If you are a fan of olives, capers and other Mediterranean ingredients, and like tuna fish sandwiches or salad, then you will probably love this one. With olive oil and lots of roasted peppers adding the juiciness vs. mayonnaise, this is one healthful sandwich with tons of flavor! Make them in the morning to allow the olive oil and other flavorful juices to soak into hearty bread or baguettes for an extraordinary sandwich!
Recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:
1 cup Tuna, oil-packed
1/3 cup Roasted Red Peppers, seeded, chopped
1/4 cup Kalamata Olives, pitted, chopped
2 Tbsp. Capers drained, rinsed, chopped
1/4 cup Basil, fresh, chopped
2 Tbsp. Red Onion, minced
3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar
To Taste: Kosher or Sea Salt and Black Pepper, freshly ground

8 slices Olive Bread, sandwich-sized loaf
4 slices Red or Green Leaf Lettuce
8 slices Tomato, ripe, 1/4”-thick
16 slices Provolone, sharp

Directions:
In a medium mixing bowl, mix together first set of ingredients. Assemble sandwiches by dividing the salad by 4 pieces of bread. Top with lettuce, tomato and cheese. Top with remaining slices of bread. Press the sandwiches to flatten slightly. Wrap sandwiches tightly with parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. When ready to serve, slice sandwiches in half and serve in paper.

Garlic Seared Duck Breast with Wilted Dandelion and Whole Grain Pilaf

One of the easiest and most satisfying meals that I like to prepare at home is seared duck breasts, thanks to the individually cryovac-packed breasts that many supermarkets are carrying these days. Just thaw, season and sear for something that is tremendously flavorful and quite nutritious. The trick is to render out enough of the skin’s fat, leaving a thin yet crispy layer around otherwise red and juicy meat. With some out-of-the-box pilaf and some quickly wilting greens, it’s literally a flash in the pan!
Recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:
4 Duck Breasts, trimmed of all excess fat except for 1/4” layer of skin
To Taste: Kosher or Sea Salt and Black Pepper, freshly ground
1/4 tsp. Thyme Leaves, fresh, picked
6 Garlic Cloves, unpeeled

1 bunch Dandelion Greens, trimmed just below leaves, well-washed
To Taste: Kosher or Sea Salt and Black Pepper, freshly ground
1/2 Lemon, juice of

1 box Whole Grain Pilaf, prepared according to instructions on box

2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, to drizzle over duck

Directions:
Preheat a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Using a very sharp knife, score a small crisscross pattern into the duck’s skin, without going down into the meat. This will allow for better crisping and rendering of fat. Season the breasts with salt, pepper and thyme. Add the duck breasts, skin side down, to the hot pan and press the breasts flat to ensure initial even contact. Sear the breast until the fat is rendered and the breast is beginning to crisp nicely and turn a dark, golden brown. Flip the breast and add the garlic cloves to the rendered fat that has come from the breasts. Cook the breasts, spooning with the garlic-flavored fat as they cook, until medium-rare (about 5 minutes). Remove the breasts from the pan, reserving the fat and garlic cloves in the hot pan, and place on a warm plate, skin-side up, and allow to rest for an additional 4 minutes before slicing. While the duck breasts rest, add the dandelion greens to the hot, garlicky fat and toss well. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
To plate, place a mound of the hot pilaf on each warmed serving plate. Divide the dandelion greens among the plates. Slice the breasts across the grain and shingle around the grains and greens. Drizzle with any accumulated juices from the duck and a small amount of olive oil. Serve immediately.

Tandoori Spice Fried Chicken with Tomato-Cucumber Salad

All I’ve done here is add some store-bought tandoori spice paste to a typical buttermilk chicken recipe, resulting in a completely different flavor profile and a bit of heat. Paired with the cucumber salad and a minty yogurt sauce, you get hot, cold, spicy and refreshing all on the same plate, making for an interesting dining experience.
Recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:
2 Chickens, preferably all-natural or organic fryers, cut into 8 pieces each
2 cups Buttermilk
1 Tbsp. Tandoori Paste, as purchased
1 Tbsp. Garlic, fresh, minced
1 Lemon, juice of
1/2 tsp. Thyme, fresh
1 Bay Leaf
1 Tbsp. Kosher Salt

4 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Tbsp. Garlic Salt
1 Tbsp. Onion Powder
1 Tbsp. Black Pepper, coarse
1 tsp. Cumin, ground
1 tsp. Coriander, ground
1 tsp. Cayenne, ground
3 tsp. Kosher Salt

As Needed: Canola Oil, for frying

Directions:
Two days before you intend to serve this fried chicken, marinate the chicken in the first set of ingredients, allowing the buttermilk to tenderize the meat and the flavors to penetrate.
One hour before frying, mix together the remaining ingredients (except oil). Dredge the chicken well in the seasoned flour mixture. Place the chicken on a parchment-lined tray and allow to sit for 10 minutes to allow chicken to make the first coating of flour tacky. Re-flour chicken again and allow to sit.
Meanwhile, preheat oil in a fryer, large pot or traditional frying pan to approximately 325 degrees F. Re-flour chicken one last time and gently shake off excess. Deep-fry or pan-fry chicken, turning after the first immersed side is golden brown, and continue to cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Drain on a paper-lined platter to absorb excess oil. Serve hot or cold with accompanying cucumber salad and sauce.

Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:
1 Cucumber, peeled, halved, seeds removed, sliced into 1/4”-thick half-moons
1/4 Red Onion, julienne
1 Pickled Garlic Clove, slivered
1/2 pint Grape Tomatoes, halved
1 tsp. Cilantro, fresh, chopped
1 tsp. Mint, fresh, chopped
1 tsp. Red Wine Vinegar
2 tsp. Olive Oil
To Taste: Kosher or Sea Salt and Black Pepper, freshly ground

Directions:
Combine ingredients and allow flavors to marry for up to 1 hour before serving.

Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients:
3/4 cup Yogurt, plain
1/2 cup Sour Cream
2 Tbsp. Mint, fresh
1/2 Lemon, juice of
2 Pickled Garlic Cloves, chopped
To Taste: Kosher or Sea Salt and Black Pepper, freshly ground

Directions:
Whisk ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Italian Sodas

If you are a soda fiend and enjoy a little creativity, then the sky is the limit when it comes to Italian sodas. With a menu of flavored syrups available at many markets, you can easily have fun whipping up your own wild concoctions.
Recipe serves 1.

Here’s what you need:
Tall Glass
1-2 Tbsp. Flavored Syrup (I used raspberry and vanilla syrups for the shoot)
Crushed Ice
Soda Water, to top of glass
Whipped Cream, for garnish
Straw