Lemon Caper Tapenade Tuna Salad

Tuna salad makes for a great snack, a quick lunch, or a light dinner.  However, tuna salad is rarely a special or inspired dish.  This recipe utilizes our Pastamore Lemon Caper Artichoke Tapenade, and this addition gives a fantastic freshness and flavor.  Instead of your typical mayonnaise, this recipe is made with light cream cheese.  The cream cheese offers a rich flavor without the same calories you would find in mayonnaise.  Well this recipe may not make tuna salad the talk of the town, it will at least surprise your taste buds with a great treat.

Ingredients:  Serves: 2
1 - 5 oz can of tuna
1 Tbsp - Pastamore Lemon Caper Artichoke Tapenade
1 oz - low-fat cream cheese
1/2 Tbsp - stone ground mustard
To taste - salt and black pepper
As needed - whole wheat bread

Directions:
1.  Empty the can of tuna into a medium-sized mixing bowl.

2.  Add the cream cheese, mustard, and Pastamore Lemon Caper Artichoke Tapenade.  Use a fork to thoroughly mix all ingredients.

3.  Season the tuna salad to taste with salt and black pepper.

4.  Serve open-faced on one piece of whole wheat bread, or serve on two pieces of bread for a delicious sandwich.

Chilled Sweet Corn Soup

It is that great time of year when sweet corn is not only cheap but delicious as well.  Colorado is known for its Olathe sweet corn, and this soup is a great way to utilize this fantastic vegetable.  This recipe only has a few ingredients, and allows the corn flavor to really shine through.

But a soup, in summer?  Yes!  This soup is lighter than a soup I would serve in the winter, and straining the soup gives it a nice light texture.  On a hot summer day, a nice bowl of chilled soup will certainly hit the spot.

Ingredients:  Serves: 3-4
4 ears - fresh sweet corn
1 - medium yellow onion
3 strips - bacon

2 tsp - Pastamore Kettle Roasted Garlic Oil

1 qt - vegetable broth
2 cups - water
12 oz - milk
1/2 tsp - salt
As garnish - cilantro
To taste - salt and pepper

Directions:
1.  Place a large pot on the stove over medium-high heat.  Once the pot is hot, add the bacon.  Cook the bacon until the desired doneness has been reached.  While the bacon is cooking, slice the onion.  After the bacon has cooked, remove from the pot and place on a paper towel to dry.

2.  Add the onions to the pot and begin to cook.  If the onions begin to color too quickly, reduce the heat to medium.  Cook the onions for 5-8 minutes.  While the onions are cooking, remove the kernels from the corn.  Cut off one end of the corn, and then place that side on the cutting board.  Run a sharp knife down the side of the corn, keeping the knife as close to the core as possible.  Rotate the corn, and continue until all of the kernels have been removed.  Once the onions are ready, add the corn to the pot.

3.  Cook the corn and onion mixture for 5 minutes.  After five minutes, add the vegetable broth, water, and milk to the pot.  Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer.  Add the 1/2 tsp of salt, and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

4.  While the soup is cooking, chop the bacon into fine pieces. 

5.  Remove the soup from the heat.  Place the soup into a food processor (or use an immersion blender) to blend the soup.  Blend until as smooth as possible.  Next, pour the soup through a fine mesh colander or a cheese cloth.  Get as much liquid out of the corn by pressing it with a spoon, or wringing it out until no more liquid comes out.

6.  Add the 2 tsp of Pastamore Kettle Roasted Garlic Oil, and then season the soup to taste with salt and black pepper.  Place the soup into the refrigerator, and allow to cool for at least 4 hours.

7.  When it is time to serve the soup, remove from the refrigerator.  Whisk the soup immediately before serving so that it is thoroughly mixed.  Ladle the soup into bowls, and garnish with the chopped bacon and fresh cilantro.

Caprese Burger

The Caprese salad is a staple of traditional Italian cuisine.  The combination of fresh mozzarella, tomato, and fresh basil have stood the test of time.  The flavor profile can be found in many Italian dishes, and I figured why not lend these delicious flavors to a burger.

This recipe utilizes our Pastamore Traditional Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar in both the meat and as a garnish.  This recipe was also created with focaccia bread as the bun and with a side of grilled eggplant to stay with the Italian theme.  This recipe is simple and delicious, and offers a nice fresh flavor for summer.

Ingredients:   Serves: 4
1 lb - ground beef (80/20 or 85/15 preferred)

1 Tbsp - Pastamore Traditional Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 tsp -salt
1/4 tsp - dried oregano
1/8 tsp - black pepper
1/8 tsp - garlic powder
4 oz - fresh mozzarella cheese
1-2 - tomatoes
6-8 leaves - fresh basil
1 - eggplant
As needed - salt, black pepper, and olive oil

As garnish - Pastamore Traditional Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar

1 small loaf - focaccia bread (large enough to be mad into four buns)

Directions:
1.   In a large mixing bowl combine the ground beef, Pastamore Traditional Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar, salt, dried oregano, black pepper, and garlic powder.  Mix until evenly distributed.  Form the meat into four even sized patties and place to the side.

