24 July 2016 Quick and Easy Pesto

Quick and Easy Pesto

July 24, 2016 By

Jarred PestoEvery spring, I plant basil in my garden as it’s one of my favorite fresh herbs. By mid-summer, I have so much basil that I wonder why I planted so much for a 2-person household. Every summer is the same “why did I plant so much again”.

Luckily, there’s pesto. Yesterday, I picked a whole bunch of basil leaves and made thick, luscious pesto that I’ll toss with gnocchi tonight and freeze in ice cube trays for future use.

This recipe yields about a cup of pesto, but it can easily be doubled if you have tons of basil, like I do.

It’s perfect tossed with pasta, spread on sandwiches or used as a topping for grilled/roasted chicken or fish.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup, pine nuts (could use cashews or slivered almonds)
  • 4 cups fresh basil leaves, cleaned, dried and slightly packed
  • ⅓ cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 tsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  • Zest of half a lemon
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes, optional
  • ½ cup high-quality olive oil

Instructions

  1. In a small skillet over medium heat, toast the pine nuts for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Carefully watch this process and shake the skillet periodically to ensure the nuts don’t burn.
  2. In a food processor (could use a blender), add the remaining ingredients, including the nuts, except the oil. Pulse for about a minute then run for about 30 seconds until the ingredients are finely incorporated.
  3. With the food processor running, stream the oil into the pesto until fully emulsified, about 30 seconds. Taste the pesto and add more Parmesan cheese if you want a cheesier pesto.
  4. I store the pesto I’m going to use within a week in a canning jar in the fridge. For anything over a week, I place the pesto in ice cube trays, freeze fully then pop out of the trays, place in zip top bags and freeze for up to a couple months.
Filed Under: Appetizers, Cheese, Cuisine Type, Italian, Sauce, Sides Tagged With: , , ,
28 June 2016 Baby Back Ribs with Balsamic BBQ Sauce

Baby Back Ribs with Balsamic BBQ Sauce

June 28, 2016 By

Pork RibsWhile I have my go-to ribs recipe, I’m always looking for new ideas and variations from the old standard. This recipe, provided by Executive Chef Josh Bernstein of Spuntino Wine Bar & Italian Tapas, puts a bit of an Italian spin on the backyard BBQ favorite.

Ingredients:

Rib Spice Rub:

  • 1/4 cup dried basil
  • 1/4 cup dried oregano
  • 1/2 cup paprika
  • 1/2 cup garlic powder
  • 1/2 cup onion powder
  • 1/2 cup ground fennel seed
  • 3/4 cup dark brown sugar           
  • 1 cup kosher salt
  • 2 Tbsp. red pepper flakes
  • 2 Tbsp. ground black pepper

Balsamic BBQ Sauce:

  • 2 cups balsamic vinegar
  • 1-1/2 cups ketchup
  • 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh chopped garlic
  • 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp. Kosher salt             
  • 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Ribs:

  • 4 racks of baby back ribs
  • 1 cup rib spice rub
  • 2 Tbsp. chopped Italian parsley
  • 1 cup balsamic BBQ sauce

Method:

For the Rib Spice Rub:
Place all of the ingredients into a bowl.  Mix well.  Keep in an air tight container for up to 3 weeks.  This recipe will make more than needed for the ribs.  It is a good marinade for other meats as well.

For the Balsamic BBQ Sauce:
Combine all of the ingredients in a sauce pot.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the flame and simmer for 45 minutes.  Stir every 10 minutes.  Strain and cool.

For the Ribs:
Spread the spice rub evenly over the ribs.  Wrap each in aluminum foil.  Allow to marinate overnight in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.  Place the ribs, still wrapped in aluminum foil, into a 350 degree oven for 2 hours.  At this point you can cool them down and refrigerate up to 7 days or freeze for up to 2 months.  If not, brush the ribs with the BBQ sauce and place onto a hot grill.  Cook until the sauce is hot on the ribs.  Cut into 1-2 rib portions and garnish with parsley.

Serves 4.

Filed Under: American, Appetizers, Entrees, Pork, Sauce, Starters Tagged With: , , , , ,
20 October 2015 Basil Freezing Technique

Basil Freezing Technique

October 20, 2015 By

This year, I had an unbelievable basil harvest in my garden boxes. Typically, I turn a bunch in pesto and freeze that tasty green paste for comforting bowls of pasta throughout the winter.

This summer, I had so much basil that I opted to simply puree some with olive oil and freeze in ice cube trays to be used in soups and stews. The technique is easy:

  • Remove all the basil leaves from the stalks then wash the leaves and dry them thoroughly using paper towels.
  • Add the leaves to a food processor and puree with olive oil until an almost smooth puree is created. For every cup of fresh basil leaves, use about a tablespoon of olive oil.
  • Pour a couple of tablespoonful of puree into the wells of an ice cube tray. Place the ice cube tray in the freezer and freeze for 8 hours or overnight.
  • Remove the frozen puree from the ice cube tray and place in freezer-safe re-sealable bags in the freezer until ready to use.

If you decide to try this technique, please post a comment on this post!

Cheers,

Veronique

Filed Under: American, Sauce, Sides Tagged With: , ,

Harvest Tomato Sauce by Bracco Farms

September 18, 2015 By

Last week, when I received my Bracco Farms CSA box, I was a bit overwhelmed with the huge share of gorgeous tomatoes I received. Considering I have a healthy harvest of my own tomatoes, I was a bit weary of what I’d do with all those beauties – I love tomatoes, but one can only consume so many in a week’s time!

