RECIPES:

POTLUCK BEAN AND PASTA SALAD

This is an old favourite of mine – a pasta salad with Mediterranean overtones.  It’s from my very first cookbook, the Wild West Cookbook by Cinda Chavich (Robert Rose, 1998).

Dressing:

2 tablespoons (25 ml)red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon (15 ml )fresh lemon juice

1 tablspoon (15 ml )Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons (10 ml )Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon (5 ml )granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon (2 ml )salt

1/4 teaspoon(1 ml) freshly ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic

1/2 cup (125 ml ) extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons (25 ml ) minced parsley

1 tablespoon (15 ml )basil pesto or minced fresh basil

3 cups (750 ml ) short pasta (small shells, rotini or radiatore)

1 1/2 cups (375 ml ) cooked kidney beans

1 cup (250 ml ) diced yellow peppers

1/2 cup (125 ml ) sliced black olives

3 large plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1/2 red onion, diced

salt and pepper

To make the dressing, combine vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, salt and pepper. In a food processor, chop garlic. Add the vinegar mixture and process until well combined. With machine running, slowly pour in the olive oil, parsley and pesto through the feed tube and process until smooth. Set aside.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Rinse under cold running water and drain well, shaking to remove any excess water.

In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, kidney beans, chickpeas and dressing. Add the yellow peppers, olives, chopped tomatoes and red onions. Chill well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serves 8.

TOSSED SALAD NICOISE

This is a potato salad with gourmet cachet – a tossed version of that classic composed salad of potatoes, beans, tuna and garlicky mayonnaise. Serve it in a big shallow salad bowl lined with butter lettuce leaves to make it look extra appetizing on the potluck table. From my brand new book, The Guy Can’t Cook by Cinda Chavich (Whitecap Books, 2007)

1/4 cup (50 mL) reduced-fat mayonnaise

1/4 cup (50 mL) low-fat sour cream or plain yogurt

2 teaspoons (10 mL) Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons (25 mL) extra virgin olive oil

4 cloves roasted garlic (or 1 teaspoon/5 ml fresh garlic, pureed in a press)

1 teaspoon (5 mL) finely chopped fresh rosemary

2 tablespoon (25 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice (plus some grated lemon zest)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds (1 kg) small new red or yellow fingerling potatoes, scrubbed

1 cup (250 mL) fresh green beans, steamed lightly and chopped

2 to 3 green onions, chopped

1 can solid white tuna (packed in water), drained and broken into chunks

1 small head butter lettuce, leaves separated, washed and spun dry

1/2 cup (125 mL) tiny grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup (125 mL) Nicoise olives

1 egg, hard cooked, peeled and chopped

1 tablespoon (15 mL) fresh parsley

In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream or yogurt, mustard, olive oil, roasted garlic, rosemary, lemon juice, zest, salt, and pepper.

Put a steamer basket in a large saucepan and add about 2 inches (5 cm) of water. Put the potatoes in the steamer basket and steam until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cut into chunks and add the warm potatoes to the dressing in the bowl; toss.

Add the green beans to the steamer and steam until just tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Rinse under cold tap water to stop the cooking process, and chop into bite-size pieces. Mix the beans, green onions, and tuna into the salad, being careful not to break up the potatoes. Cool to room temperature or chill (bring back to room temperature before serving).

To present, line a wide bowl or deep platter with lettuce leaves and arrange the salad on top. Scatter the grape tomatoes and olives around the edge of the salad, pile the chopped egg on top, and sprinkle with parsley.

Serves 6

©Cinda Chavich 2007

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