It’s time for another pesto installment. I still can’t believe that I hadn’t made pesto before I tried my hand at Basil Pesto, the more traditional pesto. Then came the Kale Pesto, a bright, green tasting treasure.
But, recently, I’ve been loving mint. I love mint so much that I stuck a few sprigs in some dirt to see if they’d grow.
They did!
I have more mint growing outside than I know what to do with. And I’m fine with that.
I thought I’d highlight the cool mint flavor with just a few ingredients. No nuts or cheese this time. Just some lemon, garlic, balsamic vinegar, salt, and olive oil. (But, if you wanted to add nuts, almonds, pine nuts, pistachios, or cashews would be a great choice.)
Simple.
Since I have a tiny food processor-like attachment to my hand blender, I just put everything in at the same time and blend. You could also stream the olive oil in as you blend, if you have a blender or regular food processor. I think it worked just fine the way I did it though.
You could adjust the amount of liquid (or add more mint) if this isn’t thick enough for you. But, I liked the way it turned out.
I have so much pesto in my freezer that I’m going to have to start including it in my weekly menu, every week.
What a problem to have, right?!
I’m going to eat it with a baguette that’s topped with feta. Yes. I’m gonna do that. I’m going to drizzle it over roasted green beans and peas. I might toss it with pasta or rice (hello risotto!), with grilled eggplant, steamed carrots, or fresh tomatoes. I might make it into a salad dressing, add it to hummus, or use it to top soup. Or, like I did today, I may add it to a Greek Pasta Salad that’s got chickpeas, veggies, and feta.
Blend all ingredients for about 60 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the blender, taste and adjust seasoning if desired, and blend for about 30 seconds more.
Kale is one of my favorite greens. No offense to spinach, chard, and collards. I just extra love kale. I love that it’s sturdy enough to be turned into chips, but that it’s softness can be brought out in a Massaged Kale Salad.
Plus, it’s an awesome shade of green. I love green.
This pesto comes together so quickly. I changed things up a bit from the Basil Pesto in part one of the pesto series. But, if you wanted to, you could just sub the kale for the basil in that recipe.
The main difference with the Kale Pesto is I omitted the nuts. Nothing wrong with nuts, just wanted to try something different. I also added some lemon (zest and juice) and some spices.
Other than those changes, the rest is the same. Lots of garlic, some parmesan, and olive oil.
I like to use my awesome KitchenAid hand blender, but a food processor or regular blender would work just fine.
It made enough to overflow this little jar, so I used a few scoops on the Spicy Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes that I’d made the same day.
Cheddar and Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich and dip it into some Roasted Tomato Soup. (Shoot! I’ve already eaten lunch! Why didn’t I make this?!)
Kidney Bean and Kale Chili (with plenty of spicy chile peppers) – serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt, a spoonful of pesto, and a slice of lemon for squeezing over the top.
Sauté mushrooms and onions and top with pesto once cooked.
Roasted Pesto Topped Potatoes (new potatoes, or larger potatoes cut into bigger chunks, tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper, cayenne, and chili powder, roasted until crispy outside, tender inside – 350F, 25-40 minutes, depending on the size of the chunks, serve topped with pesto).
I’m thinking about the upcoming holidays. I’m making lists of gifts to buy for others, things I’d love to have (not that I need anything else), and recipes to make while we’re with family. A few weeks ago I was talking with my brother, Josh. We really like food, so that’s usually part of any conversation. We decided that at Christmas we’re going to make Duck Tourtière, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans with Bacon and Almonds, and a Butter Lettuce Salad with Pine Nuts, Pumpkin Seeds, and Cranberries.
I may try to sneak these Spicy Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes in to the mix. Or I might see if I can add them to the Thanksgiving dinner menu… Whenever it happens, I’ve got to eat these again.
They start out simple – some olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then in to the oven.
While they roast away, cilantro is washed and chopped.
Confession: I didn’t think I liked cilantro. I’m still not sure that I do. But, I’ve heard that you either love it or hate it, and if you hate it, you think it tastes like soap. I don’t think it tastes like soap, so I must love it.
I’m learning to, in any case.
