Recipe: Tuscan Bread, Grilled Bell Pepper, and Tomato Salad (Panzanella)

Panzanella Bread Salad Recipe from James Peterson's Cookbook "Vegetables"

I bought my first serious cookbook, James Beard Cookbook of the Year Sauces by James Peterson, during the culinary basics boot camp in culinary school, per the recommendation of the class instructor. Then, nine years later, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The author sat right next to me at the Symposium for Professional Food Writers, preceding him leading small group discussions, and capped off with an intimate dinner. You could say I’m a fan.

Just recently, I received a copy of James’ newly released Vegetables, Revised: The Most Authoritative Guide to Buying, Preparing, and Cooking, with More than 300 Recipes. Part cookbook, part journal, part reference, this full-color book with hundreds of photos brims with everything you need to know to execute luscious, fresh vegetables recipes.

As tomato season begins, I decided to make this recipe with a few adaptations. Since seeking out a farmers’ market or upscale market out in the suburbs is a rarity for me, I opted for the only domestically grown tomatoes available at my grocery store: Campari tomatoes on the vine, which are fully ripened, sweet, and juicy. Whatever you do, resist refrigerating whole tomatoes, unless overly ripe. Enjoy this salad as a side dish, or if you’re like me, turn a generous portion into a meal with a hard-boiled egg alongside, sprinkled with olive oil, salt and pepper. Or try stirring in chickpeas.

Vegetables Cookbook Giveaway!

The book’s publisher Ten Speed Press kindly provided me with two copies to give away to you, my enthusiastic readers, with one guaranteed to one of my email subscribers (www.michelledudash.com). To enter below, tell me which summer vegetable do you delight in the most and what do you plan to do with it? Entries will be accepted through May 31, 2012 11:59 PM (PST).

Recipe: Tuscan Bread, Grilled Bell Pepper, and Tomato Salad (Panzanella)

3 (1/2-inch-thick) slices crusty French bread (I used whole-grain hoagie rolls), cut into 1/2-to-1-inch cubes (3 cups, or 150 g cubed)

4 tablespoons (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided

4 medium or 8 small tomatoes, halved crosswise, and seeded (I skipped the seeding)

1 medium red, green, or yellow bell pepper, charred on a grill or gas burner, peeled, and seeded, cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips

20 basil leaves, larger leaves torn into halves or thirds

8 to 12 anchovy fillets, soaked for 5 minutes in cold water and patted dry (soaking optional), cut into 4 sections

5 tablespoons (42 g) pitted and quartered lengthwise kalamata olives

1 tablespoon + 1 1/2 teaspoons (23 ml) excellent-quality balsamic vinegar or sherry vinegar (I used a decent balsamic)

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt (or less if you skip soaking the anchovies)

Toss the bread cubes in 2 tablespoons (28 ml) of the olive oil in a sauté pan or skillet over medium heat until the cubes brown slightly, about 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside.

Chop the tomatoes into chunks about 1/2-inch on each side. Toss the tomato chunks with the bread cubes, the remaining 2 tablespoons (28 ml) olive oil, bell pepper, basil, anchovies, olives, vinegar, pepper and salt. Serve at the table in a large salad bowl.

Prep time: 45 minutes

Makes 6 servings, 1 cup each

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 190 calories, 11.5 g total fat (1.5 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 708 mg sodium, 5 mg cholesterol, 16 g total carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 6 g protein, 9% DV iron, 6% DV calcium, 17% DV Vitamin A, 112% DV Vitamin C.

Recipe adapted with permission.

 

You Might Also Enjoy:

Recipe: Bibb Wedge Salad with Creamy Balsamic Blue Cheese Dressing

My Cookbook: Clean Eating for Busy Families Available for Pre-Order Now!

Endive Salad with Beets, Blue Cheese, and Lemon Vinaigrette Recipe

Posted in Recipes | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Recipe: Lemon Basil Grilled Asparagus with Parmesan & Walnuts

Lemon Basil Grilled Asparagus with Parmesan & Walnuts

Often new acquaintances ask me, “Well, what do you cook for dinner?” On one particular occasion, I nonchalantly mentioned that I might cook salmon, corn and asparagus on the grill. Et voila. Dinner is served. Their eyes nearly popped out of their heads, “You can grill asparagus?” Well, uh….yes, you can. For super speedy dinners, I simply toss asparagus in olive oil, salt and pepper. I created something a little more special, with pizzazz, for you. In this recipe, I deconstruct pesto (all my favorite ingredients), without having to drag out the food processor.… More...

Posted in Recipes | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Recipe: Bibb Wedge Salad with Creamy Balsamic Blue Cheese Dressing

Bibb Wedge Salad with Creamy Balsamic Blue Cheese Dressing

One of the biggest reasons we get into trouble when eating out are the larger than life portion sizes. Even if the ingredients in the dish are healthy, the menu item can contain twice as much energy (calories) as our body needs, which can lead to weight gain over time. Take the steakhouse wedge salad, for example, one of my favorite menu selections. Do we really need a quarter head of iceberg lettuce smothered in at least four tablespoons of rich blue cheese dressing?  A big… More...

