Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Once again I am thoroughly blown away by the savoury recipes that Ina creates. I know I am constantly commenting on the amount of butter and fat that she adds to her recipes, but once I get over the shock and just lower the amount, I am time after time left with a bold melody of flavours that work perfectly against each other.

This recipe was no exception. Like the couscous we gladly ate two full servings, smiling the whole way though (even though Ian hates uncooked tomatoes).

One thing though, was it just me or were the measurements of the ingredients entirely off? I knew to double the amount of pasta but I had to cut down on the tomatoes, oil (no surprise there), basil, cheese, olives, and completely cut out the large chunks of sun dried tomatoes from the salad.

Either way, we were very happy. Thanks Ina and thanks to Cat of Delta Whiskey for choosing this week’s recipe.

Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
adapted from Ina Garten
this is my version of Ina's dish

Pasta
1 pound fusilli pasta
1/2 pound ripe tomatoes, medium-diced
1/2 cup good black olives, such as kalamata, pitted and diced
200g fresh boccnchini, torn into pieces
1/2 cup basil leaves, julienned
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Dressing
6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
1-1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 garlic clove, diced
1 teaspoon capers, drained
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water. Drain well and allow to cool till warm. Place the pasta in a bowl and add the dressing with the parmesan. Mix together well. Add the tomatoes, olives, mozzarella, and basil. Toss to mix everything around.
For the dressing, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, capers, and pepper in a food processor until almost smooth.

Chicken, Lemon, and Olive Stew with Saffron Couscous

While I was sitting around worrying about Ian these past few days I randomly picked up this great food magazine called Fine Cooking. Each recipe looks and sounds amazing, so when Ian said he was in the mood for couscous I, his makeshift nurse, knew exactly what to make.

Ian is also a large fan of any type of citrus, especially lemon, and he loves olives. My mom once gave him a jar of olives as a small gift and he was ecstatic. Needless to say, with the first bite he took of this scrumptious stew a big mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm escaped his mouth. I felt the same way too; the simplicity of the saffron couscous complemented the tangy chicken, olives, and lemons.
Thanks new magazine! Enjoy.


Chicken, Lemon and Olive Stew with Saffron Couscous
adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine No.96

Stew
12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs and or legs
Salt and pepper
1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tbsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
2 small dried red chiles, crumbled
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
2 cups low-salt chicken broth
Finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup green olives

Saffron Couscous
1/2 cup couscous
1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1/2 tsp. saffron threads, crumbled
salt
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Stew
Season chicken all over with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, brown the chicken all over, transferring batch to a plate.
Reduce to medium heat, add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are softened and brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the turmeric, cumin, coriander, chiles, cinnamon sticks, and bay leaves, cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add the chicken broth, lemon zest, and 1/4 cup of the lemon juice. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 30 minutes.
Return the chicken to the pot. Stir in the chickpeas and olives. Increase the heat to medium high and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in 1 Tbsp. of the remaining lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over the Saffron Couscous.

Saffron Couscous
Put the couscous in a large bowl, set aside. In a small saucepan, heat the chicken broth, butter, saffron, and 1 tsp. salt over medium-high heat until the butter is melted and the broth is hot. Pour the mixture over the couscous. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap until the liquid has been absorbed by the couscous, 10 min. Drizzle with olive oil then using a fork, gently mix the couscous and break apart any clumps.