Since we're experiencing a pretty significant heat wave right now in Portland, it's important to eat light in order to keep your energy levels high. It's also very common to not get too too hungry during the heat, so fresh, nutritional foods will do a great job of satiating you without weighing you down.
I tried this super easy and delicious garbanzo bean salad that I wanted to share the recipe for. It's essentially a mixture of canned garbanzos, grape tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and homemade pesto. You're welcome to add other ingredients such as grilled chicken if you like, but I kept this one vegetarian. It's also a great substitute for bruschetta if you wish.
You can follow your own recipe, incorporating the above ingredients or follow this simple one on Two Peas & Their Pod Blog.
I’ve been on the road so much lately, that it’s been a while since I’ve made a home cooked meal, and quite frankly, I miss that. Right before our Cali trip, I was eager to get rid of a few things in the fridge and the pantry, so I made my own version of what I call the “fridge clean-out pasta.” Basically consisting of a few random ingredients that surprisingly paired well together, I created a dish that my dining companions coined as “restaurant quality.” They may have just been being kind, but I must admit that it was tasty. Here’s the recipe, which you can change around based on what you have in the house.
Fooditka’s Fridge Clean-Out Pasta
Ingredients (serves 3)
1 package of whole wheat pasta, such as spaghetti
1 cup of baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
2 pieces of Calabresa Brazilian sausage (or any sausage you have on hand), chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
2 big handfuls of basil
1 large garlic clove
Pine nuts or pumpkin seeds
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Cook pasta according to directions on the box.
Sautee onion in a large non-stick skillet with olive oil, until softened. Add mushrooms and sausage, season lightly with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes, or until slightly browned. Add the tomatoes at the very end, until slightly softened.
In the meantime, make the pesto. Place the basil and the garlic clove in a food processor and pulse a few times. Add olive oil and the nuts or pumpkin seeds, until the mixture has a creamy consistency.
Combine the pasta with the cooked veggies and add the pesto. Feel free to add a ½ cup of pasta water to form a sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste and top with a fresh basil sprig.
Since Dan and I are leaving for vacation soon, I'm trying to be as resourceful as I can with the items still left in our fridge. Whipping up this "fridge clean-up" pasta dish, it did a good job of tiding us over while at the same time using lots of left over veggies and some Brazilian pork sausage too, for some protein. I harvested my basil plants too, as you can see and picked off all their leaves to create a quick, homemade pesto. Hope you enjoy it as well, and make your own personal renditions.
Fridge Clean-Up Pasta
Ingredients (serves 3)
For the pasta:
1 lb of whole wheat spaghetti pasta
10 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
Small handful of kalamata olives, halved
1 1/2 cup of sliced mushrooms
1 medium sized link of pork sausage, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
For the pesto:
2 cups of fresh basil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
Pine nuts or pumpkin seeds
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil
Directions:
Cook pasta according to the directions on the box.
Sautee the onions, sausage and the mushrooms together. Add a bit of salt and pepper. Sautee until all the ingredients are golden brown and then add the tomatoes and olives and cook for another 5 minutes until the tomatoes just soften.
In the meantime, prepare the pesto by putting all the ingredients into a food processor and pulsing it until it's well combined and forms a paste.
Add the pasta directly into the sauteed medley and toss well. Add in the pesto and combine again, adding in a bit of pasta water to smooth it out as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Last week was really fun as far as foodie adventures go, as I found myself at a Queens food blogger tasting at Basil Brick Oven Pizza, organized by none other than my friend, Bradley Hawks. Known for his tantalizing pictures of food (aka ridiculously graphic food porn), Bradley did a great job of uniting a lot of different Queens food personalities under one roof. Basil Brick was only too happy to host and show off their new goods, as they have tons of new menu items they were curious to get in the right hands (and mouths). While there was maybe a bit too much food served, I really enjoyed what I had and wanted to give you all the highlights.
