Dinner Archives - Page 29 of 75 - What the Forks for Dinner?

Tuscan Tortellini Salad

Summer Salad……… Tuscan Tortellini Salad.

Summer salads are the best……cool, fresh veggies, in yummy, light dressings….makes my mouth water at the thought.

Pasta salads are some of my favs. I really like tortellini for summer pasta salads. Filled with cheese, or meats they are little packets bursting with flavor.

I like to use Barilla’s Cheese & Spinach tortellini, egg pasta folded around creamy Ricotta cheese and tender spinach, and pinched into a distinctive ring shape. And they are cute!!!

Tortellini……Italian………Tuscan……..I feel a flavor profile coming together.

Sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, cherry tomatoes, bocconcini, and sopressata.
Sopressata is similar to hard salami, and it can also be spicy!
Tim and I had sopressata on a pizza in Las Vegas at Wolf Gang Pucks restaurant. It was spicy and delicious.

I think the bocconcini mozzarella balls are the cutest little things. Bocconcini means little bites in Italian…….too cute!

A simple vinaigrette of olive oil, white balsamic vinegar…….I have been using this lately as it doesn’t discolor dishes like regular balsamic does…….a pinch of sugar, salt, and pepper.

This salad is easy to make and can be kept for several days…….in my opinion, it was even better the next day. The flavors melded together soon nicely.

Pair the Tuscan Tortellini Salad with grilled meat, or add a nice loaf of your favorite Italian bread, and a glass of your favorite beverage and you have a summer salad thats sure to please……..

Tuscan Tortellini Salad

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Author: Marty Boyd
Yield: 6

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Ingredients

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1- 13 ounce package Barilla cheese & spinach tortellini 1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces sopressata or other Italian style meat, chopped
1 cup baby spinach, roughly chopped
1/4 cup sun-dried tomato, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 8 ounce package of fresh mozzarella balls (bocconcini)
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 c. Parmesan, shredded

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Instructions

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and transfer to large serving bowl.
For the dressing: Whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper.
To the tortellini in the bowl, add sopressata, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, basil, parsley, and dressing tossing until well combined.
Garnish with Parmesan.

Minestrone Salad

Soup turned salad……..Minestrone Salad.

Thick Italian minestrone is a combination of vegetables, pasta, beans, and tomatoes. Perfect for a snowy winter warm up.

But, it’s summer….and, its hot. I really don’t want soup. But the flavors of Minestrone sound really good…..lets try a salad!!

Since there is no set recipe for minestrone…..according to Wikipedia. so add what you like. It’s usually made from in season vegetables. But, to be true minestrone according to cookbook author Angelo Pellegrini,minestrone must have beans.

Well far be it from me to make an untrue minestrone, so we have beans. Two kinds…..dark red kidney, and white kidney or cannellini, as they are commonly referred too.

Fingerling potatoes, green beans, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, and carrot, celery, and onions, are added to al dente gemelli pasta and the beans. Any small pasta will do, I just like the twisted look of the gemelli.

Instead of a “salad dressing” I used sundries tomato pesto. It has the right flavor for minestrone and it gives the Minestrone Salad the tomatoey look of the soup.

Top with parmesan cheese and garnish with parsley. Cool minestrone……

Minestrone Salad can be a main dish salad, served with a crusty loaf of bread, or as a side dish for your favorite meat.

Minestrone Salad

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Author: Marty Boyd
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 8
Category: Salad
Method: Cook
Cuisine: American

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Ingredients

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6 fingerling or baby red potatoes
2 cups green beans, cut in half
1 cup carrots, diced
1 cup celery, sliced
1 small onion, diced
1 small zucchini, cut into chunks
1 can 15 1/2-ounce kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can 15 1/2-ounce cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 pound gemelli, cooked al dente and cooled
1small jar sun dried tomato pesto
Parmesan cheese for serving
Chopped Parsley for garnish

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Instructions

Slice fingerling potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are just tender, about 8-10 minutes. Rinse under cold water to cool. Set aside.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add 1 teaspoon salt. add green beans and blanch the vegetables just until they’re bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and rinse them with cold water, and set aside.
Toss all ingredients until the pesto coats the veggies, pasta, and beans. Top with parmesan cheese and garnish with parsley if desired.

Chicken Piccata Burger

Burgers are normally a cookout item. Want to get fancy smancy? Chicken Piccata Burger.

I think chicken piccata is a wonderfully delicious dish. Why couldn’t it be a burger? No reason I can think of!

I have many ground chicken recipes on What the Forks for Dinner? Check some of them out. We have a recipe index, so look around!

Ground beef is always perfect for a burger, but sometimes you want to shake it up or make it a little more upscale…….well as upscale as a burger can be…….

So, Chicken Piccata Burger is born. Ground chicken with cappers, and parsley. Shaped into patties and then given the one…two….three treatment.

Flour, egg, and panko crumbs. Set up a dipping station using three shallow bowls, and the afore mentioned ingredients. Dipping the chicken burger and cooking until golden brown and crunchy.

Herb Lemon Butter makes this dish. A compound butter with fresh herbs, lemon, salt, and pepper. If you have never used compound butter before, try it……its a wonderful topper to steaks, or burger, and makes corn on the cob a taste delight.

A dollop of the butter on top of the burger, with leaf lettuce and sliced tomatoes on a ciabatta bun. Piccata perfect.

Next time you want to switch up a burger, try Chicken Piccata Burger.

Chicken Piccata Burger

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Author: Marty Boyd
Yield: 6

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Ingredients

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2 pounds ground chicken
1 tablespoon capers, chopped
2 tablespoons parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 -2 cups panko crumbs
oil
6 Ciabatta buns
Lemon Herb Butter (see recipe)
Leaf lettuce, tomato for garnish

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Instructions

Combine ground chicken, capers, and parsley until combine, do not over mix.
Form into 6 patties.
Set up a dipping station with flour, egg, and panko crumbs in shallow dishes.
Heat enough oil in a large skillet to cover the bottom of the pan. Once the oil is hot ,dip each patty into, flour, then the egg, then panko crumbs. Place in hot oil and cook until golden brown and cooked through, turning often.
To serve, put lettuce and tomato, and chicken burger on the bottom of the ciabatta bun. Place a slice of the Herb Lemon butter on top and allow to melt slightly. Place top on bun and enjoy.

Herb Lemon Butter

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Author: Marty Boyd

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Ingredients

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1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
salt and freshly ground black pepper

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Instructions

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a bowl. Add salt and ground black pepper to taste. Scoop it all onto the parchment paper and roll the form a cylinder then twist the ends closed. Refrigerate until the butter is firm. May be frozen to use later.