Linguine with Brie, Tomatoes and Basil

Growing up my parents made this special supper once a summer when tomatoes were at their peak. It was always a meal that all four of us looked forward to sharing!

There aren’t many ingredients but it’s important that you have good, summer tomatoes (heirlooms would be great too), a fresh piece of Brie and lots of basil.

The other crucial part is preparing the no-cook-sauce early in the day so it can properly marinate at room temperature.

Here is the tried and true recipe from the Silver Palate Cookbook that our mom has used for decades. Please note our few changes.

Linguine with Brie, Tomatoes and Basil
Ingredients:

4 ripe, large summer tomatoes

1 pound Brie cheese, rind removed, torn (yes by hand) into small pieces

1 packed cup of fresh Basil

1-3 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 – 3/4 cup plus 1 Tbs. Olive Oil

2 1/2 tsp. salt (divided)

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, with more for garnish

One package of fresh (refrigerated), homemade or regular linguine – cooked according to package directions

Directions:

Combine tomatoes, Brie, 1/2 c. Olive oil, 1/2 tsp. salt, garlic and black pepper. Let sit for at least two to three hours, covered at room temperature to marinate.

Add remaining olive oil and salt to pasta water and prepare al dente according to package.

Drain pasta and immediately combine sauce with noodles. Top with fresh basil and ground black pepper. Serve quickly.

Enjoy!

 

  

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Mediterranean Chicken with White Beans, Tomatoes and Avocado Crema

This recipe is one of my favorites. It is easy to put together for weeknight supper and even better for leftovers. I sometimes put mine on top of a bed of spinach or arugula to add some greens. I have also added fresh spinach to the mixture of white beans and tomatoes, you really can’t go wrong or mess this up! If you want the recipe to be dairy free you can simply add sliced or chopped avocado to top off your dish instead of the Avocado Crema, but the crema is fantastic and only takes an additional minute to put together with the help of a Cuisinart or Ninja.

Mediterranean Chicken with White Beans, Tomatoes

⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, pressed

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon sriracha

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 medium lemon, thinly sliced

2 15 ounce cans navy beans, rinsed and drained (any type of white or garbanzo beans can be used, but I prefer navy because they are smaller than most)

2 pints cherry tomatoes (or one large container)

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (add most of this to dish during baking and other for garnish)

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (either halved or tenders)

Preheat oven to 450. Combine first nine ingredients in a small bowl. Add white beans and tomatoes to casserole dish, add the majority of the spice combination to casserole dish. Rub the remainder of the spice mixture on the chicken. Place chicken on top of white beans and tomatoes, then top with the thinly sliced lemons. Bake for 20-25 minutes depending on how thick your chicken is and how your oven cooks.

While your dish is in the oven you can easily whip up the avocado crema. I combine all of the ingredients in my mini-food processor, and it’s all done.

Avocado Crema

1 small carton of F. Free Greek yogurt

1 avocado

Juice of 1 lemon

2 teaspoons olive oil

½ teaspoon sea salt

Enjoy!! And thanks to my friend Catherine for the recipe inspo!