Browsing Tag

Basil

Bread, Breakfast, Dinner, Eggs, Lactose Free, Recipes, Sandwiches

Egg Salad Tartine with Mixed Herbs

November 10, 2018

Egg Salad Tartine with Mixed Herbs

Anyone who visits this blog will have noticed that eggs are one of my favorite foods. I’m especially fond of the 6 1/2 minute egg with its perfectly set white and jammy yolk.  I also love egg salad on John’s homemade bread now and then.  In this case, the egg salad is piled on toasted country sourdough bread with herbs scattered over the top. It is delicious for breakfast, lunch or even dinner and ever so simple to prepare.

Our Neighbor's Fresh Eggs

Our neighbors Judy and John raise an assortment of chickens that provide them with fresh eggs every day.  Whenever Judy comes by our house with a dozen eggs our faces light up with joy.  I love how her eggs are of various colors and sizes.  They are always so fresh with bright yellow yolks.

Dill, Chives, Basil, Italian Parsley

The original recipe calls for dill, chives and basil. I added a few torn sprigs of parsley from the garden. This combination is perfect, however, you could switch them out with whatever fresh herbs you happen to have on hand.  The lemon juice adds a nice zing to make the perfect egg salad toast.

Egg Salad Tartine with Mixed Herbs

Egg Salad Tartine with Mixed Herbs
 
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Adapted from Bon Appetit magazine
Author:
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons good mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon (more, or less) of your favorite hot sauce
  • 4 large eggs, boiled for 8 minutes (10 for fully cooked/hard)
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 large slices country-style bread, toasted
  • 3 teaspoons ½-inch pieces chives
  • handful of baby basil leaves, or larger leaves torn into small pieces
  • a few sprigs of Italian parsley, torn into pieces
  • a few dill fronds, torn into small pieces
  • ½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • extra virgin olive oil (for drizzling)
Preparation
  1. Combine mayonnaise with vinegar and hot sauce. Set aside.
  2. Tear eggs into large pieces; add mayonnaise (you may not need all of it). Gently fold to coat, and season with salt and pepper. Spoon egg salad over toasted bread.
  3. Toss chives, basil, parsley, dill, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Add lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil, and season with salt. Toss to coat and pile on top of egg salad. Season with extra salt and pepper to taste.

 

Beans, Dinner, Lactose Free, Recipes, Soups, Veggies

Vegetable & Farro Soup

November 20, 2017

Vegetable & Farro Soup

Though the seasons change ever so slightly here in Hawaii, a warm bowl of soup is still soothing once November comes around. The days are still sunny and the beaches are full of people, yet there’s a noticeable difference in the temperature.  This soup is based on one that is served at Eataly in New York City.  It’s really quite simple to make, and it doesn’t need to simmer for hours.  The soup is brimming with healthy vegetables, beans and whole grain farro. It is light yet satisfying.

Carrots, Onion, Celery, Leeks, Peas, Beans

The vegetables are sliced thin which enables them to be cooked for a shorter period.  This soup is ready to eat in 40 minutes.

Sliced Leeks

Use only the white and light tender green parts of the leek. Slice the leek into narrow strips so that they cook up nicely in a few minutes.

Farro

It seems that only a few years ago farro could not be found at any of our local markets. I would purchase farro on my annual trips to San Francisco and bring it home to Maui.  These days you can buy farro in the bulk section at most markets.

Vegetable & Farro Soup

Vegetable & Farro Soup
 
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Adapted from Mario Batali's recipe for Eataly
Author:
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ¾ cup thinly sliced celery (about 2 celery ribs)
  • 1 cup thinly sliced sweet onion
  • 1 cup thinly sliced leek, white and pale green parts only (1 medium leek)
  • ¾ cup farro
  • 1½ tablespoons tomato paste
  • 5 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup canned small white beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 small bay leaf (or half of a medium-sized bay leaf)
  • 1 heaping cup thinly sliced carrots (halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise ¼-inch thick)
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh marjoram
  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped Italian parsley
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano (optional)
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons julienned basil for serving
Preparation
  1. In a large enameled Dutch oven or other heavy pot, heat the olive. Add the celery, onion and leek and cook over moderately high heat, stirring a few times, until softened. Add the farro and tomato paste and cook, stirring until the grains are coated, about 30 seconds.
  2. Add the chicken broth and water to the pot and bring to a boil. Add the beans and bay leaf and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
  3. Add the carrots and cover the pot. Simmer on low for 20 minutes or until the carrots are just tender.
  4. Add the peas and fresh herbs. Simmer until the peas have warmed up, about 5 minutes. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle basil over each serving.

