Hey everyone. I told you that I'd be posting a recipe for basil pesto and I'm just now getting around to it. Pesto is really easy to make and super easy to vary. I'm just giving you the basic basil recipe but you can add as much or as little of other herbs to make it your own and switch up some boring dishes!
1 cup of extra virgin olive oil
2 cups of basil
1 cup of chopped parsley
1 tbsp salt (Don't use sea salt or kosher salt here. You want to use fine salt so it blends better)
1 tbsp black pepper
1 clove of garlic finely chopped
1 lemon zested
1. Combine the basil and parsley in a food processor.
2. Add the garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper to the food processor.
3. Pulse the mixture while slowly adding the olive oil.
You can make big batches of this and freeze it. Also, this pesto goes great on some baked or grilled chicken, pizza, or pasta!
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Update on Tied With Love
Hey guys! So for those of you who don't know what Tied With Love is, it's a project I started a while ago. I make fleece blankets with ties around the edges for patients who are undergoing treatment for cancer and other diseases at City of Hope hospital in Duarte, CA. I started it because my mom passed away from breast cancer ten years ago and I wanted to give back to the hospital that helped out my family when we were struggling. This last summer, with the help of the Psi Beta honors club at Citrus College, family and friends, and my community, I was able to deliver 39 blankets to the pediatric in-patient unit at the hospital.
I am now working towards doing another delivery of blankets to the hospital hopefully for next summer (Summer 2012).
I am now working towards doing another delivery of blankets to the hospital hopefully for next summer (Summer 2012).
Bleu Cheese and Apple Salad
This is one of my favorite salads! I make it year round but fall is the best time to make it when the apples are fresh and crisp. This salad is also really easy to vary. You can change the they type of cheese, apple, nuts, and lettuce. Just keep in mind that you want your apple and cheese to compliment each other. For instance, if you have a sweeter apple, use a sharper cheese. I'm using bleu cheese and granny smith apples because the rich and creaminess of the bleu cheese pairs well with the sour crunch of the apple.
1 pkg of spring mix lettuce
1 granny smith apple
8 oz. of bleu cheese crumbles
1 handful of walnuts
1 handful of currants or raisins (currants are a sweeter version of raisins)
1/2 cup of your favorite balsamic dressing (I'll post a few balsamic dressing recipes later)
1/2 tbsp of course black pepper
1. Put the pkg of spring mix lettuce into a mixing bowl.
2. Add the bleu cheese and currants into the bowl.
3. Put a small pan on the stove. Heat the pan on medium heat and add the walnuts once the pan is heated. This shouldn't take much time at all. Once you start smelling the nuts, it's time to take them off the heat.
4. Once the walnuts are cooling, thinly slice the apple. They should be large slices but very thinly cut. Place them in the bowl
5. Once the walnuts are cool, place them on a cutting board and run your knife through them (just a rough chop). Place them in the bowl.
6. Add the pepper and dressing to the bowl. Toss the salad so the dressing covers all of it. You can add more dressing if you feel that you need it but be careful when doing that with balsamic dressing. It is very acidic and you don't want it to overpower the salad.
7. You can toast some stale wheat bread if you want and then crumble it over the salad as croutons. (Optional)
This salad goes great with lemon chicken or grilled steak!
To make this salad into an entree salad, try adding some grilled chicken.
1 pkg of spring mix lettuce
1 granny smith apple
8 oz. of bleu cheese crumbles
1 handful of walnuts
1 handful of currants or raisins (currants are a sweeter version of raisins)
1/2 cup of your favorite balsamic dressing (I'll post a few balsamic dressing recipes later)
1/2 tbsp of course black pepper
1. Put the pkg of spring mix lettuce into a mixing bowl.
2. Add the bleu cheese and currants into the bowl.
3. Put a small pan on the stove. Heat the pan on medium heat and add the walnuts once the pan is heated. This shouldn't take much time at all. Once you start smelling the nuts, it's time to take them off the heat.
4. Once the walnuts are cooling, thinly slice the apple. They should be large slices but very thinly cut. Place them in the bowl
5. Once the walnuts are cool, place them on a cutting board and run your knife through them (just a rough chop). Place them in the bowl.
6. Add the pepper and dressing to the bowl. Toss the salad so the dressing covers all of it. You can add more dressing if you feel that you need it but be careful when doing that with balsamic dressing. It is very acidic and you don't want it to overpower the salad.
7. You can toast some stale wheat bread if you want and then crumble it over the salad as croutons. (Optional)
This salad goes great with lemon chicken or grilled steak!
To make this salad into an entree salad, try adding some grilled chicken.
Pesto Pizza
So this recipe is an easy 15 minute meal. I love pesto pizza and wanted to make it myself but I was on a budget and a time crunch so I bought the ingredients ready made. I'll post a recipe later for really good basil pesto if you actually have more than 20 minutes to make a delicious meal.
