This is a great way to have your veggies cold, especially nice when the outside temps are in the 100’s, much like today in Southern California. Trader Joe’s works best, where possible.
- 1 Bag (1lb) frozen brocoli
- 2 medium sized beefsteak tomatoes, or 3 Roma’s, cut into 1/2 wedges
- 1/2 red onion, sliced thin
- Vinaigrette of choice, my choice was Cranberry Walnut Gorgonzola.
Cook the frozen brocoli. Use the microwave for this to help keep the house cool. You don’t have to cook it all the way, just until it is thawed all the way. When it’s done, get it into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and get the temperature down. Drain.
To your salad bowl, add the cooled and drained broccoli, tomatoes and onion. Toss with dressing. For best results, let marinade in the refrigerator for 1/2 hour before serving.
No TJ’s nearby? You can use fresh broccoli instead, just steam it first. Need a different dressing? I’m partial to a simple red wine vinegar and olive oil mix for this, but we had the cranberry walnut handy.
Serve as a salad with anything you like. Goes particularly well with beef or grilled chicken.
One of my favorite stores as some of you know is Trader Joes. Part hippy grocery store, part regular grocerty store, part liquor/wine store, all contained within the space normally occupied by 2 7-11s, sometimes less. Great quality stuff at fantastic prices. I’m sorry if you don’t have one nearby, especially since today’s recipe is made entirely from items purchased there.
Seafood with Artichoke Hearts
Simple and good. If you can find the ingredients at Whole Foods or your local market, it would be worth while.
Needs
- 1 bag frozen seafood mix (shrimp, calamari, scallops) from Trader Joes
- 1 bag frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
- Jasmine Rice
- 2-4 TBLS butter
- 1 lemon
- Olive oil, salt, pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- Garlic. Lots and lots of garlic.
What to do
- Coarse chop your artichoke are garlic
- Add olive oil to a hot saute pan.
- Artichoke hearts and garlic in. Saute until hot. Put some color on the ‘chokes if you want. Not necessary if you don’t.
- Add the seafood mix. Saute until heated/cooked through.
- Drain most of the liquid from the pan. Don’t get a colander dirty for this, just tip the pan over the sink and hold the goods back with your wooden spoon.
- Add the butter and juice from one lemon. Cook until you get a rockin’ butter sauce.
- Finish with the chopped cilantro. Salt and pepper to taste
Serve this over a bed of Jasmine rice.
Changes/Additions You could boost the color/flavor by adding fresh diced tomatoes or green onion. Or a little pesto (regular or sun dried tomato). Serve over pasta instead of rice would be good as well. Add a shot of dry white wine to the pan after draining, before the butter to get more of a scampi flavor.
Beverage choice The butter is going to want something crisp/acidic/sharp to contrast. A nice Pinot Grigo, Fume Blanc or Savignon Blanc. You beer drinkers should learn to drink wine, but if that’s not an option, any fine Mexican brew would be nice with this.
If it’s not already, this recipe should totally be in the Cooking with All Things Trader Joe’s
Sure it’s all cold and crappy now, but as soon as the weather warms up a bit you might want to give it a try. Simple and good and very similiar to one of my all time pasta dishes, Angel Hair Pomadoro (angel hair pasta, olive oil, fresh basil and fresh diced tomatoes).
Warmed Angel Hair Pasta with Artichoke Hearts
This is a great use for all of that Angel Hair Pasta left over from last night.
- Angel Hair Pasta, 1/2 lb, cooked
- 1/2 lb fresh or frozen (and thawed) artichoke hearts
- 2 TBLS chopped cilantro
- 1/2 cup your favorite vinegrette
- Parmesean cheese to taste
- Olive Oil
We are looking for warm, not hot. Not room temperature either. Closer to body temp.
Warm the pasta and artichoke hearts in a saute pan with a little olive oil. Add vinegrette, toss to coat and heat through. Plate as you like, top with parm and cilantro.
Add to this what you like. Fresh cracked pepper, pesto or fresh diced Roma Tomatoes would be very nice additions. Makes a great side dish to chicken or fish. Add some shrimp and make it a dinner.
A nice crisp white or light ale would be fabulous with this too.
I’m sure you would all like to know how to build a great sammy for superbowl or any thing else.
Here you go!
As is standard practice at any family get together that envolves a large piece of meat, I am usually the one tasked with it’s cooking, it’s cutting/carving or both.
This year for Christmas, g’ma cooked up a very nice Prime Rib. I only had to cut it.
Almost looks like I know what I’m doing.
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