Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad

This has been on my blog list for months... Months I tell you!  "What is your blog list", you ask?   It's my collection of recipes to share here, the tried and true favorites that I make again and again.  I don't always make them right away because sometimes they just aren't seasonally appropriate, although who doesn't want a good pasta salad year-round as a lunch side.  I know I do, but really I do think of this as the perfect picnic dish so summer seems like the perfect time for it.

Apparently that's all I've been cooking this summer because the last three posts that I have done have been picnic sides with one type of grain or another and all are photographed in the large bowl that I transported them in.  Did you notice not one photo was on a plate?  Probably because that plate was plastic and the salads were served after a few glasses of wine and I clearly couldn't be bothered with taking photos that were blog-worthy.  This one was eaten while listening to Counting Crows at a concert venue.  (Like I said, it's been a busy summer and by busy I mean full of fun activities.)  The others were for BBQ's at friend's houses or some other occasion that required me to bring a Tupperware type container that I never seem to have enough of.  But this one, this one, is right near my absolute favorite.

It kind of came about from two different places and then merged into one.  The first place was from a friend and co-worker when I lived in San Francisco who was also quite the foodie.  We were always swapping recipes and talking about who was our favorite on Food Network and what our mom's were cooking.  I think we actually did a lot more talking about cooking than actual cooking.  Nonetheless, most foodies come from foodies and her mom was one as well.  When her mom was in town one time she made a delicious pasta salad and Emily brought it in to work with an extra serving for me for lunch.  Maybe it is my Midwestern-ness but I think I was shocked/fell in love with the fact that it was not mayo-based.  Not that I don't also have a love affair for mayo, but I find that I generally steer towards the oil based ones.   Regardless of the reason, I loved it and made it several times thereafter.  Until I came across Barefoot's version and loved it, but thought that it had some missing ingredients.  And so the marriage was made, my friend Emily's mom's version and Barefoot's version all rolled into one.  It does make kind of for a long ingredient list, but in my opinion it is best with all of it.  But make it your own, I certainly did.

I made this for a camping trip a couple of summers ago (You can tell how much of a "camper" I am by the fact that I made a fresh mozzarella, sun-dried tomato pasta salad for a camping trip... enough said.) and everyone loved it.  Granted it could have been because the other side dish was a can of beans and the main course was hot dogs but I'm pretty sure even the second time everyone had it they liked it too.  Labor Day weekend is upon us, aren't you looking for something to bring to that BBQ?  You just found it...

Trish's Tips:  This is the ultimate make-it-your-own type recipe.  I added in the artichoke hearts and pine nuts based on Emily's mom's recipe.  My friend Steph's husband doesn't like olives so she leaves that out.  If I don't have pine nuts I'll omit them altogether.  It is a bit indulgent with both the mozzarella and parmesan, but I'm telling you, it's worth it, although you could only do 1/2 lb of mozzarella and it would be delicious as well.  The 'shortcut' version of this is a dressing made like Emily's mom; make a dressing from the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes and the marinade from the artichoke hearts.  I've done this when I am not in a fully stocked kitchen or traveling and I don't have access to all of the ingredients and it is also yummy although if you have the ingredients I suggest making the dressing like this recipe states.  I will tell you, this dressing I could eat with a spoon, it is that good.  (This blog is called Feeling Saucy for a reason!)

Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa (& my friend Emily's mom)
Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:
1/2 lb pasta (I prefer bow ties, Barefoot says Fusilli which are the spirals)
Kosher salt
1 cup halved or quartered cherry or grape tomatoes
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and diced
1 lb fresh mozzarella, medium diced (the kind that comes floating in water)
1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
1/3 cup julienned sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

For the dressing:
5 sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained (or 1/4 cup julienned/chopped depending on how you buy it)
2 TBL red wine vinegar
4-6 TBL olive oil (start with 4 TBL and depending on how much sun dried tomato oil makes it in, you can increase to 6)
1 garlic clove
1 tsp capers, drained
2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 cup basil leaves, julienned

Directions:
Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water according to package directions.  Drain well and let cool while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

For the dressing, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, 4 TBL of olive oil, garlic, capers, salt and pepper in a food processor and pulse until almost smooth.  Taste, if it tastes to vinegar-y then add remaining olive oil 1 TBL at a time.

Add the tomatoes, olives, mozzarella, artichoke hearts, pine nuts and chopped sundried tomatoes to the pasta.  Add the dressing, basil and parmesan cheese and mix being careful not to crush the fresh tomatoes.

Will keep refrigerated, but if not planning on serving right away it is best to top with basil right before serving although it will keep if you don't wait.