1 bottle of basil pesto. Any brand will do but I bought the store brand and it actually wasn't bad! And don't spend a ton on this ingredient. You're not going to use much of it anyways.
1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese
2 bright red tomato. I like plum tomatoes because they are smaller and to me, taste better but you can use whatever tomatoes you like. In summer, you can use yellow and green tomatoes too for a colorful dish.
1 tbsp coarse black pepper or red pepper flakes
1 pkg of ready made pizza dough (I used Pillsbury)
1. Preheat your oven to the degree stated on the pkg of pizza dough.
2. Roll out the dough on a baking sheet and place in the oven.
3. While the dough is in the oven, cut the tomato into very thin slices and place it to the side.
4. Take the dough out of the oven after about 5 minutes to spread on the pesto. Shake up the jar of pesto so that it's mixed well. Take a rubber spatula and spoon out about half the jar of pesto onto the dough. Spread it thin and sprinkle the cheese onto the pizza. You can also use different types of cheeses like Parmesan, Asiago, Ricotta, etc. Place the thinly sliced tomato on the pizza as well.
5. Place the pizza back into the oven and continue cooking until the edges of the pizza begin to brown.
With this pizza, I like to make a fun and festive salad with seasonal fruits.
1 bottle of basil pesto. Any brand will do but I bought the store brand and it actually wasn't bad! And don't spend a ton on this ingredient. You're not going to use much of it anyways.
1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese
2 bright red tomato. I like plum tomatoes because they are smaller and to me, taste better but you can use whatever tomatoes you like. In summer, you can use yellow and green tomatoes too for a colorful dish.
1 tbsp coarse black pepper or red pepper flakes
1 pkg of ready made pizza dough (I used Pillsbury)
1. Preheat your oven to the degree stated on the pkg of pizza dough.
2. Roll out the dough on a baking sheet and place in the oven.
3. While the dough is in the oven, cut the tomato into very thin slices and place it to the side.
4. Take the dough out of the oven after about 5 minutes to spread on the pesto. Shake up the jar of pesto so that it's mixed well. Take a rubber spatula and spoon out about half the jar of pesto onto the dough. Spread it thin and sprinkle the cheese onto the pizza. You can also use different types of cheeses like Parmesan, Asiago, Ricotta, etc. Place the thinly sliced tomato on the pizza as well.
5. Place the pizza back into the oven and continue cooking until the edges of the pizza begin to brown.
With this pizza, I like to make a fun and festive salad with seasonal fruits.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Citrus Whipped Cream
After I started making this recipe I can no longer use store bought whipped cream for anything. And a little heads up...if you have anyone in your house that is like my dad, hide the whipped cream or make extra. Every time I make this I have to tell my dad not to eat the entire bowl of it...at least not in one sitting.
8 oz. marscopone cheese
8 oz. of heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 tbsp of vanilla extract (if I could find vanilla bean I'd use it here to get an intense vanilla flavor)
1/2 cup of sugar (I'd use a fine sugar like baker's sugar. It will dissolve and blend easier)
1 tbsp of orange juice (either fresh or from concentrate)
1 juiced lime
2 tbsp lemon juice (Fresh is best)
The zest of 1/2 lemon, 1 lime, and 1/2 orange
1. Add the marscopone cheese and the heavy whipping cream to a large mixing bowl (I'd use one with high sides so it doesn't go everywhere when mixed).
2. Add the vanilla, zest, sugar, and juices to the bowl.
3. Mix (with a mixer not just a whisk and hand...you need machine power on this one) for 2 minutes or until fully blended. You can add extra sugar to taste if needed.
4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour at least.
This is the best thing over some honey toasted pound cake and orange slices!
8 oz. marscopone cheese
8 oz. of heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 tbsp of vanilla extract (if I could find vanilla bean I'd use it here to get an intense vanilla flavor)
1/2 cup of sugar (I'd use a fine sugar like baker's sugar. It will dissolve and blend easier)
1 tbsp of orange juice (either fresh or from concentrate)
1 juiced lime
2 tbsp lemon juice (Fresh is best)
The zest of 1/2 lemon, 1 lime, and 1/2 orange
1. Add the marscopone cheese and the heavy whipping cream to a large mixing bowl (I'd use one with high sides so it doesn't go everywhere when mixed).
2. Add the vanilla, zest, sugar, and juices to the bowl.
3. Mix (with a mixer not just a whisk and hand...you need machine power on this one) for 2 minutes or until fully blended. You can add extra sugar to taste if needed.
4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour at least.
This is the best thing over some honey toasted pound cake and orange slices!
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Most Delicious Sounding Appatizer Ever
http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/goat-cheese-chorizo-rolls-recipe
Just In Time For the Holidays
I got a fantastic Christmas sweatshirt to wear for the holidays at various family gatherings and I thought I'd share the site with you. This sweatshirt is so ugly it's cute! I'll post a picture later but here's the site...
http://www.etsy.com/shop/UglyXmasParty?page=2
http://www.etsy.com/shop/UglyXmasParty?page=2
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