The oppressive heat of summer is upon us.  And by us I mean those crazy kids that live in the valley, like Kim.  So in honor of those brave souls that bear the three digit temperatures, here’s a speedy weeknight dinner or side dish you can make ahead of time.  This is great for picnics or bringing to work as leftovers as no heating is required!

Cold Orzo Salad with Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette
Makes 6 servings

For the Salad:
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups orzo
1/4 cup oil-packed sun dried tomatoes, roughly diced
A handful of basil leaves, chiffonaded
8 oz of fresh mozarella, 1/2 inch dice
1/8 cup of toasted pine nuts (optional)

For the Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup oil-packed sun dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/2 shallot, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
Small handful of basil
Small handful of parsley
4 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup reserved orzo cooking broth, or water
2 tsp tomato paste (get the tube, rather than the cans and keep it in your fridge for occasions like this)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

In a large saucepan, bring broth to a boil over high heat.  Add orzo and cook according to package directions until just al dente (usually 1-2 minutes shy of the recommended cooking time).  Strain the orzo, reserving 1/4 cup of the broth, rinse it under cold water, then spread out on a sheet pan to cool.  Give this a drizzle of olive oil to prevent the orzo from clumping.

While the orzo cools, make the dressing.  In a blender or food processor combine all the ingredients except the olive oil.  Blend until smooth and then drizzle in the olive oil as the blender is running to create a thick, bright orange, emulsified dressing.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  Depending on your tomatoes, you might be inclined to add a little sugar for balance.  Prep your other salad ingredients as the orzo finishes cooling.

In a large bowl, stir together the orzo, sun dried tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, and about 3/4 cup of dressing, reserving some mozzarella for topping.  Stir to combine and taste.  Now’s the time to adjust your seasoning and dress to your liking.  I ended up with a generous cup of dressing on mine.  Tuck this in the fridge to get nice an chilly, at least 30 minutes.  When ready to serve, top with reserved mozzarella and toasted pinenuts.

Enjoy!

My dutch oven has been seeing a lot of action lately.  I suppose it’s just that time of year when you want to dig your heaviest pot out of the back of the cabinet and fill it up with wonderful ingredients and allow it to simmer away until its contents are tender, rich, and filling.  But what I love even more about these one-pot wonders is how forgiving the recipes are, which might explain why there’s as many versions of chicken cacciatore as there are cooks.  Although definitively Italian in origin, you’d be hard pressed not to know a soccer mom with a crock pot that doesn’t have her own take on this.

But back to those Italians.  Pollo alla cacciatora translates to hunter’s style chicken.  For that reason, I like my cacciatore sauce to be thick and rustic, paying tribute to vegetables and herbs that might have been foraged back in the day.  I skip the French mirepoix, no carrots or celery needed, and instead opt for some lovely Italian themed ingredients.  Sliced garlic cloves, red peppers, San Marzano tomatoes, capers, lots of fresh basil, and a crisp pinot grigio.  Ok, I made myself hungry again.

Pollo alla Cacciatora  (Chicken Cacciatore)
Serves 4-6

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup AP flour
1 whole chicken (5-6lbs), butchered into pieces (or about 8 whole chicken thighs)
1 onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced lengthwise
1-12 oz pack of mushrooms, cut into thick slices
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
4 cloves of garlic, sliced thinly
1 cup white wine, preferably Italian
1 26-oz can of whole or chopped San Marzano tomatoes
1/2 tsp dried pepper flakes
2-3 tbsp drained capers (go for 3 is you like them)
A large handful of basil, chopped
Parmesan cheese for topping

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

If you’re butchering a whole chicken, I recommend prepping two thighs, two drumsticks, and splitting the two breasts in half so that you end up with 8 similarly sized pieces total (freeze the wings, back, and innards to make nice stock in the future).  But if you’re a family that fights over the dark meat, go ahead and make this dish just with the thighs.  Either way, keep that skin on and the bones in, even if you plan to remove the skin when you eat.  The skin protects the meat through the long cook time, keeping it tender and preventing it from drying out.  Season your chicken well on all sides with salt and pepper, then dredge lightly in flour, shaking off the excess.

In a dutch oven, heat 1 tbsp olive oil plus 1 tbsp butter over medium-high heat.  Brown the chicken in two batches, about 4 minutes per side until the chicken is well browned and the skin is crisp.  Set aside.