Octopus Carpaccio - The mere concept of this dish sounded innovative, and I was curious as to how their octopus would stack up. Everyone literally oohed and ahhed when the dish arrived, in all its asymmetrical glory, which showed the rustic and beautiful texture of the octopus. I loved the acidity in its glaze and the octopus felt cool yet anything but tough. This reminded me of the perfect summer dish I'd love to have while lunching on the beach - the fresh tomatoes, lemon and arugula were lovely too.
Giant Meatballs Marinara - There's really nothing like having great meatballs in a delicious Italian restaurant and these tasted as good as they looked. You can tell that the marinara sauce was made from scratch, with a slightly acidic bite and a fragrant basil essence that lingered on your tongue. The meat itself was soft and juicy, and went beautifully with the stringy fresh muzz that hugged the top of the meatball.
Fresh, Stuffed Mozzarella Balls - And speaking of fresh mozzarella, these pretty pinwheels made me really happy. Combining some of my favorite things such as salty, soft cheese with the peppery arugula and the smokiness of the sopressata, it was a true winner. Dressed with a ribbon of sweet balsamic glaze, it also reminded me of eating al fresco in the summertime. It's definitely a dish that I'll be coming back for either now or in warmer summer months.
Green Lasagna - I've never seen such solidarity in opinion as when we tasted this dish. Everyone was truly in love with its simple, yet innovative take on lasagna, that was actually very Piedmontese. Combining garlicky homemade pesto with sheets of pasta and a soft pesto-potato mixture, it pleased both the veggie and meat eaters. In fact, many of my dining companions said that this is all they needed to make the night complete. I concur wholeheartedly - especially since it was such a hearty, filling dish.
Service:
Even though this was a rather large dinner, you couldn't help but notice the hospitality and warmth that emanated from every crevice of the dining room and kitchen. Chef Daniele and his business partners were more than generous and entertained all our questions, but weren't afraid to ask for feedback. My only constructive point I want to stress is that it was a bit too much food. But don't get me wrong - it was all soo, soo goood. Mille grazie Bradley and the Basil Brick Oven Pizza crew. Mission tight waisted pants accomplished :)
Basil Brick Oven Pizza - 28-17 Astoria Blvd, Astoria NY 11102
718.204.1205
N/Q Train to Astoria Blvd
www.basilbrickoven.com
Yes, I'm very much into these fall/winter "bakes" as you've probably noticed. It's mainly because I love how warm and comforting they are, but also because I get to use my nice Emile Henry ceramic-ware. Call me crazy but any time I get to take out a beautiful dish with a nice golden crust and bubbly hot cheese, it makes me happy. I made up the below recipe for a Pesto, Turkey Gnocchi Bake by mixing homemade basil pesto with sauteed ground turkey and gnocchi, then topping it with panko breadcrumbs and baking it in the oven. Every bite felt like a treat--first you got the sharp taste of the pesto, followed by the pillowy texture of the gnocchi and in between, you could feel the crunchy bits from the breadcrumbs. Don't mean to toot my own horn but this dish was gooood--so good in fact that Dan proclaimed it "the best" I've ever made. Don't know about that, but I can guarantee you'll like it:
Foodista's Pesto, Turkey Gnocchi Bake (serves 2)
Ingredients:
1 package of gnocchi
2 cups of fresh basil
2 1/2 cloves of garlic
Olive oil
2 tbs of fresh Parmesan cheese, shaved
2 handfuls of fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into cubes
1/2 lb of ground turkey
A pinch of dried thyme
1/4 - 1/3 cup of panko breadcrumbs (depends how much you like)
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a square 8" x 8" casserole dish.
To make the pesto, place the basil, 1 1/2 cloves garlic, salt and pepper (a pinch of each) into a food processor and pulse. Gradually add about 2 tbs of olive oil or more, depending on the consistency that you prefer. Pulse a few more times until incorporated and then take out of the food processor. Add 1 tbs of Parmesan cheese and mix with a spoon.
