Entree Salad: Mixed Bean-Tomato Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

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This salad blends some favorite spring and summer vegetables - green beans, waxed beans and tomatoes.  The vinaigrette is simple to prepare.  All these ingredients, including the basil, can be found at your favorite farmer's market, grocery, or if you have space or containers (and a thumb greener than mine), your own garden.   For cookouts or patio gatherings, this is also a highly transportable salad.  Sometimes I even combine the tomatoes with the vinaigrette and then just pour the vinaigrette-plumped tomatoes over the beans and toss it all together!

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INGREDIENTS

  • ½ lb [230g] fresh green beans, trimmed
  • ½ lb [230g] fresh wax beans, trimmed
  • 1 ½ c [225g] cherry or grape tomatoes, halved 
  • ¼ c [60mL] balsamic vinegar
  • 3 T [45mL] extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 t [5mL] kosher salt
  • 1 t [5mL] freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ c [75g] basil leaves, coarsely chopped
  • ½ c [75g] finely chopped red onion

DIRECTIONS

  1. Cook green and wax beans in boiling water 5 minutes. 
  2. Drain, then rinse in cold water to stop cooking; drain again.
  3. Combine vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, basil and red onion - set aside
  4. In a large bowl, mix beans and tomatoes, toss gently.  Cover and chill.
  5. When ready to serve, pour vinaigrette over vegetables and toss to combine.​

​Adapted from Cooking Light

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Easy Entree: Orzo Gumbo

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I lived in the South long enough to know that you need a roux for real gumbo - so consider this a quick and tasty faux version - it has all the flavors of the Cajun dish, with the ease of making it stovetop or in a crockpot. To keep it a one pot meal, add the orzo at the last minute, skipping the tradition of serving it over rice.

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INGREDIENTS
  • 1/2 c [75g] bell pepper, diced
  • 1/4 c [40g] celery, diced
  • 2 T [30g] butter
  • 1/2 c [75g] onion, diced
  • 1 T [10g] garlic, minced
  • 1 T [15mL] olive oil
  • 1 ½ c [337.5g] smoked sausage, sliced and cooked (prefer andouille sausage)
  • 1 c [225g] chicken, diced and cooked 
  • 1 T [15mL] dried parsley
  • ½ t [2.5mL] cajun seasoning
  • 29 oz. [822g] petite diced tomatoes w/juice
  • 4 c. [950 mL] low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 c. [240mL] water
  • 3/4 c [100g] uncooked orzo pasta
  • 1/2 lb. (10-15 count) [230g] peeled, deveined, medium shrimp

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a large skillet, saute garlic, onion, bell pepper and celery in 2 T [30g} butter until soft.
  2.  Add 1 T [15mL] oil, sausage and chicken, cook all until slightly browned. 
  3. Stir in cajun seasoning and parsley. 
  4. Remove from heat and transfer mixture to crock pot or Dutch oven.  
  5. Add tomatoes & juice, chicken broth and water, heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. 
  6. Once boiling, reduce heat to low & add orzo. 
  7. Cook 2-4 hrs. on low until pasta is soft and flavors combined.
  8. Add 1/2 lb [230g] shrimp to pot and cook shrimp until just opaque in center, stirring often, about 10 minutes. 

 

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