May 5, 2011

Basil Pesto

Intimidated by making your own pesto? Fear not! With the use of a food processor, making pesto couldn’t be easier: just add the ingredients, press the button…and pesto! You have one of the most versatile sauces around. Spoon it over roasted asparagus or grilled fish, use it as a sandwich spread or for dipping radishes and carrots, toss it into a potato salad or, of course, cooked pasta. The possibilities are endless!

Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 10 minutes
Makes ¾ cup

Ingredients:
2 cups loosely packed basil leaves
¼ cup pine nuts
¼ cup grated Parmesan
2 small cloves garlic
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup olive oil

Directions:
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the basil, pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic, salt and pepper (6 turns on pepper mill) and pulse several times until finely chopped. Scrape down the sides with a silicone spatula. Add ¼ cup of the oil and pulse a few times until combined. With the processor running, drizzle the remaining ¼ cup oil through the feed tube and process until the pesto is smooth and the oil is incorporated. Add more oil if you like a thinner consistency.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 2 months.

Tools needed:
Food processor, measuring cups, measuring spoons, paring knife, silicone spatula

Posted by do it Delicious
Category: Delicious Recipes

May 3, 2011

An Herb A Week

Is this you? You buy fresh herbs for one recipe, and then the rest of the bunch goes bad by the end of the week because you are not sure how else to use them. I hear this from people all the time. Try this: buy one bunch - start with your favorite (mine would be basil or thyme) and just start adding them to dishes you may not normally have added to before like salads, scrambled eggs, a can of soup, your favorite chicken dish and even sandwiches. Fresh herbs brighten and liven any dish, especially if you don’t have time to cook using other fresh ingredients or produce.

You’ll be surprised what you come up with and how the addition of one herb can wake everything up. Who knows, you may even create a new dish of your own.

Posted by Jessica Seinfeld
Category: Tips and Tricks