Posted in Recipes | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Recipe: Strawberry-Mint Sauvignon Blanc White Sangria

Sauvignon Blanc white sangria recipe with orange, strawberries and mint

 

I adore wine. Yes, I do. It’s brimming with antioxidant’s after all.

Now that the thermometer is heating up, I switch from red wine to white much more frequently, my preference being Sauvignon Blanc. This variety is fruity (pear, apple), herbaceous, acidic, and has perfect body, between Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay. To support our economy, and spare the high-octane trip overseas, I opt for American wines whenever possible. My goal is a tasty wine in the $10 dollar range.

In this recipe, the volatile oils from the lemon, orange, and lime rinds bring a sharper taste to the brew. For a milder… More...

Posted in Recipes | Tagged | Leave a comment

Recipe: Ginger-Scallion Baked Salmon with Baby Bok Choy

Scallion-Ginger Baked Salmon with Baby Bok Choy

Fresh wild Alaskan salmon season runs spring through October, so this omega-3-rich fish graces my menu often during this time of year. Wild salmon has a cleaner taste than farm-raised Atlantic, is healthier for ocean life, and doesn’t contain worrisome levels of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), a toxic industrial chemical that lingers in certain bodies of water. To mix things up, you could swap U.S. Atlantic ahi tuna for salmon.

This marinade packs a lot of flavor in little time, which is why it’s perfect for a busy weeknight… More...

Posted in Recipes | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Recipe: Hunter’s Chicken Breasts with Golden Potato Medallions

Hunter's Chicken

Can you cook better than a 12th-grader?

This recipe honors the original one created by Richard Grausman, founder and chairman of C-CAP (Careers through Culinary Arts Program), a non-profit that works with public schools in Arizona and six other locations nationwide. C-CAP prepares underserved high school students for college and career opportunities and awards millions of dollars for student scholarships and equipment for classrooms. This recipe is one of the final competition recipes, for which students must produce tournéed potatoes (similar to the shape of seven-sided footballs) and properly concasséd tomatoes (peeled, seeded, and rough chopped), along with… More...

Posted in Recipes | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Recipe: Food Processor Chocolate Chip-Oatmeal Cookies and Giveaway!

IMG_1825final

 

Cookies are a treat I indulge in on a weekly basis, in moderation, of course. Chocolate chip, peanut butter, double chocolate, and sugar cookies are a few of my favorites. Recently I received a review copy of the Weight Watchers One Pot Cookbook and was excited to spot a one-bowl recipe for these mini cookies made with chocolate chips, oats, coconut, and a modest amount of butter. I use dark chocolate chips in place of traditional semi-sweet. (The dark chocolate has a bolder flavor and contains 2 fewer grams of added sugar and 1… More...

Posted in Recipes | Tagged | 21 Comments

Easter Recipe: Grilled Rosemary-Thyme Rack of Lamb

IMG_1783like

This simple Easter recipe demystifies the preparation of an impressive rack of lamb and will have your guests raving. I love to pair this with one of my favorite condiments, Crosse & Blackwell® Mint Sauce*. It contains simple ingredients, no sodium, and adds a blast of flavor to lamb, cucumbers and salads. Searing the lamb on the stovetop is another way to prepare this recipe.

Grilled Rosemary-Thyme Rack of Lamb Recipe

1/4 cup (60 ml) dry red wine, such as Cabernet

2 tablespoons (22 g) Dijon mustardMore...

Posted in Recipes | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Recipe: Vanilla Bean & Banana Pudding Parfaits

Vanilla Bean & Banana Pudding Parfaits

When I worked as a private chef, my boss’s favorite dessert was banana cream pie. This recipe became his healthy favorite and satisfied his craving while keeping saturated fat and refined sugar in check. My ”made with love” pudding tastes lots better than boxed mixes filled with mysterious gobbledygook. And while we await local summer fruit season, now is a great time to rely on nutrient-rich bananas.

Vanilla Bean & Banana Pudding Parfaits

1 large egg

3 tablespoons (24 g) cornstarch

2… More...

Posted in Recipes | Tagged | Leave a comment

Recipe: Grilled Orange-Ponzu Pork Tenderloin with Napa Cabbage & Carrot Stir-Fry

Grilled Orange-Ponzu Pork Tenderloin with Napa Cabbage & Carrot Stir-Fry
Last month I attended the Woman’s Day Red Dress Awards as red carpet correspondent for my client, the National Pork Board. We were celebrating pork tenderloin’s newest “accessory”, the American Heart Association Heart-Check mark. With only 1 gram of saturated fat and 120 calories per serving, pork tenderloin is a heart healthy meat choice. The seasonality of carrots, cabbage, and oranges inspired me to create this dish for the event, with ponzu sauce and spices accentuating it perfectly. The key to juicy, tender

More...

Posted in Recipes | Tagged , , | Leave a comment