- Page 32 of 69 - Wholesome Recipes Made for Sharing

May 26, 2015

Summer Italian Orzo Salad with Grilled Marinated Vegetables and Chicken

This post is sponsored by Colavita as part of their Summer Italian Grilling Series. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Right now Colavita is offering all readers of Gather & Dine a $1 coupon off any of their extra virgin olive oils or 15% off in their online store. Visit Colavita to learn more about their extensive product line.

It always feels so good to break out the grill after a long cold winter and this year I’m excited to be kicking off the season with this fresh salad incorporating an abundance of grilled vegetables and chicken. Something almost magical happens to the flavor of vegetables when they’re grilled. They take on a whole new character, and marinating them for just a short time deepens that flavor. Both the vegetables and chicken were marinated in a vinaigrette using Colavita’s Chardonnay White Wine Balsamic Vinegar and Colavita’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil.* The grilled chicken and vegetables are tossed with orzo along with zesty sun-dried tomatoes, peppery arugula, fresh oregano, shaved parmesan, and finished with a drizzle of Colavita’s White Truffle Glace. It’s a bright and stunning summer salad worthy of celebration and with so many colors, textures, and flavors, there is variety with every bite. Bring it to picnics, summer gatherings, or just enjoy for a quiet evening at home with the family. Happy summer grilling!

*I’ve used Colavita products for years and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with them on this recipe. Colavita is a family owned Italian company that delivers high quality olive oils, vinegars, and pastas at affordable prices. I first learned about Colavita when I read a favorable review of their olive oil in “Zingerman’s Guide to Good Eating.” I’ve been a loyal user ever since.

Summer Italian Orzo Salad with Grilled Marinated Vegetables and Chicken

Ingredients

Marinade

½ cup Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¼ cup Colavita Chardonnay White Wine Balsamic Vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Dressing

4 tablespoons Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Colavita White Truffle Balsamic Glace
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, minced
½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Salad and Assembly

1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed
2 small zucchini, about 5 ounces each, quartered lengthwise into spears
1 small red onion, cut into ¼ inch circles, rings kept together
3 chicken breasts, about 1½ pounds total
½ cup Colavita sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
8 ounces Colavita orzo pasta, cooked according to package directions
4-6 cups arugula
½ cup shaved parmesan, plus extra for sprinkling on top
extra Colavita White Truffle Balsamic Glace for drizzling, if desired

Instructions

Marinade

In a small bowl, whisk the marinade ingredients together until well combined.
Place chicken in one sealable bag and the vegetables in another. Pour ⅓ of the marinade over the chicken. Seal bag and evenly distribute marinade around chicken. Marinate for at least 1 hour.
Pour the remaining marinade over the vegetables. Seal bag and gently tilt and flip the bag to distribute marinade, being careful not to separate the onion rings. Marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.

Salad and Assembly

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Grill the chicken, 8-10 minutes total, flipping halfway. Grill onions and zucchini, 5-6 minutes total, also flipping halfway. Grill the asparagus 2-3 minutes, rotating after a minute or two.
Chop asparagus, zucchini, and onions into ½ inch pieces.
Allow chicken to rest for at least 10 minutes after removing from heat. Use two forks to shred chicken into bite size pieces.
While chicken is resting, whisk together the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.
In a large bowl, combine the pasta, chopped vegetables, shredded chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, and shaved parmesan. Pour dressing over salad and use a wooden spoon to gently mix together. Add arugula and toss to incorporate. Serve immediately with extra parmesan and a drizzle of Colavita White Truffle Balsamic Glace, if desired.

Notes

To prepare ahead of time, assemble everything up until adding the dressing and arugula. Keep the dressing and arugula separate and toss together right before serving.

May 20, 2015

Cremini Fontina Pizza

Pizza Fridays have recently made a comeback at our house, although it’s probably more accurate to say we’re more on an every other Friday routine. Combined with a movie night, it’s such a pleasant way to unwind, relax, and start the weekend with the kids. Pepperoni pizza seems to remain everyone’s favorite except mine, but Ryan and the kids have all been good sports about letting me sneak in another variety of pizza here and there. In terms of my favorite pizzas, I especially love this cremini fontina combination layered with garlic oil and a scattering of red onions. It’s just a tad more work than pepperoni pizza but completely worth the few extra minutes of preparation. I slightly adapted Jim Lahey’s no-knead pizza dough to make a whole wheat flax version that has become my go-to recipe for pizza dough. It’s simple, no-fuss, and the pizza turns out perfectly crusty and chewy every time. Just remember to start the dough the evening before to allow for an overnight rise. Here’s to many more family pizza/movie nights to come!

