Everybody Cooks!: summer

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Pesto, Cherry Tomato & Chicken Penne Salad

With summer just around the corner, let's make this Pesto, Cherry Tomato & Chicken Penne Salad that will accompany your barbecue quite nicely.

It is a very easy recipe to make, and will be whipped up in less than 30 minutes. Just remember that the penne have to rest in the fridge for 45 minutes.

The following ingredients are for 2 to 4 portions, so feel free to adjust your quantities if you are cooking for more or less people, or according to your taste.

You will need:

125 grams of mini-penne pasta*
210 grams of chicken breast tenders, or chicken breast wholes.
15 to 20 cherry tomatoes
1 1/4 tablespoons of basil (fresh basil is better, but dry basil works too)
2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese
3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 7 to 8 minutes

Resting time: At least 45 minutes in the fridge

Start by cooking your pasta per the package's instructions (in my case, it was 7 to 8 minutes for al-dente pasta).

In a pan, pour a bit of olive oil, heat up your pan, and place the chicken breast tenders to cook.

Once one side is cooked, turn the breast to cook the other side.

Turn one more time until you get a nice brown coating.

Let the pieces cool down few minutes, and then cut them into pieces.

Cut the cherry tomatoes in half ...

... and if it bothers you like it bothers me, remove the core of the tomatoes.

Prepare your pesto.
In a bowl, mix the basil and the parmesan cheese.

Then add the olive oil and give it a good mix.

By that time, the mini-penne should be cooked.
Strain the pasta into a strainer, and then pour some cold water on it to cool it down.

All your ingredients are now ready to be stored in the fridge, giving at least 45 minutes for your mine-penne to cool down.

It is now time to assemble your salad ...

... which will be only four simple steps.

First, pour your mini-penne in the salad bowl.

Second, add the cherry tomatoes.

Third, add your chicken pieces.

And finally, after giving your pesto a good stir, add it the the salad, and mix. (If you like your pesto a bit thinner, add another tablespoon of olive oil).

And voilà, your Pesto, Cherry Tomato & Chicken Penne Salad is ready.

Now it is time to fire up that barbecue, and enjoy!

*Note: I used mini-penne, because I think it is more pleasant to eat the mini version of the penne with this salad, but feel free to use some other pasta such as elbow macaroni, penne, or bow-tie.

As with all the other recipes we put on this site, this is meant to be easy to follow. We are hobby chefs who love to cook, and we are always up for learning new techniques. If you know of anything in this recipe which can be done a different way, whether for increased ease of preparation or better taste, please add a comment below!

Whipped up by Charline Leblond

Portobello Avocado Burgers

Here is something new and exciting to try out during your summer bbq, not only is it a refreshing change from the usual beef burger with ketchup, it is healthier and lighter so it won't give you that bloated uncomfortable feeling.
(Note: If you still want that bloated, uncomfortable feeling, try eating two.)

Oh yeah, and I don't have a grill, so I have used a grill-pan. If you would like to buy me a grill, I will dedicate a new summer grill recipe in your name. Promise.

For each burger, you will need:

One Portobello Mushroom*
Half an avocado
Two strips of bacon (totally optional)
A slice of your favorite cheese
Pickles/Gherkins to taste
Oh yeah, buns.

I start off by grilling the bacon. I like bacon, you don't have to. I personally think it adds a nice, salty and crisp texture to the burger. But, if you don't want to use bacon, you can substitute it with a grilled onion or fried onion rings. If my bacon looks strange, it is because it is British bacon, if you can get your hands on some good American bacon, I highly recommend that.

While that bacon crisps up, slice up your avocado. I left the skin on just for easy handling, I will naturally be removing it later.

In the same grill-pan, I'm going to now grill my portobellos (I'm making two burgers). Grill each side for about five minutes, and if you previously grilled your bacon in this pan, add some of the bacon grease and leftover bits on the 'shroom.

About five minutes, then flip.

If you want cheese on your burger, add it just at the end, so it starts to melt but doesn't become a sticky, slimy mess.

We are now ready to assemble the burgers.

About assembling and layering a burger or sandwich:

Now, I think the specific layering is important as it can affect the taste and messiness that ensues from biting into a burger. In fact, I often notice that the different between a good burger place and a great burger place is the attention they pay to layering burgers, especially when they have a lot of various ingredients.

For instance, I place the bacon on the bottom, rather than the more common approach of putting it on top. The reason is that the bacon is generally the crispiest or firmest thing on a burger. And if it is at the top of a burger, then when you bite down on that bacon you will be putting a lot of pressure on the softer elements below the bacon. This creates a squishy mess. However, the bacon at the bottom means it is the last thing your teeth sink into, your top teeth have already gone through the softer stuff on top, and your bottom teeth have separated the bottom half of the bun.

The next bit is the portobello. Whether you had cheese on it or not, you can add another layer now.

Next, some pickles!

And the sliced avocado.

Finally, topped with the other half of the bun, its ready! You'll notice I didn't even use any type of sauce; I think there are enough flavours here that you don't need an additional sauce.

I served it with some healthy, sun-cooked chips (or crisps if you like).

*Tip: Don't throw away your portobello mushrooms, refer to our "Let's not waste anything!" page, and check out few ideas on how to use your portobello mushrooms.

Whipped up by Shyamal Addanki

Cucumber and Mint Verrines

This Cucumber and Mint Verrine is a lovely summer appetizer, it is cool and refreshing, and helps to cleanse one's palette before the main meal. One great thing about serving these verrines is that they are meant to be served cold, which means you can make them few hours in advance of your meal and put them away in the fridge.

Verrines are meant to be small-sized servings. You don't want to get bored of eating one, it is just a little refresher. If you are unsure on how many servings to make or what serving size to use, always make more, smaller servings. That way, nobody thinks its too much, and you have a few more servings if someone wants seconds!

For three to four servings, you will need:

1. One large cucumber
2. Three tablespoons of Philadelphia® Cream Cheese
3. One tablespoon of crème fraîche
4. A handfull of mint leaves
5. Two teaspoons of salt

First, we start by peeling the cucumber.

Next, cut it in half, and then slice it into quarters, like this:

With a small knife, now cut out the fleshy insides. While these taste good, they will make the verrine too watery and sloppy, which we don't want.

Finally, dice the cucumber up into small pieces.

We need to try and get as much water out as possible, so place your chopped cucumber in a strainer and toss them around with the salt. Then place the strainer in the fridge, with a plate underneath to catch the water, for about an hour.

After the cucumber has been sitting in the fridge for an hour, we can get back to preparing the verrines. Chop up a handfull of mint leaves and set them aside. Save a few full leaves for decoration.

To prepare the top layer of the verrine, whisk together the cream cheese and the crème fraîche until they form a creamy consistency.

And finally, it is time to arrange the verrines. You'll need a glass and all the ingredients you have prepared so far. You can use a martini glass, shot class, a cocktail glass, or a verrine glass.