Chicken Pesto Pasta

This post is so I remember to make this again when basil is plentiful in the garden.

Today my husband pruned our garden and I found myself with handfuls of fresh basil. It was time to make pesto. Pesto is easy to make in a food processor. I made my pesto based on this on this recipe, using the optional Parmesan cheese.

 https://www.loveandlemons.com/pesto-recipe/

The one substitution I made was switching out walnuts for the pine nuts. A chef once told me this is a common substitution for pesto recipes.

I cooked up 4 servings of large shelled pasta in salted boiling water with a few drops of olive oil in the water. This pasta took 14-16 minutes to cook.

While the pasta was cooking, I cut two chicken breasts into bite sized pieces and seasoned them in kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. I slathered about 1/4 of the pesto sauce over the chicken pieces. Then I sautéed them in olive oil.

When the pasta was done, I drained it and put it in a large bowl. I put the sautéed chicken into the bowl with the pasta and added the rest of the pesto to the mix and stirred it up until coated evenly. A sprinkle of Parmesan and this was then ready to serve.

Here are the ingredients I used for the pesto.

Ingredients

Basic Basil Pesto:

• ½ cup walnuts 
• The juice of one small lemon
• 1 small garlic clove
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper 
• 2 cups basil leaves
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for a smoother pesto
• ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions I used:

Chop everything up in the Cuisinart with the chopping blade getting a head start with the walnuts and then adding the other ingredients until all are mixed well into a soft paste. Pulse more and add olive oil if needed to get the consistency desired.

4 Bean Salad

Classic 4 Bean Salad

Ingredients

1/2 Red Onion, chopped fine and then placed in cold water to soak for at least 10 minutes (this takes the sharp edge off  the taste)

1 Can Cannelini Beans

1 Can Kidney Beans

1 Can Garbanzo Beans

1 Can Cut Green Beans

1 TBSP of Mixed Italian Spice (suggested Penzey's Italian Mix) and/or 

1 Cup loosely packed fresh Parsley leaves, finely chopped

1 teaspoon of fresh Rosemary, finely chopped

1/3 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar

2-3 TBSP of Granulated Sugar

1/4 Cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1+1/2  teaspoon of Course or Kosher Salt

1/4 teaspoon of fresh ground Black Pepper

1. Chop red onion and set aside in cold water if you haven't already.

2. Rinse and Drain all beans.

3. Put all the beans together into a large bowl.

4. Drain the chopped red onion and add this to the bowl of beans. 

5. Add the Spice mix, Parsley, and Rosemary to the bowl of beans and gently mix.

6. In a seperate medium bowl add Apple Cider Vinegar, Sugar, Olive Oil, Salt, and Pepper and whisk until all is mixed in and evenly distributed.

7. Add the Vinegar/Oil mix to the large bowl of beans and mix until coated.

8. Put in the refrigerator to soak for a couple of hours.

Vegan Lemon Chickpea Orzo Soup or Vegan Avgolemono - cooked in an Instapot

This soup is one of my Daughter's favorites and it just made a nice offering at a pot luck. There's no dairy, no meat, and can even be made gluten free if you are careful with your ingredients. What is this magical mystical wonder food? I'm talking about Vegan Lemon Orzo Soup or as the Greek say, Avgolemono. You can make this in a regular stock pot, but I like to cook it in the Instant Pot because I can keep it warm for a long time as if it were in a slow cooker. There is no pressure used on the Instapot, but I use the saute and warm settings. Your slow cooker might have these settings, too. Otherwise, just make this in a pot on the stove, it will cook beautifully either way. 

I originally found this recipe on simple-veganista.com. Of course I have a couple of tweaks, but it's pretty much theirs - credit where credit is due. This is a perfect recipe if you have a lot of lemons.

Here is the Recipe for Lemon Orzo Soup

Ingredients

1 TBSP Olive Oil

1/2 a Large Onion or 1 Small Onion, Diced

3 Carrots, peeled and diced

3-4 Cloves of Garlic, minced

8 Cups of Vegetable Broth

1 Cup of Orzo (or Gluten Free Orzo or Rice)

2 Cans of Chickpeas, drained and rinced

1/3 Cup of Tahini

The Juice of 3-4 Fresh Lemons (about 1/2 cup or more)

A Large Handful of Baby Spinach or Kale

1-2 TBSP of Fresh Chopped Dill

1-2 tsp of Large Crystal Salt 

About 1 tsp Fresh Ground Pepper

Preparation

Heat oil over medium heat on the saute setting in the Instapot. 

While the Instapot is heating, prepare the broth if needed. I use the Knorr Vegetarian bullion, so I always mix it up first. I don't worry if the broth is not perfectly mixed or heated, I just want it to have some pre-mixing. 

Once it the Instapot is hot, add the onion and carrots. Saute for about 5 minutes, add the garlic and saute for another minute or so.

Add the broth to the pot and bring to a boil.

Add the orzo and chickpeas, reduce heat to low and cook at a gentle boil for 7-9 minutes or when the orzo is tender. (If you are using rice, add about 10 minutes to let the rice soften.)

Turn off heat, add tahini and fresh squeezed lemon juice, stir well. 

Add the baby spinach or kale and stir in.