 

 

Dinner, Italian, Pasta, Recipes, Vegetarian

Pesto with Macadamia Nuts

November 8, 2012

Pesto is a simple and delicious dish.  The fragrant basil, pungent cheese and garlic, rich macadamia nuts and olive oil go together like no other dish I know.  Most recipes call for pine nuts which I used in the past, until I had an awful experience with Pine Mouth. Just thinking about it makes my stomach turn.  It’s something that can’t be easily forgotten.  I suffered for two weeks and could not figure out why suddenly everything I ate or drank tasted bitter, very bitter. So bitter I didn’t want to eat. I googled my symptoms and discovered Pine Mouth.  Like others who have had this weird problem, I too had eaten pine nuts (in pesto) a few days prior to getting my symptoms. My husband also ate the pesto but without any problems.  It apparently doesn’t affect everyone. The FDA is still trying to determine what the exact cause of Pine Mouth syndrome is.  Needless to say, I have given up eating pine nuts.  Some say that pine nuts from China are the culprits and that buying pine nuts that originate from the Mediterranean won’t cause such a terrible reaction. Hmmmm.  I’m still not convinced enough to eat them again.

Many pesto recipes suggest walnuts as an alternative to pine nuts (which can be expensive).  I tried this once, however my pesto turned out to be a drab green-brown color.  Now, due to my aversion to pine nuts, macadamia nuts are my choice for pesto.  They are light-colored like pine nuts and don’t have the annoying skin of a walnut.  They can be pricy like pine nuts though you really need just a small amount for each recipe and you can store the rest in the refrigerator for other baking recipes.  The package above is from Costco and was very reasonably priced.

Rinse the basil leaves gently and leave out to dry for a short time.

Use good cheese.  Real Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano and grate them yourself.

Pesto

Serves 6

Adapted from Nancy Harmon Jenkins The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook

Ingredients

4 ounces fresh basil leaves

1/3 heaping cup macadamia nuts

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 medium garlic cloves, crushed and finely minced

1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (or a combination with Pecorino Romano)

Preparation

Remove basil leaves from stems and gently rinse.  Set aside on a kitchen towel to dry for a short time.

Put half of the basil, all of the macadamia nuts and salt in a food processor.  Pulse a few times.  Scrape down the sides and add the rest of the basil and pulse a few more times.  Add the oil in a thin stream and process until the consistency is that of a slightly grainy paste but not a fine puree.  Add the garlic and process briefly, just to mix the garlic into the sauce.  If the pesto seems too thick, add a bit more olive oil.  Transfer the pesto to a bowl and fold in the grated cheese.

I like to serve the pesto on thin capellini noodles with a bit of extra grated cheese sprinkled on top.  Sometimes I use spaghetti and add steamed, finely chopped broccoli florets to it or I’ll make a pasta salad with pesto, cherry tomatoes and baby spinach.  For a change, use pesto on your pizza instead of tomato sauce (top with sliced tomatoes, artichoke hearts and mozzarella).

Pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days.  Pour a very thin film of oil over the top of the pesto and cover the bowl.  You can also freeze pesto in small containers for a few months.

 

Dinner, Italian, Pasta, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

30 Minute Fresh Tomato Sauce

October 29, 2012

When your garden crop comes in droves it can make you feel overwhelmed.  The stories you hear about people who grow zucchini come to mind. Suddenly they have baskets full of them and they start dropping them off at their friend’s homes, and sometimes homes of people they never even considered to be their friends.  There’s the hilarious story I heard on NPR of zucchini growers leaving them in unattended cars just to get rid of them.  Anyhow, this is a story of tomatoes and I’m happy to say people don’t make fun of them like they do zucchini.  With that being said, we have lots of tomatoes in the garden and I’ve been making salsa, tomato sandwiches, roasted tomatoes, and today, a quick tomato sauce that is as good as those simmering for hours.  I was searching for a recipe and stumbled upon this one from Chez Pim.  The idea of removing the tomato pulp from the juice then adding it back once the juice thickens up caught my attention.  It works quite well and it’s quick.

The easiest way to peel tomatoes is to dunk them in boiling water for about 10 seconds and transfer them to an ice bath.  The skins will come off effortlessly and you won’t waste a bit of the tomato.  It works like a charm.  Just make a cross at the bottom of the tomato before plunging them into boiling water.

Reduce the sauce until it clears the pan with your spatula. 

The tomato pulp has been added back to the sauce and simmers briefly, becoming luxuriously thick and flavorful.

30 Minute Fresh Tomato Sauce

4 generous servings

Adapted from Chez Pim’s recipe

Ingredients

5 pounds ripe tomatoes peeled, seeds removed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup minced onion

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 heaping tablespoon fresh chopped basil

Preparation

Prepare the tomatoes by removing the skin, cut them in half and remove the seeds.  Place halved tomatoes in a large bowl and crush with your hands to break up the tomatoes into very small chunks.

Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium low heat.  Add onions and sauté for about 5 minutes until softened but not browned.  Add minced garlic and sauté for another minute.

Turn the heat up to medium high. Add the crushed tomatoes to your pan, give everything  a stir and cook for about 10 minutes.

Transfer the tomato pulp to a bowl with a slotted spoon.  Continue to cook the tomato sauce for another 10 minutes until it has reduced and is fairly thick.  Test by scraping the pan with your spatula.  If the sauce clears the pan it’s time to add the tomato pulp back to the pan.

Turn the heat down to medium and add the salt and dried oregano to the tomato sauce.  Simmer for another 10 minutes.  Add the fresh basil, give the sauce a stir and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Serve with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese.  The sauce freezes well and provides a quick and delicious meal on a busy work night.

 

 

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