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!

Simplest Cucumber Salad =)

This is a quick, easy way to get in some green stuff along with your next meal or snack! Simplest Cucumber Salad is a little spin off of caprese salad. Simple, yummy and quick....as I wish all meals could transpire. I sat down to eat this the other day after I let it sit on the counter for a few hours and boy was it delicious!! Eating room temperature vegetables can be so satisfying. We forget in our modern world that our veggies used to come right out of the garden. I can honestly say that a warm tomato and cucumber in the peak of the summer, straight from ground is unbelievable.

Simplest Cucumber Salad Recipe

4 mini cucumbers sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil 
Salt and pepper to taste (truffle salt is my fav with this....www.artisansalt.com)

Does this really require explanation? Thinly slice cucumbers, drizzle with olive oil then salt and pepper to taste. Simple, easy and tasty!!

Here are some fun facts about cucumbers:

Worlds Healthiest Foods Website: Cucumbers

I love how they crunch, 

Bretta

bretta.vemma.com

Baked Chard Chips

This recipe found on about a million other websites and cookbooks these days! This is one of two "green things" my 3 year old will eat! The other being seaweed snacks! These take a little effort to make, but the result is worth it. 

BAKED CHARD CHIPS RECIPE
A close friend of the kale chip, which is a great one as well.

I bunch of fresh chard
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt

Pre-heat the oven to 400 (375 convection). Wash chard thoroughly and dry. Cut away the thick stocks and place smaller pieces in a medium bowl. Pour olive oil over the chard and massage until the oil has soaked in.  Spread out flatly on metal baking pan and sprinkle with little salt (the leaves will shrink up so don’t get too crazy with the salt!).  Bake for 4-7 minutes depending on your oven. Keep a look out for slightly brown edges; these can get away from you easily and they go from great to garbage!!