Presto Basil Pesto!

Basil pesto is a wonderful source of greens and easily makes many dishes delicious! Some of my favorites are pasta (of corse!) and fresh fish.  This recipe freezes very well and thaws in just a few minutes!

Presto Basil Pesto Recipe:

1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 grated parmesan cheese
3/4 cup parsley
1-3 garlic cloves 
2-3 tablespoons fresh basil pesto (don't bother making it if you don't by fresh, sorry!)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 pine nuts

Place all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth. 

This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled! We like to freeze big batches in a shallow container and fork out as much as needed. It will thaw in about 10 minutes on the counter. Just be careful if you decide to heat up the sauce too much (the oil can separate and just not be a fun)!



Wonderful frozen basil pesto that is just as good as fresh!

Chinese Chop Salad =))

This is the first year we have planted napa cabbage in our garden, so our favorite napa cabbage recipe came to light and wow is this tasty!!  I truly forgot how much I enjoy it and I also remember why I don't make it all the time (a little bit more sugar than I would like).  BUT it is so GOOD!

Chinese Chop Salad Recipe:

1 head napa cabbage chopped
8 scallions chopped
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds sautéed in butter
1/2 cup slivered almonds sautéed in butter
2 cups crunchy oriental (it this PC anymore?) noodles

Sauté almonds and sunflower seeds in a large pan over a medium high heat. Stir occasionally while you chop or make the dressing. Should be lightly toasted and fragrant when ready. Cool before adding to the salad. 

Dressing:
1/2 cup sugar (I haven't played with this much as far as substitution since my husband loves this salad just the way it is.)
2 Tablespoons Tamari
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 rice vinegar

Blend all ingredients in a high powered blender until a smooth texture.  Add all ingredients in a large salad bowl EXCEPT the oriental noodles, they will get soggy and gross if left in the sauce.  Or remember my trick from my last post which is place dressing on the bottom, then nuts, cabbage, scallion, and then noodles and mix right before you serve. I love my big bowl with a lid for this trick....just shake and serve! This can be made a day ahead if you keep the noodles separate and add just before serving. 

A Half Cup of Sugar Makes the Salad Go Down, 
Bretta 

www.bretta.vemma.com

Fool Proof Super Salads

Now I would consider this more of an outline than recipe but that's what I think makes it so super ;)) I love a good salad and I rarely use a official recipe (but I do have a really good one for my next post) but I use this basic outline frequently and it gets rave reviews every time (especially with the Cashew Nut Salad Dressing)!!! And I have a super secret ingredient that people rarely use but love when they get a hint in their salad! Yes, I'm going to see how many time I can use super as an adjective!!

Super Salad Outline:


2-3 types of chopped veggies (tomatoes, carrots, celery, peppers, etc.)
1/4 to 1/3 cup toasted nuts (love pecans walnuts, and pine nuts [BTW, does any one know what pine nuts a coming from China now?!?])
1/4 cup dried fruit (cherries, cran raisins, raisins, etc)
1/2 cup cheese (shredded variety or small mozzarella balls)
2-3 cups chopped greens and/or lettuce
Super Secret Ingredient!!:
1-2 Tablespoons chopped fresh stevia       

NOW an insider trick for fresh, not soggy super salads every time (thanks Chef Juliet)....how you place your ingredient in the bowl makes a big difference!! 
1) dressing 
2) Veggies 
3) Nuts, Dried Fruit & Cheese 
4) Lettuce & Herbs......this way your dressing doesn't make everything soggy! An easy way to make ahead of time and have a fresh delicious salad. =)) I use a bowl with a lid to invert and toss a few minutes before serving. 

Yummy, fresh stevia from the garden gives it a hint of sweet that is actually good for you!

I love, love my toaster oven!! Great for a quick nut toasting while chopping veggies.

Make it a Super Salad Day,
Bretta

www.bretta.vemma.com

Cashew Nut Salad Dressing

We (my husband and I) first encountered a similar dressing at Mother's Cafe in Austin, Texas. We loved the dressing so much we went promptly to Whole Foods to buy a bottle of their Mother's Cafe Cashew Tamari dressing. We decided that we couldn't live without this dressing, but we ran into a few problems keeping our supply stocked! We don't live in Texas! And we don't have a Whole Foods anywhere near us to purchase this product regularly, so we decided to read the ingredients and make our own version. Now I'm not sure how this works to properly giving credit but now you have the complete story of where this dressing came from! Thanks for letting us read your ingredients Mother's Cafe =))

Cashew Nut Salad Dressing Recipe

3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup cashews
1/8 cup tamari (we tend to find San-J brand easily)
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 
Dash salt

Place all ingredients in a high powered blender on a medium speed.  Blend until smooth with small chunks of cashews visible. Keeps in the refrigerator for several week but my guess is it will not last that long!!

