Roasted Vegetable and Orzo salad with Basil, Pine, Nuts, and Parmesan (Serves 8)
This Italian recipe for cold, colorful pasta salad pairs well with grilled meat or fish, and it’s hearty enough to fill you up all on its own. For variety, feel free to sub in other veggies, such as broccoli, fennel, and eggplant.
3 medium zucchini (1 lb), cut into ½-inch slices
2 red or yellow bell peppers, cut into ½-inch strips
2 red onions, each cut into 8 wedges
20 cherry tomatoes
½ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 tsp dried oregano
6 cloves garlic, skin on, lightly crushed
Thyme (a few sprigs)
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 lb orzo
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan
1 cup basil leaves, roughly torn, plus extra for garnish
Heat oven to 350°. In a bowl, toss zucchini, bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes with 4 tbsp olive oil, oregano, and plenty of salt and freshly ground black pepper; transfer to a roasting pan and add garlic and thyme. Cook until vegetables are softened and just starting to brown, 25–30 minutes. (You can also use a grill pan or BBQ to add a lightly charred flavor.)
Roast pine nuts on a baking sheet until lightly golden, 3–5 minutes; remove from sheet and let cool. Cook orzo as directed on package; strain and toss with remaining 4 tbsp olive oil in a large serving bowl.
Discard garlic and thyme from zucchini mixture; toss mixture with pasta while still warm. Let cool to room temperature, or finish and serve while warm. Add Parmesan, torn basil, salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve garnished with basil leaves.
Nutritional Info: 423 calories per serving, 20 g fat (3 g saturated), 52 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 11 g protein, 72 mg sodium
Story and recipes by Katie and Giancarlo Caldesi, from Around the World in 120 Salads (Kyle Books, 2017)
Photo Credits: Helen Cathcart
Tuna Niçoise Salad (Serves 4)
This classic French salad is a go-to at our house. We prefer canned, sustainably caught tuna in water, or fillets of tuna in olive oil, instead of fresh tuna, which is milder in flavor.
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
1 tsp mild honey, plus more as needed
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 medium garlic clove, finely chopped
8 small (1 lb) new potatoes
1½ cups (8 oz) green beans
4 eggs
3 scallions or 1/3 cup red onion, finely diced
1 can (5 oz) sustainably caught tuna in water or oil, drained and flaked
1 large celery stalk, finely chopped
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
12 kalamata olives, pitted and halved
1 tbsp capers, drained and rinsed
1 can (2 oz) anchovy fillets in oil, drained
In a lidded jar, add vinegar, olive oil, honey, mustard, garlic, salt, and freshly ground black pepper; seal and shake to combine. Add more oil and honey to taste, if desired. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
In a large pot, boil whole potatoes, skins on, in salted water until tender, 15–17 minutes. Drain; let cool. In a medium pot, boil green beans in salted water until tender, 15–20 minutes. Drain and let cool. In a medium pot of boiling water, cook eggs until hard, 8 minutes; crack shells and place eggs in a bowl under cold running water. Peel, cut in half.
Halve potatoes and place in a serving bowl. Soak scallions in cold water, 10 minutes; drain, and add to bowl. Halve green beans; add beans and all remaining ingredients except eggs to bowl. Shake vinaigrette jar; add 8 tbsp to bowl (refrigerate remainder for up to a week); toss salad and top with eggs.
Nutritional Info: 488 calories per serving, 33 g fat (6 g saturated), 25 g carbs.
Charred-Corn and Avocado salad with Chile-Lime dressing (Serves 6)
Inspired by a Mexican salsa, this salad goes great with anything grilled. Lightly blackening the corn transforms bland kernels into caramelized nuggets reminiscent of homemade popcorn, imparting a sweet, nutty flavor. Tip: Before squeezing the limes, put them in the microwave for 15–20 seconds for easier juicing.
4 cobs corn, husks and silk removed
5 scallions or 1/3 cup red onion, finely diced
1 can (14 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
½ pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 red or yellow bell pepper, cut into ½-inch dice
1 avocado, sliced
1 small bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
1/3 cup fresh lime juice, from 3 to 4 limes
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped (optional)
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp ground cumin
¼ jalapeño or other chile, seeded and finely chopped
½ tsp salt
Heat broiler to medium-hot. Broil corn on the rack, turning frequentlyso the kernels don’t blacken to blistering, 12–15 minutes. Their color should be a rich brown with a few black tinges. Let cool. Soak scallions in a bowl of cold water to reduce their strength, 10 minutes; drain. Cut kernels off cobs, breaking up any that are stuck together. Transfer corn to a serving bowl and add scallions, beans, tomatoes, bell pepper, avocado, and cilantro.
Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl; season with freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Dress, toss, and serve.
Nutritional Info: 295 calories per serving, 19 g fat (3 g saturated), 31 g carbs, 5 g fiber, 7 g protein, 323 mg sodium
Raspberry and Red Currant salad with Whipped Ricotta, Lemon Curd, and Ginger Crumbs (Serves 6)
This easy-prep dessert is a marriage of Italian (ricotta) and English (lemon curd)—a little like Giancarlo and me. It’s ideal in summer when raspberries and red currants are in high season and bursting with sweetness. You can either make your own ginger cookies or buy your favorite brand to crumble over the top.
2/3 cup whipping cream
1 cup ricotta, drained
½ cup lemon curd
1/3 cup raspberries
2 oz red currants or other small red berries (loganberries, blueberries, or cranberries)
3 ginger cookies
In a bowl, combine whipping cream and ricotta, and use an electric mixer to whip it into soft peaks. Spoon onto a serving platter and swirl in lemon curd. Scatter berries and crumbled ginger cookies on top. This dessert will sit happily in the fridge for a couple of hours if you want
to prepare it in advance.
Nutritional Info: 318 calories per serving, 20g fat (12 g saturated), 30 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 7g protein, 76 mg sodium
This article was first published in the print edition of Yoga Journal Singapore, which is now Yogahood Online.