The cilantro is mixed with a bit of spicy chile pepper (cayenne would work too), garlic, and cheese. Once the sweet potatoes are finished with their oven time, the flesh gets scooped out and mixed in too.
Mash it up and make it as creamy as you’d like. I like a few lumps left in there for texture.
They get to roast for a little while longer while the toppings are prepared. More cilantro, some Greek yogurt, and some Kale Pesto (Basil Pesto would be great too!).
I sprinkled them with some coarse sea salt before they went in to the oven. I didn’t add any more cheese to the top. You could do the opposite if you’d prefer.
A good dollop of Greek yogurt goes on top, cilantro is sprinkled, and pesto waits to adorn.
Brush both sides of the sweet potato with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a baking sheet. Pierce a few times with a fork. Bake at 350F for 45-50 minutes, or until the flesh is tender.
Scoop out the flesh and mix with cilantro through garlic. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. Return the filling to the skins and top with sea salt. Return to the oven and bake for about 10-15 minutes more.
Serve topped with yogurt, pesto, and reserved cilantro.
Today is one of those fall days where it actually feels like fall. I’m wearing jeans and a sweater and am totally comfortable.
I’m also going through the photos that I took of the Chicken Pot Pie that I made the other week and drooling. We ate the leftovers for dinner last night, otherwise I’d probably be heating them up for lunch right now.
So that’s a little bit about my life.
Fall weather and Chicken Pot Pie make me happy.
So do things like my dog’s whiskers, the way the sky can turn such brilliant shades of orange and pink after the sun’s gone down, and a good Skype conversation with my dad.
I have to tell you, this particular Chicken Pot Pie recipe is one of my favorites. After tasting the sauce I yelled, “Oh my gosh!”, to no one but myself. So, I just had to share it with you.
It’s a simple pie with humble ingredients. I make this often enough, and use what I have on hand. So it can range from things like carrots, potatoes, and celery, to parsnips, squash, and peas. It feels like the kind of meal that’s been made for years and years and years, by people who at the end of the day, just want something nourishing and delicious to fill their bellies.
This meal fits that exactly.
A couple of weeks ago I roasted some chicken. The leftovers and pan drippings were frozen. Saved just for this meal. The bones went into the freezer, for the next time I need to make stock. I defrosted the chicken in the fridge overnight and then shredded it and dropped it into the cooked veggies.
I usually use chicken stock for this dish. But, this time I had pan drippings. You can tell the difference by the jiggliness of it. The pan drippings jiggle, while stock is more liquid. The fat will rise to the top of both. I like to scrape it off (and give it to the dog as a treat).
For this type of dish, I find it a little bit easier to just whisk the thickening agent (flour or cornstarch) together with some of the liquids, and add it to the pan. It thickens nicely once it boils. A traditional roux can be made instead (you know, where you heat some fat, then add an equal amount of flour and cook for about 30-60 seconds, then whisk in the stock and let it thicken), if you prefer.
After it boils and thickens, the milk is added. I don’t like it when the sauce breaks, so I like to leave the milk out until the end. Then heat it ever so gently, just until steam rises.
Once the seasoning is checked, the skillet is set on a baking sheet (in case of overflow – I’d rather clean that than the inside of the oven).
Pie crust is rolled out. I used Alana’s recipe (from her cookbook). I tried to work quickly, but since the skillet and filling were both so hot, it got a little soft. It didn’t seem to matter in the end though.
The crust is brushed with egg and sprinkled with some of the sea salt that we brought back from Paris. Just because it feels fancy and I like the crunch.
And then it bakes and bakes and suddenly it’s done and the air smells like so much goodness that I almost can’t contain myself. I want to devour the entire pie before it’s cooled and before my friend arrives for lunch.
But, I don’t. I restrain myself. I eat a normal sized portion and don’t even yell about how good it is in the middle of our conversation (although she did interrupt us to ask about the pie crust). I like when things get interrupted because something is just too good to keep quiet about.
