Mediterranean Tuna Pasta Salad

This post is a little early because I'm supposed to leave for London tomorrow AM. Looks unlikely, but just in case, wanted to make sure I didn't depart without posting this week's recipe!

I suffer from PDD - Pasta Deficiency Disorder. I could eat pasta morning, noon, and night. But I'll admit that a diet of unfettered carbs just isn't healthy. Lucky for me, Mark Bittman wrote an article some time ago encouraging us to continue eating our pasta, but to shake it up: instead of preparing a lot of pasta with a little sauce, make a lot of vegetable-inclined sauce with a small amount of pasta. This changed my life. This week's recipe is inspired by this concept -- it's a leafy green salad with pasta mixed in, along with tuna, olives, and tomatoes.

Until recently, I had almost stopped eating tuna, due to the high levels of mercury and the large amount of bycatch from tuna fishing. However, I was delighted to discover that troll or pole-and-line caught tuna in the US is actually OK (for more information, visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium). I jumped for joy and immediately went to track some down. I will admit, the can I bought was more expensive than Sunkist, but when I tasted the tuna, boy, I promise it was worth the price. Canned tuna often has a bland, almost tinny flavor. This one actually tasted like fresh, robust fish.

A few notes about this recipe: a good quality olive oil is a must. There are many good $15 bottles out there and it's worth the investment for the flavor it will bring to your salads. I had also wanted to include capers, but could not open the new jar I had bought. I ran it under hot water, tapped it with a knife, tied a rubber band around the lid, but to no avail. I think it would add a nice zing, so feel free to add a teaspoon if you have some in your fridge.

Mediterranean Tuna Pasta Salad
generously serves 2

• slightly more than a quarter-sized round of angel hair whole wheat pasta (I like Barilla's fortified protein version)
• 3.5 oz arugula (two generous handfuls per bowl)
  
• regular olive oil for cooking
• 1/2 t red chili flakes
• 2 anchovy fillets
• 1/4 c chopped kalamata olives
• 1 can tuna, preferably troll or pole-and-line US caught
• 4 Campari tomatoes, chopped
• good quality olive oil
• a few squirts fresh lemon juice
• salt & pepper

First put medium pot of water on to boil. Follow cooking directions on package for al dente angel hair.

Divide arugula between serving bowls/plates. Toss with good quality olive oil (~1 T per bowl), a little lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Set aside.

As pasta cooks, in a small saute pan, heat about 1 T olive oil over medium heat. Add chili flakes and anchovy. As oil heats, use a wooden spoon or spatula to break up anchovy until it has "dissolved" into the oil. Add olives and stir briefly to coat. Add tuna and break up chunks into smaller pieces. Let cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through.

By now the pasta should be fully cooked. Drain and return to pot. Pour in the tuna and another tablespoon of the good quality olive oil and toss. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and olive oil as necessary. Divide between bowls of arugula and serve immediately. Arugula will wilt a bit -- don't worry, that's what is supposed to happen!

333 Shrimp

I spent last week visiting my grandmother in Florida. I associate these trips down to Boca Raton with eating out every night, alternating between the pool by the Intracostal and then the beach, and shopping 'til I drop with Nana at Loehmann's and Bloomingdales. But on my first night there, I spotted a sign for a local farmer's market just off the jostling strip of Atlantic Ave in Delray Beach. My parents and I woke up early Saturday morning and found ourselves momentarily whisked away from the world of beachfront condos to the more real, local Florida: tomatoes, avocados, and baby eggplant from a nearby farm, heritage breed chicken eggs, fresh gooey arepas, organic tea, homemade pickles, and mahi mahi and swordfish that had been caught the day before just 10 miles off the coast. The fish was so fresh and the staff so knowledgeable, we made a detour to Captain Clay and Sons Fish Market. There we picked up mahi mahi and large Florida shrimp for lunch.

