Waldorf Salad

3 - 4 apples (red or green)
lemon juice
Thinly slice one apple and brush slices generously all over with lemon juice.
Cover with plastic wrap and set in refrigerator.

150 g celery root
Peel celery root and apples and cut into small dices, about 1 × 1 cm in size.
Sprinkle apple dices with lemon juice.
(???)Cook celery dices in boiling water for 5 - 10 minutes, drain thoroughly.

150 ml cr?me fra?che or sour cream
50 ml mayonnaise
Mix celery and apple cubes with sour cream and mayonnaise.

pinch of sugar
Season with sugar.

lettuce
Rinse lettuce, tear leaves apart and pat dry.
Arrange leaves on bottom and sides of salad bowl.
Spoon salad in centre of bowl.

100 ml shelled walnuts
Arrange thin apple slices on surface of salad and sprinkle coarsely chopped walnuts on top.
Serve immediately.

Serving suggestion:
To vary the taste of salad, season it with curry powder, add banana slices or red grape halves or pieces of cooked chicken to make salad more filling.


2 colheres (sopa) de suco de lim?o
1 colher (ch?) de a??car
150 ml de maionese
Coloque o suco de lim?o, o a??car e 1 colher (sopa) de maionese num recipiente grande e misture bem.

4 ma??s verdes, grandes
Descasque as ma??s e corte em rodelas (1 cm). Corte as rodelas em fatias (1 cm) e as fatias em cubos (1 cm). Despreze a parte que ficam as sementes.

Acrescente os cubos de ma??s no recipiente com o molho e misture bem.

1 talo de sals?o
Lave o sals?o e corte, com uma faca afiada, em fatias bem finas.

50 g de avel?s, descascadas
Pique grosseiramente as avel?s com uma faca afiada.

Acrescente o sals?o, as avel?s e a maionese restante no recipiente com as ma??s e misture bem.

Tempere com sal e pimenta do reino.

Sirva a seguir.

salad

Vinagrete

1/3 x?cara (ch?) de vinagre (80 ml)
1 e 1/2 colher (ch?) de sal
1 colher (ch?) de pimenta-do-reino
1 colher (sopa) de salsinha picada
1 colher (sopa) de coentro picado
1 colher (sopa) de estrag?o fresco, picado
Numa tigela m?dia, misture o vinagre, o sal, a pimenta e as ervas picadas.

1/2 x?cara de azeite de oliva (120 ml)
Adicione o azeite aos poucos, deixando cair em fio, e bata com um batedor de m?o (chicote) at? misturar bem.


Rende 16 colheres (sopa) de 61 calorias cada
Sirva com verduras e saladas de legumes

רוטב וינגרט בריאות אמריקאי
רוטב וינגרט נהדר לסלטי חסה וסלטי ירקות טריים ומאודים (כמו שעועית ירוקה).

החומרים (כ-1 כוס):

3/4 כוס שמן חריע או חמניות
1/4 כוס חומץ תפוחים
1 כפית מלח
1 כפית דבש
1 שן שום, קצוצה דק
1 כפית עשבי תיבול יבשים מעורבים (לבחירתכם: אורגנו, מיורן, טימין, ריחן, פטרוזיליה) או כמות כפולה טרייה, קצוצה דק

אופן ההכנה:
1. מערבבים יחד את כל החומרים בתוך צנצנת. מנערים היטב לפני השימוש. ניתן לאחסן בכלי מכוסה במקרר.

Veloute

2 colheres (sopa) de manteiga
Numa panela m?dia, derreta a manteiga em fogo baixo.

2 colheres (sopa) de farinha de trigo
Acrescente a farinha e mexa bem com uma colher de pau at? dourar (cerca de 2 minutos).

2 x?caras (ch?) de caldo de galinha (480 ml)
1/2 colher (ch?) de sal
Adicione aos poucos o caldo de galinha e o sal, mexendo sempre.
Deixe cozinhar at? engrossar ligeiramente (cerca de 5 minutos).

1 colher (sopa) de suco de lim?o
Junte o suco de lim?o e misture bem.


Rende 32 colheres (sopa) de 9 calorias cada

Sirva com peixes

Tuna Salad

12 ounces canned tuna, drained
4 eggs, hard boiled and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup sugar free sweet pickle relish
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chives, minced (or lettuce]
Salt and pepper, to taste



Mix well and chill before serving.
Makes 4-8 servings

Per 1/4 recipe: 264 Calories; 16g Fat; 27g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 2g Net Carbs

Tomatillo Salsa Verde

1 1/2 lb tomatillos
Remove papery husks from tomatillos and rinse well. Cut in half and place cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place under a broiler for about 5-7 minutes to lightly blacken the skin.

1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
2 Jalape?o peppers, stemmed, seeded and chopped
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Place tomatillos, lime juice, onions, cilantro, Jalape?o peppers, sugar in a food processor (or blender) and pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed.

Salt to taste
Season to taste with salt. Cool in refrigerator.

Serve with chips or as a salsa accompaniment to Mexican dishes.
Makes 3 cups. (elise - simply recipes)

Tomato Sauce

This is an all-purpose, fresh-tasting sauce for saucing pasta, spaghetti squash, or gnocchi; for serving with chicken; or for cooking fish fillets.



Makes about 3-1/2 cups
1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes
Open the can of tomatoes and pour off the juice into a bowl. Use the lid to press against the tomatoes to extract as much juice as possible. Then use your hand to squeeze the tomatoes to a pulp. Reserve the juice and pulp separately and set the empty can aside.

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or garlic oil
1 jalape?o chili (optional)
Heat the olive oil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until hot. If using the jalape?o, tilt the pan to collect the oil in a little pool against the side and drop the jalape?o into the oil. Cook until light brown, about 2 minutes. Remove the jalape?o and reserve.
Quick Tip:
Do not be afraid to cook a chili in your sauce. Left whole, it adds very little discernible spiciness.

1/2 cup finely chopped onion
Add the onion to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 2 minutes.

1 tablespoon minced garlic
Add the garlic and cook briefly until light gold.
Add the tomato juice and bring to a boil. Simmer rapidly for several minutes. Add the crushed tomato pulp. Then rinse the remaining pulp out of the can by filling it halfway with water and add that to the pan.

1 bay leaf
salt and freshly ground pepper
Add the bay leaf, the jalape?o, if using, and salt and pepper to taste and return to a boil.

1/4 cup drained and chopped oil-packed dried tomatoes
Add the dried tomatoes and stir.
Lower the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, until the mixture thickens and the tomatoes have turned an orange-red versus the pale blue-red they were straight from the can, about 30 minutes.

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano
Add the oregano halfway through the cooking.
Discard the bay leaf.
Peel, seed, and mash the jalape?o with a spoonful of the sauce and pass at the table so diners can add as much heat as they like to their plates.

Variation for quick tomato sauce:
Substitute 2 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes for the canned tomatoes. Peel the tomatoes, cut in half crosswise, and squeeze out the juice and seeds over a sieve suspended over a bowl to collect the juice. Chop the tomatoes. Proceed as directed, omitting the dried tomatoes and using jalape?o, if desired. You should have about 2-1/4 cups sauce. The recipe may be increased proportionately. (www.napastyle.com)

Cucumber and Yogurt Dip

Tzatziki - Greek-Style Cucumber and Yogurt Dip
Tangy and refreshing, this dip is called tzatziki in Greek.
And mix up a big batch of lemonade to pour throughout the picnic.

750 ml thick yogurt
Pour yogurt in a sieve lined with paper filter (coffee filter), cover with plastic and drain until most of the excess liquid has come out, for at least ½ - 1 hour, preferably overnight, in refrigerator.

2 - 4 garlic cloves, or to taste
lemon juice to taste
(dash of olive oil)
Pour drained yogurt in a bowl and whisk in finely chopped or crushed garlic cloves, some lemon juice (and oil). Cover and place in refrigerator.

1 English cucumber
(salt)
Peel and coarsely grate cucumber, place in a strainer and sprinkle with little salt. Mix and drain for about 20 minutes. The salt will cause the excess liquid to come out.

Mix cucumber with yogurt.

white pepper
pinch of sugar
Season with pepper and sugar (and salt, if needed).
Serve as a salad, sauce or dip, with Mediterranean appetizers, grilled meats, fish, vegetables etc.

Greek-Style Cucumber and Yogurt Dip with Dill/Mint

Here, it’s served with crisp baked pita wedges, but it also goes well with crudit?s.