2 small potatoes (or combination of 1-1 1/2 C potato, radish, turnip, or rutabaga), chopped
1 small sweet potato (or 1 C peeled acorn or butternut squash), chopped
1 small onion (or 2 shallots), chopped
2 stalks celery (or 1 fennel bulb), chopped
to taste salt
to taste pepper
1 t fresh rosemary (or thyme), chopped
1 small summer squash, (or 1/2 C cauliflower or peas), chopped
1-2 C chicken, cooked and shredded
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 C chicken (or vegetable) stock or chicken pan drippings
2 T all purpose flour (or 1 T cornstarch)
1/2 C cold water
1/2 C milk
1 pie crust
1 egg, beaten
coarse sea salt
lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 375F.
Heat an oven proof skillet. Add oil. When oil is hot, add carrot through rosemary. Cook covered, over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add summer squash and chicken and cook for about 3-5 minutes more, or until veggies are tender. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
Whisk stock or pan drippings with flour and water. Add to the skillet, turn the heat to high, and bring it to a boil. Let it thicken for about 2-3 minutes. Whisk in the milk, turn heat to medium-low, and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until steam rises, but do not boil. Remove from heat, taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Set on a baking sheet.
Roll out pie crust. Top the filling with the crust (careful, the skillet is hot!). Make a few air vents with a sharp knife. Brush with the egg and sprinkle with the coarse sea salt. Bake for 22-30 minutes, or until crust is browned and flaky.
It’s nearing the end of the week. And the cupboards are a little bare, the pantry is kinda empty, the produce drawers are filled with distant memories (and a few stray veggies).
Sound familiar?
Maybe this only happens at our house.
In any case, I’ve learned to be clever with those final few ingredients before the crisper drawers are re-stocked. Usually, this involves some sort of pasta. Fresh pasta, dried pasta, leftover pasta… just pasta. (Of course you could also use wild rice, quinoa, lentils, or potatoes. They’d all be fabulous!)
The additions change every time though.
Sometimes it’s tuna and peas. It could be artichokes, bell peppers, and tomatoes. Today, it was zucchini, bell pepper, and tomatoes.
It starts with some oil. For this particular recipe it was olive oil. Butter is also great with pasta. Coconut oil could also work, but make sure you’re ok with a hint of coconut if you go that route.
Then, you know the drill… some of the veggies are added to the hot oil. They cook for a few minutes with some salt and pepper.
Easy.
Then things like kale and garlic are added. Kale wilts, garlic smells amazing.
You could use other greens, like chard, mizuna, mustard greens, spinach, or collard greens.
You could add tons more garlic, or use none at all.
I prefer the tons route.
Pasta is cooked and added. I had some leftovers that I’d frozen, then defrosted in the fridge overnight. Worked just fine. If you’re cooking fresh, reserve a bit of the starchy cooking water to add to the veggies. Helps the sauce to stick to the pasta, but isn’t essential.
Serve yourself a huge bowlful. Green goodness all around!
While the pasta hangs out for a minute, fry an egg in the veggie pan. One egg per person. Unless you want two.
Salt the eggs when they’re hot.
Then slide them onto the pasta. The yolk, if it’s still a bit runny, will add to the sauce.
End of the week fridge situation isn’t so bad after all.
Happy Eating!
End of the Week Pasta
Recipe Type: Main, Pasta, Vegetarian, Vegetables, Quick and Easy
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2
Ingredients
pasta, cooked
2 T olive oil
1 C zucchini/summer squash, chopped (or carrots or radishes, grated)
1 bell pepper, any color, chopped (or broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, green beans, celery, or peas)
to taste salt
to taste pepper
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 C kale (chard, spinach, or mizuna would also be great), chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 to 1 C pasta water (optional)
1 T olive oil
1 egg/person
to taste salt
handful fresh herbs (basil, parsley), chopped, for topping
Instructions
Cook pasta, reserving 1/2 to 1 C pasta water.
Heat skillet. Add olive oil. Add zucchini, bell pepper, and salt. Cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add garlic, kale, and tomatoes. Cook for about 3 minutes more, stirring often.
Add pasta water, if using. Remove from heat, stir in pasta. Pour pasta in a bowl and keep warm.
Add remaining olive oil to skillet. Add egg and cook to desired doneness. Sprinkle with salt.
Divide pasta between bowls. Top each bowl with an egg. Top egg and pasta with fresh herbs.