Stir in the dill.

Season with salt and pepper.

Irish Soda Bread

I know, we haven’t posted in forever, but this blog is a food memory repository for our family and this one deserves a write up. 

During Covid lockdowns we found ourselves shopping for groceries online and having them delivered. One service included some recipes and this one satisfied our need for bread when yeast was in short supply.

A simple recipe with only 4 ingredients, this Irish Soda Bread can be made from scratch in under an hour. Pair with a soup or a salad for a delicious meal.

Irish Soda Bread

2 Cups Buttermilk

3.5 cups (1 pound) of Flour

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Baking Soda

Take out a heavy pot or pan (I use a rose shaped bundt pan). Spray pan with spray oil or Pam and set aside.

Preheat oven to 450* Fahrenheit

Sift flour into large bowl, add salt and baking soda and mix them together.

Stir in buttermilk to the mixture with a wooden spoon until dough forms a soggy mass. Don’t over-mix.

Put dough into the prepared heavy pan. Give the top a few slices with a knife to let the dough expand.

Bake for 45 min. uncovered. 

If you find your oven runs hot, you can bake for 45 min covered and then uncover and bake for 15 min more.

Serve warm with butter.

Bread-maker Oatmeal Bread - a no egg recipe

It is late March in Los Angeles.  We are in the midst of the only Worldwide Pandemic that has been seen in generations.  We are "Sheltering in Place" staying in our homes to avoid getting and spreading Covid-19, a disease that is extremely contagious and that kills 2-3% of the people who get it. 

In these times of quarantine, I find myself cooking so much and looking back at our blog which was started to save and share family recipes and memories.  How we came together and cooked for each other will be a memory our family won't soon forget. I feel blessed to have food and bread machines and family.  Now seems like a good time to share again. 

This recipe was adapted from the Bread Machine Baking cookbook to accommodate a lack of certain ingredients.  Unlike at any time in my generation, it is difficult to shop and things like eggs run out quickly.  A quick trip to the store is not taken lightly so we adapt.  The adaptation was a success.  This hearty bread is crunchy on the outside and lighter-than-expected spongy on the inside.  The oats popped up as a nutty detail to chew.  It was good paired as a sandwich with savory insides salami and cheese as well as a sweeter snack with honey.

Bread Machine Oat Bread

1 cup Water
2 1/2 teaspoons Yeast
3/4 cup Steel Cut Oats
1 tablespoon Melted Butter or Vegetable Oil
1 tablespoon Molasses
1 tablespoon of Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
2 1/2 cups of All-purpose Flour

Place the water in the bread-maker
Stir in the Yeast
Add the Steel Cut Oats and let sit for 10 minutes to soften the oats.
Add the rest of the ingredients in order.
Select basic, standard, or white bread on the machine and select start.

Carrot Parsnip Soup

One of my favorite recipes to make on a cold winter's day is Carrot Parsnip soup.  Filling and warm, chock full of healthy ingredients, this recipe nourishes you from the inside out.

Carrot Parsnip Soup - originally from Gourmet Magazine as doctored up by Candice Colbert

1 Onion, chopped 

2 Carrots, diced

2 Parsnips, diced

1 TBSP Butter

2 Cups of Chicken Broth (or veggie broth if desired)

1 clove of Garlic, diced or smashed

Dash of Salt and Pepper

In a medium to large sauce pot, cook the onion, carrot, parsnips, butter, and garlic over a moderately low heat stirring occasionally for 10 min.

Add the broth and seasons.  

Simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

With a hand blender, food processor, or blender, puree the mixture until smooth and ready to eat.

Down for a Decadent Delight - Bananas Foster Nutella Crepes

Low on funds, but still want a delicious breakfast?

Make crepes I say!  

After a friend asked for some low cost recipes I was inspired to make a meal I haven't made in forever, Bananas Foster Nutella Crepes.  This recipe has few ingredients, which are low cost, and often in the pantry.  Plus, it's a way to use up bananas that are going a bit black. 

Crepe batter from The Moosewood Cookbook.

Here's what you need:

Crepes:

1 large egg

1 1/4 cup of milk

1 cup of flour

1/4 tsp of salt

a little oil for the pan

Mix all crepe ingredients in blender or whisk in a bowl until smooth.

Heat a nonstick or stainless omelet pan.

Brush a bit of oil over the pan.

Pour batter in the pan, enough to coat the pan in a thin layer.

Cook for about 20 seconds and then flip the crepe and cook about 10-15 seconds more or until firm.

Put crepe and repeat process until batter is used up (about 4-6 crepes depending on the size of the pan)

Filling:

1 Tbsp butter

a couple of rotting bananas, sliced into circles

Nutella or Peanut Butter

In another pan melt the butter and add the bananas.

Cook on a medium heat until bananas are pleasantly caramelized. 

Spread Nutella or peanut butter on a crepe and put filling over it.  Fold over or roll crepe up.

Cost of this meal (enough to feed 4) - maybe $2.00 - $3.00 worth of ingredients, and yet you are eating like a king!

Halloween Lunch!

Yep, I still make the occasional Bento.  The kids are 9, and still need some magic in their lives, or at least creepy pizza fingers!

Happy Halloween!