Dinner Tonight

The heat wave we have been having in New Jersey has finally broken, but not for long I'm sure.  Summer in New Jersey equals heat and plenty of humidity. Just the kind of weather that makes one dread the thought of turning on the stove or the oven. It doesn't matter that we, thankfully, have air conditioning,  just walking out the door to the grill in that kind of weather seems like a monumental task.

On those days when it seems like the air just can't seem to hold any more water vapor, I turn to main dish salads. I love chicken salad because of its versatility. Believe me I have made plenty in my day--Asian Chicken Salad, Chicken Salad with Grapes and Walnuts, Waldorf Chicken Salad--see, versatile. But my favorite is one I have been making for years, Mediterranean Chicken Salad. 

I first saw this recipe In Parade Magazine in 2006.  I don't have the name of the author, but I am almost certain that it was Sheila Lukins of The Silver Palate fame. It's a great salad with tender stringbeans, crunchy celery, shiny black olives all tied together with a lemony vinaigrette.

So, you know what they say, if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen, and think of having this very satisfying dish for dinner tonight.

The salad ingredients prepare to be joined

Mediterranean Chicken Salad atop my window box lettuces

Mediterranean Chicken Salad

1/2 pound green beans, trimmed
6 cups torn cooked white meat chicken 
4 ribs celery, cut into slices or strips
1/2 cup Kalamata olives
1/3 cup chopped flat-leafed parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salad greens, for serving


Blanch the green beans in boiling, salted water until tender, about 4 minutes. Drain, refresh under cold water, drain again and pat dry. Place in large bowl with chicken, celery, olives and parsley.


Before serving, season with salt and pepper.  Toss well with the lemon zest and juice and olive oil.
Toss greens with some lemon juice and olive oil and top with chicken salad.


Serves 4-6

Cook's Note
Pick up a cooked rotisserie chicken or breasts from the market. Perfect for a hot day!
 

Pasta Puttanesca

In their inimitable manner, our friends, T and J, texted from the road yesterday.

"What's for dinner?"

"Where are you?"

"We'll be home in two hours."

"Good.  What do you want for dinner?"

"Do you have pasta?"

"Of course.  See you at six."

I did a quick survey of the pantry and the refrigerator and determined  that pasta puttanesca would be perfect.

Out of all the stories of the origins of this spicy tomato sauce,  I like this legend the best. It is said that puttanesca sauce was originated in Naples by the ladies of the evening.  The ingredients were easy to keep on hand and very quick to cook. Thus, the ladies were able to get some sustenance between customers. Although the prostitutes probably did not invent this sauce, they sure made it popular.

This sauce is one of my favorites, and it cooks in the time it takes for the water for the pasta comes to a boil. While spaghetti seems to be the preferred pasta here, I had none so I used penne.  Nothing was lost in the translation.

After filming the bottom of a saucepan with olive oil, I dropped in 6 diced anchovy fillets.  Don't worry--the anchovies magically melt into the oil giving the sauce a lovely a depth of flavor. Then I pressed about 4 cloves of garlic into the oil and turned the heat to medium. When the anchovies began to melt and the garlic softened, I added a sprinkling of red pepper flakes, a pinch of salt and one and a half boxes of Pomi chopped tomatoes.  Actually, I gave the tomatoes a rough puree with my immersion blender before adding them to the pot.  After bringing the tomatoes to a simmer, I added about a half a cup of chopped Kalamata olives, 2 tablespoons capers and a handful of chopped parsley and cooked it for about 10 minutes.

After draining 1 pound of penne, I tossed most of the sauce with the pasta and sprinkled on some more chopped parsley.

I served additional sauce at the table for those who wanted more along with some grated Pecorino Romano cheese.

Happy Valentine's Day!