Homemade Roasted Red Pepper and Basil Pesto with Penne

The basil plant in our herb garden is growing like crazy. Of all of the herbs I don't use basil that often and needed to find something to use some up in. The first thing that came to mind was a pesto sauce for pasta. I have never made it before and figured I would give it a try with my new food processor. I was looking up recipes on the various food blogs I read and came across a roasted red pepper pesto and penne...perfect! It was even on a site for picky eaters, which Jason can sometimes be one this seemed like a perfect match, especially since I know he loves red peppers. It turned out creamy and flavorful. The roasted red peppers were not a strong flavor to the basil and garlic so I might use 1 clove of garlic next time and a little more red pepper if we want a stronger flavor. You can also add some grilled or shredded chicken for more protein. Either way it was a hearty meal.

Roasted Red Pepper and Basil Pesto Penne

Ingredients:

½ Cup roasted red bell peppers (jar or fresh)

2 cloves fresh garlic

1/3 Cup parmesan cheese, grated

1/3 Cup pine nuts

1 ½ Cups basil leaves

½ teaspoon salt

½ Cup extra virgin olive oil

1 lb Penne (or any short cut pasta)

¼ Cup heavy cream, if desired (I didn't add since it was thick enough on its own, but it makes for a creamier sauce)

 

Directions:

1. Place roasted red peppers and garlic into food processor. Pulse until well combined.  

2. Add the parmesan, pine nuts, basil leaves and salt. With processor running, slowly drizzle in olive oil. Set aside.

3. Cook penne according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a large rimmed skillet or pot. Pour in pesto and stir. Stir in heavy cream if desired. Heat for 5 minutes or until heated through. Best served immediately.

Source: Picky Palate

Hamburger Cupcakes

Happy 4th of July! While this is a holiday most people celebrate by making hamburgers outside on the grill, I decided to make cupcake hamburgers. I was in a store and saw a cute hamburger cake and then smaller cupcakes that looked just like a hamburger. And since hamburgers are kind of a big deal around our house, I just had to try making them myself for Jason to bring to work.

Since I wasn't sure how they would turn out, I must confess I used a yellow cake mix and a jar of chocolate fudge icing. Normally I would make the yellow cake and a chocolate butter-cream or cream cheese icing from scratch and definitely will next time. I also bought red and green tubes of decorating icing, but not the gel stuff. Bake the cupcakes according to the recipe/directions.

Be sure to let them cool completely. Then remove the paper liner and cut it in to give it the look of a hamburger bun.

Next add the chocolate icing to the bottom to create the hamburger.

Then add a circle of the red piping icing to create the look of a tomato slice.

And add a zig zag or green piping icing to create the lettuce. It doesn't have to be perfect since the top will be covering it.

Finally put the top of the cupcake/bun on and press down a little bit. Add on a few sesame seeds and press gently to stay put. Voila you are done!

Summer Berry Muffins

I had bought a big container of blueberries and there is no way that I could eat them all before they go bad. I came across this recipe for summer berry muffins that looked quick and easy. It also allowed me to use the new muffin tin I received at my bridal shower! I thought I had some frozen mixed berries from smoothies but turned out I used of them all so I turned these into just blueberry muffins. They turned out light and fluffy, not a dense muffin and not too sweet which is nice. I might try with strawberries or peaches also.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cups sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk  

1 egg, at room temperature  

1 tsp. almond extract

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/2 cup fresh, frozen blueberries

1/2 cup fresh, frozen raspberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a twelve cup muffin-pan with with baking spray or line with paper liners.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until well blended.  Create a well in the center.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together milk, egg, and two extracts until well blended.

4. Pour the milk mixture and melted butter in to the well in the flour mixtures and stir until mostly combined.  Fold in berries gently to avoid smashing them.

5. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, dividing evenly. They should be no more than 3/4 full.