Grab those lovely sliced onions, peppers, mushrooms and the fresh thyme and drop them into the drippings.  Saute for 3-4 minutes until they begin to soften and pick up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.    Now add the garlic and saute an additional 2 minutes, just to take the raw bite out of it.  Go ahead and add some seasoning to the dish right now: a healthy pinch of salt and a good grind of black pepper.

Pour in the wine, taking time to scrape the sides/bottom of the pan to pick up any more bits, and simmer just to let some of the alcohol burn off, about 3-4 minutes.  Now dump in the tomatoes.  If you’re using whole tomatoes, you should either chop them, or get into the rustic spirit by squeezing them whole straight into the pan. Either way, be sure to add all that wonderful juice as well.  Stir in the red pepper flakes and capers, then return the chicken to the pan, along with any juices that have accumulated while resting.  Bring the whole thing to a simmer.

When the dish is simmering, cover tightly and place into the oven.  It will only take 20-30 minutes to cook the chicken through, but I like to let this slowly simmer for at least an hour until the sauce has thickened, the chicken is very tender and the dark meat is beginning to fall off the bone.  If you’ve got a full hour and a half, go for it.  The dish will only get more flavorful.  Just check on it every 30 minutes to give it a stir to make sure nothing’s sticking or getting too dark on the bottom.

While the chicken’s in the oven.  Prepare your side dish.  We served ours over top some lightly buttered spaghetti squash that we quickly steamed in the microwave.  But this dish is delicious served over everything from egg noodles, linguine, creamy polenta, or even parmesan smashed red potatoes.

When the chicken comes out of the oven, stir in most of that chopped basil, reserving a little to top each plate.  Check the sauce for seasoning.  Mine needed a little more salt and pepper and just a touch of sugar to help bring out the tomatoes’ natural sweetness.  Pile a piece or two of chicken overtop your carb of choice and dress with lots of sauce, grated parm, and a touch more of basil.  Bellissimo!

If you’re cooking for two, I recommend taking some effort out of your leftovers.  Wait til the chicken cools down, then shred it by hand, discarding the bones and skin and return the meat to the sauce.  Stir to combine then scoop it over top your leftover pasta and dream about it all the way until lunch tomorrow.

Tonight, Firat and I were craving something simple and delicious. I’ve also been spending more time learning about Turkish dishes because I know he misses the flavors of home. I’ve been especially attached to the cookbook “Turquoise: A Chef’s travels in Turkey” by Greg and Lucy Malouf. It’s part travel memories, part photo-journal, mostly killer cookbook. What’s impressed me most about this book, is that the chefs have created recipes that replicate true Turkish flavors, while still using easy-to-find ingredients. So tonight I decided to make tomato pilaf, which has a special place in my heart, because it was the first Turkish dish Firat cooked for me when we started dating.

This recipe is crazy yum. It makes a spectacular side dish for 4 people, or, much like a risotto, can stand alone as well as a generous entree for 2. Its incredibly flavorful, considering most of the ingredients come out of your pantry. Here’s the Malouf’s recipe with just a couple tiny adjustments on my end.

Tomato Pilaf

1 cup basmati rice
3-4 very ripe roma tomatoes, skinned and roughly chopped (don’t forget the trick of blanching tomatoes in boiling water for an easy peel job)
3/4 cup chicken stock or vegetable stock
4 tbsp butter
1 shallot, finely diced
2 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp lemon juice
1 sprig of fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper
Wash the rice in a bowl under cold running water. Work your fingers through it to loosen the starch off the rice. Once the water is clear, drain and set aside.

Pulse the tomatoes into a rough puree (like a salsa) in the food processor. You should get about 1 1/4 cups of tomato puree. Add enough stock to make 2 cups of liquid. Pour into a small saucepan and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and keep at a low simmer.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the shallot and saute over medium-low heat until the shallots become soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add the tomato paste, lemon zest, and thyme and stir to combine evenly (the tomato paste likes to be difficult here, so make sure there’s no lumps).

Add the rice to the pan and season generously with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly, allowing all the grains to be coated in the butter. Stir over medium heat for just a couple minutes, allowing the rice to toast. Pour in the simmering tomato stock and stir to combine. This should come to a boil almost immediately since you kept the liquid hot. Cover, and cook over the lowest heat setting for 15 minutes. The grains should be plumped up and the surface will be dented with little steam vent holes. Remove the pan from heat, then slide a clean, folded tea towel under the lid and leave it to stand for another 15-20 minutes. When ready to serve, fluff with a fork, and savor the yum.