Linguine with Tuna Puttanesca

Ingredients

Kosher salt

12 ounces linguine

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons capers, drained

1/2 cup roughly chopped kalamata olives

1 28-ounce can San Marzano plum tomatoes

4 basil leaves, torn, plus more for garnish

1 5-ounce can albacore tuna, packed in olive oil

Freshly ground pepper

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook until al dente.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until slightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the capers and olives and fry 2 more minutes. Crush the tomatoes into the skillet with your hands and reserve the juices. Cook until the tomatoes are slightly dry, about 2 minutes. Add the reserved tomato juices, the basil, and salt to taste and cook until the sauce thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tuna with its oil, breaking it up with a fork, and season with salt.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water, and return it to the pot. Add the sauce and the reserved cooking water and toss. Season with pepper and garnish with more basil.

Per serving: Calories 524; Fat 16 g (Saturated 2 g); Cholesterol 6 mg; Sodium 641 mg; Carbohydrate 73 g; Fiber 7 g; Protein 24 g

Bulgur Salad

Directions

Cook 3/4 cup bulgur as the label directs. Meanwhile, combine 1 1/2 cups diced cucumber, 1/3 cup chopped olives, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, 1 segmented orange, 1/4 cup orange juice and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Rinse the cooked bulgur under cold water; toss with the salad and season with salt and pepper.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Ingredients

2 to 2 1/2 pound Corned-Beef Brisket*, recipe follows

1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground allspice

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 pound diced carrots, approximately 4 small

1/2 pound diced onions, approximately 2 small

1 pound potatoes, peeled and chopped, approximately 3 medium

1/4 pound diced celery, approximately 2 stalks

1 small head cabbage, chopped, approximately 2 pounds

Directions

*Cook's note: Brisket should be prepared through the brining stage, but not cooked.

Place the corned beef, pepper, allspice, bay leaves and salt into a large 8-quart pot along with 3-quarts of water. Cover and set over high heat. Bring to a boil, decrease the heat to low and cook, at a low simmer for 2 1/2 hours.

After 2 1/2 hours add the carrots, onions, potatoes and celery. Return to a simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, add the cabbage and cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until the potatoes and cabbage are tender. Remove the bay leaves and serve immediately.

Corned Beef:

2 quarts water

1 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons saltpeter

1 cinnamon stick, broken into several pieces

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

8 whole cloves

8 whole allspice berries

12 whole juniper berries

2 bay leaves, crumbled

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

2 pounds ice

1 (4 to 5 pound) beef brisket, trimmed

1 small onion, quartered

1 large carrot, coarsely chopped

1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped

Place the water into a large 6 to 8 quart stockpot along with salt, sugar, saltpeter, cinnamon stick, mustard seeds, peppercorns, cloves, allspice, juniper berries, bay leaves and ginger. Cook over high heat until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the ice. Stir until the ice has melted. If necessary, place the brine into the refrigerator until it reaches a temperature of 45 degrees F. Once it has cooled, place the brisket in a 2-gallon zip top bag and add the brine. Seal and lay flat inside a container, cover and place in the refrigerator for 10 days. Check daily to make sure the beef is completely submerged and stir the brine.

After 10 days, remove from the brine and rinse well under cool water. Place the brisket into a pot just large enough to hold the meat, add the onion, carrot and celery and cover with water by 1-inch. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and gently simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until the meat is fork tender. Remove from the pot and thinly slice across the grain.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: approximately 3 hours

Inactive Prep Time: 10 days

Cheese-and-Tomato Toasts

Ingredients

5 to 6 oz. mild, creamy goat cheese or cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 loaf (about 8 oz.) Italian bread
2 cloves garlic, halved

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. In a small bowl, stir together goat cheese, 1 Tbsp. parsley and pepper until thoroughly combined. In a medium bowl, stir together tomatoes, 2 tsp. olive oil, salt and 1 1/2 tsp. parsley.
Slice off and discard ends of bread. Slice loaf diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices and place on a baking sheet. Toast in oven until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Rub 1 side of each toast slice with cut side of garlic. Brush with remaining olive oil.
Just before serving, spread toast slices with cheese mixture and top with tomato mixture. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 tsp. parsley on top.

Microwave Meatball Sandwich in Ten Minutes

Ingredients

10 slices provolone cheese
1 (14 ounce) package frozen cooked meatballs
1 (28 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
5 hoagie rolls, split lengthwise

Directions

Place the meatballs into a glass baking dish and heat in the microwave until hot, about 45 seconds per 6 meatballs. Remove from the microwave, add the spaghetti sauce, cover and return to the microwave. Heat until bubbly, 2 to 3 minutes depending on your microwave.
Spoon the meatballs and sauce onto the rolls and top each one with two slices of provolone cheese. Return to the microwave and heat until cheese melts, about 15 seconds.

Budin (Puerto Rican Bread Pudding)

Ingredients

1 cup water
2 (3 inch) cinnamon sticks
15 whole cloves
1 teaspoon anise seed

2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup white sugar

1 (1 pound) loaf day-old bread
4 cups evaporated milk
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions

Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Add the cinnamon sticks, cloves, and anise seeds. Cover, and set aside to steep for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine 2 tablespoons water with 1/2 cup sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve the sugar completely, but stop stirring once the mixture comes to a boil. Stay near the stove to monitor the color, swirling the pan gently to redistribute the caramel as the sugar begins to darken. Cook to about 310 degrees F (160 degrees C), or until the sugar turns light golden brown, then pour into a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Set aside to allow the caramel to harden.
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Remove the crusts from the day-old bread, tear the bread into cubes, and place into a large mixing bowl. Strain the spice tea through a fine mesh sieve to remove the spices. Add to the bread along with the evaporated milk. Stir to evenly moisten, and set aside for 10 minutes. Whisk the eggs in a large mixing bowl along with 1 1/2 cups of sugar, the vanilla extract, salt, and melted butter. Stir in the moistened bread mixture until evenly mixed. Pour into the loaf pan over the caramel.
Line a roasting pan with a damp kitchen towel. Place the loaf pan on the towel, inside roasting pan, and place roasting pan on oven rack. Fill roasting pan with boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the loaf pan.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool in the pan for about an hour, then refrigerate until cold, 2 hours more. When ready, invert the budin onto a serving plate. The caramel will have turned to a syrup and will cover the budin like a sauce.

Greek Pasta Salad

Ingredients

5  to 6 oz. mild, creamy goat cheese or cream cheese, at room temperature

2 tablespoons  chopped parsley

1/4 teaspoon  black pepper

2  plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

3 tablespoons  olive oil

1/8 teaspoon  salt

1  loaf (about 8 oz.) Italian bread

2  cloves garlic, halved

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. In a small bowl, stir together goat cheese, 1 Tbsp. parsley and pepper until thoroughly combined. In a medium bowl, stir together tomatoes, 2 tsp. olive oil, salt and 1 1/2 tsp. parsley.

Slice off and discard ends of bread. Slice loaf diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices and place on a baking sheet. Toast in oven until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Rub 1 side of each toast slice with cut side of garlic. Brush with remaining olive oil.

Just before serving, spread toast slices with cheese mixture and top with tomato mixture. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 tsp. parsley on top.