Roasted Garlic and Tomato Pasta

Okay, so a bit simple, but certainly worth posting about since it's so very delicious. I used whole wheat linguine, so it was healthy to boot. I served the pasta with pan seared pork chops.

Roasted Garlic and Tomato Pasta

Ingredients

• 3 cups cherry tomatoes
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 Tbs. capers and juice
• Juice of 1 lemon
• olive oil
• salt
• pinch of sugar
• pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 325. Add washed cherry tomatoes and garlic cloves to sheet pan and drizzle with olive, salt, sugar and pepper. Roast for 45-60 minutes until the garlic is softened and the cherry tomatoes are caramelized (the sugar helps speed this process). If you're short on time, feel free to kick up the heat, just be sure not to burn the garlic.

Cook 1 pound of pasta to al dente, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. In the hot pasta pot, combine the drained pasta, roasted tomatoes, garlic, accumulated juices, capers, lemon juice and toss. If the pasta is dry, add a bit of the pasta water. Adjust seasonings with additional olive oil, salt and pepper if needed.

Serve hot or warm.

Grilled Tamarind Chicken

I found this recipe in the July issue of Fine Cooking. I loved the idea of using the Tamarind soda as a base for the marinade. I tweaked the recipe slightly, using chipotle chili powder for more heat, and instead of slicing the chicken for tacos, I served it whole. It's a great marinade that will be fun to experiment with in the months to come.

Grilled Tamarind Chicken

Ingredients

• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 lb.)
• 1 12.5-oz. bottle tamarind soda
• (such as Jarritos brand)
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 3 medium cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 Tbs. ground coriander
• 2 tsp. pure chile powder, such as ancho
• Sea salt

Directions

Put the chicken in a large bowl and cover with the tamarind soda. Add the soy sauce and garlic and mix well.  

Refrigerate overnight.

Prepare a high charcoal or gas grill fire for indirect grilling (I just used a grill pan).

Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat it dry. In a small bowl, combine the coriander, chile powder, and a pinch of salt. Dust the thighs on both sides with the spice rub. Cook on the hot part of the grill until grill marks form on the bottom, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn and mark the other side, about 2 minutes more. Move the chicken to the cooler side of the grill and grill until cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. Let the chicken rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes and serve.