Tag Archives: Puttanesca Sauce

August 7, 2017

August means summer and it is a good time to take advantage of all the great produce at the market. Tomatoes are tasting good now, lots of corn around, as well as eggplant, peaches and blueberries. Take advantage of the grill. Pair pasta with lots of vegetables. Make colorful salads. Seafood is in season, so pair it with tomatoes or seasonal vegetables. Lots of delicious meals ahead for the month.

Steak Burgers

4 servings

There are several cuts of beef that work well in making steak burgers including: Brisket, Hanger, Short rib, Steak tail and/or Sirloin and when combined with chuck or each other, they can create some of the best-tasting Burgers around. Get creative with your toppings. While bacon and cheese are ever popular, I like to create healthier toppings from what is seasonally available. So my toppings incorporate tomatoes, peppers and onions.

You can actually roast the peppers on the grill. After the grill is heated, oil the grates and place the peppers directly on the hot grill. Rotate them as they blacken. As soon as all the sides are blackened, place the peppers in a paper bag to cool. when they are cool enough to touch, remove the stem and seeds and pull off the skin. The peppers are then ready to place on top of the burgers.

Serve these burgers with a Greek Salad.

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 lbs grass-fed organic ground beef steak for burgers
• Steak seasoning (I like Penzey’s Chicago seasoning)
• 4 sturdy burger rolls (recipe link for my homemade rolls)
• 1/2 cup tomato jam (recipe link)
• 2 whole roasted red peppers
• 1 medium onion sliced and sautéed in butter

Directions

Shape the meat into four equal patties. If you want to make just two servings, freeze two of the burgers for another time.

Sprinkle the steak seasoning on both sides of the patties and spray each with olive oil cooking spray.

Heat an outdoor grill on high. Oil the grill grates. Place burgers on the grill, cover, cook turning once, for 8 minutes total.

Toast the rolls at the same time. Place the burgers on the bottom half of the rolls.

Assemble the burgers by placing 2 tablespoons of tomato jam on each patty, then one-quarter of the onions and top each with half of a roasted red pepper. Place the roll tops on the burgers and serve.

Greek Vegetable Salad

For 2 servings

Ingredients

• Half of a red onion, thinly sliced
• 8 pitted Kalamata olives
• 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 4 Tuscan pickled peppers
• Half of a cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Dressing

• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon agave syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

In a large salad bowl, combine the onion, olives, bell peppers, Tuscan peppers, tomatoes, cucumber and feta cheese.

Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, agave and black pepper. Pour the dressing over the vegetables, toss and serve.

Creamy Zucchini Pasta

Serve with Stuffed Tomatoes, recipe below.

Serves 2-3

• Salt to taste
• 8 ounces penne or other short pasta
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 small sweet onion
• 1/2 teaspoon chile flakes
• 1 large zucchini, about one pound
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or a combination of herbs you like

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta al dente. Drain.

Slice the zucchini into ½ inch circles and then cut each circle into little logs.

Cut the onion in the same manner, so that the pieces are about the same size as the zucchini.

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 3-4 minutes.

Add the garlic, stir and, then, add the zucchini.

Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until cooked through and tender. Do not let it brown.

Add the chile flakes and stir. Add the cream. Season with salt and pepper. Let cook on low heat until thickened a bit.

Stir the basil into the sauce, add the cooked pasta and let the pasta cook in the sauce for a minute or two.

Turn off the heat. Toss with the Parmesan cheese and serve.

Stuffed Tomatoes

For 2

Ingredients

• 2 vine-ripened medium-sized tomatoes
• Salt
• 1/2 cup plain panko breadcrumbs
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the tops off the tomatoes and scoop out the pulp and seeds.

Salt the insides of the tomato shells and set upside down on a paper towel to drain, about 15 minutes.

In a medium bowl, mix together the panko breadcrumbs, garlic, herbs, 1/4 cup of the grated Parmesan cheese and the oil.

Stuff the tomatoes with the filling, sprinkle the top with the remaining Parmesan cheese.

Place the tomatoes in a small oiled baking dish and bake the tomatoes until cooked through and the tops are golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Corn Chowder

For the corn stock ingredients

• 12 corn cobs (corn kernels removed and set aside for the chowder)
• 2 chive stalks
• 2 stems fresh parsley
• 2 stems fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf

Directions

Put corn cobs, chives, parsley, thyme, bay leaf and cold water to cover in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat.

Reduce heat to low, cover the pot and simmer for 1 1⁄2 hours. Strain, discard the solids and measure the broth.

If you do not have 6 cups add water to make the 6 cups. Set aside the broth.

For the chowder ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 leeks, white and light green sections, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 3 carrots, diced
• 1 bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
• 1 lb potatoes, peeled and diced
• 6 cups fresh corn kernels, divided
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 cup half-and-half or evaporated milk
• 6 cups corn stock or vegetable broth if you don’t make the corn stock
• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
• Grated cheddar cheese, chopped chives or crumbled bacon, for garnish

Directions

Heat the butter in a Dutch oven or large soup pot.

Add the leeks, celery, carrots, bell pepper, jalapeno and potatoes to the pot and saute for ten minutes until soft.

Add 3 cups of the corn, the 6 cups corn stock, chili powder and the thyme.

Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for an hour. Remove the thyme branches.

Take the pot off the heat and puree the contents with an immersion blender.

Add the half and half, salt and pepper to taste and the remaining 3 cups of corn.

Return the pot to the heat and simmer the soup for about 30 minutes.

Gulf of Maine Redfish Poached in Puttanesca Sauce

Acadian Redfish, also known as ocean perch, are caught in the Gulf of Maine (deep waters off the coasts of Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire). The fish I purchased is certified, wild caught and sustainable. Fish cooked this way is so tasty and tender.

2 servings

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ pounds Maine redfish of other boneless white fish fillets, cut into 4 equal pieces
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 1 small onion or 1 large shallot, diced
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
• 3 tablespoons dry red wine
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped, pitted Kalamata olives
• 1 tablespoons capers
• 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste
• 2 cups seeded and finely diced fresh plum tomatoes, about 8-9
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper chile flakes
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 3 oz thin spaghetti or linguine

Directions

For the puttanesca sauce 

Heat the oil in a medium saute pan with a cover over medium-high heat until hot.

Saute the onions and garlic until translucent, about 2 minutes, and then stir in the wine, olives, capers and anchovy paste, tossing to combine.

Stir in the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, stir in the tomato paste, followed by the oregano and red pepper flakes.

Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Cook the pasta al dente. Drain

For the fillets

Dry the fillets well with paper towels. Score the skin of each fillet three times with a sharp knife.

Sprinkle with salt.

Bring the sauce to a boil, again. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the fish fillets, skin side down.

Cover the pan and cook over low heat for 6 minutes or until the fish is cooked. Sprinkle with the parsley.

Divide the pasta between two plates and place the fish and sauce over the pasta to serve.

Posted by Jovina Coughlin in Beef, carrots, celery, corn, Fish, Healthy Italian Cooking, Pasta, peppers, perch, redfish, Salad, Salad Dressing, Sauces, Soup, tomatoes, Vegetables, zucchini Tags: August seasonal produce, corn chowder, Puttanesca Sauce, stuffed tomatoes