2 cups plain yogurt
Drain the yogurt a day before you plan to prepare the dip.
Line sieve with cheesecloth and place over medium bowl. Place yogurt in sieve. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to drain in refrigerator overnight.

1 cucumber, unpeeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, grated
1 tablespoon coarse salt
Mix cucumber and 1 tablespoon salt in small bowl; cover and chill 3 hours.

1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill or fresh mint
1 garlic clove, minced

Transfer drained yogurt to another bowl.
Mix in sour cream, lemon juice, dill and garlic.

Squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible from cucumber. Stir cucumber into yogurt.
Season with pepper.
Cover; chill at least 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

Baked pita wedges:
6 pita breads, cut horizontally in half, then cut into wedges
Olive oil
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place pita wedges on baking sheets.
Brush with olive oil.
Bake until crisp, about 10 minutes.
Cool.
(Can be made 1 day ahead. Store pita airtight at room temperature.)
Serve cucumber dip with baked pita wedges.
Makes 6 servings. (epicurious)

GAGIK - סלט יוגורט עם מלפפונים

500 גרם יוגורט
2 מלפפונים בינוניים
1 כפית מלח
2-3 ענפים של שמיר
1 כפית מנטה יבשה
שן שום כתושה( לא הכרחי)
2 כפות שמן זית (לא הכרחי)


קלוף המלפפונים וחתוך אותם לחתיכות קטנות ודקות מאוד. פזר מלח והשאר בצד.

שפוך היוגורט לקערה. בחש היטב עם מזלג והוסף לאט כוס מים תוך כדי בחישה.

הוסף המלפפונים החתוכים והשום הכתוש. פזר שמיר קצוץ ומנטה יבשה, שפוך שמן זית מעל באיטיות. הגש קר.

6 סועדים [www.turkey.co.il]

Thousand Island

1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoon dill pickle relish
Dash Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon vinegar
4 teaspoons granulated low-calorie sweetener or 12-16 drops liquid low-calorie sweetener
Dash pepper

Mix all ingredients and chill. Makes about 1 1/2 cups or 24 tablespoons.

Per 2 Tablespoons: 169 Calories; 18g Fat; trace Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carbs


Rose

3 colheres (sopa) de catchup
3/4 x?cara de creme de leite (180 ml) misturado com 1 colher (sopa) de suco de lim?o
8 gotas de molho ingl?s

Numa tigela m?dia, bata todos os ingredientes com um batedor de m?o (chicote) at? obter um creme liso e homog?neo (cerca de 4 minutos).

Rende 16 colheres (sopa) de 42,5 calorias cada


sauce

Tomato, Cucumber and Red Onion Salad with Mint

2 large cucumbers

Cut cucumbers in half lengthwise; scrape out seeds.
Cut halves diagonally into 1/2-inch-wide pieces.
Place in large bowl.

1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Add vinegar, sugar and salt. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour; toss occasionally.

3 large tomatoes, seeded, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup coarsely chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
3 tablespoons olive oil

Add tomatoes, red onion, mint and oil to cucumbers and toss to blend. Season salad with salt and pepper.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
Serves 6.
(*) I also added avocados...it wasn't necessary but did taste good.
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epicurious

Tartar

1 e 1/2 x?cara de creme de leite (360 ml)

1 colher (sopa) de suco de lim?o

2 colheres (sopa) de cebolinha verde picada grosso

2 colheres (sopa) de picles sortidos, pciados

4 colheres (sopa) de cebola bem picada

1 colher (sopa) de mostarda

1/2 colher (ch?) de sal

Numa tigela, bata todos os ingredientes com um batedor de m?o (chicote) at? obter uma mistura homog?nea.


Rende 32 colheres (sopa) de 40 calorias cada

Sirva com peixes, ensopados e grelhados

Tapenade

Olive Varieties
2-3 Garlic Cloves steamed or boiled
1 1/2 Anchovies
1 Tbs. Olive Oil
1/4 Tsp. Sea Salt
1/2 Cup Cured Olives

Mix all ingredients in mortar and mash with pestle to a spreadable consistency.
Add additional olive oil as needed.
Adjust seasonings to taste.

