Today was spent sorting through the boxes upon boxes of magazines, books, and general paper clutter in the house, as I am on a Minimalist Journey (I’ll probably touch on it sometime later). So much for a relaxing weekend. Anyhow, I was so beat that I was going to make salsa and chips for dinner, and wash it down with a margarita. So I bopped into my local Loblaws (it’s Canadian) grocery store to grab some limes, and I saw something so beautiful, I almost wept with joy.
Fresh tortellini. Gluten free. Canadian Celiac Association seal. Imported from Italy. Now, I haven’t had fresh pasta since my diagnosis, and certainly not my favorite, cheese tortellini. This was cause for a celebration!
But not a celebration that was too much work. I was tired. And achey. And hungry. And whiny. So I tried to imagine what I could possibly make to honor this divine gift from the President’s Choice brand gods, and grabbed a package of frozen smoked salmon as well.
Since I am experimenting with keeping “power food” watercress alive and already had a bunch, I knew what super easy (yet kinda fancy-esque ) meal that I could quickly throw together:
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup gluten-free cheese tortellini
2-3 oz smoked salmon
2 generous tbsp Boursin Basil & Garlic cheese
Handful of watercress leaves, cut into chiffonade strips
Pepper to taste
Salt for boiling water
EQUIPMENT
Sauce Pan
Strainer
1. Defrost your salmon if it’s still frozen. I used my salmon defroster heat lamp (which also amazingly doubles as the halogen lamp on my home office desk)
Now you’re ready to rock!
2. Boil about a quart of salted water. Cook tortellini according to instructions. It’s about 4 mins for fresh pasta. (I’m not going to show you a photo of boiling water and cooking pasta. If even I know how to do that, we’re pretty safe in assuming that you probably do too.)
2. As your tortellini is cooking, chiffonade the watercress (by stacking the leaves up and rolling them like a cigar, then slicing them).
Mince the salmon, finely, but not so finely that it turns into a pile of mush.
4. Strain your now-cooked tortellini and leave it in the strainer. Give your pot a quick rinse and put it back on the stove over LOW heat.
5. Add the Boursin cheese and let it melt. Do not turn up the heat. This seriously will only take maybe 2 minutes so be patient! 🙂
5. When the Boursin has melted, quickly stir in half the watercress and all the salmon. Give it a quick mix-around, as you do NOT want to cook the salmon through, just maybe the very edges while you coat it. Add in your pasta and plate it, topping it with a few fresh grinds of pepper and the rest of the watercress.
This is unbelievably flavorful and rich, and so quick! You could even serve this with a salad and make it two servings; it’s really that filling.
Also, it looks like food that people who actually know how to cook would make, which is an added bonus. A glass of crisp white wine went really nicely with it.
Note: I bought two packages of the PC gluten-free fresh tortellini, and am freezing one of them, because of Murphy’s Law: when I desperately need a package to make a fast, yet impressive, entree pronto…
….they’ll probably be sold out.