Greek Panzanella

A couple of weeks ago we were having company over for dinner. I always analyze and then over analyze what I should make when people come to dinner. I never know if our way of eating will satisfy someone else's taste, so I get a little crazy about it.
I think about food all the time anyway, so I really just spend too much time thinking, planning, undoing my plans, and re-planning.

It's a process.

I finally narrowed it down to a menu that would savor the last of summer fall-ish type dinner. Since we were still enjoying 90+ degree days and all my favorite summer foods were still readily found at the farmers market, we went with the summer menu.

I wanted to try this Greek twist on The Barefoot Contessa's Panzanella, because the original version is a crowd pleaser that we love.
It turned out to be the perfect choice. Everyone was really happy with this dinner. Phew!

* note--I always toast my bread cubes in the oven, drizzling them with a little bit of olive oil, to get them nice and crisp and also to reduce some of the fat in this meal. I also reduce the amount of oil in the dressing.

Recipe for Greek Panzanella
* I used black olives instead of kalamata olives
* I toasted my bread cubes in the oven instead of sauteing them in oil- it uses less oil and gets them evenly crisped
*I reduced the amount of oil in the dressing by about half
* I left out the red onion

Holiday Chopped Salad

I have been looking at the older holiday magazines that I have kept and this salad jumped out at me.
I think it must have been the combination of colors and the variety of vegetables that caught my eye.
It just seemed so festive for a holiday salad and I love it when a salad doesn't necessarily contain lettuce or greens of any kind. (that might sound wierd- I love salad with greens and lettuce, but it is nice when other veggies are the star of the show)

I decided to make this when my sister was visiting over the Thanksgiving break and I cut the recipe in 1/2.
It was really yummy.
I think it would be delicious served on top of romaine or mixed greens, but it is very delicious on its own.
It can also be made ahead, which is great if you are having a really hectic holiday season.
It is just nice to see some pretty veggies that make you want to taste them. Everyone needs a little distraction from the sweets right about now. Or maybe it is just me!

Holiday Chopped Salad from Our Best Holiday Menus 2007-BHG
1 15 or 19-oz can canneliini beans, rinsed and drained
2 small green peppers, seeded and cut into bite-size chunks (1 1/2 cups)
1 medium cucumber, cut into bite-size chunks (3 cups)
1/2 head radicchio or 1/4 head purple cabbage, coarsely chopped (2 cups)
1/2 of a 16-oz pkg radishes, halved or quartered (1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 Tbls honey
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/4 tsp pepper
8 oz feta cheese, cubed or crumbled
coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley and/or mint

1. In separate resealable plastic bags, place beans, green pepper chunks, cucumber chunks, radicchio, and radishes. For dressing, in a screw-top jar, combine oil and lemon juice. Cover and shake well. Add honey, salt, and black pepper, covering and shaking well, after each addition. Pour 1 to 2 Tablespoons dressing into each bag. Seal bags. Chill for 2 to 4 hours, turning bags occasionally.
2. To serve- arrange vegetables with dressing and feta cheese in rows on serving platter. Sprinkle with parsley and/or mint.
Makes 8 to 10 servings

Tuna Panzanella

I've mentioned before how much I really love Panzanella aka Bread Salad. Ina's recipe is the first one that I tried and I make it quite regularly.
Basically if I ever see a variation of Panzanella, I want to try it-like this Edamame Bread Salad that I posted about a couple of months ago.

I saw this really easy version of Tuna Panzanella in an issue of Good Housekeeping and found it intriguing.
I made it for dinner back in August and was really pleased with the results. My husband really liked it and asked for seconds (picking out the tomatoes, of course), but I still saw that as a success. I packed him the leftovers in his lunch the next day and he really enjoyed it.

I only made a couple of changes- I used cherry tomatoes and added a chopped yellow bell pepper to have more veggies mixed in there (and because I knew my hubby was going to pick out the tomatoes).
The recipe claims to be ready in 30 minutes and it was. Nothing tough here. The only thing you have to do is toast the bread cubes, open a few cans, and then throw everything else together.

If you have any tomatoes or basil that need to be used and want one last taste of summer, make this today!

Recipe for Tuna Panzanella

Summer Favorites- Panzanella

This is another recipe that I make all the time. Especially in the summer, when tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, and basil are ripe and easy to find.

I first made this recipe last summer with the Barefoot Bloggers and I am so glad I did.
I always reduce the amount of oil and instead of sauteing the bread cubes in the oil, I drizzled the oil on the bread cubes and toast them in the oven- I do whatever I can to save a few calories here and there.

People are always a bit suspicious when I tell them I am making bread salad, which is a common name for this dish. They quickly get over it as soon as they try it.

Yum!

Panzanella adapted from Ina Garten
3 tablespoons good olive oil (I used 1 Tbls)
1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large, ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced
1/2-inch thick 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 red onion, cut in 1/2 and thinly sliced
20 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons capers, drained
For the vinaigrette:
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar (I used white wine vinegar)
1/2 cup good olive oil (I used 1/3 cup)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large saute pan.
Add the bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed.
Instead of preparing the bread cubes this way, I preheated the oven to 400 degrees. Then,I put the bread cubes on a jelly roll pan that was coated with cooking spray and drizzled 1-2 Tbls olive oil over the cubes. I tossed the cubes with the oil and put the pan in the oven for about 12 minutes, stirring the bread cubes once.
For the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together.
In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onion, basil, and capers. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend.