Summer Pasta Salad

Summer is here, barbecues, picnics... there's no doubt that eating outdoors is a highlight of summer. Make the most of it with this summer pasta salad. This is fresh, fun, super easy pasta salad. It’s dressed in a pesto dressing and I promise you won’t be able to stop at just one bite.

I usually like my pasta salad loaded with a ton of veggies, cheeses, and meats – like tuna, chicken, shredded beef– but since I wanted something simple and fast, I decided to shake things up and try a new recipe. It turned out to be so simple, so fresh and so summery!

Ingredients:

• 1 yellow pepper
• 1 red onion
• 1 big cucumber
• 12 cherry tomatoes
• pasta
• pine nuts
• some pitted olives
• 3 tbsp parmesan cheese
• 1 cup chopped parsley

Dressing:

• 2 tbsp pesto
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Cook the pasta. Rinse and drain and allow it to cool.
In a large bowl, combine the pasta, chopped cucumbers, chopped cherry tomatoes, olives,

Dressing: In a small bowl, mix together the pesto, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. The dressing can be refrigerated until you’re ready to serve the salad. When you’re ready to serve, add the Parmesan cheese, and pine nuts into the salad and toss to combine. Dress with the prepared dressing and taste test for seasonings.

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One-pan penne pasta

Because it's 7 o'clock and maybe we’re all feeling a little busy with life these days – it’s a good timing to share a dinner idea that is easy, fast, hearty, and comforting.  Plus, you only need one pan and 30-minutes. All you need to do is chop, drop and cook all your ingredients together – even the pasta!

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp  oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 lb (450g) ground beef
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1tbsp  dried oregano
• 11tbsp  dried basil
• 1 28 oz. (800g) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1and 1/2 cup water
• salt and pepper
• 400g penne
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up into small pieces with a spoon, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add in dried oregano and basil.

Add the canned tomatoes, stirring to combine. Pour in the heavy cream. Stir to combine. Add salt and pepper.

Pour in the water and bring to a boil. Add pasta, stir well. Cover pan and cook until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally.

When pasta is tender, gently stir in grated Parmesan and 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese. Scatter the remaining mozzarella evenly over top. Turn off the heat. Place lid over skillet and allow mozzarella to melt, 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately. 

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A very light chocolate cake

Baking this easy chocolate cake was Sunday's afternoon activity with my son. Most weeks when I choose what to bake, I end up just flipping through the pages of my cookbooks looking for inspiration, something that catches my eye. Or at least something that I have all the ingredients for. Occasionally, however, I find myself trying to satisfy a particular craving. This is one of those weeks. So yesterday I went through the recipe of this "gateau tres leger" de Trish Desseine. It took exactly 10 mn to do it. And yet that’s what I wanted.

Ingredients:
4 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup cocoa

Beat the eggs with the sugar until light.
Add the sifted flour, cocoa and baking powder. Mix.
Pour the batter into a pan and bake for 30 mn at180ºC.
Let it cool before cutting.

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Feta olive and pesto quick bread

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• Feta cheese crumbled
• 2 tbsp pesto
• 15 cl milk
• 5 cl olive oil
• 3 eggs
• olives
• Sel
• pepper

Preheat the oven at 180°C.

Whisk the eggs, the milk, oilive oil, salt, pepper and pesto. Stir in the cheese.

Combine the flour and the baking powder in a bowl. Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Don’t overmix the batter, it’s okay if a few lumps remain.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, level the surface with a spatula.

Put into the oven to bake for 45 minutes, until the loaf is golden and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool for a few minutes.

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Chicken in garlic cream sauce

 
Ingredients

6 boneless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons oil
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons butter
1 onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup cream or whole milk
1 teaspoon oregano
Cooked rice or mashed potatoes

Instructions

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the oil. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste and add to skillet. Cook until brown. Set aside.

Add the 3 tablespoons of butter to the skillet along with the onions. Cook and stir until softened and lightly brown. Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant.

Stir in the flour and then the broth, cream and oregano. Stir to combine well.

Return the chicken to the pan and gently simmer for 5 minutes.

Serve over cooked rice or mashed potatoes.

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