Barley Salad with Parsley and Walnuts

Since we last 'met', you can add two more things to the bad luck I told you about.  Turns out my camera never did make it back from vacation with me.  Johnny and I spent five days in Hilton Head, SC with his family which was the scene of the accident for my computer (bad luck #1).  And also, my ipod went kaput.  The ipod, thankfully only required buying a refurbished one for cheap cheap cheap (whew!) as a replacement, but unfortunately the camera is "lost" as my mom would say.  As in a place something goes with no explanation as to where or why, never to return and with it my vacation photos and photos of a delicious quinoa salad that I had forgotten to download prior to vacation (damn!).  But, thankfully many others had cameras in Hilton Head, and the quinoa salad CAN be made again... I guess... but in the mean time I have another one to share with you.  (Thanks Marcie & Gabe for lending their camera for the photos!)  Besides, the quinoa salad is SO last summer...

I get hooked.  Hooked I say on a salad and then it is a ridiculous repeater for at least a couple of years and then I kind of get over it.  I would say this one is my salad of 2010 although I tore it out of Food & Wine at least a couple of years ago.  Everyone needs a collection of summer salad recipes to pull out for the numerous bbq's or invites for an impromptu get together and this is one of mine.  I always make extra too because it keeps well and is perfect for a light lunch.

This one is especially my go-to because it doesn't even require a trip to the grocery store!  Well for me at least, as most are pantry staples with the exception of the parsley, but I usually have some lying in my produce drawer.  If you aren't a fan of barley or can't find it I could see substituting farro or bulgur wheat.  Quinoa or pasta could work too but wouldn't add the nutty flavor you would get from the barley, farro or bulgur.  This recipe has a few of my favorite ingredients.  I think parsley makes everything seem so fresh, walnuts are my second favorite nuts to almonds, and I love lemon vinaigrette.

This isn't necessarily the *star* of the show at the bbq, but if you are having some rich flavored, heavy meats then it is nice to have a light option with simple flavors that can kind of blend with everything.  I like it as a side to kebabs with a flavorful dipping sauce (I know, big surprise right) and if some runs into my barley salad, it works.  But the lemon dressing is nice and light so it's fine just on it's own too, no 'steal the show' main courses needed.  

It's August... (AUGUST!), but there's still plenty of bbq's left.  And it's been a busy summer, but finally, I'm not going anywhere.  Unless of course you invite me over.  And if so, I know what I'm bringing... 

Trish's Tips:
This will keep just fine fully prepared, but if you want it to be nice and fresh, add the parsley just before serving.  If you can't find ricotta salata you could use feta, it would be a much stronger flavor, but still good.  Goat cheese would also be good and ditto on the flavor as feta.  Ricotta salata is kind of like a less 'wet' feta, but still quite dense but much more mild with a bit of a salty flavor.  Worth seeking out if you ask me.  I found mine at Whole Foods.  I guess you could make sans cheese, but being the cheese-lover that I am I certainly wouldn't recommend it.  Toasting nuts: you've done it, right?  I just put more than I need in a dry skillet, toast over a flame and let cool then store in the freezer, then they are all toasted for whenever you need them!  Don't be scared by the cooking directions on the barley, it doesn't need the ridiculous amount of time it says there, follow the directions here and just keep tasting for doneness.  As always, taste taste taste!  Add a bit more lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper when you are done following the instructions here and go with your instincts!

Barley Salad with Parsley and Walnuts
Adapted from Food & Wine Magazine

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups pearled barley (9 oz)
1 cup walnut halves
grated lemon zest of half a lemon
3 TBL fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup packed flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
4 oz, crumbled ricotta salata (about 1 cup)

Directions:
In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the barley over high heat until tender, about 25-35 minutes.  It should be similar to how you cook pasta and be a bit al dente.  Drain the barley and place in large bowl.

Meanwhile make dressing.  Whisk lemon juice with the olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper.  Pour over warm barley and let cool while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Roughly chop nuts and add to salad once barley has cooled to room temperature.  Add parsley and ricotta salata and toss to coat.  Season to taste with salt, pepper and additional lemon juice or olive oil if needed.

Green Bean and Walnut Salad

I love this salad and I wish I could say that I loved all salads.  I like some salads, mostly those that involve some type of cured meat and cheese.  Or a warm mushroom one with prosciutto that we made for Valentines Day and I have yet to post.  And with my love of carbohydrates any salad that involves some kind of pasta or grain I am usually a fan of, but the regular old pre-dinner salad to me is usually a bore.  Especially those at a restaurant that are labeled as 'side salads' and involve iceberg lettuce, a wedge of tomato and potentially a cucumber slice with a choice of dressing.  Yuck!  No wonder so many people don't like salads.

