Browsing Tag

basil

Tasty

Chicken Lettuce Cups

September 17, 2014

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I’m working on finding more “whip it up” meals, that allow me to come home and create a delicious, healthy meal in a short amount of time.  If my husband likes it? Even better… luckily these lettuce cups fit the bill on all counts.

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Chicken Lettuce Cups

recipe via Leave a Happy Plate

  • 1 tablespoon EVOO
  • 1 lb ground chicken
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons hoisin
  • 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
  • 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 handful basil leaves, snipped into strips
  • 3 scallions, sliced
  • 8 large Romaine or Bibb lettuce leaves

Sauce:

  • 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1/4 low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
  1. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add ground chicken and cook about 10 minutes (until cooked through), breaking up the meat as it cooks.
  2. While chicken is cooking, add jalapeño slices and rice vinegar in a small bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes (this will be the start of your sauce).
  3. Now back to the chicken… add the onion and garlic to your chicken mixture and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the soy, sriracha and hoisin and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper and add herbs (basil/scallions), give a good stir and remove from heat.
  4. Now that your chicken mixture is complete, head back to your pickled jalapeño mixture.  Add soy sauce and chili garlic sauce and stir.
  5. Assemble lettuce cups by spooning chicken mixture onto lettuce leaf and topping with the jalapeño sauce (which surprisingly isn’t too spicy – more vinegary – which I love!)

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Tasty

Presto Pesto!

September 8, 2014

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In college one of the only tolerable foods in the cafeteria was pesto pasta.  Therefore I overdid it a bit and haven’t really touched it  since.  I figured 7 years was a good enough time to give it a try again and I’m happy to say I’m fully on the pesto bandwagon again (hopefully sans the Freshman 15 this time around).

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My mom’s garden had an abundance of basil, so a collected as much as I could and got to work! Pesto is so amazing because it’s so easy to make, freezes really well and tastes SO GOOD.  My Sundays lately have been devoted to making seasonal food for this winter (tomato sauce, tomato soup, frozen fresh fruit) and figured why not add pesto to the list? It easily sells for $7+ for a small bottle, and ingredients are relatively cheap and easy to come across… so grab your blender, Tupperwares and get to work!

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Basil Pesto 

  • 4 cups packed basil leaves
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 cup pine nuts
  • 1 1/3 cup olive oil
  • salt/pepper
  • 1 cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese
  1. Combine basil, pine nuts and basil in a blender or food processor (depending on how good your blender is, you may want to mince garlic first and pulse with nuts, then add basil).
  2. Slowly drizzle in 1 cup olive oil until full combined.
  3. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. If using immediately mix in remaining 1/3 cup olive oil and cheese and enjoy!
  5. If freezing, transfer to a Tupperware and cover with remaining oil. When ready to enjoy thaw and stir in cheese.

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*This recipe is great to use half now and freeze half for later.  I highly recommend using scotch tape and a Sharpie to mark what it is in the Tupperware plus any directions you’ll need when consuming (ex: Pesto: Add in 1/2 cup Pecorino Cheese – 9/7/14).  Also don’t forget the date!

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Looking for some yummy ways to use pesto? Check out some ideas below:

  • Mix into hummus for a fun twist!
  • Add chopped veggies (zucchini, cherry tomatoes, etc.) to pesto pasta
  • Brush rustic bread with pesto and top with provolone or white cheddar for a gourmet grilled cheese!
  • Use lemon juice and pesto as a marinade for chicken
  • Top your morning eggs with a dollop of pesto and roasted tomatoes
  • Replace pizza sauce with pesto (top with pancetta and mozzarella)

 

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Sip

Garden Party Cocktail

August 1, 2014

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I was visiting CVR, when one of our favorite bartenders – Carlos, suggested I whip up this little number for the blog… enjoy!

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Garden Party Cocktail

  • 6 Sprigs Basil
  • 1/2 Lime Juice
  • 2 1/2 oz Gin
  • 1/2 oz Elderflower Liqueur
  1. Muddle basil for 30 seconds (don’t be afraid to put in some elbow grease!)
  2. Add lime juice and muddle a little more.
  3. Add ice,  gin and liqueur to shaker and shake until outside of shaker is frosty.
  4. Double strain with a fine mesh sieve into a glass and enjoy!

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Note: As many of my cocktails go… this is meant to be served up (in a martini glass), but for an extra refreshing spin, serve on the rocks and top (generously) with club soda (as pictured).

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Tasty

Taylor’s Tomato Salad

July 23, 2014

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I’m always looking for easy, healthy meal options (even better if I like them enough for leftovers the next day) and this salad fits the bill.  My sister whipped it up for lunch one day and now I make sure to have it a couple times a week for dinner (and a couple lunches)… it’s SO GOOD.

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Salad:

  • 1 head of red leaf/butter lettuce (hand torn is best)
  • 1 ear of fresh corn (corn cut from core, not cooked)
  • 1-2 heirloom tomatoes or 1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes (chopped)
  • 1 avocado (diced)
  • 10-15 basil leaves (sliced into strips)
Dressing:
  • 1 small shallot (minced)
  • ~1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup good olive oil
  • Salt/pepper
  1. Make the dressing by combing shallot, Dijon, red wine vinegar and salt in a jar. Shake until well combined and drizzle in olive oil and mix until combined.
  2. Combine salad ingredients – if you aren’t enjoying it right away, put basil aside and put it atop your salad right before
  3. Toss with dressing and enjoy!

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This would also be great with grilled chicken breast for a dinner salad!

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Tasty

Did Someone Say Burrata?

June 2, 2014

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Got your attention did I?

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Well I was craving some comfort food amongst this warm weather (why, I have no idea), and wanted to make a seasonally appropriate dish… here is what I put together:

Heirloom Tomtato and Burrata Pasta

  • 10-12 heirloom tomatoes
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 lb. pasta (I used quinoa spaghetti that worked well)
  • course sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • Burrata cheese (how much depends on you decadent you want it – I used 1/2 a ball
  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  2. Slice tomatoes in half and transfer to a mixing bowl.
  3. Top with mixture of olive oil, vinegar, garlic and heavy seasoning of salt and pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon of pepper and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt). Mix until combined.
  4. Spread tomato mixture on a foil lined baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes (you want the tomatoes to be caramelized).
  5. While tomatoes are roasting, cook pasta in salted water until al dente and drain.
  6. Return noodles back to pot and once tomatoes are ready, add complete contents of baking sheet (tomatoes and their juices – not the foil) to the pot.
  7. Depending on how would like to present it, either add the burrata in now and give it a good stir, or individually plate the pasta and give each person their own portion of burrata atop their pasta.
  8. Garnish with herbs (basil works best, but chives, parsley, or whatever you can get your hands on should do the trick!)
  9. Mangia!

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