Spinach Pesto July 6, 2009

Pesto is one of my favorite things. It’s good as a sandwich spread, as a dip for grilled veggies but best of all it’s great tossed with hot pasta. This version is a take on Michelle’s recipe which I absolutely love.  What is the most awesome about this recipe is that it’s cheaper than making classic pesto and is sooo much better than buying it pre-packaged! Michelle also likes to make it lower in calories by subbing some of the oil for veggie stock. I also am curious what it would be like substituting the parmesan for nutritional yeast (nutch), let me know if you try it out.

Spinach Pesto

Spinach Pesto

2 cup baby spinach washed and dried

1 cup of fresh basil leaves washed, trimmed and dried

1/2 cup cilantro leaves washed trimmed and dried

2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese (rennet and lipase free) or “nutch”

2/3 cup Walnuts

1/3-2/3 olive oil (can use veggie broth to cut the fat, I like all the oil)

3 garlic

sea salt and fresh black pepper

a box of a hardy pasta, ones that are tubes or have grooves suit pesto the best

A word to the wise Michelle uses a hand powered food processor, which gives this pesto a wonderful chunky and inconsistent texture. I used a food processor but realizing early on it would not give me the same texture I left out a handful of the spinach and herb mix as well as some of the walnuts and roughly chopped them, adding them to the mix right before I tossed with hot pasta.

That being said the prep is pretty easy, wash all the greens and pat dry, save a handfull to put aside if you are using a mechanical food processor.

Using the food processor grate the garlic and cheese, add the greens, nuts, and oil, and blend until you like the consistency.

If you are like me and like it a little chunky, remove and add hand chopped remainign greens andnuts, mixing in a large bowl adding salt and pepper to taste.

While that sits boil the pasta in salty water, drain (but don’t run water over it) and toss with sauce, serve hot. YUM!YUM! Enjoy!

Dill Dip April 8, 2009

Ok, so we have a local specialty market that sells all kinds of delicious things and  a lot of them are made in store so they don’t exactly come with an ingredients list. I have been trying a new dip they make every week, sometimes I don’t last the week but I have come across a clear favorite. If you need a dip for veggies, pita or even a cream cheese spread this dip is the winner. It works well using full fat and low fat versions of the same ingredients and doesn’t have as much salt  as the store bought ones. Using fresh dill is essential so please do not substitute for dried.

Dill Dip

MmmMMmm Dill Dip

1  package of light cream cheese (room temperature)
1 cup of light sour cream
1/4 cup washed and finely chopped fresh dill weed (I bundle it and use scissors)
1 small clove  garlic grated
juice of half a lemon
a pinch of cayenne
salt to taste

Place all ingredients into a medium sized bowl, use a hand mixer and blend until everything is smooth and consistant. Let chill for  at leats and hour. Serve with pita chips and fresh cut veggies.

CheeseBall December 31, 2008

Holidays are great for indulging and this is something I only make for get-togethers. It transports well and is easy to make just let s refrigerate for at least and hour, the longer the better. Recipe makes one large cheese ball.  If you want to double it I would suggest doubling everything but the cheddar cheese.

1 pkg of cream cheese
1 pkg of rennet/lipase-free cheddar cheese spread (you can find them in the deli isle sometimes they have seasoning already, otherwise check where the specialty cheeses are in the regular dairy isle)
1 clove of garlic grated
1/2-1  small jalapeno minced
2 tbspn of  minced onion
1 tsp of seasame oil
2 tsp of horseradish dijon mustard
1 tsp soy sauce
2 drops of liquid smoke
1/2 cup of sliced almonds, chopped nuts or chopped parsley for outside

Bring the cheeses to room temperature in a medium sized bowl. Prepare the rest of the ingredients and add to bowl. Using an electric mixer cream together ingredients, adding salt and pepper  if needed.

Put bowl back in the fridge for atleast 30 minutes. Form cheese ball with hands  and roll into nuts or parsley, wrap in plastic wrap if you are going to travel with it and let rest in the fridge for atleast 1 hour before serving.

Gravy December 22, 2008

This gravy will go perfect with your Tofu turkey meal, it is also great to make veggie poutine with just add curd cheese and fries yum yum. If you are not a fan of mushrooms you can omit them, however the mushrooms do add a meatiness to the gravy and darken the color a bit.  Sometimes you can find vegetarian versions of “chicken” or “beef “stock which can easily be used as a substitue for the vegetable broth.

Vegetarian Gravy

a few tsps of olive oil for frying
1 medium onion diced into small pieces
1 cup of mushrooms, I prefer crimini but button also work
2 c prepared vegetarian broth
1 tsp  soy sauce or miso
1 tsp of poultry seasoning
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp of rosemary
2 cloves garlic minced
1-2 drops of liquid smoke (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbs flour  mixed with with 3-5 tbs of cold water to thicken

In a deep fry pan heat oil over medium heat and cook onions until just tender. Add mushrooms and cook until tender. Season veggies with herbs, soy or miso. Add stock , bring to a simmer and let cook for 2-3 minutes. In a small bowl whisk flour with cold water. Mixture should be without lumps and have a slightly loose consistency.  Slowly stream flour mixture into the pan while whisking vigorously. Let mixture cook until thickened to you liking, serve with tofu “turkey” mashed potatoes or over fires and cheese for a veggie poutine.