6. Bake until muffins are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, approx. 18-20 minutes.

7. Let muffins cool in the pan on a rack for five minutes, then remove and continue to cool on the rack.

Source: Apple A Day

Nutter Butter Brownies

I love all things chocolate and peanut butter so when I came across this recipe I had to try it. I must say I am one of the few people that finds baking brownies difficult. I can rarely tell when they are cooked all the way through. I did my best with these and used the toothpick tester until it came out clean. They are chewy, chocolatey with some peanut butter crunch and delicious. They are very rich so I had to cut them into smaller pieces, which was difficult to take just one. for my bridal shower one of my friends gave me this beautiful glass cake/display set. Now I have something to put in it and makes my dessert look fancy and professional, almost like what you see in a bakery! Not only am I using the present, but it is being filled with something she would love too.

Nutter Butter Brownies
Ingredients:
1 box Ghiradelli Double Chocolate Brownie Mix
1/4 c. water
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 egg
9 Nutter Butter cookies

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325.  Spray or lightly grease an 8 x 8 metal pan.

Follow the instructions on the box by mixing the brownie mix, water, oil and egg just until combined.

Spoon 1/2 the batter into the prepared pan.  Add 8 Nutter Butter cookies on top. Add the remaining batter on top and smooth with an offset spatula. 

Bake for 39-43 minutes.  The brownies may look under-baked, but will be fully cooked as they cool.  Cool completely on a wire rack.

Source: Bake at 350

Fancy Fish Sticks

I haven’t posted anything in a while since I was back home for my bachelorette party and bridal shower. I was definitely spoiled while there with my father doing most of the cooking that would put me and my blog to shame. Needless to say, I had an amazing time and pigged out. Now that I am back home I guiltily went for a quick run tonight to get back into the routine and burn off some of what I indulged in over the weekend. And am also back into the grind to try out more recipes. Tonight’s is another from our Cooking Light magazine that was only slightly altered.

I think almost everyone as a kid had fish sticks. When we saw this recipe we were brought back to our childhood and wanted to try an adult version. Part of the fun is all of the dipping and getting your hands dirty. The bonus is that it only calls for a ½ cup of beer so there is some left over for you to drink. They turned out crispy on the outside with a moist and flaky inside.

With this recipe you definitely want to have everything out and prepared first. I had Jason cut up the fish since I bad at eyeballing the sizes. Then you season with the fish directly with a sprinkle of salt.

Next, I went through and made my 3 dishes with the various mixtures. First up is the flour mixture. Use one hand for the dry mixture and one for the wet to avoid a huge mess.

The 2^nd dish has the egg, mustard, lime and beer to help bind everything. By adding the beer and whisky until foamy it will keep it fluffy instead of gummy.

The 3^rd dish is the panko and spices to keep it hearty. I had whole wheat panko so mine look a bit darker brown.

Place the finished pieces on the warm, oiled baking sheet and place in the oven for 15 minutes

Fancy Fish Sticks

Serves 4

Ingredients

Cooking spray

1 Tablespoon canola oil

½ cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup lager-style beer

1 ½ Tablespoons creamy mustard blend

1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice

2 large egg whites

1 large egg

2/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) – I used whole wheat

1/3 cup unsalted pumpkinseed kernels, toasted

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper

1lb halibut or other lean white fish fillet (such as cod that I used), cut into 4 x 1-inch pieces (about 12 pieces)

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

4 lime wedges

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°.

2. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray, and spread evenly with oil; heat in oven 12 minutes.

3. Combine flour and black pepper in a shallow dish. Combine ½ cup beer, mustard blend, lime juice, egg whites, and egg in a shallow dish; stir with a whisk until foamy. Place panko, pumpkinseeds, cumin, and chipotle pepper in a food processor; pulse 20 times or until coarse crumbs form. Place panko mixture in a shallow dish.

4. Sprinkle fish evenly with salt. Working with one piece at a time, dredge fish in flour mixture. Dip in egg mixture, and dredge in panko mixture until completely covered.

5. Remove preheated baking sheet from oven; place fish on pan, and return to oven. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork, turning once. Serve immediately with sauce and lime wedges.

Source: Cooking Light

Pork Chops with Craisin Couscous

As is usually the case, our new issue of Cooking Light arrived and we both read through it and ripped out a pile of recipes that we want to try. That is where the inspiration for tonight’s dinner came from. I am a sucker for Whole Foods and of course headed there to buy the bone-in pork chops for tonight. It must have been my lucky day because they were actually on sale; that almost never happens when I go there to purchase a specific item. This turned out to be an inexpensive, quick and easy recipe with a lot of flavor. I would definitely make it again or even for company.

