Using the organic pecans and living basil I received in my CSA produce bag last week, I decided to make a pecan pesto for dinner the other night. Normally, pesto is made with pine nuts, but other nuts can be used as well. Walnuts are a good substitute and.... well, pecans held up mighty fine, too! This is such a quick meal to prepare. It took about 20 minutes- tops. That's what so amazing about fresh produce, you do not have to do too much to them, because the flavors speak for themselves.
INGREDIENTS
· 1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
· 1/2 cup pecans
· 3 cloves garlic
· 1 tbsp. lime juice or balsamic vinegar
· 2/3 cup olive oil
· 1/2 tsp. salt
· 1 tbsp. black pepper
· 4 tbsp. Parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS
· combine all ingredients except cheese in a blender or food processor.
· after blended well, stir in cheese.
· refrigerate until use
I used my pecan pesto on whole wheat penne pasta and a sauteed heirloom tomato for dinner. The pesto comes out very tangy and nutty. The heirloom tomato added extra moisture to the pasta. It was absolutely divine.
Mangia!
I woke up this morning and wanted something freshly baked. I adjusted my homemade blueberry muffin recipe and added apples and strawberries instead. My apples were not as fresh and crunchy as I normally like to eat them, so baking was a good alternative for my "less than fresh" fruit. My strawberries were a few days from freshness, as well. The lemon zest was added for another dimension of flavor. It was the perfect Sunday morning breakfast. Actually, now that I think about it, that is all I have eaten today. I guess the whole wheat flour really sticks to your ribs.
INGREDIENTS
· 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
· 1/4 cup brown rice syrup (sugar substitute- 1/3 regular cup sugar)
· 2 tsp. baking powder
· 1/4 tsp. salt
· 2 egg whites
· 3/4 cup milk (if using brown rice syrup, only put in 1/2 cup milk)
· 1/4 cup cooking oil
· 1/2 cup chopped strawberries
· 1/2 cup peeled, chopped apples
· 1 tsp. lemon zest
INSTRUCTIONS
· Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
· Grease twelve 2 1/2 cup muffin cups or line with paper baking cups
· In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.
· In another bowl combine egg, milk, and oil. Add egg mixture to flour mixture.
· Add chopped fruit and lemon zest. Mix well. Mixture should be lumpy.
· Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Fill each 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes.
· Serve warm with butter.
Happy Sunday!
I think I may have just made my favorite meal of all time! I do follow recipes on occassion, but sometimes it is much more rewarding to cook intuitively. You run the risk of making a dish that doesn't quite meet your expectations, but every once in a while you create a masterpiece. I think tonight I have done just that. Gloating may be necessary here, only because I haven't felt like I have been preparing the best meals lately. I am on a special dietary plan and my meals have been pretty bland, to say the least; lots of brown rice and chicken. We have been craving fish tacos and decided to make them the healthy way, not battered and fried. I had picked up a bag of slaw mix at the market this weekend so that sparked the idea.
The sweetness of the marinade, slaw dressing, and mango paired really well with the acidity of the citrus. The avocado added a nice smooth texture and flavor. I will say, the corn tortillas had a hard time holding up to the moisture, so I may suggest hard tacos if you plan on making this dish.
serves 4
INGREDIENTS
- bag of cole slaw mix
- fresh mango (sliced)- 2 tbsp. of chopped cilantro
-1/4 cup of sliced green onions- three Tilapia filets
- corn tortillas
- one avocado (sliced)
marinade
- 2 tbsp. taco seasoning
- juice of two limes
- juice of one small orange
- 1 tbsp. agave nectar (sugar substitute)
slaw dressing
- 2 tbsp. mayo
- 1 1/2 tbsp of white wine vinegar- 1 tbsp. agave nectar- t tsp. sesame oil
- 1 tsp. hoison sauce
- 1 tsp. sesame seeds- 1 tbsp. water
INSTRUCTIONS- Mix all ingredients for the marinade in a bowl and add Tilapia filets. Marinate for 15 to 20 minutes in the fridge.
- While the fish is marinating, mix together the cole slaw dressing. Add mix to cole slaw, sliced mango, cilantro, and green onions. Mix together well.- When the fish is ready, coat pan with 1 tbsp. of olive oil over medium heat. Add fish to pan with the marinade juice and cook until the sauce has reduced and the fish is fully cooked, yet tender.- Break fish into chunks once it is fully cooked.
- Add fish to warm corn tortillas and top with cole slaw.
- Garnish with sliced avocado.
Delicioso!
The other night, I was craving a light "Springish" meal. I hadn't eaten salmon in a while, so I decided to try something new. I thought that the lemon pepper in the salmon would pair really well with the sweetness in the dressing and the pear. The sunflower seeds could add a little crunch. I would have added gorgonzola cheese, but I am on a restricted diet compliments of my Acunpuncturist. I don't like her very much right now. If I were you, I would add cheese because cheese makes eveything better.
INGREDIENTS
salmon
· 2- 5 oz. filets of Salmon
· extra virgin olive oil
· 5 leaves of fresh basil
· lemon pepper seasoning
salad
· fresh spinach
· 3 tbsp. white onion, chopped
· 1 pear, cut into small slices
· 3 tbsp. honey roasted sunflower seeds
dressing
· 3 tbsp. Rasberry All Fruit
· 1/4 cup of Balsalmic Vinegar
· 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS
· Marinate both salmon filets in olive oil, sliced basil, and lemon pepper for a few hours.
· Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. (You could also cook Salmon on the grill for that smokey flavor)
· Cook salmon for about 20 minutes
· While salmon is cooking, prepare dressing by putting all ingredients in a bowl and whisking to emulsify the olive oil.
· Prepare salad in a bowl.
· When salmon is completely cooked, flake with a fork and put on top of the spinach salad. toss in dressing.
Enjoy!