Tahini Dressing September 12, 2008

Falafel’s condiment….Simple dressing that is good slapped on any sanwich.  It can be thinned out and used as salad dressing, but it’s really garlicky…be warned, but soo yum.

Tahini Dressing

1/4 cup of tahini

2-3 tbspn olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

1/4 -1/2 cup of water (use water to get desired consistency, I like mine a little runny)

1 large clove of garlic grated

salt and pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix. Chill atleast 30 minutes. I find it tends to set thicker, so you might need to add a little water after it chills if you like it runnier.

Most Amazing Hot Fudge Sauce August 15, 2008

Top ice cream, cheesecake or just eat by the spoonful…

Hot Fudge Sauce

Place 3 tbspn of butter and 1/2 cup of cream in a sauce pan over medium high heat.

Melt butter and bring mixture to a low boil.

Add 1/3 wit sugar and 1/3 cup fo brown sugar and stir until dissolved.

Lower heat and add a pinch of salt and 1/2 cup of cocoa, stirring with a wire whisk until you have desired thickness.

Serve immediately or store in a pourable container, if mix gets too thick add a little bit of milk at a time stirring constantly to combine.

Avocado Dip July 1, 2008

The quantities are for one to two people, so if you like it it doubles well. This is another Florida staple, because their avocados were crazy good. Make sure yours are ripe and you use full fat cottage cheese it is really not as good otherwise. Serve with garlic flat bread, Ryvia (sp?) , rice crackers or tortilla chips.

Avocado Dip

1 ripe avocado

1/2 cup of 4% cottage cheese (small curd if possible)

1 tbspn prepared mustard

1 tsp whole grain mustard

1/2 tsp garlic powder or use garlic salt to taste and omit salt

a pinch of cayenne or chili flakes

salt and pepper to taste

Mash avocado well with a fork , stir in remaining ingredients until combined well. Serve immediately.

Guacamole June 27, 2008

For those of you who love avacodoes this dip rocks! I also am going to post an avacdo dip which is very different form guacomole. Hope you enjoy. Serve with tortilla chips, nachos or any Mexican inspired food. I also sometime use it as a sandwich spread and add sprouts and rennet free cheddar cheese.

Guacamole

2 ripe avacadoes

1/4 cup of finely diced red onion

1 large clove of garlic grated

1/2-1 jalepeno minced

1-2 limes juiced

1 medium tomato diced

1 tsp cumin

a pinch of cayenne

salt and fresh pepper to taste

*Chop onion and tomatoes and set aside.

*In a seperate bowl wash, stone, peel and mash avacadoes. Add lime juice, grated garlic, jalapeno, cumin, cayenne and salt and pepper. Stir until smooth

* Mix in tomatoes and onions until well distributed. Eat right away. You can chill for up to 30 minutes but then it usually will start to brown.

Pico de Gallo June 26, 2008

I have been trying to think of perfect summer recipes and truth is I tend to cook more in the winter
and the dishes are heavier and when I sit down to write them I am not as turned on by the unseasonal
aspect of writing winter recipes in the summer. Something I ate a lot while I was in Florida thanks
to my very kind brother-in-law John was pico de gallo. Funny enough when I think of it here I also
keep telling myself I need to introduce it to Jonathan cause I can guarantee it will be his new favorite.
In essence this is my perfect summer recipe, simple and clean tasting, no fuss and requires no cooking. John
I hope I do your recipe justice Also please please make sure everything is ripe and fresh, it makes
a world of difference, don’t mess with my romanticism of summer perfected in salsa…

Pico De Gallo (fresh salsa to us baby)

10 ripe roma tomatoes washed, seeded and diced
1/2 of a red onion finely diced
1 jalepeno finely diced (you can omit this believe it or not, I like a lot of spice so I don’t but I do believe John
omitted his and I ate it like it was going out of style)
2 large cloves of garlic grated
juice of two fresh limes
a splash of olive oil 1-2 tbsps
a handful of fresh cilantro washed and chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Wash, seed and dice tomatoes. Dice onions, jalepeno, and cilantro and add to a large bowl. Grate garlic into bowl, add oil and lime juice and season with salt and pepper. Mix well and let chill for at least 30 minutes. Serve with anything you would eat salsa with. Tortilla chips are a must. Sit on your patio with that and some sun tea and you have a perfect day

***Note: Lime juicing trick, make sure they are room temperature first, then give them a good roll on table before you cut into them to juice them. It releases some of the liquid and makes it easier to get at it***

Nacho Dip June 25, 2008

Everyone has their own variation of this dip, this is mine which could be like yours It’s great at parties and disappears fast. Enjoy!

Nacho Dip

1 pkg of cream cheese
1 large clove of garlic grated
1 tsp basil (from the tube or dried)
3 tbsp of real mayo or yogurt or sour cream whatever you have
1 bottle of Salsa (I use medium)
about 2 cups of grated cheese, just enough to cover top
1 bag of Tortilla chips

*Soften cream cheese in micro wave about 30 seconds, add mayo, garlic and basil and mix until smooth. Layer cheese mix in a pan at 1-2 inch deep. You can use
a 9 inch square pan.
* Cover cheese mixture with the bottle of salsa. and top with cheese. Serve right away or you cna make ahead and chill it doesn’t really affect the outcome.