gazpacho

Few things are as refreshing as a cold gazpacho on a hot summer day. This time I got a blender and threw in a couple tomatoes, raw garlic, celery, peeled cucumbers, cilantro, salt and pepper. it basically took 5 minutes start to finish and was able to prepare it in advance and leave it in the fridge to chill. Super healthy and left overs are even better for lunch the next day.

MAGURO ... seared tuna... sooo yum.

So Harris Teeter had an amazing deal on sashimi grade tuna medallions for $5 a pound. YUM YUM YUM. This so so fast and delicious I could barely believe it. Heat a few teaspoons of canola oil in a nonstick pan and at the same time roll the medallions in a shallow bowl with some soy sauce (if you want add some garlic powder but you don't even have to do that) and then another shallow bowl with sesame seeds till they're nice and coated. Set the tuna aside till the skillet get hot enough then carefully drop them in. I barely like mine seared with the inside still red and raw so I'll only leave mine for about 15-20 seconds on each side, but if you want yours more pink and cooked through leave it for about 45 seconds on each side (just dont leat the sesame seeds burn). Its so fast and the sweet/salty soy sauce and toasted sesame seeds make such a perfect compliment to the fresh tuna. I served this with buttered lima beans and a spicy guacamole but you can just have this with some plain rice or a salad. DELICIOUS!

picnic or tailgating?

If you're looking for a great picnic idea that travels well and will score an A+ every time, just think TORTILLAS. We went off to Kings Dominion last week and instead of taking out a mortgage to buy hotdogs and funnel cake at the amusement park we just made fajitas. The night before I spent 7 dollars on a couple thin fillets of beef, I cut them in strips and cooked them with red peppers and onions. Throw that in tupperware in a cooler then grab a pack of tortillas, an avocado, shredded cheese, a small container of sour cream, hot sauce or a jar of jalapeños, some shredded lettuce if you want (we skipped that), a fork, a spoon, a knife, a couple paper towels, two beers and THATS IT. If you don't want to cook the beef, buy a rotisserie chicken and pull the meat on your trip, use a can of baked beans if your a vegetarian, or sautée some garlic shrimp if you wanna go up a notch. They all work great- just dump them in a tortilla and you're good to go!

eggs

i love them. ideally they should come from a farmers market or a straight-up farm where you can be sure the animals are treated with care, are grass fed, free range and the whole 9. otherwise i aim for organic or whatever convincing words the package might say. but usually i try to avoid generic "large white egg." those chicken farms ten to be nasty with corn fed cage birds that produce eggs with little to no nutritional value and basically just gross me out. a real egg has around 75 calories and a number of vitamins and minerals including your omega 3s. add them to a stir fry or keep a bag full of boiled ones in the office for snacks- eggs can be healthy, quick and delicious any time of day.

tomato sauce with spicy italian sausage and asparagus

One of my favorite new sauces. Cut 5 or 6 links of spicy Itaian sausage in one inch pieces (its easier if you cut it while frozen), drop them in a pan with diced onion, and a can of crushed tomatoes (or fresh ones). Let that all cook on low heat till the sausage is defrosted a almost cooked, then add a bunch of washed cleaned asparagus cut into one inch pieces. Cook until the asparagus is tender, throw over some pasta with some grated cheese and YUUUUUUM !!!

cavatelli with fresh tomatoes and mozarella

It's summer so take advantage. Buy a pile of tomatoes now that they're on sale, chop them up with some onion or garlic, a touch of salt and olive oil and thats it. Your sauce will be done before the pasta boils. Fresh mozarella and basil is just begging to go on top.

ciambotta's what we call it but you might have heard of ratatouille

Super healthy, lots of fiber, no cholesterol, great if you on a diet, awesome if you're vegan, freezes well.. its the whole 9 yards. My mom always makes this in the summer when vegetables are plentiful and inexpensive. It usually goes something like this: eggplants, peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, onions and string beans. But that doesn't have to be it- throw in some chopped asparagus, use up that lonely potato in the cabinet, add squash, cauliflower.. it doesn't matter. Growing up this dish was made to use up all the leftover veggies so throw in whatever's gonna blow your skirt up. If you're cooking this in a large pot, put a little olive oil in the bottom and throw in the chopped onions and carrots, then while they're simmering start chopping the rest. The key is to cook the harder vegetables first, like celery, potatoes, then move to peppers, then to eggplants and zucchini, then last tomatoes mushrooms and the softest. OR recently, I experimented by throwing it all chopped in a crock pot I turned it on low, left for the office and dinner was ready but the time I got back. Use whichever method's easiest for you. I always like some fresh parsley (or cilantro might go well) but splash of vinegar or some lemon juice will give this a refreshing tang and its great hot off the stove or cold on a summer day.

¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

While you're having a margarita at happy hour tonight I will be polyurethaning wood floors.. oh well.. if you're feeling frisky when you get home you can make my favorite guacamole- 2-3 ripe avocados (diced not smashed), the juice from one large lemon, 1/2 -1 red onion, 2-3 cloves of chopped garlic, 1 finely chopped jalapeño, a nice bunch of fresh cilantro, a drizzle of olive oil, sea salt and cracked pepper to taste. If you like add a tomato per avocado but I like mine green.

El muerto al pozo y el vivo al gozo. ¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

mozarella tomato & basil

You can't ask for a fresher faster appetizer/side dish. Its impressive and delicious. Buy some FRESH mozarella (pay the price if you have to and unless you live in New Jersey surrounded by Italians you probably will), get a nice big fat beefsteak tomato (if their in season shoot for an heirloom) a couple leaves of basil, slice everything, arrange, drizzle with good olive oil, salt, pepper and serve. You can prep it earlier in the day of 5 minutes before- throw it between two slices of bread and you have a gourmet meal. ENJOY!

uova con pomodoro

I know my mom used to make this for my cousin Carlo when he was a little kid and they would share and egg each while he was sitting on her lap but I never really had this till recently- and it's one of my FAVORITE dishes. It only takes about 10 minues start to finish. Drizzle a touch of olive oil in a skillet and while thats warming on low heat dice 2-3 tomatoes, throw them in and then immediately crack an egg or two. Sprinkle with salt, crack some black pepper and cover. At the same time I'll usually toast some bread and by the time the eggs are cooked the tomatoes are perfectly sautéed but not overcooked. I then like to add a generous handful of loosley chopped fresh parsley move it to the table and right out of the pan, dip your bread in the eggs and enjoy. This makes a great breakfast or even lunch, its fast and a cinch to clean up after.