Cremini Fontina Pizza

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

Garlic Oil

2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons olive oil

Pizza

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
¾ cup sliced red onion, about 1 small onion
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
4 ounces fontina cheese, shredded
chopped fresh parsley for garnish, optional
½ recipe No-Knead Pizza Dough (see recipe below)

Instructions

Garlic Oil

In a saute pan, mix the garlic, red pepper, olive oil, and dash of salt. Warm over low heat for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally and do not allow the garlic to brown. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

Pizza

Preheat oven to 500. If using a pizza stone, preheat stone as well. (Ideally pizza stone should be preheated for an hour. This truly does make a difference.)
Using the same pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and saute until onion begins to soften, about 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms, season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, another 4-5 minutes.
Place dough on a lightly floured surface or parchment paper. Gently stretch and shape pizza dough to a 12"-14" circle. Brush a layer of garlic oil over entire crust.
To assemble, layer the mozzarella and fontina cheeses followed by the mushroom onion mixture.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and begins to brown. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.

No-Knead Whole Wheat Flax Pizza Dough

Ingredients

550 grams all-purpose flour, about 4 cups
270 grams whole wheat flour, about 2 cups
2 tablespoons ground flax seed
2½ teaspoons salt
¼ + ⅛ teaspoon active dry yeast
2½ cups water

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk all ingredients together except water. Gradually add water and stir with a wooden spoon until all of the flour is incorporated. Use hands if necessary to bring dough together. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 18-20 hours. Dough should double and appear bubbly when ready. Divide and form dough into 2 mounds. Cover with plastic wrap and allow dough to rest another 20-30 minutes, until dough is pliable.
This makes enough for 2 12"-14" pizzas. I usually use half of the dough on one day and freeze the remaining half for another day.

Notes

adapted from Jim Lahey's No Knead Pizza Dough

May 13, 2015

Puffed Amaranth Crispie Bars {with Drizzled Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt Flakes}

It was recently teacher appreciation week at my son’s school and I signed up to bring a sweet treat for “dessert bar” day. Deciding on what dessert to bring to events is always tough for me. Not because I can’t think of anything to bring, but my mind is always too full of ideas for what to bring. This time I wanted something sweet, salty, bite-size, and relatively healthy. I came up with these puffed amaranth crispie bars and felt so happy about being able to share with all of the hardworking teachers at school. These no-bake bars are chewy and crispy, bound together with a blend of almond butter and honey, and finished with a drizzle of dark chocolate and a sprinkle of salt. Amaranth, rich in nutrients and containing all of the essential amino acids, has recently made its way into our kitchen and I have been loving this supergrain. The amaranth along with sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, and sesame seeds deliver a bit of crunch while the brown rice crisps make these bars crispy and light. Enjoy these for dessert, snack, or even as a quick breakfast.

Puffed Amaranth Crispie Bars

Serves: 15 2x1½-inch bars

Ingredients

¾ cup puffed amaranth (see note)
1¼ cup brown rice crisps
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup hemp seeds
¼ cup sesame seeds
⅓ cup creamy almond butter
⅓ cup honey
1 tablespoon coconut sugar
¼ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1½ ounces dark chocolate
flaky sea salt for finishing, such as Maldon

Instructions

Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, add the puffed amaranth, brown rice crisps, coconut, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, and sesame seeds. Stir with a wooden spoon until combined.
In a small saucepan, stir the the almond butter, honey, coconut sugar, and salt together over medium-low heat until sugar and salt are dissolved, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in vanilla.
Working quickly, pour the almond butter mixture over the amaranth mixture and mix together until thoroughly combined. Use the back of a rubber spatula or lightly oiled hands to press the mixture firmly into prepared pan. Chill until firm, at least an hour.
Set a small glass mixing bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water and place the chocolate in the mixing bowl. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Use the parchment paper to lift bars out of the pan and onto a work surface. Use a teaspoon to drizzle the chocolate. Wait a few minutes for chocolate to begin to set and then lightly sprinkle sea salt flakes over the chocolate. Return to the refrigerator and wait for chocolate to completely set, about 20 minutes, before cutting into bars. These are best stored in the refrigerator in an air-tight container.

Notes

To make puffed amaranth, preheat a large skillet over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes. (Do not use a small pot or saucepan. Even though the amaranth seeds are tiny, they need quite of bit of space in order pop properly.) Add amaranth 1 tablespoon at a time. Cover immediately and give the pan a quick shake to distribute the seeds evenly. The amaranth should begin popping right away if the pan is hot enough. Give the pan a quick shake every 3-4 seconds. After the popping begins to slow (usually around 12-15 seconds), remove pan from heat and allow amaranth to continue popping off heat for another few seconds. It's better to leave some seeds unpopped than to burn the whole batch. The unpopped seeds can be used along with the popped seeds. Transfer the popped amaranth into another bowl to cool and repeat with remaining amaranth. 3 tablespoons of amaranth will yield slightly more than ¾ cup of puffed amaranth. Sprinkle the extra on granola, cereal, etc.

Inspired by At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen