Pasta Salad

Marinated zuchini and bow-tie pasta:

3 tbspns olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 lbs zuchini cut in half length-wise -- quarter inch slices
2 1/2 tspns salt
3/4 lb plum tomatoes -- seeded and diced
1/2 cup chopped basil
5 tbspns balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tspns pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
1 lb bow-tie pasta

heat 3 tbspns olive oil, add garlic, zuchini and salt. Cook, stir occasionily until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Stir in tomatoes, basil, vinegar and salt and pepper. Cook bow-ties. Toss with dressing, adding 1/3 cup of olive oil.

Flank Steak

Flank steak with garlic, oregano, orange and cumin

1/4 cup orange juice
2 tbspns olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbspn fresh oregano (may use dry if marinading longer)
1 tspn cumin
1 tspn kosher salt
1/2 tspn orange zest
1/2 tspn pepper

1 flank steak 1 1/2 lbs.

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Pour marinade over steak, let sit over night -- covered in the refrigerator. Brush off excess marinade solids, grill over high heat, turn once, cooking 3 minutes per side for rare. Slice thinly across the grain.

Mango Salsa

one mango, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup red pepper
1 red onion
2 tbsn cilantro
1 jalepeno or chili pepper
2 tbspns lime
1 tbspn lemon
small can of crushed pineapple optional

Mix ingredients. Cover and sit for 30 minutes. Season to taste.

Grilled Chicken Breast with lemon and thyme

1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tspn thyme
1/2 tspn red pepper flakes
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 tspn salt
1/4 tspn pepper

4 bone in breasts

Combine ingredients, coat chicken with mixture. Marinade for a couple of hours. Grill breasts over medium-high heat ten minutes or broil 8 - 10 minutes on each side in the oven. Boneless breast, five minutes per side.

Lemon Pepper Shrimp and mustard

Haven't tried this, but it sounds good.

1/2 cup butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup white wine
1 tspn lemon pepper
2 tbsps yellow mustard
1/4 tspn red pepper flakes
1 tbspn fresh parsley, chopped

2 lbs fresh shrimp, peeled

Melt butter in skillet, medium heat. Sautee garlic in butter 1 - 2 minutes, add wine. Add lemon pepper, mustard, and red pepper flakes. Stir in shrimp and cook five minutes. Sprinkle parsley before serving.

Great Shrimp Recipe

Just had this for dinner at my mom's -- wonderful flavor -- and easy.

Basil Shrimp:

2 1/2 tbsps olive oil
1/4 cup melted butter
1 1/2 juiced lemons
3 tbsps brown mustard (dijon an okay substitute)
1/2 cup fresh basil
3 garlic cloves -- minced
salt and pepper to taste

3 pounds, fresh shrimp peeled

Mix oil and butter -- stir in lemon juice, mustard, basil, garlic. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Add shrimp to marinade and toss. Cover, refrigerate one hour.

Skewer shrimp, discard marinade -- oil grill and grill shrimp 4 minutes until shrimp is opaque -- turning once.

Too much pluribus, not enough Unum

Can't remember hearing this before, Ken Burns referenced it in an interview at the New York Public Library with Robert Stone. It is available at Itunes.