs tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh chives
1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 package rotini pasta
1 package crumbled goat feta (optional)

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, combine olive oil, sundried tomatoes, olives, basil, tomatoes, chives, black pepper, salt, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Marinate for 3 hours at room temperature.

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water until desired tenderness. Drain. Pour sauce over hot pasta and toss. Sprinkle with feta cheese, if desired.

Sundried Tomato Potato Salad

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs new, small, or fingerling potatoes
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 - 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes packed in oil, chopped
1/4 cup black olives, chopped
1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
Chile powder, sea salt, and ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Scrub potatoes and steam with skins on for about 20-25 minutes, until a knife slides in easily. When draining the potatoes, reserve some of the cooking water for the vinaigrette.

Meanwhile, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, mustard, garlic, and one tablespoon of reserved potato water.

Cut warm potatoes into quarters and toss with sundried tomatoes, olives, and vinaigrette. Adjust seasoning, adding more chile powder, salt, pepper, vinegar, or potato water as needed. Top with basil and cheese, if using.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Chickpeas and Rice

An easy-to-adapt dinner. Try using roasted tomatoes or a bit of pasta sauce instead of sundried tomatoes, add fried zucchini and/or mushrooms, experiment with different spices, or add feta in place of parmesan. A great way to use up leftover rice.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup brown basmati rice (uncooked)
2 cups vegetable broth
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp butter, divided
1 can chickpeas
1/3 cup parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp sundried tomatoes packed in oil, finely chopped
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
3/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated

DIRECTIONS

Cook rice in vegetable broth and set aside.

In the meantime, heat the olive oil and half of the butter in a skillet. Add the chickpeas and cook, stirring frequently.

When chickpeas start to turn lightly brown (about 5 minutes), add the parsley and the sundried tomatoes and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add the basil, oregano, sea salt, and black pepper and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and mix rice, chickpeas, remaining butter, and parmesan cheese together until the rice is a golden colour. Serve hot.

Arugula Chevre Pasta

INGREDIENTS

8 oz penne (or substitute in brown rice penne)
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes
2 cups arugula, chopped
1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
110 g chevre
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Sea salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Cook pasta in lightly salted water until al dente.

In a skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic, mushrooms and sundried tomatoes. Saute until the mushrooms are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the arugula and cook until it is wilted, about 3 minutes. Serve this mixture over hot penne pasta and top with cherry tomatoes, chevre, and parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Sundried Tomato Pesto

INGREDIENTS

1 259 mL jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
2 garlic cloves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

DIRECTIONS

Blend the sundried tomatoes and their oil, garlic, salt and pepper, and basil in a food processor and blend until the tomatoes are finely chopped. Transfer the tomato mixture to a large bowl. Stir in the Parmesan.

Braised Rapini

INGREDIENTS

1 bunch rapini
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp oil from a jar of sundried tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
Pinch of sea salt
1/3 cup crumbled feta
3 large sundried tomatoes, drained and chopped

DIRECTIONS

Trim off tough bottoms of rapini stalks (about 1/4 inch from base of stalks). Place rapini in a large frying pan along with 1 cup of water. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high, turning rapini occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until stems are fork-tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Drain well to get rid of extra moisture. Transfer rapini to a platter.

Wipe pan dry. Heat oils in pan on medium heat. Stir in garlic and chili flakes. Stir-fry until garlic is tender and fragrant, about 1 minute. Return rapini to pan and toss with oil mixture and salt. Remove to same platter, then scatter feta and sun-dried tomatoes on top.

Orzo with Spinach and Tomatoes

INGREDIENTS

1 lb spinach, washed, dried, stems removed, and very thinly sliced
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
Zest of 2 lemons
1.5 cups orzo, cooked to al dente, drained, still hot
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
24 basil leaves, torn or thinly sliced
Sea salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Pile shredded spinach into the bottom of the a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add halved grape or cherry tomatoes. Add the lemon zest and hot orzo to the bowl so the heat of the pasta will wilt the spinach and get the juice flowing from the tomatoes. The heat will also release the flavour of the lemon zest.

Drizzle olive oil over the pasta and toss to combine. Add basil, salt, and pepper and toss again. Taste, adjust seasonings as needed, and serve warm.

Sundried Tomato Pasta Sauce

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup oil from the jar of sundried tomatoes
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, minced
3 carrots, peeled and minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (798 mL) crushed tomatoes, undrained
3/4 cup chopped sundried tomatoes
1 cup dry white wine
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped (or 1 tsp dried basil)

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic and saute for 15 minutes.

Stir in the canned tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, wine, and salt and pepper to taste. Add dried basil now if using; if using fresh, add for last ten minutes of cooking time. Simmer uncovered for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Transfer the sauce to a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process with repeated pulses until blended but not smooth. Tiny chunks should still remain. Serve the sauce over a hearty pasta such as penne with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Yield: 6 to 8 portions.

Avocado Salsa

INGREDIENTS

1 cup chopped sweet white onion
1/4 cup chopped sundried tomatoes (packed in oil)
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3 ripe (but still firm) avocados, diced

DIRECTIONS

Mix onion with sundried tomatoes, vinegar, red pepper flakes, and salt. Gently fold in avocado. Chill 1 hour to marry flavours. Serve at room temperature.

Makes about 3-1/2 cups.

Chard and Beet Sautee

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 lbs red beets (about 3 large)
4 lbs chard
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, halved lengthwise, cut thinly crosswise
3/4 cup sliced green onions (about 3)
5 garlic cloves, chopped
2 jalapeno chiles, thinly sliced crosswise with seeds
3 14 1/2-ounce cans diced tomatoes in juice, drained
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp golden raisins
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 5 1/2-ounce log soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled
2 Tbsp pine nuts

DIRECTIONS

Fold chard leaves in half lengthwise and cut stalks away from leaves. Cut leaves coarsely into 1-inch pieces. Slice stalks thinly crosswise. Reserve stalks and leaves separately. Cook chopped leaves in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 1 minute. Drain and reserve.

Heat oil in heavy large pot over high heat. Add sliced stalks; sautee until starting to soften, about 8 minutes.

Add onion and next 3 ingredients; sautee 3 minutes. Add drained tomatoes and 1 cup raisins. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.

Add chard leaves to pot; stir to heat through. Remove from heat; add lime juice and stir to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer chard mixture to large platter. Sprinkle with beets, goat cheese, pine nuts, and remaining 2 tablespoons raisins. Serve warm or at room temperature.