Recipes of the Week - September 17th

Grilled Tomato, Onion, and Bread Salad From: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Grilled-Tomato-Onion-and-Bread-Salad 2 red onions, sliced 1/2 inch thick 8 plum (Roma) tomatoes, cored 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided 4 cups cubed Italian bread 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves salt and pepper to taste 1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch slices 1/2 cup shredded fresh basil 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons olive oil Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat. Brush the onion slices and tomatoes with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and set aside. Drizzle another 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the cubed bread in a large bowl. Sprinkle with thyme, salt, and pepper; toss well. Skewer the bread cubes with metal skewers. Grill bread on preheated grill until golden brown on all sides, about 3 minutes. Grill onions and tomatoes until soft, about 5 minutes. Chop the roasted onions and tomatoes into large pieces, and place into a large bowl along with the toasted bread, cucumber, and basil. Whisk the vinegar together with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to make a dressing. Pour over the salad, and toss to coat. French Tomato Soup From: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/French-Tomato-Soup 1 tablespoon butter 1 large onion, chopped 6 tomatoes, peeled and quartered 1 large potato, peeled and quartered 6 cups water 1 bay leaf 1 clove garlic, pressed 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup long-grain rice Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute onions in butter until tender and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, and continue cooking for 10 more minutes, stirring frequently. Add the potato, and 2 cups of water. Season with the bay leaf, garlic and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes. Stir in the remaining water, and bring to a boil again. Discard bay leaf, and strain the solids from the broth, reserving both. Puree the vegetables in a food processor or blender, and stir them back into the broth. Bring to a boil, and add the rice. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes, or until rice is tender. Serve hot Spicy Yard Long Green Beans From: http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1073658 1 tblsp oil 1 tblsp red curry paste (or more to taste, but be careful: it's hot) 2 lime leaves 2 tsp fish sauce 1/2 lb chicken, or firm tofu, cut into bite-sized pieces, or shrimp (which cook less time and so are added later). 2 cups yard-long green beans, cut into 1 inch lengths Heat the oil in a pot or wok and sauté the curry paste and lime leaves for about a minute. Add the fish sauce and pork/chicken/tofu (not shrimp) and toss for a minute or two, till meat begins to lose its colour. Add the beans and a little water, cover, and cook for about 5 minutes, till the beans are soft, stirring occasionally: keep a close eye on the pot so it doesn't dry out and burn, and add more water if necessary. If you're using shrimp, add it for the last minute of cooking. Serve immediately with jasmine rice. Very tasty.