I like recipes that have a component on the grill because that way Jason can help out. I leave most of the grilling to him since I can never tell when they are done or get the nice grill marks like him. We prepped the pork chops and sent him outside after the rain let up to put them on the grill.

Meanwhile, I stayed inside to put together the couscous salad. One of the things I love about couscous is that it is ready in 5 minutes and is a fluffy and delicious side! The original recipe calls for cherries but I like craisins since they are a bit sweeter and it’s something I have in the house. I also decreased the amount of scallions for next time since the original recipe had a lot and it was an over powering flavor. I did like the chopped almonds for a bit of crunch.

Pork Chops with Craisin Couscous

4 servings

Total Time: 39 minutes

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

4 (6-ounce) bone-in center-cut pork chops

1 teaspoon salt, divided

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cooking spray

¾ cup uncooked couscous

1 cup boiling water

½ cup coarsely chopped craisins

3 sliced green onions

1/3 cup dry-roasted almonds, chopped

2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat

2. Brush 1 Tablespoon olive oil evenly over both sides of pork, and sprinkle evenly with ½ teaspoon salt and black pepper. Place pork on a grill rack coated with cooking spray, and grill 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Let pork stand for 5 minutes.

3. Place couscous in a large bowl. Add ¾ cup boiling water; cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork. Stir in remaining 2 Tablespoons oil, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, craisins, and remaining ingredients. Serve with pork.

Adapted from: Cooking Light

Garden Lasagna

I really like lasagna and have been looking for a good vegetable one with a non-red sauce for a while. I saw this one and thought it looked delicious. I know that they take a while to bake so I bought all the ingredients during the week with the intention to make it over the weekend. We have a small basil plant in our garden that has grown rather large so the sauce in this recipe was a great way to use some of it. Little did I know how long it would take to prepare! It was definitely delicious, Jason even went back for seconds, but had a ton of steps and pots and pans. I am not sure that I would make this again, or if I did would use frozen spinach only to cut out at least a few steps. Also, I  used skim milk in the sauce to be healthier but would use 2% next time since it was a little bit runny.

Garden Lasagna  
Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients:

• 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup raw baby spinach leaves    
• 1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 3 cups ricotta cheese (I used part skim)
• 1 egg
• 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups milk
• 1 lb. cremini mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick (Omitted due to picky eater)
• 1 jar (16 oz.) roasted red bell peppers, drained and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 lb. baby spinach, blanched and squeezed dry
• 9 oz. no-boil lasagna noodles, torn into rough 2-inch pieces
• 4 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 Tbs. thinly sliced fresh basil 

Directions:

In a blender, combine the basil leaves, raw spinach, 1/2 tsp. of the garlic and the 1/2 cup olive oil and process until a thick sauce forms. Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt and pepper. In a bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the remaining 1 tsp. garlic and the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Slowly stir in the milk, increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and let cool for 15 minutes. Stir the basil puree into the sauce.

In a large fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the 1 Tbs. olive oil. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and the excess moisture has evaporated, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Add the bell peppers, blanched spinach, salt and pepper and stir to combine.

Preheat an oven to 375°F. Butter a 3 1/2-quart shallow Dutch oven.

Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce on the bottom of the pot and arrange a single layer of torn noodles on the sauce. Top with 1/2 cup of the ricotta mixture, 1 cup of the vegetable mixture, 1/2 cup of the sauce and 1 cup of the mozzarella. Layer the noodles, ricotta, vegetables, sauce and mozzarella 2 more times, then add a layer of noodles, ricotta, vegetables and noodles. Spread the remaining sauce on top and sprinkle with the remaining 1 1/2 cups mozzarella.

Cover the pot, transfer to the oven and bake until the noodles are nearly tender and the filling is bubbly, about 45 minutes. Uncover the pot and continue baking until the top is browned, about 15 minutes more. Let the lasagna rest for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the sliced basil, cut into slices and serve immediately.

Source: Williams-Sonoma Kitchen