Sharing Plate – Your Cooking Coach |

Grilling days are coming to an end. Although last year I continued to grill outside regardless of the weather. The ingredients change- all the peppers, zucchinis and tomatoes don’t taste as good in the fall and winter.

I felt like making something healthy yet substantial. I had chicken breast in the fridge which I pounded thin and put them away in a marinade.

I love making couscous and always buy the whole wheat one from Trader Joes. I decided to make it a little different this time and sauteed some pancetta- a little goes a long way. I then cooked the grain in chicken broth- both ingredients impart tons of flavor. Once the couscous was cooled I tossed tomatoes, basil, garlic and balsamic vinegar and tossed it like a salad. My plan was to serve it on top of the grilled chicken. 

I used similar ingredients to marinate the vegetables and grilled them till they were golden brown and sweet. It was a delicious meal. It was light, healthy yet quite filling. We enjoyed it with a bottle of Malbec Rose.
Click here for the recipe… »

I was at Whole Foods and the farmer’s market today. Every where I looked, I could see tomatoes in abundance. I mostly buy the cherry or grape tomatoes- they make fabulous sauces and are great to cut in half for sandwiches or salads. Today the orange and green tomatoes were just too tempting and I decided to spend the big bucks to buy the colorful tomatoes. My first thought was to pair them with fresh mozzarella cheese and basil- it’s my husband’s favorite. I wanted to make something different- but couldn’t come up with anything. 

I came home and as dinner time came around- hunger levels were not too high. I thought of tossing the tomatoes with some salt and eating them as a meal- but then as I was putting the eggs in the fridge- egg salad came to mind. 

I boiled a few eggs and cut the tomatoes. I added mayonnaise and dijon mustard to the mix. Some salt, lemon juice and pepper finished it off. I asked my husband to bring some thyme from the back yard for the salad.  I always like a little burst of sweetness in my salad- currants came to mind. 

I dressed the arugula simply with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. The tomato and egg salad was served on arugula with a garnish of currants. It was simply delicious- a whole meal with greens, protein and fabulous tasting tomatoes. It was a perfect end to the day.

• 2-3 large heirloom tomatoes, cut into ½ inch pieces
• 4 eggs, full boiled, peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• Salt
• Pepper
• Juice of half a lemon
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme

Add the tomatoes and eggs in a mixing bowl. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, salt, pepper, lemon juice and fresh thyme. Mix well careful not to break the tomatoes. Keep aside.

• 4 cups baby arugula
• Salt
• Pepper
• Juice of half a lemon
• Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, about a tablespoon
• 2 tablespoons currants

In a large platter, add the arugula. Drizzle the olive oil and lemon juice. Add the salt and pepper and toss the greens. Add the egg and tomato mixture on top. Garnish with the currants and serve.

We were going to my cousin’s house for the weekend for a birthday celebration. She called to discuss the menu for the special dinner we were planning on cooking for the family. Since they live so close to the shore, we decided to cook seafood- salmon and scallops came to mind. 

We decided to keep it simple and marinate the seafood in olive oil, lemon juice and salt. I began the thinking process for two sauces or pestos to serve with the main entrees. With the scallops I thought of a fruit chutney of some kind; and for the salmon, dill came to mind.

I came up with a dill and pistachio pesto for the fish. I roasted the pistachios and processed them with some garlic. I then added fresh chives and parsley. I used the parsley to bring some freshness to the pesto and to tone down the dill flavor. Like a regular pesto I added olive oil, cheese and some lemon juice. I prefer pecorino cheese, so I used it in here as well. 

The pesto turned out absolutely delicious. It complemented the salmon really well. The dill flavor came through loud and clear but it was not over powering. The creamy pistachios were a perfect match with the dill and lemon flavor. 

We cooked the salmon very simply in the oven and served the pesto on the side. It was a big hit with the scallops and the mango and nectarine chutney- will post the recipe soon.

