Homemade Basil Pesto

Basil Pesto

i used my very own basil that i am growing for this delicious recipe. here is what i cut from my basil plants:


Here is what i have left AFTER i cut off 3 cups worths: yay basil!

Take all the leaves off of the stems - 3 cups worth

lightly toast pine nuts (walnuts work okay too) 1/4 cup


fresh shredded Parmesan - about 1/2 cup

Pulse in blender until chopped (sorry the pic is sideways)

add in a splash of lemon juice, and 2-3 cloves minced garlic. - pulse in blender.

then slowly add in olive oil until you get the desired consistency.

Done!
Jar up and Enjoy!

Honorable Mention: Andy's Crabcakes

This weekend our friends came over and where this blog is to showcase my own recipes - i HAVE to at least put a picture up of Andy's masterpiece. The best dang crabcakes ever! They really could be the key to my heart. i WILL learn how to make these and then release it to the world! :)

um...i didn't like mine. LOL........

Quick Fresh Homemade Salsa

Homemade Salsa.

simple.
chopped tomatoes, chopped jalapenos, chopped bell pepper, lime juice, chopped cilantro, and a dash of garlic chili paste. stir and done! YUM! no cooking, no boiling, fresh fresh fresh!

I used my very own cherry tomatoes and bell pepper that i grew on our deck and i used our friend Mark's homegrown jalapeno. So good!

Sweet and Spicy Teriyaki Salmon

Sweet and Spicy Teriyaki Salmon, Steamed Broccoli, and Wild Rice

I'll start by saying, i had a recipe i was going to slightly follow, but well i didn't have a few of the ingredients it called for when i got home, so i completely 100% came up with this on the fly and with whatever i thought would go well together...and i have to say it came out damn good! it's sweet, tangy, and then pow! some welcomed heat.

lets get started!
First lets make the sauce put on the salmon - i didn't have that much Soy on hand so i went with Teriyaki and pretty much "the kitchen sink"
In a small sauce pan add about 1/4 cup teriyaki, 1/4 cup honey (i used local!) 2 tablespoons EVOO, 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil, a squirt of lime juice, about 3-4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, a pinch of garlic powder, 2-3 teaspoons powdered ginger, 2-3 teaspoons ground red pepper, 3 thick slices of fresh homegrown jalepeno, and a dash of soy. if i forgot anything i'll add it later - but that's pretty much it. now bring to a boil then simmer these together for about 10-15 minutes stirring frequently.




Now preheat the oven to 475degrees. and Start your rice. I use Near East boxed Garlic and Herb rice - it's delish!
now prepare your broccoli - cut, put in pot, add a little water and seasoning - then DON'T COOK IT YET! ...i'll let you know - again broccoli is delicate and should not be overcooked!
next pull out your salmon and place skin side down on a foiled baking sheet - DO NOT OIL THE PAN...you'll see why soon.
this is what your stove will look like mid-process (broccoli NOT cooking yet!)

once the rice has been cooking for about 10 minutes and the sauce has thickened up a little - you can pour 1/2 the sauce on the salmon

put inthe oven for about 20 minutes or 10 minutes per inch thickness - during this process the oven will smoke a lot and you will think your salmon is burning, it's not...just be prepared the honey sauce will burn and smoke, but thi is not affecting your salmon. i promise. see:

once you pull the salmon out of the oven, turn on the broccoli Full heat - when it starts to steam and you can hear the water boiling wait 2 minutes then turn off heat, but don't open the lid.

remember not using oil on the pan? - this is why....when you take your spatula to remove salmon the skin stays on the foil and your salmon is not burned on the bottom. (unless you just really like salmon skin - then well do it your way! :) )

plate up and enjoy!

NY Strip Steak

Pan Seared NY Strip Steak and Herb Roasted Potatoes

Rain does not stop us from having a delicious steak. I have an incredibly easy and delicious pan seared recipe that will give any grill a run for it's money!

we were in the mood for steak, but not a big meal so this one will be quick and to the point

first turn oven on to 475 degrees.

prep time - pull steak out of the fridge season it (i use mcormicks Montreal Steak seasoning and a little sea salt) and set aside. Check out our WHOPPER of a steak! (for this recipe we only a litttle less than half)

wash about 4 to 5 small new potatoes and cut them about 1/4 inch thick put on a pan and drizzle EVOO on them and sprinkle with your favorite herb seasoning - we use Garlic Herb. then put in the oven.

put a cast iron skillet on the stove and place your NY Strip fat edge down on cold skillet. now turn on the heat to a med-high heat - (on the high side of med-high)

the reason we start in a cold pan is to allow the fat on the steak to render (melt) and then it is used as the "oil" for searing. gives great flavor!

once your fatty side start to smoke and crisp, sear the steak for about 1 minute on each side (this may smoke so open a window and turn on a fan) then while still in the skillet top with a pat of butter and place the whole skillet into the oven with the potatoes - for rare - keep steak in for about 5-6 minutes - medium 10-12 minutes - well- (what's the point?)

while you have the door open, grab the potatoes and give them a turn over.

pull steak out and let it rest for at least 5 minutes.