Black olive paste

1 cup big black oily olives, stoned
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 large sprigs rosemary, leaves stripped and chopped
2 large sprigs thyme, leaves stripped
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper

In a food processor blend all ingredients until fairly smooth.
Taste for pepper.
Pack into a small pot and cover with 5mm olive oil and refrigerate.

This paste will keep for weeks.

Taca Ponte dos Suspiros

100 g de fatias de salmao defumado
Distribua as fatias de salmao em duas belas tacas.

1 xicara (cha) de cream cheese ligeiramente batido (na mao)
Cubra com uma camada de cream cheese.

1 xicara (cha) de folhas de salsinha
1/2 xicara (cha) de folhas de manjericao
1/2 xicara (cha) de cebolinha picada (use somente a parte branca)
Separadamente, misture as ervas (salsinha, manjeric?o e cebolinha).

1 colher (sopa) de gergelim preto
1 colher (sopa) cheia de alcaparras
Ponha o gergelim preto, as ervas misturadas e as alcaparras.

2 colheres (sopa) de aceto balsamico
4 colheres (sopa) de azeite extravirgem
sal e pimenta a gosto
Tempere o aceto com sal e pimenta e misture com o azeite.
Regue com o molho so na hora de servir.

Dica: pode substituir o salmao por carpaccio ou fatias de rosbife.

------------------
revistacriativa.globo.com

Sweet & Sour Sauce

1 small Onion
Chop the onion.

1 tablespoon Groundnut Oil
1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and fry the onions and ginger for about 5 minutes.

1/4 teaspoon Salt
400g tin Pinapple Pieces (in natural juice)
125g Granulated Sugar
150ml Malt Vinegar
Add the remaining ingredients except the cornflour, and bring to boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.

4 teaspoons Cornflour
Mix the cornflour with a little water, and gradually add to the pan, stirring all the time until the sauce reaches the required thickness.

Simmer for a further two minutes and then serve.

This is delicious served with fried chicken.
For a really fast meal, simply pour it over some chicken nuggets.


*** This sauce can be made in advance and frozen.


Recipe2:

1/4 cup Vinegar
1/4 cup Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Stock or Water
2 teaspoons Cornstarch dilluted in
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon Cooking Oil
2 tablespoons Tomato Catchup

Combine Vinegar, Sugar, Salt, Stock and Cornstarch.
Set Aside.
Heat Cooking Oil, fry Tomato Catscup.
Add Vinegar mixture and boil until thick.


Recipe3: Agridoce

1/2 x?cara (ch?) de a??car mascavo (90g)
1 tablete de caldo de galinha dissolvido em 1 e 1/2 x?cara (ch?) de ?gua (360 ml)
2/3 de x?cara (ch?) de catchup (160 ml)
2 colheres (ch?) de molho de pimenta
2/3 de x?cara de vinagre (160 ml)

Numa panela m?dia, leve todos ingredientes ao fogo m?dio e deixe cozinhar, sem tampar a panela, at? engrossar (cerca de 15 minutos).

Rende 24 colheres de 23 calorias cada
Sirva com frango, pato e carne.


Recipe4:

4 colheres (sopa )de aחתcar
1/2 colher (chב) de sal
1 1/2 colher (sopa) de maizena (amido de milho)
4 colheres (sopa) de vinagre branco
3 colheres (sopa)de catchup
2 colheres (sopa) de purך de ameixa
5 colheres (sopa) de בgua

Misture tudo e cozinhe em fogo brando por 10 minutos, atי que engrosse. Utilize quente.


Recipe5:
Yields about 1/2 cup

1/3 cup white or rice vinegar
4 TB brown sugar
1 TB ketchup
1 tsp soy sauce
Mix the vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, and soy sauce together and bring to a boil in a small pot.

2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 4 teaspoons water
Mix together the cornstarch and water, add to the other ingredients and stir to thicken.

*** If desired, you can add 1 green pepper, cut into chunks, and pineapple chunks as desired after adding the cornstarch.
*** For a thicker sauce, increase the cornstarch to 4 teaspoons while keeping the water constant.

asia sauce

Spicy Peanut Dip

Similar to the peanut sauce that accompanies an Indonesian satay, this would be nice with chips or crudit?s.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Heat oil in nonstick skillet over medium heat.

1 large shallot, chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
garlic cloves, minced

Add shallot, ginger and garlic; saut? until shallot is tender, about 3 minutes.

2 1 teaspoon curry powder
1/8 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

Add curry powder and crushed red pepper. Stir until aromatic, about 15 seconds.

1 cup (or more) canned low-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (do not use old-fashioned or freshly ground)
4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon (packed) brown sugar

Stir in 1 cup broth, peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce, and brown sugar; whisk to blend.
Simmer until mixture thickens, whisking constantly, about 3 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer to bowl and cool, whisking occasionally.
Cover and refrigerate 2 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
Thin dip with more broth by tablespoonfuls if needed.
Serve dip chilled or at room temperature.

Makes about 1 1/3 cups.
(*) Very nice flavor. However, next time I would double the spices, as they just weren't strong enough. I would leave out the brown sugar as the dip was too sweet, and I would reduce the broth as the dip was too thin. With a little tweaking, this would be perfect.
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epicurious

Spiced Burgul Salad

150 g burgul
Toast the burgul in a frypan over medium heat for a few minutes, stirring, until it is turning golden and you can hear a gentle popping when you put your ear near the pan. (This step is optional if you can't be bothered, but it makes the burgul taste a bit nuttier.)
250 ml (1 cup) of boiling water
Tip it into a bowl and add 250 ml (1 cup) of boiling water, and set aside.

olive oil
2 red onions, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon allspice
a finger of fresh ginger, peeled and very finely chopped
Heat the olive oil in the frypan over medium heat, and add the onions, cinnamon, cardamom, allspice and ginger. Cook, stirring, until the onion is soft.

2 celery sticks, finely chopped
1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
200 g cooked chickpeas
50 g sultanas or currants
50 g pine nuts, toasted
1 small bunch fresh coriander, leaves picked and chopped
1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and chopped
1 small bunch mint, leaves picked and chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Add the onion mixture, celery, chilli, chickpeas, sultanas, pine nuts and most of the herbs to the burgul mixture, which should be softened by now. Season with salt and pepper, and fold everything together.

Serve with the remaining herbs scattered on top. Serves 4-6 as a side dish.
------------------
Though small, it is tasty

Salat Yerakot

סלט רוקט, משמשים טריים, רוקפור ואגוזי מלך

סלט רוקט, משמשים טריים צרובים בשמן זית, רוקפור ואגוזי מלך

חבילה גדולה של רוקט (ארוגולה), שטוף
6 משמשים טריים, שטופים
שמן זית
100 גרם גבינה כחולה (רוקפור, דנאבלו), מפוררת
70 גרם אגוזי מלך

לרוטב:
3 כפות שמן זית
2 כפות חומץ בן יין לבן או חומץ בלסמי לבן
1 כף חרדל חלק, צרפתי
1 כף סוכר
מלח
פלפל שחור גרוס גס
1 כף מים מינרלים

מערבבים היטב את חומרי הרוטב. טועמים. במידה והרוטב חמוץ מדי מוסיפים עוד מעט מים או עוד מעט סוכר. שוטפים את המשמשים, חוצים, מגלענים.
מחממים 1-2 כפות שמן זית במחבת. כשהשמן חם מאוד מניחים בזהירות את המשמשים לצריבה מהירה, של שני הצדדים. מוציאים מן המחבת מיד עם צריבתם ומעבירים לצלחת.
מניחים בקערת הגשה את הרוקט. מעליו מסדרים בצורה נאה את המשמשים הצרובים. מפזרים למעלה פרורי רוקפור ואגוזי מלך. יוצקים את הרוטב רגע לפני ההגשה לשולחן.

Salada de Tomate

Russian Dressing

6 tablespoons low-calorie sweetener or about 1/2 teaspoon liquid low-calorie sweetener

1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons white vinegar

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup ketchup

1 1/2 teaspoons celery salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Pinch celery seed

Put all ingredients in a jar or bowl and blend well with a stick blender. Keep refrigerated. You will need to stir it well before using. Makes about 20 tablespoons.

Per 2 Tablespoons: 104 Calories; 11g Fat; trace Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 2g Net Carbs

It is similar to Catalina dressing.

Serving idea: Try mixing a little Russian dressing with some ranch dressing. It's almost like Thousand Island.

