A.L.T Pasta with Garlic Croutons

The whole concept of a BLT Pasta sounds intriguing but it sounds even better when turned into an ALT pasta filled with healthy fats and no cholesterol. Using avocado to make a creamy sauce compliments perfectly with slightly bitter greens and ripe tomatoes. This pasta salad incorporates so much of what summer has to offer and requires little cooking because these vegetables are already at their peak taste.


Whole wheat pasta tossed in creamy no-bake avocado sauce with grilled radicchio, tomatoes, romaine, raw corn and homemade garlic croutons.
 
Avocado, Lettuce & Tomato Pasta
serves 4
avocado sauce-
1 ripe avocado
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
2 tbl lime juice
1 garlic clove
salt and pepper

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and season with salt and pepper. If the mixture is too thick, thin out with some of the pasta water.

pasta-
2 hot house tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 radicchio, cored, roughly chopped
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
4 oz whole wheat elbow pasta
1 head romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
1 cup fresh corn kernels (if corn is in season they do not need to be cooked)

Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high.
Toss the tomato and radicchio with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill for 5-7 minutes until slightly tender with dark grill marks.
Prepare the pasta al dente. Toss the pasta with the avocado sauce.
Serve the pasta in a big bowl with the grilled vegetables, romaine and corn. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Top with garlic croutons.

Garlic Croutons
2 cups stale bread chunks, medium dice
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350.
Toss the bread with all of the ingredients and spread in an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, tossing once in between until browned and crunchy.

200th post! Red Pepper Zucchini Cakes, Pickled Poblano Aioli, Grilled Tomatoes, Corn Relish

Even though it's winter, I wanted to keep tonight's dinner fresh with bright flavors and varying textures.

Creamy on the inside, crisp on the outside, zucchini, potato and red pepper cakes with smokey grilled tomatoes, sweet and sour Southern corn relish and pickled poblano aioli.

Zucchini Red Pepper Cakes
1 large russet potato, skin on
1 zucchini, peel on
1 red pepper
1/4 cup cornmeal
2 tbl chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbl finely chopped chives
2 garlic cloves, grated
salt and pepper
1 tsp freshly grated lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided

Par bake the potato in the oven or microwave until it is cooked 3/4ths of the way through.
Use a food processor with a grating blade to shred the potato, zucchini and red pepper. (Or use a box grater to process the vegetables). Squeeze out any water and set in a colander over a bowl and let excess moisture drain for 15 minutes.
Combine the vegetables in a bowl with the cornmeal, cilantro, chives, garlic, salt and pepper to taste, lemon zest and 2 tbl olive oil. Stir to combine and form into 1" thick cakes.
Preheat the oven to 375.
Saute one side in a non-stick pan with the remaining 2 tbl of olive oil. Once the bottom is golden brown, flip over and put the pan in the oven. Finish cooking the cakes through for 15 minutes.

Pickled Poblano Aioli
1 poblano chili
1/4 yellow onion, minced
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp sea salt
3 tbl fresh squeezed lime juice
1 tbl chopped fresh cilantro
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Preheat a grill or broiler and grill the poblano until it is charred on all sides. Transfer to a bowl or bag and cover. Once cooled peel off the skin. I like to keep a little char still on the pepper for flavor. Remove the core and seeds and chop the pepper into coarse pieces.
Combine with the onion, cumin, salt, lime juice and cilantro. Let sit at room temperature for 2 hours, tossing every so often making sure all the pepper gets coated with lime juice.
Transfer the pepper and lime juice mixture with the garlic to a food processor and process until smooth. Very slowly stream in the oil with the machine on, allowing the oil to emulsify with the pepper and create a thick sauce. Season to taste.

Corn Relish
2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/2 green bell pepper, small dice
1/2 yellow onion, small dice
1/2 cup small diced tomato
1 tsp minced garlic
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 organic cane sugar
1 tbl sea salt
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp dry mustard powder

Combine all of the ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender. Taste and season.