Grab the potatoes when they are lightly browned and crisp and slice the steak if you wish.

Plate Up and Enjoy!

Lemon Basil Chicken

Lemon Basil Chicken on Linguini with Steamed Broccoli

oooohhhh..this recipe is SO good! and easy! i will demonstrate the recipe for two so double it if you are feeding a family. also - i forgot my digital camera at work so all the pictures you see today are from my cell phone (not bad actually) anyway, if you like lemon and basil - you will love this recipe - in the words of Avis from Masterchef.."it'll make your tongue slap your brain"

first take one boneless skinless chicken breast and cut it in half butterfly style so you have two thin chicken breasts - then put between plastic wrap and pound slightly to get an even thickness - don't go crazy thin, just even it out (plus it makes for larger breasts! 'that's what she said!' sorry i couldn't resist)
next place the chicken into a ziplock bag and add 2 tablespoons EVOO - i used my very own homemade basil olive oil :) then add the lemon zest of one lemon the juice of one lemon 3 garlic cloves minced and about a handful of chopped basil and a little pepper close the bag coat the chicken and put in the fridge for now.

this is a picture of my homegrown basil - and this didn't even make a dent in the amount i have when i cut it - so if anyone wants fresh basil - come to me, the Basil Babe! LOL

Next - prepare some ingredients. peel 1/2 a lemon and juice 1/2 the lemon. cut 3 garlic cloves, chop about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of fresh basil, start a pot of salted water to boil for pasta, measure a cup of chicken broth, set out about 4-5 tablespoons of cream cheese , 3 tablespoons butter (optional) salt and pepper to taste.

put a skillet on medium high heat

cut broccoli put in pot and season and add 1/2 cup of water set aside -do not turn on broccoli until i say so! just have it ready.

now we're ready to get cookin! pull the chicken out of the fridge - you can either put the chicken on a plate or wait and tranfer straight form the bag to the skillet with tongs or a fork.

put 2 tablespoons EVOO in skillet - again i used my basil olive oil

then add 2 cloves chopped garlic and saute until it turns golden - but not brown - now remove the garlic pieces.

Now saute chicken for about 30 seconds on each side and remove from pan. set aside.

throw in your linguini!

now for the lemon basil sauce - i kinda just made this up and it turned out DELISH! very lemony though - so if you want more subtle lemon flavor omit the lemon peel.

to the skillet you just sauteed your chicken in, add in chicken broth, butter, lemon peel, 1 chopped garlic clove, and 1/2 the basil - bring to a boil for about 3 minutes.

a snap shot of what things will look like mid-process - remember the broccoli is NOT on yet.

now bring the heat down to medium and add lemon juice and cream cheese - stir until most of the cream cheese is melted and add the chicken back into the skillet for about 10 minutes (since the chicken is thin it will be cooked through)

check noodles and set aside if they are done - drizzle a little evoo on them to keep them from sticking

START THE BROCCOLI - once you see steam or hear the water boiling wait two minutes then turn off the heat and do not open the lid.

now the sauce will have thickened up - now stir in the rest of the basil

plate up and enjoy! be sure to use the sauce on the noodles!

Seared Ginger Seasame Tuna

Seared Ginger Seasame Tuna served with a salad.

This recipe is the easiest recipe ever! if you are looking to make something for date night and want to impress - this is a very good one. (other sides to have could include: stir fry veggies, rice, or potatoes)
prep - 10 minutes
cook - 1-2 minutes
total time 12 minutes.

Take tuna steak out of the fridge, rub a dime size amount of sesame oil (not required) and 4 drops of soy sauce onto the tuna. then douse with ginger sesame dressing (i used Newman's Own Low Fat Sesame Ginger)
then heavily cover ONE SIDE with fresh ground pepper.


Put tuna aside and heat a skillet to mid-high heat (on a dial of 1-9, i put it between 7 and 8)

While pan is heating up - plate up the salads - this is the most time consuming part (oh and use the dressing that you put on the tuna as the dressing for the salad. YUM!)
now that the pan is good and hot, add 2 tablespoons of EVOO wait about 3 seconds, then put the tuna in face down then back up. it will splatter some and it will smoke a little - no worries. wait about 30 seconds the flip steak to the other side for another 30-45 seconds.
all done! the tuna will be perfectly seared. you should have about 1/8inch of sear and the rest completely "rare" (raw). Plate up and enjoy!
I didn't get a picture of the cut tuna or the plated meal - i was too hungry! I'll try better next time!