Red Cabbage and Dried Figs Salad

If you look for recipes to use up a head of red cabbage before it applies for permanent residence in your vegetable drawer, you will find that the general agreement is "red cabbage shall be sublimated by fruit" : popular uses include braising it with apples or chestnuts, cooking it with pears, or pairing it with apricots or raisins in a salad.

This fresh salad, in keeping with the fruit pairing idea, stars the aforementioned head of red cabbage (the volume of shredded cabbage a smallish head produces never ceases to astound me) and enhances its taste with little strips of dried figs for sweetness, toasted pumpkin seeds for nuttiness, soy sprouts for color contrast and crunch, and a lemon dressing for tang.

Salade de Chou Rouge aux Figues S?ch?es

a small head of red cabbage
Wash and quarter the cabbage. Cut out the tough core, and slice the leaves in thin strips - a food processor would come in handy.

1 C soy sprouts
6 dried figs
the zest of a lemon
Rince and drain the soy sprouts, chop the zest finely and slice the figs.

a large handful of pumpkin seeds, toasted
Add the cabbage, soy sprouts, pumkin seeds, lemon zest and figs, and toss to coat.
Cover and reserve in the fridge for at least a couple of hours, if possible, before serving.

Dressing:
the juice of a lemon
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
salt, pepper
In a salad bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients.

Can be made up to a day ahead.
Serves 6.


red cabbage, soy sprouts, peach, sesame seeds, soy sauce, lemon, olive oil

Puttanesca Sauce

An Italian sauce that is very spicy and strong flavored.

4 cloves of garlic, halved
3 T olive oil
IN a deep pan lightly brown the garlic in hot oil.

4 or 5 anchovy filets, chopped
Add anchovies, crush to a paste with a fork.

1 small (14 - 16 oz) can crushed tomatoes
10 - 12 black olives, stoned and coarsley chopped
2 TBSP capers, soaked and drained
1/2 to 1 small red chili, chopped
salt
ADD the tomatoes, olives, capers and the chili, cook over medium high heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2 TBSP Italian parsley, chopped
ADD parsley and cook for a couple minutes more.

*** This sauce can be mild or well seasoned depending on the type and amount of spices added.

*** Set aside some of the olives, parsley and capers as a garnish.


There are a variety of pasta and fish dishes using this sauce to enhance the flavor of the dish, such as Pasta Puttanesca, Spaghetti Puttanesca and Linguine Puttanesca.

Spaghetti alla puttanesca
(A favorite in 'Bella Napoli')

1 lb spaghetti or spaghettini

Cook the pasta. Drain well.

In a warm serving bowl put the cooked and drained pasta, add the sauce, and mix thoroughly (you can also do this in your cooking pan if it is large enough). Some like to add a sprinkling of fresh chopped parsley at this point.

*** Cheese is not usually served with this dish.

Pesto

2 bunches of basil
Pluck the leaves from the basil and wash well to remove any grit.

1 small clove of garlic, peeled
30 g toasted pine nuts (*)
20 g freshly grated parmesan or pecorino
Put the garlic, pine nuts and parmesan in a food processor and blend well. Add the basil leaves and whizz again until you are getting a thick paste.
(*) Note: toast pine nuts on a baking sheet in the oven. They tend to burn in a saute pan on the stove.

extra virgin olive oil
Leaving the processor going, drizzle in olive oil until the pesto comes together smoothly. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides of the processor half way through.

Taste - sometimes the basil is too strong and a little more lemon juice may be needed to adjust the taste. Add more of any ingredient if you feel it's needed (the amounts given above are approximate - they'll depend on the flavour of the basil, the strength of the cheese, your liking for garlic, and so on). You can also add a pinch of salt if necessary.

Use this pesto stirred through pasta, as part of an antipasto plate, on baked gnocci or vegetables, and so on.

It will keep for several days covered in the fridge - just stir up and add a little more oil to thin it when you use it again.

*** Pesto can be frozen ***
If you want to freeze pesto, omit the nuts and cheese.

Tips:
Pasta with pesto is a good lesson in why Italians so often insist on adding a spoonful of pasta cooking water to pasta sauce. Try it here and you will see how creamy the pesto becomes on the pasta.