When it comes to seafood, I try to do my part to choose sustainable products. The Monterey Bay Aquarium gives excellent advice about best bets for seafood and I try to adhere to their recommendations. As a result, I almost never eat shrimp anymore (the tales of imported shrimp are rather terrifying) except when I can get US-caught or farmed ones. So I jumped for joy at the chance to actually have my Florida prawns and eat them too.

This recipe is almost embarrassingly simple. The shrimp may not be super cheap, but they are worth the splurge. For one pound of shrimp, all you need is three of everything, from minutes of cooking time to tablespoons of seasoning. It will take less than 5 minutes for these beauties to be in your belly. Eat them hot or chilled with a large salad on the side. Make sure to have plenty of paper towels handy!

333 Shrimp
Serves 2 generously

• 1 lb large US-caught shrimp
• 3 T Old Bay Seasoning
• 3 T water
• lemon or key lime wedges of serving

In a small pot, place the shrimp, Old Bay, and water. Stir with a fork to cover shrimp in seasoning. The water should just barely cover the bottom of your pan. Place lid on tightly and heat over high heat. Every 30 seconds or so, give the pot a good shake. Cook for about 3 minutes and 30 seconds until shrimp are cooked through. Serve hot or chill in the fridge for an hour before serving. Garnish with citrus.

Bouillabaisse with Garlic Roux

I spent this past week on the Cape with my friend Tracey. We slept in, spent the days reading, writing, and walking on the beach when we were not hunkered down preparing for Snowpocalypse. I'd never been on the beach in a winter coat, but this confirmed my love for vacation destinations in the off season. As such, we had to try a couple places before we found a fishmonger who was open, but we hit the jackpot. Planning to make my parent's version of bouillabaisse, we bought local steamers, monkfish, and bay scallops. When buying seafood, I try to adhere to the advice of the Monterey Bay Aquarium and buy seafood that is sustainably raised or fished. I totally failed by using the monkfish (lesson learned), but swapped in tilapia the second time I made it. In reality, you can come up with any combination of seafood for the soup: mussels, shrimp, other kinds of fish. Just try to buy whatever is fresh and sustainable!

For those who like a milder dish, omit the roux, which is wonderfully spicy and has quite a kick. Usually a roux is made to thicken a soup or sauce at the very beginning of preparation. Here, I add the roux at the end to round out the flavors of the soup.

I just submitted this recipe to the food52 contest of the week. I'm totally enamored with this website's project, spearheaded by the inimitable Amanda Hesser and her fellow foodie writer Merrill Stubbs: collect the best recipes for classic dishes from home cooks. Definitely check it out when you have a moment!

Bouillabaisse with Garlic Roux

For the bouillabaisse:
2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 fennel bulb, halved and thinly sliced
2 russet potatoes, thinly sliced
3 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 bouillon cube (optional)
1 1/4 lb fresh white fish, cut into slightly larger than bite size pieces
8 live medium-sized clams, soaked in a bowl of water before cooking
bay scallops

For the roux:
2 garlic cloves, as finely minced as possible
1/3 c fresh bread crumbs
1/2 t chili flakes
1/2 t salt (increase to 1 t if not using bouillon cube)
1 T olive oil

In a large soup pot, saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium high heat until fragrant. Add the fennel and continue to saute until slightly softened. Add the potatoes and cook for about a minute. Add 6 cups of water and turn up heat to high. When boiling, add tomatoes and bullion cube and reduce heat. Simmer until potatoes and tomatoes are cooked through.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the roux ingredients and mix with a spoon. Add about 2 T of broth from the soup to soften. Set aside.

When you are ready to eat, raise heat to bring soup back to a gentle boil. Add clams and cook until they have opened wide (about 3-4 minutes). Remove to a separate bowl. Add scallops, followed by the fish. These will cook very quickly. Taste test after about 1 minute for doneness. When fish is done, place clams back in the pot. Serve in large soup bowls letting guests add as much roux as they like. Make sure to have a crusty loaf of bread to serve as well!