Tomato

Spaghetti con Aglio e Olio with Tomato and Onion Salad

This meal and the next have appeared in other books of mine. I did not invent the dishes—they are classics. My take on these classics are my two favorite meals, ever. I simply could not have you (or me) live through a whole year without having these dishes in there somewhere. Enjoy these oldies-but-oh-so-goodies!

Lemony Crispy Chicken Cutlets and Roasted Tomato Salad with Pine Nuts and Blue Cheese

Sliced Grilled Steak on Blue Cheese Biscuits with Watercress, Sour Cream, and Sliced Tomatoes

Ropa Vieja Josés (Cuban Sloppy Joes) with Smashed Yucca, Sliced Tomatoes, Plantain Chips, and Mojo Sauce

This recipe is for Gloria, Emilio, and Emily Estefan (or, as I call them, the Este-FUN Family). So, how Cuban did I get in 30 Minutes? XXOO, RR

Mashed Plantains with Oh, Baby! Garlic–Tomato Shrimp on Top, Grilled Flank Steak with Lime and Onions, and Quick Rice with Black Beans

Gloria Estefan taught me how to cook plantains in the microwave and her husband, Emilio, gave me the urban, updated idea of lightening up some Cuban-influenced dishes. The result is this menu, my interpretation of Metro-Retro Cuban cooking. This dinner is also delicious made with seasoned grilled thin-cut chicken breast, seasoned in the same manner as the steak.

Chicken Cacciatore Stoup

Stoup is what I call a meal that serves up thicker than a soup yet thinner than a stew. This hearty hunter’s chicken stoup is a family favorite of ours, especially on chilly nights.

Sardine and Bread Crumb Pasta with Puttanesca Salad

Balsamic-Glazed Swordfish with Capers and Grape Tomato–Arugula Rice

Balsamic-Glazed Chicken with Smoked Mozzarella and Garlic Rice Pilaf

Turkey Cutlet Parmigiano with Warm, Fresh Grape Tomato Topping, Pesto, and Mozzarella

Eggs-traordinary Stuffed Toasty Baskets with Lemony Greens

This is a B-L-D meal: good for Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner.

Couple-of-Minute Steaks and Potato Ragout

Sausage and Spinach Pastry Squares with Cherry Tomato–Arugula Salad

Pasta with Roasted Eggplant Sauce and Ricotta Salata

I love this dish, Pasta alla Norma. Traditionally, it is made with 1 whole cup of EVOO and lots of chopped baby eggplant. It’s good, but if you don’t find just the right eggplant to use, the dish can be greasy and bitter. The recipe below is a take-off on Norma that includes all the same elements, but it is never bitter and uses much less oil (making Norma’s figure a little better!).

BLT Pasta Bake: Bacon, Leeks, and Tomatoes

Serve as is or with a simple green salad.

Sautéed Sweet Chicken Breasts with a Spicy Fresh Tomato Chutney and White Rice

Papa al Pomodoro

This thick soup is a ribollita (stale bread soup) made with tons of tomatoes. Torello (literally, “The Bull”) from Florence makes his with tomatoes grown on his own land in Tuscany. At his restaurant, Il Latini, he taught me the manner—the only manner—in which one eats any type of ribollita: with chopped raw onions and a drizzle of EVOO on top. If you are not committed to this process or if you don’t do raw onions, skip this recipe. You’re not to eat it any other way. Torello will find out, and I’ll be in for it!