If your pesto typically turns army green shortly after you make it, you'll appreciate the beauty of this version. I blanch the basil briefly to set the color, and I add a pinch of powdered ascorbic acid (vitamin C), which keeps the pesto from oxidizing:
Prepare an ice water bath in a large bowl, and bring a large pot of water to a boil. Put the basil in a large sieve and plunge it into the boiling water.
Immediately immerse all the basil and stir so that it blanches evenly.
Blanch for about 15 seconds.
Remove, shake off the excess water, then plunge the basil into the ice water bath and stir again so it cools as fast as possible.
Drain well.

The idea of making pesto variations had been on my mind for a while : you start from the basic pesto recipe (basil, pinenuts, pecorino and/or parmesan cheese, olive oil and garlic), and work from there, replacing some of the ingredients by their cousins, be they close or removed -- another kind of herb, another kind of nut, another kind of cheese. In this instance, I made two variations : I made a green rucola pesto, subbing rucola leaves (a.k.a. arugula) for the basil, and I used sundried tomatoes to make a red pesto.

It is colorful and tasty, it is incredibly easy to make, and it gives me the perfect excuse to buy a big and beautiful granite mortar and pestle! You can prepare the pestos ahead, and keep them on hand for an improvized mini-meal. The pestos can also be used like regular pesto of course, in pasta, as a sandwich spread, as a salad dressing...

Pesto de Roquette
2 large handfuls of rucola, rinced and dried
3 Tbsp pinenuts
3 Tbsp parmesan
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled

Combine all ingredients in mortar (preferably) or a food processor. Pestle or mix until smooth. Try a bit, and add more of any of the ingredients to suit your taste.

Pesto Rouge
8 pieces of sundried tomato (packed dry -- reduce olive oil by one Tbsp if using packed in oil)
3 Tbsp pinenuts
3 Tbsp parmesan
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled

Combine all ingredients in mortar (preferably) or a food processor. Pestle or mix until smooth. Try a bit, and add more of any of the ingredients to suit your taste.

Panzanella

An easy salad recipe which is a wonderful way to use up day-old bread, and expresses the Tuscan mentality of simplicity with the use of fresh, ripe, ingredients.
Usually associated with Tuscany, but is popular in Umbria as well.
Panzanella can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated for several hours or taken on picnics.

1 1/4 cups day-old herb focaccia bread or ciabatta or French bread
You must use coarse textured good quality bread, as most bread from the grocery store will become gummy.
Break the bread into pieces, and soak briefly in water until moistened. Carefully squeeze dry.

4 large vine-ripened tomatoes
5-6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large red onion, finely chopped

4 red peppers or yellow peppers or orange peppers, or combination (optional)
1 small to medium cucumbers (optional)

8 canned anchovy fillets, drained and chopped (optional)
2 tablespoons capers, in brine,rinsed and patted dry with paper towels (optional)

4 tablespoons red wine vinegar, about
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, about
salt and pepper
Place the bread in a bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Mix well.

fresh basil leaves, to garnish

Note: There are many variations to this salad, so experiment on your own.
Anchovies are often added, as are red peppers and capers.
You could also add 1 can of drained oil packed tuna to make this recipe into a complete lunch.

Mustard

2 colheres (sopa) de manteiga
Numa panela pequena, derreta a manteiga em fogo alto.

1 cebola m?dia (100 g), picada
Acrescente a cebola e cozinhe at? murchar.

1 x?cara de vinho branco seco (240 ml)
Adicione o vinho e deixe ferver at? reduzir pela metade (cerca de 10 minutos).

4 colheres (sopa) de mostarda
1 x?cara (ch?) de creme de leite (240 g)
Junte a mostarda e o creme de leite e cozinhe, mexendo ?s vezes, at? engrossar um pouco (cerca de 10 minutos).

1/2 colher (ch?) de sal
1 pitada de pimenta-do-reino
Tempere com o sal e a pimenta.


Rende 24 colheres (sopa) de 53 calorias cada

Sirva com massas e peixes


Mustard and Honey Salad Dressing
I used to buy bottled stuff before Michelle fed me this one day. Since then I use this dressing almost every time I have a green salad. The amounts are estimates, since I just make it by eye and taste.