Although as much as I hate that type of salad I can't say I'm creative enough to come up with much better on my own.  I'm definitely not the type of person who just throws together a salad with what's in my refrigerator.  I know that I could, but it just wouldn't taste good.  Or I should say, doesn't taste as good.  I was inspired to try to be that kind of person like my friend, Marcie, after having dinner at her house one night.  She just grabbed some sunflower seeds, whatever lettuce she had at the time, some peppers and broccoli, and whipped together a dressing that is her husband's absolute favorite dressing and it was delicious!  Inspired I bought a huge bag of sunflower seeds and tried to recreate hers.  And... Let's just say there's still an enormous bag of sunflower seeds in my fridge less the tablespoon or so I used to build the salad.  It just wasn't the same.

I'm even bad at salad bars!  I always end up with all of these random ingredients, which all don't really go together.  I think I get excited by all of the choices and end up with just a hodge podge mess that isn't very good.  I need some direction.

That's where this salad comes in.  It is definitely a 'recipe', but one that after making a few times I can make without the directions and aside from the green beans I almost always have the other ingredients on hand.  It's my version of a thrown together salad.

I'm expanding my horizons and learning that the salad definition is a bit looser than I grew up thinking it was.  It doesn't even have to be lettuce!  Like this one.  I love to make green beans as a side dish and originally thought of this as more of a side dish than a salad, because it can be served hot or cold but as I dissect the recipe here it's pretty obvious that it belongs in the 'salad' category.   Plus I love to use green beans because they are generally readily available.

So to hell with green salads I say!  I'm trying something different.  A green salad with no greens that is.  Definitely not your run of the mill 'side salad'.

Trish's Tips:  The nice thing about this salad is it keeps for a day or so in the refrigerator, even if it's dressed.

Green Bean and Walnut Salad
Adapted from Ellie Krieger
Serves 2-4

Ingredients:
1/2 lb fresh green beans, trimmed
1/4 C walnut pieces
3 TBL finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 TBL finely chopped red onion
2 TBL walnut or olive oil
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Put the green beans in a steamer basket over several inches of boiling water for 4 minutes. Transfer to a medium serving bowl.

Toast the walnuts in a small dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently until fragrant, about 3-5 minutes, then coarsely chop and set aside.

In another small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar and mustard.  Add salt and pepper.

Toss enough dressing with the green beans to coat.  Then top with walnuts, parsley and red onion.  Toss to coat and serve warm or at room temperature.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Fregola Salad with Fresh Citrus and Red Onion

I have been patiently waiting all fall for citrus to be in season to make this salad.  I fell in love with it last winter and made it quite frequently.  Sometimes just for a light lunch, sometimes as a side dish for entertaining and once for a potluck for a volunteer meeting for a bunch of foodies and it was a hit.  This time of year I think everyone can have a tendency to eat heavy dishes because that's what we all crave, but this is a great break from that cycle, or at least a light salad to even out what would otherwise be a heavy meal.

This recipe is one of Giada's, (I say it like we're on a first name basis) who as you know is one of my favorites.  Her most recent cookbook is, I think, her best yet.  In fact I can't wait for grilling season to begin to tell you about another one of my favorite salads, but you'll I'll just have to wait.  One more reason to look forward to warmer weather.

I do love when all of the citrus is in season.  She doesn't call for it, but I used blood oranges in this recipe because I think they are gorgeous.  They look like a regular orange on the outside, but are a bit smaller and should be labeled at the grocery store.  I love how each one is different with deeper hues of magenta.  By comparison, they make regular oranges seem so boring.  And I can't stop buying and snacking on the little 'box of cuties' or clementines and for the last month or so have two or so a day.   I think my favorite though, if I can find them, is the cutest one of all, kumquats.  There was a place in San Francisco that would make a seasonal kumquat martini that was delish.  They would also be great in here, (the kumquat, not the martini) but I didn't see them at the store.  I also love to throw them on a spinach salad with a light citrus vinaigrette.

As the name suggests, this recipe calls for Fregola, and although I live in somewhat of a foodie city and have access to a wide variety of stores, I have a hard time finding it, although I have been accused of being a "bad looker".  I found Israeli Couscous at Trader Joes and have only ever made it with that.  Compared to her picture in the book it looks about the same, although apparently Fregola has a nuttier flavor.  If you have a hard time finding Fregola or Israeli Couscous, then just try any small shaped pasta.  Orzo would do, and I've also seen a pasta that De Cecco makes called "Acini di pepe" that I think would work well too.  Basically just something small, but no matter what you use, it will be delicious.