• 1 cup pistachios, roasted
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup fresh dill, chopped
• ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 garlic clove
• Salt
• Zest of one lemon
• Juice of ½ lemon
• ½ cup pecorino romano cheese, grated

In a processor, add the pistachios and garlic. Process for 30 seconds. Add the dill and parsley. Start the processor and gradually drizzle the olive oil. Process till everything is incorporated. Take out in a bowl and add the salt, lemon zest, lemon juice and the pecorino cheese. Mix well and refrigerate.

I noticed these seafood sausages in Trader Joes the other day. I was very fascinated and picked them up right away. I like to have some interesting things in my freezer for when I am in a rush.

I was busy packing for our trip and wasn’t planning on cooking- but then the sausages came to mind. I thought I could make a simple pasta using another staple in my freezer- chopped spinach. I think fresh baby spinach will look a lot nicer in this pasta but I didn’t have the time nor inclination to go to the market for fresh ingredients. I did have fresh thyme in my backyard- I added that.

I sauteed the sausages in some olive oil and garlic and then added the frozen spinach. I cooked some spinach and chive linguini- which I also got from Trader Joes- I just love that store. I added the al dente pasta to my pan and topped it with lots of fresh parmigiano reggiano cheese. That’s it- it was that simple.

The dish was delicious, quick and easy. It took me all of 20 minutes to put it together.  I love having such ingredients around to be able to whip up a meal in no time. Now lets see if my husband will notice it has no red sauce!!!

• 4 seafood sausages, cut into 1 inch rounds
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup frozen chopped spinach or 4 cups fresh spinach
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• Salt
• ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated
• ½ pound pasta- I used spinach and chives linguine, cooked al dente with ½ cup pasta water set aside

In a wide frying pan, heat the olive oil and add the garlic. Cook for a minute on medium heat and add the sausages. Brown the sausages on medium heat for 5-7 minutes. Add the spinach and thyme and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the cooked pasta and the spare pasta water. Mix well and add the cheese and check for seasonings. Add salt and serve.

Day eight was our last in Spello. The day before I was busy shopping for things to take home. While I was at the local supermarket, I found these cookie like confections. We had tried them earlier through the week and I wanted to eat them one last time before we left. I bought them for breakfast on our last day.

I woke up the next day and got ready and did some last minute packing. I was sad to leave Spello but very excited to be in Rome and ultimately home. No matter where we go I am always very happy to be home. Nothing like your own familiar surroundings and your own bed!

I came down to the kitchen and started breakfast. I made coffee in the similar contraption as what I have at home. This was the first time I didn’t travel with mine. I remember walking into the kitchen the first time in the Spello apartment and smiling as I saw the coffee maker.

I had my coffee and the delicious cookie like cakes covered with sugar and stuffed with a chocolate marzipan filling. They look like mini doughnuts but taste a lot better. I wanted to pack some and take home but I settled on two for breakfast.

After breakfast we headed to Rome. It took us a while to drop our luggage off to the hotel and then return our car. As we drove into Rome, I realized it had been almost 10 years since I had been to this lovely old city. It made me nostalgic as I looked around- it reminded me of Delhi.

We finally got everything done and took a bus to the old part of Rome across the Tiber- Trastevere. It is a section that is a mix between Soho and old Barcelona. It has small cobblestone streets full of restaurants and funky, upscale shops. We walked around and settled on a Trattoria with seating outside. Dinner consisted of lasagna, pasta primavera which was unlike the one we get in the US. This was mostly tomato sauce and pasta, topped with fresh arugula and chunks of fresh mozzarella cheese. It was delicious! I had a rigatoni with sausage in a cheese and cream sauce- very yummy!

After dinner we walked some more and took a bus to the colosseum. What a beautiful structure- especially at night.

It was a very brief stay in Rome- I am glad we did it. It reminded me how I really enjoyed visiting this city last time and how I would like to come back very soon.