2.  Turn the grill on medium-heat, and allow it to come to temperature.

3.  Cut the focaccia bread so that the sides of the buns will be flat.  Use a serrated or a bread knife to cut the bread into burger-sized pieces, and then cut in half to make a bun.  Place the basil leaves on top of each other, and roll them up like a cigar.  Them cut them into fine strips (this is known as a chiffonade).  Cut the tomato into 4 1/4" thick slices.

4.  Rinse the eggplant.  Cut the top and bottom off of the eggplant, and dispose of them.  Slice the eggplant into approximately 8 even-sized pieces.  Lightly drizzle the flesh of the eggplant with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

5.  Place the burgers onto the grill.  Cook until the desired doneness is reached, and only turn them once during the cooking process.  When the burgers are flipped add the eggplant and the buns to the grill.  Cook the bread until they achieve nice grill marks, and cook the eggplant until it becomes tender with nice grill marks.

6.  Cut the fresh mozzarella into 4 1-oz pieces.  Plate the bottom half of the bun and top with the burger.  Top the burger with the cheese, then tomato, and then finally with the fresh basil.  Finish off the plate with a drizzle of Pastamore Traditional Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar.

Triple Bacon Burger

Here is a tasty burger that you can try out this coming July 4th.  The addition of bacon to everything in this burger makes it delicious, but not the healthiest.  However, this can be taken care of by using a low-fat ground beef or by using bits of bacon in the mayonnaise instead of bacon fat.  Either way, this will still be nice and bacon-y.

This burger is straight-forward, and doesn't take much more time than your typical burger.  Having a little bit of bacon in all aspects of the burger gives the burger an underlying bacon flavor.  This recipe uses our Pastamore Traditional Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar in the meat, and this gives some acidity to break the richness of this burger.

Ingredients:  Serves: 4
1 lb - lean ground beef (93/7)

1 Tbsp - Pastamore Traditional Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 lb - bacon
4 - buns
4 slices - cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp - mayonnaise
1 - tomato
As garnish - romaine lettuce
1/4 tsp - salt
1/4 tsp - black pepper


Directions:
1.  Combine the 1 lb of ground beef, salt, black pepper, and Pastamore Traditional Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar in a large bowl.  Mix until all ingredients are fully incorporated.  Place to the side.

2.  Turn the grill onto high/medium-high heat.  Place a large pan on the stove over medium-high heat.  Once the pan is hot, add the bacon to the pan.  Cook until desired doneness is reached, and then place onto paper towel to dry.  Reserve 1 Tbsp of bacon fat, and dispose of the rest.  Add the bacon fat to the 2 Tbsp of mayonnaise, and then whisk together.  Place the mixture into the refrigerator.

3.  Reserve 4-6 slices of bacon to top the completed burgers with, and chop the remaining pieces.  Add the chopped bacon to the ground beef mixture, and mix until incorporated.  Form four equal-sized patties out of the ground beef.

4.  Place the burgers on the grill and cook until the desired temperature has been reached.  Turn the burgers one time during the cooking process, and add the cheese to the top of the burgers when there is approximately 1-2 minutes left in cook time.

5.  Place the buns onto the grill and cook until they have become toasted.  Slice the tomato and lettuce for use as garnish.

6.  Spoon 1/4 of the mayonnaise mixture onto the bottom bun, and then top with the lettuce.  Place the burger on top, and then add the tomato and bacon strips.

Fettuccine and Meatballs

Sometimes a pasta sauce made from fresh tomatoes is a delicious choice.  Other times, you may want the kind of sauce that your mother or grandmother may have made.  This recipe was written towards this direction, and delivers a sauce that is quick, simple, delicious, and just the right consistency.

This recipe is also a great example of a variety of our products being used together to create delicious flavors.  The meatballs have a bit of Pastamore Traditional Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar in them, and this offers a nice hint of sweetness.  The sauce contains our Pastamore Basil Parmesan Dipping Oil, and it is served over our Pastamore Garlic Chive Fettuccine.  This recipe is very reminiscent of early American style Italian cuisine, and it delivers a flavor that could bring up delicious memories.

Ingredients:     Serves: 4

1 - 12 oz package Pastamore Garlic Chive Fettuccine

Meatballs:
1 lb - 85/15 ground beef
1/2 C - bread crumbs
1 - egg, beaten
1/2 Tbsp - Pastamore Traditional Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 tsp - salt
1/8 tsp - black pepper
1/4 tsp - dried oregano
1/4 tsp - red pepper flake
Sauce:
26 oz - strained tomatoes (Pomi brand used specifically in this recipe)

2 Tbsp - Pastamore Basil Parmesan Dipping Oil

1 tsp - salt
1/4 tsp - red pepper flake
1/8 tsp - black pepper

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 375ºF.

2.  Combine the ground beef, beaten egg, and Pastamore Traditional Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar into a large bowl.  Mix until evenly distributed.  Add the bread crumbs and the spices, and mix until completely mixed.  Roll into meatballs approximately 1 oz in size (15-16 total), and place onto a thick-bottomed baking sheet or dish.