2 tablespoons walnut oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 heaped teaspoon seed mustard
1 teaspoon honey

Put together in a little jar, shake, and toss with salad directly before serving.

dressing sauce

Moroccan Orange-Walnut Salad

Mushroom Sauce

1/4 cup butter
Melt the butter in a large skillet.

1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
Saute' the mushrooms until tender.

1 teaspoon soy sauce
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Stir in the soy sauce, cream and mustard. Bring to a slow boil on medium heat; cook until the sauce has thickened, stirring frequently.

Dash paprika
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
Add the paprika and parsley. Season to taste.

Makes 3 servings

Per Serving: 363 Calories; 38g Fat; 3g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 4g Net Carbs

This sauce is very tasty and is nice served over chicken breasts, hamburger patties, steak, veggies, etc.

NOTE: Reheating is not recommended. The sauce becomes oily, but still tastes good.

Mexican Hot Sauce

1 jalape?o pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped (*)
2 medium tomatoes (about 4 small roma), coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon cilantro, or to taste [optional]
1 tablespoon onion, finely chopped [optional]



Put everything in a blender or food processor; puree until still somewhat chunky.

Makes about 1 1/4 cups salsa or 20 tablespoons

A little garlic might be a nice addition.
This has a very nice fresh flavor, similar to what you get in Mexican restaurants. A real treat after those over-cooked bottled salsas and only takes minutes to prepare.

(*) I find that the jalape?os they sell these days have very little heat so I've been adding a serrano chile as well, seeds, membranes and all. I also keep the seeds and membranes of the jalape?o. This gives the sauce some nice heat, but it's not unbearable.

Mayonnaise

Classic mayonnaise

1 large or 2 small egg yolks
pinch of salt
pinch of white pepper
1 tsp - ½ tbsp Dijon mustard [optional]
250 ml light-tasting oil (sunflower-seed, grape-seed, turnip rape, peanut or cornoil)
Bring ingredients to room temperature.
Lightly whisk together — by hand — egg yolk(s), salt, pepper and mustard.
Mustard can be omitted.
When the mixture starts to thicken, start adding oil, drop by drop, whisking continually — with an electric mixer, if preferred.

When the mixture begins to thicken and emulsify, you can add the remaining oil in thin stream, whisking continually.

½ tbsp tarragon vinegar or juice of ¼ lemon
Finally add vinegar or lemon juice.

Store mayonnaise in tightly closed jar in refrigerator.

If the ingredients are of different temperature or too cold or oil is added to egg yolks too quickly, mayonnaise may separate.
This can be fixed in a number of ways:
How to fix separated (curdled) mayonnaise:
1. Whisk in 1 teaspoon of cold water to the curdled mayonnaise, or if this doesn't help:
2. Mix 1 teaspoon of mustard and 1 teaspoon of the curdled mayonnaise until creamy. Add the remaining mayonnaise to this mixture, whisking it in little at a time.
3. Whisk together 1 egg yolk, pinch of mustard and a few drops of vinegar or water. Add the curdled mayonnaise to this mixture, whisking it in little at a time.
4. In 1 tablespoon of cold water or wine vinegar, mix little of the curdled mayonnaise. Add the remaining mayonnaise to this mixture, whisking it in little at a time.
5. Whisk 1 egg yolk and add the curdled mayonnaise to it, whisking it in little at a time. Continue whisking and add little cold water to make mayonnaise as thin as it was originally.

Marinated Mushrooms

500g button mushrooms
Wash and slice the mushrooms thinly.
Blanch in boiling water for a few minutes until slightly softened.

3-4 cloves of garlic, crushed
finely grated rind and juice of a small lemon
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2-3 tsp finely chopped Italian parsley
pinch of grated fresh nutmeg
1 tsp salt
Mix all the other ingredients together in a flat, shallow bowl.
Drain the mushrooms and add to the sauce in the bowl.
Leave in the fridge to marinate overnight.

Before serving, add salt and freshly milled black pepper to taste.
(serves 4-6)

Mango and Cucumber Salsa

Fresh mango salsa is easy to make and delicious served over halibut or salmon or as the salsa in fish tacos.

1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and diced (about 1 cup)
1 small cucumber, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 Jalape?o chile, minced (include ribs and seeds for a hotter taste if desired)
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl.

Salt and pepper to taste
Season to taste with salt and pepper.