Brown Rice, Tomatoes and Basil

My sister Paula made a delicious rice salad a few weeks ago. It has very few ingredients and is full of taste. This is the perfect recipe to make in the summer, especially if you have fresh basil and tomatoes.

I bought Brown Basmati Rice at Trader Joe's for this recipe. I also used rice vinegar.

When making this recipe, remember to leave extra time to let the rice come to room temperature. The night I had it at my sister's, it was cold, which I thought was good too. Because it should be served at room temperature, this is a great recipe for a cookout or potluck!

Brown Rice, Tomatoes and Basil

Recipe courtesy Ina Garten

1 cup Texmati brown rice
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
¼ cup Champagne or rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 Tablespoon good olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ripe tomatoes, large-diced
1 cup packed basil leaves (1 large bunch), chopped

Bring 2¼ cups water to a boil and add the rice and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Return to a boil, cover, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until the rice is tender and all the water is absorbed. Transfer the rice to a bowl.

Whisk together the vinegar, sugar, olive oil, remaining teaspoon of salt, and a pinch of pepper. Pour over the rice. Add the tomatoes and basil. Mix well and check the seasonings. Serve at room temperature.

Yield: 6 servings.

Brown Basmati Rice

Cooked rice

Rice mixed w/vinegar, sugar, olive oil, salt & pepper

Add in the tomatoes & basil

Photos by JoJo

Pasta Salad with Roasted Bell Pepper, Mozzarella, Artichoke Hearts, Kalamata Olives, and Basil

Another dish we made for my niece's birthday cookout was a pasta salad. My sister had been wanting to make this recipe since she saw it, and I knew I'd love it because of all the ingredients in it. It was very simple to make. She bought most of the ingredients at Costco. We made two pounds of pasta (I adjusted the original recipe to closer to the amounts we used) and used a bit more of all the veggies since we had a lot of everything. Two recipes almost filled a large Tupperware bowl. I thought this pasta salad came out perfect and I wouldn't' change anything in it, but if there is something in the recipe you don't like you can easily substitute it or take it out.

Pasta Salad with Roasted Bell Pepper, Mozzarella, Artichoke Hearts, Kalamata Olives, and Basil

Adapted from www.fortheloveofcooking.net

VINAIGRETTE:

2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 teaspoons shallot, diced finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Add the shallot, minced garlic, olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Whisk until well combined and then set aside.

PASTA:

1 pound rotini pasta, cooked per package instructions
½ cup roasted bell pepper, diced
½ cup grape tomatoes, halved
½ cup marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
½ cup kalamata olives, sliced
½ cup mozzarella cheese, diced
½ cup fresh basil, chopped
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water per package instructions. Drain, and then rinse with cold water to cool the pasta. Toss the pasta into a large serving bowl, then add the roasted bell peppers, grape tomatoes, sliced kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, basil, and diced mozzarella. Drizzle the vinaigrette on top, and then gently toss to coat evenly. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Enjoy.

Yield: 10 servings (2 recipes fills a big Tupperware bowl)

Vinaigrette

Cherry tomatoes

Artichokes

Roasted red peppers

Kalamata olives

Mozzarella

Mix ingredients with cooled pasta, chopped basil & vinaigrette

Refrigerate or serve at room temperature

Photos by JoJo

Caprese Pasta Salad

Over the weekend I had a potluck to go to. I usually bring a dessert, but decided to make a Caprese Pasta Salad instead this time. I used grape tomatoes, marinated mozzarella, basil, and rotini pasta. I made two pounds of pasta and used the olive oil and seasonings from the mozzarella marinade to season the pasta salad, along with some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. I didn't measure how much tomatoes or mozzarella I put in, but below is a guide to use. I had this both at room temperature the first night, and cold as leftovers the second day. Both ways tasted good, but I prefer it cold. This is a very simple, healthy, and delicious meal that also makes a great addition to a cookout. I will definitely be making it more this summer!

Caprese Pasta Salad

1 pound pasta, cooked (recommended: rotini, farfalle, fiore or gemelli)
2 cups red grape tomatoes, cut in half
2 cups or 1 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into bite-size pieces
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cook your favorite pasta according to package directions. Drain the pasta through a strainer. Transfer the pasta to a large wide bowl and coat with a little olive oil to prevent pasta from sticking. Set aside to cool completely.

Cut grape tomatoes in half. Cut mozzarella into bite-size pieces or about the same size as the tomato halves. Chop fresh basil.

Toss the cooled pasta with the tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, and enough olive oil to coat (and a bit of lemon juice). Season the pasta salad, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve either at room temperature or refrigerate and serve cold.

NOTE: You can also use mozzarella marinated in olive oil. If you do this, you do not have to add extra olive oil and lemon juice – just use the mozzarella marinade to season your pasta salad.

Rotini Pasta with mozzarella marinade, sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Marinated Mozzarella

Mozzarella balls cut into quarters

Grape tomatoes cut in half

Caprese Pasta Salad

Photos by JoJo