I don't think my pictures do this salad justice, but it is a gorgeous salad.  Such bright colors on what can be a dark dreary day.

Trish's Tips:  Aside from my remarks above, I think I would pretty much just make as is.  To toast any seeds just put in a dry pan over low heat until they are fragrant and slightly golden.  Have you ever segmented an orange like this?  Look at the pictures to hopefully give you an idea.  It's also described below.  I did the grapefruit first then cut all of the segments in half lengthwise so there was more to go around, but you're probably not as anal as I am, so whatever works for you.

Fregola Salad with Fresh Citrus and Red Onion
4 to 6 Servings
Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis

Ingredients:

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
1 lb fregola pasta or Israeli Couscous
2 blood oranges (or regular oranges if you can't find)
1 grapefruit
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup chopped mint leaves
1/3 cup chopped basil leaves
1/2 TBL fennel seeds, lightly toasted (optional)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Make orange oil by zesting one blood orange and mixing the zest with the olive oil.  Set aside.  In a large saucepan bring the chicken broth and water to a boil over high heat.  Add the fregola/Israeli Couscous and cook until tender, but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes.  (If using another kind of pasta, follow the package directions for timing) Drain the pasta and dump it onto a large baking sheet.  Spread it out and let cool for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, segment the oranges.  On a cutting board, first cut off the top and bottom of the fruit.  You should see a bit of the colored inside on the skin and no white pith where you just cut.  Then place the citrus on it's now flat bottom and cut off the skin and white pith, curving your knife with the shape of the fruit, being careful to not remove too much of the colored inside.  Now hold the fruit in your hand over a large bowl and carefully cut in between each membrane with your other hand and let the segment fall into a bowl while also catching the juices.  When you have removed all segments, squeeze the remaining membrane in your fist to make sure you catch all the juices.  Repeat with remaining orange and grapefruit.

When the fregola/couscous is finished cooling put in large bowl and pour the orange oil over, add citrus and remaining juices, red onion, mint, basil, fennel seeds (if using), salt and pepper.  Toss together and serve.  Will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Guacamole Salad

I haven't always loved guacamole.  I think that living in California turned me on to it, probably because it was so fresh.  Day old, or even hours old, guacamole just isn't the same.  The guacamole that I learned to love bared no resemblance to the stuff that comes out of a gun at Taco Bell.  I always passed on that.  But before I get you too fired up about a guacamole recipe and you add tortilla chips to your grocery list, I should tell you that this isn't a guacamole recipe.  It's a salad recipe.  I know, such a turn off right?  Well, not really.

Someone else I 'know' must love guacamole as much as I do since she translated it into a salad.  Ina Garten, that is.  Known around my house as "Barefoot" and if you don't know why that is, then you really need to start watching more food network!

I have to admit that I can easily eat at least an avocado's worth of guacamole, which isn't exactly the healthiest side dish or appetizer, good fat or not.  So when I saw this recipe, I figured I would love it.  It's basically a deconstructed guacamole with some beans and bell peppers added.  And we are big black bean fans in our house.  Plus anything with cayenne is usually a hit for me as well.  It is now a staple side dish anytime we make Mexican and a good way to add in your veggies.  I promise, you might not even miss the chips!

Trish's Tips:  As you may have guessed from my previous blog posts I like some heat.  If you do not, take it easy on the jalapeno and cayenne.  Or at the very least leave out the seeds to the jalapeno.  The red onion can be a bit sharp for me sometimes so I decreased the amount, if you love it add more.  Sometimes I will soak it in some cold water for a few minutes to take the edge off.  Leftovers will keep, other than the avocado, so if you are only cooking for two as I often do, then make the whole salad (minus the avocado) pack up half, then add one avocado and wait to chop up the other for the leftovers.

Guacamole Salad
Adapted from Ina Garten
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 yellow pepper, seeded and cut into large dice
1 red pepper, seeded and cut into large dice
1 - 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup red onion, diced
2 TBL minced jalapeno peppers, (about 2)
1/2 tsp freshly grated lime zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (don't even try with the bottled stuff)
2 TBL Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled and cut into large dice

Directions:
Place the tomatoes, yellow pepper, red pepper, black beans, red onion, jalapeno peppers, lime zest and cilantro in a large bowl.  Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper.  Pour dressing over vegetables and beans.  Toss well.

Just before you're ready to serve the salad, fold the avocados in.  Check the seasoning and serve at room temperature.