Cucumber Mint Raita

A very refreshing yogurt-cucumber-mint mixture, this is a perfect complement to Chicken Tikka Masala. It would also go well with grilled lamb, chicken, or salmon, or as a dip with pita bread.

Recipe

1/2 large English cucumber (unpeeled), halved, seeded, and coarsely grated
1 c. plain yogurt
3 T. chopped fresh mint
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Wrap the grated cucumber in a kitchen towel and squeeze dry. In a medium bowl whisk the yogurt, mint, cumin, and cayenne to blend. Add the cucumbers and stir. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Makes about 2 cups.

Stuffed Summer Tomatoes

This is the perfect recipe for summer tomatoes, stuffed with zucchini and mushrooms. It's still too hot to turn on the oven. I'd rather have a cool salad of refreshing vegetables anyway! It was surprisingly easy to transport – stuff and store stuffing side up in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Recipe

4 firm tomatoes
1-1/4 c. diced (1/4-inch) white mushrooms
1-1/4 c. diced (1/4-inch) zucchini
1/3 c. chopped red onion
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/3 c. chopped walnuts
1/2 c. diced (1/4-inch) baguette
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 T. olive oil
2 tsp. red wine vinegar

GARNISHES:
1/3 c. diced red onion
1/3 c. diced kalamata olives (or 16 pitted olives)
crumbled feta cheese
olive oil
Fleur de sel or coarse salt
4 sprigs fresh basil

Put the tomatoes in boiling water for 45 seconds, drain, and peel off the skin. Cut about a 1/4-inch slice from the stem end of each tomato and dice those slices for garnish.

Hollow out the tomatoes, removing the flesh, seeds and juice, which I did very carefully because the tomatoes I used were fairly ripe and not hard, so be careful! A serrated spoon would have worked well I think.

Preheat the oven to 400-degrees. Spread the diced mushrooms and zucchini on a baking sheet and put in the oven for 3-4 minutes to sweat and soften (I assume you could use a microwave for this step but I don't own one!). Transfer the softened veggies to a bowl and stir in the onion, garlic, walnuts, bread, salt, pepper, oil, and vinegar. Mix well and spoon the stuffing into the hollowed out tomatoes. Refrigerate, stuffing side up, until ready to serve.

To serve, place the tomatoes stuffed side down on the plate and scatter the reserved diced tomatoes and garnishes around the plate and sprinkle with the olive oil and fleur de sel. Poke a tiny hole in the top of the tomato (I used a toothpick) and insert a basil sprig, and serve.

– Jacques Pépin, "More Fast Food My Way"

Pineapple in Dark Rum Sauce

A five ingredient, do-ahead dessert that gets better the longer it marinates.

Recipe

1/2 of a ripe pineapple
1 lime
3 T. dark rum
1/2 c. honey
4 T. mascarpone

Cut the top and bottom of the pineapple off and peel the outside with a knife, cutting out the dark 'eyes.' Cut in half lengthwise and remove the tough core. You only need half the pineapple for this recipe to serve four people.

Place the cut side down and slice thinly. Arrange the slices in a large dish. Grate the zest of the lime over the pineapple, then add the juice of the lime. Add the dark rum and drizzle the honey over the pineapple. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

To serve, arrange slices of the pineapple in a circle, pour a little of the sauce over, and spoon some mascarpone in the middle. Using a vegetable peeler make a garnish of the lime skin.

– Jacques Pépin, "More Fast Food My Way"

Gazpacho

A perfectly cool soup for a hot day. I put all the ingredients in a Vitamix, turned it on, and a minute later had a fresh first course to my Spanish inspired dinner of Chicken and Shellfish Paella and Pineapple in Dark Rum Sauce.

Recipe

1 green bell pepper, peeled with vegetable peeler and chopped
1 Vidalia onion, chopped
3 cucumbers, peeled, seeds removed
4 large ripe tomatoes, quartered
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1-1/2 c. Bloody Mary Mix (I used Zing Zang)
1 tsp. salt
Sprigs of parsley for garnish
Croutons

Save 1/2 c. each of the green pepper, onion, cucumber and tomato for garnish. Put all the ingredients, except for the parsley and croutons, in the blender. Turn on and blend until smooth. You can't beat a Vitamix for this step!

Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with spoonfuls of the reserved veg. Add 2 or 3 croutons and sprigs of parsley, if desired.

– Jacques Pépin, "More Fast Food My Way"

Cookie Dough Raspberry Tart

Bring out your inner artist when making this fun dessert. Store-bought sugar cookie dough is used to create a giant surface for fresh raspberries, warm seedless raspberry jam, and fresh picked mint leaves. Simple. Have your guests arrange the berries while you heat up the jam.

Recipe

6 oz. sugar cookie dough
1 pint fresh raspberries
1/2 c. seedless raspberry jam
1/2 c. sour cream
Fresh mint

Preheat the oven to 375-degrees. Flatten the cookie dough between two sheets of plastic wrap, then roll to about an 8-inch circle. Put the giant cookie on a lightly oiled cookie sheet, discarding the plastic wrap. Fold the edges of the dough like you would a pie crust to make it thicker on the outside.

Bake about 10 minutes – don't overcook or it will get very brittle. The dough will expand a bit in the oven. Let rest to cool and harden for about 15 minutes before putting it on a serving platter (or cake pedestal).

Just before serving arrange the berries however you wish. Heat the jam to thin it a little, making it easier to spoon over the berries. Cut the tart into 4 pieces and serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of mint.

– Jacques Pépin, "More Fast Food My Way"

Kale, Carrot & Sunflower Seed Salad

Fresh and crunchy with a creamy, vibrant dressing, this salad from New Seasons Market in Portland is a perfect lunch on a hot summer day. Massage the dressing into the salad so every kale leaf gets wet.

Recipe

1 bunch kale
2 large carrots, grated
1/3 c. sunflower seeds

DRESSING
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1 T. soy sauce or tamari
1-1/2 T. rice wine vinegar
1 T. sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced finely
1 T. fresh ginger, minced finely
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
salt to taste

Wash kale, remove stems, and cut into bite-size pieces. Add grated carrots and sunflower seeds. Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over kale. Massage well and season to taste with salt.

– New Seasons Market