The lovely Christa at Bracco Farms, without prompting, must have a read my mind and asked if I needed a quick and easy tomato sauce that freezes well for any extra tomatoes I might have…YES!!!!!!!!!!

Here’s a simple sauce recipe Christa shared with me. It was exactly what I was looking for.

Chop the large tomatoes into chunks, the cherry tomatoes into halves and put them all together in a big pot. 

Drizzle a fair amount of olive oil (or any oil) over them with some salt.  DO NOT COVER OR ADD WATER.  Bring to a simmer.  Simmer for about ½ hour to release some of the natural water.

Cool and then freeze for the winter!

Please post a comment if you use this simple recipe for your extra harvest tomatoes.

Thanks,

Veronique

Filed Under: American, Sauce, Vegetables Tagged With: , , , ,
31 August 2015 Easy Greek Vinaigrette

Easy Greek Vinaigrette

August 31, 2015 By

Greek VinaigretteIf you’ve been following this blog for a while, you know I LOVE Greek food. As such, I make this simple vinaigrette all the time and literally use it on everything.

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • ½ tsp. each salt, pepper and Oregano

Directions:

In a glass jar with a tight-fitted lid, add the ¼ cup of oil, the vinegar, the mustard and the remaining salt, pepper and the Oregano. Close the lid and shake vigorously. Alternatively, whisk all the ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate for up to 3 days if not using right away.

Cheers,

Veronique

Filed Under: Greek, Sauce, Sides Tagged With: , , , ,
21 August 2015 Rigatoni with Lamb Bolognese and Mint Ricotta

Rigatoni with Lamb Bolognese and Mint Ricotta

August 21, 2015 By

Rigatoni with Lamb BologneseI love lamb and am always looking for new ways to prepare it at home. This past weekend, I have ground lamb left and since my guy had asked me to make meat sauce, I decided to use the lamb to make it, but add some lamb-friendly flavors. I did add some ground pork as the lamb is just too lean, in my opinion, for this type of sauce.

The rigatoni I like to use is by Delverde Pasta, the best dry pasta I’ve come across. The dollop of mint sheep’s ricotta just adds a new texture to the dish and amazing flavor. There will be sauce leftover after this recipe is made and it can be frozen for up to 2 months.

Sauce Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 medium carrots, finely diced
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 3/4 pound ground pork
  • 3/4 pound ground Lamb
  • 3 28-ounce can Italian-style tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 6-ounce can of tomato paste
  • ½ cup Marsala wine
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp. each, dry mint and salt
  • ½ tsp. pepper

Assembly Ingredients:

  • 1 cup sheep’s milk ricotta (could use high quality cow’s milk ricotta), at room temperature
  • 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint
  • 16-ounce box of rigatoni, cook to al dente, water drained and pasta returned to the cooking pot

Sauce Directions:

  1. In a heavy-bottom saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high, warm the olive oil. Add carrots and onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Reduce heat to medium and cook until vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. Increase heat to high, add meats and sauté until no longer pink, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add tomatoes and their juices, the tomato paste, wine and the spices and stir well. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours.

Assembly Directions:

  1. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta and the mint.
  2. Add enough cooked sauce to the pasta in the pot to coat it, about 4 cups for the six servings.
  3. Serve the pasta in bowls and add a tablespoonful of ricotta to each bowl. Combine the ricotta with the pasta to create a creamy mixture.

6 Servings.

Filed Under: American, Entrees, Italian, Lamb, Sauce Tagged With: , , ,
31 May 2015 Basil-Packed Marinara Sauce

Basil-Packed Marinara Sauce

May 31, 2015 By

Marinara SauceMy local grocery store had beautiful, organic Roma tomatoes this morning so I was inspired to make a light marinara sauce to complement my Almost Guilt-Free Individual Eggplant Parmesan.

The quick recipe calls for a food processor, but if you don’t have this handy kitchen appliance, use a blender or hand-chop the tomatoes.

Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ tsp. each salt, pepper, dried basil and sugar
  • 8 Roma tomatoes, pureed in the food processor
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh basil

Directions

  • Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the onion and sauté for about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the salt, pepper, dried basil and sugar and cook for 1 more minute.
  • While the onion/garlic mixture is cooking, place the tomatoes in a food processor and pulse for about 30 seconds or until mostly liquid with a few small tomato pieces.
  • Add the pureed tomatoes to the onion mixture in the saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add the fresh basil right before serving.

Make about 3 cups.

Notes: Finished sauce can be cooled, placed in airtight containers and frozen for a month. It can also be refrigerated for 3 days.

Filed Under: American, Italian, Sauce, Vegetables Tagged With: , , , , ,
8 February 2015 Sauce au Cassis

Sauce au Cassis

February 8, 2015 By

SauceThis reduction is what I typically serve over duck but it could be great over other poultry, over lamb or even beef.

Sauce:

  • ½ cup beef broth
  • ½ cup red wine
  • ¼ cup crème de cassis
  • 1 Tbsp. cassis jam (or mixed berries)
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 2 generous pinches of salt

Directions:

  1. In a small saucepan over high heat, add all the ingredients except the butter, bring to a boil and reduce the liquids by half, about 5 minutes. Can be made up to this point until ready to serve, just reheat over medium heat and go to step 2.
  2. Lower heat to medium-low and add the butter and the salt. Don’t allow the mixture to boil again. Swirl the pan to ensure the butter is getting gently incorporating into the sauce.

Makes about 1 cup.

Filed Under: American, French, Sauce Tagged With: ,
« Previous Page