The Original Green Machine

Continuing on my quest to suggest easy meals that lower your grocery bill without making you eat junk food, I thought it imperative to teach you a basic recipe for pesto--The Original Green Machine--in my opinion.  There's alot of hype about kale, green juice, green monster detox, and "green everything", but none of them go on spaghetti quite like Pesto, the original green pasta sauce.

A friend gave me this recipe years ago--the nice thing is that if you don't have enough basil, add more nuts and parmesan or parsley. (On occasion I have even bulked it up with fresh spinach. Kale would be an option as well).  If you like less spice, remove a garlic clove--you decide what makes your taste buds happy.  The best part is that making pesto home-made is cheap and will give you 2-3 times the amount that a store-bought jar will cost you.

If you have leftovers, store it in a jar and put it on the sandwich you are taking to class or the library!

Equipment:
Magic Bullet-type blender

Ingredients:
2 cups basil, packed
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1/3 cup walnuts or pine nuts (walnuts cheaper)
1-2 garlic cloves
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 lemon juice, plus to taste
1/3-1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil--this is gradually added until smooth consistently.
1/2 tsp Salt & Pepper, plus extra to taste

Instructions:
1. Wash you parsley and basil.

2. Peel garlic cloves and coarsely chop nuts.

3. Grate parmesan.
4. Add all of the ingredients except for half of the olive oil.

5. Pack everything into the blender and begin pulsing.  It may require a few stops and shaking to get everything combined.  But persist.

6. Adjust flavors as you see fit:  more cheese, more basil, more salt, more lemon, or more oil.
You should have a beautiful, silky, bright green concoction waiting for your hot pasta.  No need to heat this!

7. Get your bread or pasta ready, because you are about to have one fantastic vegetarian meal!

Summer In Your Mouth

Basil and tomatoes are one of the greatest combos ever (next to Frodo and Sam, 007 & M, or Skywalker & Obi-Wan). Some things just go together!

Bruschetta is an explosion of flavors in your mouth and you can't help but taste summer.  This is one of our son's favorite appetizers or snacks...although, to be honest, we have eaten an entire tray as our supper some nights.  The key here is getting fresh tomatoes off the vine from your local farmer's market and fresh ingredients--it's better for you, the environment and the economy.

Keep it simple with a fresh loaf of French bread; or, go all out with the goat cheese and toasted pine nuts version.

Note: 

I have never tried this, but you could conceivably exchange cilantro, red onions, and jalapeños for the basil and green onions, and make a salsa.

Equipment: 

Large mixing bowl

Chopping Surface

Knives to chop

Ingredients:

3 cups tomatoes, diced

5 green onions, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

10-12 basil leaves, chopped

1 tsp kosher salt

Fresh ground pepper

3 Tablespoons olive oil

2 tsp red wine vinegar

Juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon

French bread or ciabatta, sliced

4 oz. Soft goat cheese

1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted & chopped

Instructions:

1. Wash your hands.

2. Wash tomatoes, herbs, and onions.

3. Seed tomatoes and finely dice them.

4. Slice your green onions and mince the garlic
5. Chop a nice handful of fresh basil.  Sorry the dried stuff isn't good enough for this.

6. Combine first 9 ingredients. (except bread, cheese, and nuts)

Add 2 teaspoons of red wine vinegar

Add 3 Tablespoons of good olive oil

Add juice of 1/2 to 1 full lemon.

7. Once it's gently combined, adjust the taste according to your liking with additional salt, lemon, vinegar, or oil.

8. Slice fresh baguette and enjoy!

Optional, but so worth it:

9. Toast slices of bread in oven with a drizzle of oil

10. Toast pine nuts ( as demonstrated in previous blog. Remember these little nuts burn easily) 

11. Spread goat cheese on toast.

12. Sprinkle pinenuts on bread.

13. Place generous helping of tomatoe mix on top.

Lemon and Pine-Nut Rice

Here's the final recipe for your simple, greek-inspired meal: Lemon and Pine Nut Rice.   I found this in Martha Stewart's--Fresh Flavor Fast cookbook and modified it by using chicken broth to make the rice and adding fresh herbs to the lemon juice, zest, and toasted pine nuts. You can always make plain old regular brown or white rice, but sometimes it's better to be different.

Equipment:
3 qt saucepan with a tight-fitting lid

Ingredients:
1 + 1/2 cups of water
1 chicken buillion (or just use chicken broth altogether)
1 cup rice

1-2 Tbls of lemon juice
1/2 tsp of lemon zest, grated
1 Tablespoon of butter
1/4 cup of pine nuts, toasted in a small skillet on Medium

Mixture of fresh herbs, ie oregano, majoram, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Wash your hands.
2. Bring chicken broth to a boil.
3. Add rice and bring to a boil.
5. Cover and reduce heat to 'Low'.
6. Simmer for 15-17 minutes.

7. While you are making perfect rice, prep your other ingredients.
8. Finely chop the majoram and oregano if you decide to add these.
9. Toast your pine nuts.  Follow this closely because these nuts are expensive and burn easily!!!

10. Zest and juice lemon.

11. When rice done, remove from heat and fluff with a fork and butter.  Let sit for 5 minutes.
12. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Bring out the grilled chicken souvlaki and tzatziki.
Make your bucket list, sit back, and dream of Greece.

Gnocchi: It's What's For Dinner

Feeling good about your cooking skills? Maybe it's time to have your friends be the judge of that, and invite a few over for dinner. Start with 2 to 4 friends...good friends!

Keep it simple and have your 'mise en place', in other words: everything in place.
Do all the prep work ahead before you start and it will be as easy as 1-2-3.

Are you up for the challenge? Let's get started.

Menu:
Gnocchi with Parmesean
Arugula Salad with a Zesty Balsamic Dressing

Step 1- Make salad dressing

Equipment:
Protein Shaker

Ingredients:
Good Seasoning 'Zesty Italian' Salad Dressing packet
1/2 c olive oil
1/4 c red wine vinegar
1/8 c balsamic vinegar
3 Tbls water

Shake away and set aside. Done.

Step 2 - Make Arugula Salad

Equipment:
Large mixing bowl or individual salad plate

Ingredients:
1-2 c Arugula salad per person
Red onion, diced
Pine Nuts, toasted or plain
Parmesean cheese, shaved or grated
Kosher salt & pepper

Extras or Variations:
Dried cherries, pomegranate
Feta, crumbled or goat cheese

Assemble salad starting with arugula.
Sprinkle other ingredients on top.

Let everyone add balsamic dressing to their taste.
Salad ready. Check.

Step 3 - Make gnocchi.

Equipment:
3 or 5-quart sauce pan for boiling water
Water, salted
10" or 12" skillet (depends on # guests)


Ingredients:
1-2 packages dried gnocchi
1-2 jars of your favorite Marinara, Vodka, or Cream sauce
1/3 c Parmesean, grated

Optional:
Sautéed mushrooms (see previous blog)

1. In your skillet have chosen sauce simmering on 'Low'. you want your sauce warm and waiting.

2. Place gnocchi into boiling water.  Gnocchi will initially sink. Stir water.  When gnocchi is ready, it will float to the top. Drain gnocchi.

3. Add drained gnocchi to skillet red sauce. Stir in Parmesean if desired.

4. Plate gnocchi and sprinkle with extra cheese. Dinner is served.

6. Take it up a notch?  Add those sautéed mushrooms from the previous blog.
Congratulations!  You did it!  Have a friend bring the dessert.

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