3.  Place a large pot of water on the stove (minimum 1 gallon of water) over high heat, and bring to a boil.

4.  While the water is heating, place the meatballs into the oven.  Cook time should be around 20 minutes, or when the meatballs reach a minimum internal temperature of 155ºF.

5.  Place a medium sized pot on the stove over medium-high heat.  Add all of the components of the sauce.  Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer.  Season to taste.

6.  Once the water is boiling, add the pasta.  Cook for 5-8 minutes, or until the desired doneness has been reached.  Once cooked, drain the pasta using a colander. 

7.  To serve, plate the pasta and top with the meatballs.  Ladle the sauce over the top, and garnish with basil if desired.

Lemon Caper Artichoke Stuffed Cod Over Lemon Rice

Often times we get questions for the best way to use a tapenade.  The only answer is that the uses are limited by your imagination.  Tapenades can simply be used as a dip, or can be a great way to top fish or meat.  In this case the tapenade was used as an easy stuffing.

This recipe utilizes the Pastamore Lemon Caper Artichoke Tapenade.  This tapenade matches perfectly with fish, and it works especially well with a fish without too much flavor (like cod).  Only a tablespoon gave the dish a great flavor, and it also kept the fish nice and moist in the center.

Ingredients:   Serves: 4
4 - cod fillets (~6 oz/fillets)
4 Tbsp - Pastamore Lemon Caper Artichoke Tapenade
2 Tbsp - Pastamore Meyer Lemon Oil
1 - lemon
1 cup - brown rice
2 cups - water
As needed - vegetable oil
To taste - salt and black pepper

Directions:
1.  Cook rice according package directions.   Preheat oven to 350ºF when the rice has approximately 20 minutes left to cook.

2.  Using a sharp knife, cut a pocket into the side of the fillets.  The cut should create a "pita" like pocket, so that the fish is still connected on the sides and back.  Lightly drizzle vegetable oil onto the fish, and rub the fish so that the oil is evenly distributed.  Generously season the outside of the fish with salt and black pepper.  Use a spoon to place Pastamore Lemon Caper Artichoke Tapenade into the pocket created in each fillet.

3.  Place a large pan on the stove over medium-high heat.  When the pan is hot add enough vegetable oil to the pan to keep the fish from sticking.  Once the oil is hot, add the fish presentation side down.  Cook on each side until the fish has achieved a nice sear.

4.  Place the fillets onto a baking sheet, and place into the oven.  Cook until the fish reaches the desired doneness.  Cook time will vary depending on thickness of the fillets. 

5.  Add the 2 Tbsp of Pastamore Meyer Lemon Oil and the juice of half of the lemon to the rice.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, and mix well.

6.  Plate the lemon rice first, and then top with the stuffed cod.

Nacho Cheese Pretzel Burger

One of my favorite kind of recipes to write is one that utilizes the flavor profile of a familiar dish but delivers it in a unique fashion.  That was the goal of this recipe, and the results were fantastic.  The inspiration for this burger was a soft pretzel with nacho cheese sauce that you would get at a pretzel shop or convenience store.   

This recipe utilizes our Pastamore Fresh Jalapeno Oil in both the burger patty and in the cream cheese.  The oil gave a great flavor or jalapeno with the right amount of heat for this dish.  My friends that ate this burger did not believe that no actual jalapenos were used.  This burger was so good that it is getting added to my normal rotation.

The pretzel buns should be fairly easy to find.  They can be found at some grocery stores that sell specialty breads, some bakeries, or even at some warehouse superstores (where I found mine).  If you like soft pretzels at all then this will be a burger that you will love!

Ingredients:

4 – pretzel bun/roll

4 – slices cheddar cheese

1 lb – 85/15 ground beef (lean meat is preferred because oil is being added)

1 Tbsp + 1.5 tsp – Pastamore Fresh Jalapeno Oil

3 oz – reduced fat cream cheese (sometimes labeled as Neufchatel)

½ tsp – salt

¼ tsp – black pepper

Directions:

1.  Combine the ground beef, 1 Tbsp of Pastamore Fresh Jalapeno Oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.  Mix well.

2.  Turn the grill to medium-high temperature.

3.  In a small bowl combine 1.5 tsp of Pastamore Fresh Jalapeno Oil and the cream cheese.  Use a fork to thoroughly mix.

4.  Create 8 even sized patties from the ground beef.  The patties should be the same width as a regular patty, but they should be half as thick.  Set four patties onto a plate.  Use a spoon to evenly distribute the cream cheese mixture on the top of the four patties.  The cheese should be kept as close to the center as possible.

5.  Place the four remaining patties over the four on the plate.  Press the patties together, primarily on the edges.  A good seal must be made between the two patties to ensure that they do not come apart when cooking.  Also be sure they are packed together tight enough that there is not air in the center.

6.  Place the burgers onto the grill.  Cook until the desired temperature has been reached.  Burgers should be turned once during the cooking process.  The cheddar cheese should be added to the top of the burgers when they have 1-2 minutes left on the grill.

7.  Slice the pretzel rolls/buns in half.  Place the burger onto the bun, and serve with quality potato chips.