In the meantime make the gnocchi according to the directions on the box.
While the gnocchi is cooking, get the turkey ready. In a medium skillet on medium heat, add about 1 tbs of olive oil and then toss in 1 tbs of chopped garlic. Make sure to watch the garlic closely, as it has a tendency to burn quickly. Add the turkey and separate with a wooden spoon. Add salt, pepper, and dried thyme. Cook for about five minutes or until well done - taste to make sure that it's cooked through.
Take the gnocchi out of the boiling water with a slotted spoon and place directly into the skillet with the turkey. Add the pesto to the hot gnocchi and mix everything together until well incorporated. Place the mixture into the prepared casserole dish and top with cubes of fresh mozzarella cheese.
Now prepare the breadcrumbs by tossing the panko with 1 tbs of Parmesan cheese. Add salt, pepper and a touch of olive oil and mix together with your hands. Sprinkle on top of the gnocchi mixture and bake in oven for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and bubbly.
Enjoy this meal with a big glass of your favorite beer.
Dan and I have been making a conscious effort to eat healthier when not eating out. We're trying to avoid processed sauces with unnecessary salt, and that's why I decided to make this light and earthy arugula pesto as a base for my pasta dish. It was a big hit and I was able to salvage half of it for extra use, later in the week. I put it on sandwiches, pita bread and chips. Next time, I might make even more and freeze it--it's super easy and is packed with lots of vitamins.
Foodista's Arugula Pesto Pasta (Serves 3)Ingredients:
1/2 lb of thick noodle pasta (can be whole wheat but it doesn't have to be)
3 cups of fresh arugula, packed (preferably organic)
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and halved2 tbs of freshly shaved parmigiano cheese
1 handful of nuts (can be walnuts, pine nuts or almonds - I used almonds)2 tbs of olive oil (this can be eye-balled and depends on your taste)Salt and pepper to taste1 cup of yellow and red cherry tomatoes, cut in half1/4 cup of pitted kalamata olives, cut in half
Directions:
To make pesto place arugula, garlic, nuts, salt and pepper into a food processor and pulse 3-4 times. Slowly add olive oil and keep pulsing until you get a consistency that you're happy with (I like it to be slightly chunky and not completely pureed). Take out of food processor and add grated parmigiano cheese. Taste it and add salt and pepper if necessary. Pesto will be slightly bitter, which is OK.
Cook pasta according to directions on the box - do not drain but take out with a slotted spoon and place in pasta bowl. Add arugula pesto, tomatoes and olives. Toss to spread sauce evenly over pasta, taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary. Sprinkle with more fresh parmigiano cheese if you'd like. Enjoy!
Green is in--and not only with respect to alternative energy, the environment, renewal of resources, but also with food!
Proven fact: green, leafy veggies are good for you, but do you get enough? I know that I don't and that's why I find ways to incorporate them into my diet--hence, the creation of this Green Pizza.
Using pesto instead of traditional marinara sauce as a base, my Green Pizza topped with grilled chicken and smoked mozzarella made for a delicious and healthy pizza alternative. Toppings can be substituted with virtually anything that you like. I think that an interesting variation to basil pesto might be arugula leafs or even arugula pesto.
Green Pizza (serves 2)
Ingredients:
1 lb of store bought pizza dough
2-3 tbs of homemade pesto (you can substitute pine nuts with a nut of choice. I like almonds)
1/2 lb of grilled chicken, cubed (you can use more or less depending on preference)
2-3 tbs of smoked mozzarella cut into small chunks (again, quantity depends on preference)
Cornmeal
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Roll out dough into a round shape and sprinkle with cornmeal, so that it doesn't stick to the surface. Don't worry if it isn't perfectly round--I think it looks better when it's rustic. Spread thin layer of homemade pesto on top, leaving a 1 inch border for crust. Top with grilled chicken cubes and smoked mozzarella. Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes or until crust is golden.
Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy with a glass of delicious white wine if you will...