To Yummy Fresh Summer Salads, 
Bretta

Lightening up for summer

It is finally warming up around here and I am finally not craving comfort foods. Bread, melted cheese, bread, cream, melted cheese. Yea, you get the point. It amazes me each and every year how much the weather influences my cravings and food choices. 

I made these the other night and it felt like the perfect transition into summer. I'll call them summer BLT's.

Summer BLT's

Filling
pack of bacon
can of diced tomatoes
cup of quinoa 
can of black beans
cup of frozen corn
Sauce
2 tablespoons mayo
few squeezes of lemon
dash of tumeric 
Holder
lettuce (small romaine works great)
 Method
cook bacon in oven at 425 until crisp
cook quinoa in tomatoes for 5 minutes, add corn and beans and cook until quinoa is tender
mix sauce together and add to quinoa
add crumbled bacon and mix
scoop into lettuce
serve with hot sauce if desired. 

Falling Off the Face of the Earth into Satay Chicken...

What the heck does that title mean, you may ask?

Fine Heirloom Jungle fans, I feel as though I have fallen off the face the earth for a short time with too much on my plate (pun intended).  My fall has landed me back into reality with Satay Chicken, a house hold favorite, especially for the summer grilling months. I hope along with this delightful dish (that I can't take original credit for) I find more free time, much more sleep (anyone with little ones can relate) and less inconvenient interruptions (that are not means to an end...well maybe)! 

I for the life of me can't remember were of got this recipe off the internet....I would happily give credit if I could find it again easily or wanted to make the effort to do so today. SO THANK YOU WHOEVER YOU ARE, the credit is all yours!! 

Satay Chicken Recipe:

8-12 skinless boneless chicken thighs (no it does not say chicken breast for a reason...trust me you low-fat junky)
1 small onion
3 garlic cloves
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 thumb sized piece fresh ginger (skin removed)
1/2 teaspoon dried turmeric
2 Tablespoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons cumin
3 Tablespoons dark soy sauce 
4 Tablespoons fish sauce
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
5-6 tablespoons brown sugar

1. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water while you prepare the meat (to prevent burning). The kitchen sink works well for this.
2. Cut chicken into thin strips and place in a bowl.
3. Place all marinade ingredients in a food processor or chopper. Process well.
4. Taste-test the marinade - you will taste sweet, spicy, and salty. The strongest tastes should be SWEET and SALTY in order for the finished satay to taste its best. Add more sugar or more fish sauce (in place of salt) to adjust the taste. You can also add more chili if you want it spicier.
5. Pour the marinade over the meat and stir well to combine. Allow at least 1 hour for marinating, or longer (up to 24 hours).
6. When ready to cook, thread meat onto the skewers. Tip: Fill up to 3/4 of the skewer, leaving the lower half empty so that the person grilling has a "handle" to easily turn the satay during cooking.
7. Grill the satay on your BBQ, OR on an indoor grill, basting the first time you time it with a little of the leftover marinade from the bottom of the bowl. OR you can broil in the oven on a broiling pan or baking sheet with the oven set to "broil" Place satay close beneath the heating element and turn the meat every 5 minutes until cooked (be sure to soak your wooden satay sticks in water before skewering). Depending on how thin your meat is, the satay should cook in 10 to 20 minutes.

To Falling off the Face of the Earth, Bretta ;-))

Side Salad Dinner

Like summer tapas. 

The possibilities are endless, here are a few to get you started. 

Brussels Sprouts with Dried Cherries and Pistachios

Brussels Sprouts

Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Dried Cherries

Pistachios

Coat the Brussels sprouts  with olive oil and roast at 425 for 10 minutes. Toss with remaining ingredients.

 

Sesame Cucumber Salad

Cucumbers (thinly sliced

Sesame Seeds

Sesame Oil

Truffle Salt

Toss all ingredients 

 

Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad

Quinoa 
Sweet Potato
Chicken Broth
Cinnamon
Honey
Put desired amount of quinoa and chopped sweet potato in a pot add chicken broth until covered. Bring to boil and cook until quinoa is sprouted and sweet potato is soft. Drizzle with honey and cinnamon to taste. Serve hot.

 

If you have enough of them who needs a main dish?