I struggle with lunch. If there aren’t leftovers from the night before, I’m more likely to skip lunch altogether than actually spend the time to make something. But this tuna sandwich is worth the extra effort. It’s got a nice flavor, with a bit of a kick from the olives, quite good.

Tuscan Tuna and Bean Sandwiches

Makes 4 servings. Recipe from epicurious.

Ingredients
For beans
1 (14- to 15-oz) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For tuna salad
2 (6-oz) cans Italian tuna in oil, drained
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup pitted Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

For sandwiches
8 (1/3-inch-thick) slices rustic Italian bread (from a round crusty loaf) or 4 (4-inch-long) oval panini rolls
1 cup loosely packed trimmed watercress sprigs

Directions
Prepare beans:
Coarsely mash beans with a fork in a bowl, then stir in garlic, lemon juice, oil, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Make tuna:
Flake tuna in a bowl with a fork, then stir in basil, olives, celery, onion, oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until combined.

Assemble sandwiches:
Spoon one fourth of bean mixture on 1 slice of bread, then top with one fourth of tuna salad, some watercress, and a slice of bread. Make 3 more sandwiches in same manner.

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I love potato pancakes (latkes) and these were a delicious variation…. a great way to use all that beautiful summer zucchini! They don’t get quite as crispy as potatoes do, but I thought the flavor was delicious. Topped with the basil chive cream, yum! We substituted plain yogurt for the sour cream, and it was still a cool and delicious topping.

We think it’d be fun to do a “mixed veg” pancake, a little zucchini, yellow squash, sweet potato… it’d be pretty that’s for sure!

Zucchini Pancakes with Basil Chive Cream

Makes approx. 15-20. Recipe from Epicurious.

Ingredients
For basil chive cream
3/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

For pancakes
4 cups coarsely grated zucchini (1 lb)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 large egg whites
4 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

Directions
Make basil chive cream:
Blend sour cream, water, basil, chives, and salt in a blender until smooth and pale green. Chill until ready to serve.

Make pancakes:
Put zucchini in a colander and toss with salt. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes, then wrap zucchini in a kitchen towel and twist towel to wring out as much liquid as possible. Transfer zucchini to a large bowl and stir in flour, sugar, and pepper.

Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt using an electric mixer until they just hold stiff peaks, then gently fold into zucchini mixture.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Working in batches of 5, spoon 2 tablespoons batter per pancake into skillet, flattening slightly with back of spoon. Cook pancakes, turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes total, transferring as cooked to paper towels to drain and adding more oil to skillet as necessary.

Serve immediately, with basil chive cream.

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A delicious summer salad with great flavors. Make it quick by buying a can of navy beans instead of dried. You’ll save lots of time (skip the first two steps entirely). It’d be even better with hunks of mozzarella instead of the cheap shredded kind, I’m sure.

Tuscan White Bean Salad

Makes 6-8 servings. Recipe from Epicurious.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups dried navy beans, rinsed and picked over
1/4 cup olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
4 cups firmly packed spinach, washed, drained, and stems removed
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup pitted black olives, such as kalamata or niçoise
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Dressing:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano or 2 teaspoons dried oregano
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions
To quick-soak the beans: Place the beans in a large pot with water to cover by 3 inches and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 45 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain, and rinse.

To cook the beans: Place the beans in a large pot and add enough water to cover by 3 to 4 inches. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer, uncovered, 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until beans are tender but still firm. Drain and rinse the beans thoroughly. Set aside to cool.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook and stir until slightly brown, about 5 minutes.

For dressing, combine the vinegar, garlic, mustard, and oregano in a small bowl. Add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream while whisking constantly until all the oil is incorporated. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use.

Toss the beans, onion, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella, and olives in a large bowl with the vinaigrette until just combined. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use or up to 1 day. If refrigerating, add the spinach just before serving.

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If anyone out there has a fantastic recipe for hummus, please share. I don’t know what we did wrong, but our hummus was not good. It had almost a burnt-rubber aftertaste. Not so much when eaten on the flatbread (which is delicious), but by itself, uck.

Therefore, I shall not post the burnt-rubber hummus recipe. We’re going to keep trying with that, and post once we get a good one. The rest of this dish is worth making, however, and shall be posted!

For the flatbread, our grill-less selves baked it in a 400 degree oven for 8-10 minutes, or until it seemed cooked through, then quickly grilled it on a cast-iron grill pan. Not sure if it did anything more than leave pretty grill marks, but that’s worth it in my mind!

Grilled Flatbread and Cucumber-Yogurt Salad

Makes 4-6 servings. Recipe from Bobby Flay.

Ingredients
Flatbread:
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 teaspoon dry yeast
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons green olive oil, plus more for brushing
Salt and pepper

Cucumber-Yogurt Salad:
2 cucumbers, peeled and coarsely grated
8 ounces plain yogurt, drained through a strainer lined with cheesecloth for 1 hour
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Dill sprigs

Directions
Flatbread:
Mix water and yeast and let stand 15 minutes. Gradually pour in 2 cups of the flour and incorporate. Mix for about 1 minute to form a sponge. Let stand, covered for at least 1 hour up to 2 hours to create the sponge.

Put sponge in the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the dough hook, add flour 1/2 cup at a time to form dough. Remove from bowl and knead. Place in a clean oiled bowl and let rise, slowly, about 1 hour. Divide dough into 4 balls. Roll out into 6-inch circles.

Heat grill to high. Brush the dough with olive oil and season with pepper. Grill the bread for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove from the grill and brush with more olive oil.

Cucumber-Yogurt Salad:
Combine shredded cucumbers, yogurt, garlic, cumin, and chopped dill in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with fresh dill sprigs.

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Found this recipe while perusing the wonderfully fantastic food blog, VeganYumYum. I’m usually not a huge fan of Arugula, too bitter for my tastes, but paired with the pistachio and miso is just perfect.

Penne with Pistachio Arugula Pesto and Balsamic Glazed Veggies

Makes 2 servings. Recipe from VeganYumYum.

Ingredients
8 stalks broccolini (try to find it if you can… it really is so much better than regular broccoli!)
2 yellow squash
2 cups dry penne
2 Tbs olive oil
pepper
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 pinch salt

For Pesto:
1/2 cup roasted, unsalted pistachios
2 tbs sweet white miso (which we couldn’t find… we used a miso salad dressing)
1 pinch salt
2 cups arugula
4-5 Tbs olive oil
pepper

Directions
Start heating pasta water. Place pistachios in the bowl of a food processor with salt and miso and pulse 4 times for 1 second per pulse. Roughly chop arugula and add it to the top. Drizzle in olive oil. Do not finish processing until pasta is completed.

Cook your pasta. A few minutes before pasta is finished, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a sauté pan until over medium until fairly hot but not smoking. Trim any dry ends off the broccolini but leave a long stalk. Add it to the hot pan with a pinch of salt. Let cook on one side for 1-2 minutes, or until browned, then turn with tongs to cook another side. When broccolini is bright green and tender crisp, turn off heat and add vinegar, tossing vigorously to coat.

Cut squash in half. Heat another few tablespoons of olive oil, and add squash, face down, to pan. Let cook, without moving, for a few minutes, or until brown and caramelized. Turn and let cook on other side for a few minutes, or until tender. Finish with a dash of balsamic vinegar.

Blend the pesto until well combined, but you should still be able to see chunks of pistachios and arugula.

Drain and toss pasta with pesto (you’ll have some left over). Plate and layer broccolini and squash on top. Serve immediately.

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