Fresh Basil Pesto

An abundance of Basil...Make Pesto!

This recipe from www.simplyrecipes.com is one of the easiest and one of my favorites.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups fresh Basil leaves, packed

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese (I use Romano)

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts (I use toasted pine nuts from Trader Joes)

3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced - toss in an extra for some more kick

Sea Salt and Ground Black Pepper to taste

Equipment - Food Processor or Powerful Blender (I use my VitaMix)

METHOD

1. Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few more times.

2. Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Makes 1 Cup.

Serve with pasta, I use Rotini so it can get between the curves. Add some Kalamata olives, roasted chicken and extra parmesan on top. Yum!

Lime Blueberry Tiramisu

I can't remember where I found this recipe online but it is definitely on my list of desserts to make while blueberries are still in season, so you can add fresh to the top and inside.

Ingredients

• 1 pint heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 pound mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
• 3 (3-ounce) packages unfilled ladyfingers
• 1 (6-ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
• 1 (21-ounce) can blueberry pie filling
• Fresh mint leaves, optional

Directions

In a large bowl, beat cream with an electric mixer at medium speed until thickened. Gradually add confectioners' sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Gently stir in cheese until combined; set aside.

Split ladyfingers in half. Line a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish with ladyfingers, cut side up. Brush ladyfingers with limeade concentrate. Spoon half of cheese mixture over ladyfingers. Top with half of blueberry pie filling. Repeat procedure for the next layer with remaining ladyfingers, limeade, cheese mixture, and pie filling. Cover and chill 8 hours. Cut into squares to serve. Garnish with fresh mint, if desired.

Persian Chicken

I recently visited my friends Tom and Terri in St. Louis. They are friends that I have always had a chance to cook elaborate meals with like the Mushroom Spinach Lasagna I recently posted. So while visiting I treasured all the yummy food we made together. I would love to be able to make different meals like they do everyday but it doesn't make sense. Being single I would have to live off one meal for a week which is no fun. This meal, however, I don't mind living off. It is healthy and really good. In fact, I think it was better the second day.

This recipe was taken from a slow cooker cookbook, name ?

Serves 4

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 8 hours

Slow cooker standard size

4 chicken drumsticks, skinned

4 chicken thighs, skinned

2 tablespoons all-purposed flour

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon paprika

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

4 cloves

1-inch piece of gingerroot, finely chopped

1 3/4 cups chicken stock

4 oz. baby spinach, well washed, larger leaves torn into pieces

salt and pepper

couscous to serve - I used wheat couscous

1. Slash each piece of chicken 2 or 3 times with a small knife. Mix the flour, turmeric, and paprika on a plate, then use to thinly coat the chicken.

2. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the chicken, and cook until browned on both sides. Transfer to a plate. Add the onion and garlic, if using, to the pan and fry, stirring, for 5 minutes until lightly browned.

3. Stir in any remaining spiced flour. Add the cloves, ginger, stock, and salt and pepper to taste, and bring to a boil, stirring.

4. Pack the chicken joints into the slow cooker pot and pour in the onion mixture. Cover with the lid and cook for 8 hours until the chicken is tender. Add the spinach and cook for 15 minutes more, then serve the chicken on a bed of couscous.

Wild Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna

This recipe came from www.marthastewart.com

Ingredients:

5 pounds fresh spinach, stems removed

1 cup unsalted butter

3 cloves garlic, finely sliced

1 pound ricotta cheese

2 tablespoons course salt (we used half the salt and it still was too much, go light on it)

1 3/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

3 pounds wild mushrooms (chanterelles, oyster and shiitake), trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces

3/4 cup Madeira wine

1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

4 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese

1 one-pound package fresh spinach lasagna sheets

Directions:

1. Wash spinach leaves well in three changes of cold water; shake dry. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large pan over medium heat. Add half the garlic; saute until light golden, about 2 minutes. Add half the spinach leaves, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, 4 to 5 minutes. drain spinach in a colander. Repeat with another tablespoon butter and remaining garlic and spinach. When spinach is cool enough to handle, squeeze to rid it of liquid. Roughly chop spinach; place in medium bowl. Add ricotta, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper.

2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add a third of the mushrooms; season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Saute until mushrooms are softened and browned, about 10 minutes. De-glaze skillet by pouring 1/4 cup Madeira into hot skillet with mushrooms and using a wooden spoon to loosen bits cooked onto skillet. cook mushrooms until liquid has almost evaporated. Transfer cooked mushrooms to medium bowl. Repeat with another 2 tablespoons of butter, another third of the mushrooms, and 1/4 cup Madeira. (Reserve the final third of mushrooms and Madeira for topping.) Add two-thirds of the chopped parsley to bowl with cooked mushrooms; stir.

3. In medium saucepan over medium heat, heat 4 cups milk. Melt 8 tablespoons butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Slowly add warmed milk; cook, whisking constantly, until mixture bubbles and becomes thick. Remove pan from heat. Stir in 2 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the nutmeg, and 1/2 cup grated cheese.

4. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Set aside 1/2 cup sauce. Assemble lasagna: Spread 1/2 cup sauce in bottom of 9x13" baking pan. Place layer of lasagna sheets in pan, trimming to fit; spread 1 cup spinach mixture, 1 cup mushroom mixture, and 1/2 cup sauce on top of lasagna sheets. Repeat layers several times. For last layer, place a layer of lasagna sheets on top; spread 1/2 cup sauce over lasagna sheets. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup grated cheese. Bake lasagna until top is golden brown, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Let stand 20 minutes before serving.

5. Just before serving, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add remaining third of the uncooked mushrooms; season with the remaining teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook until golden and tender, about 10 minutes. De-glaze skillet, with mushrooms in it, with he remaining 1/4 cup Madeira. Stir in the remaining third of fresh parsley.

6. In a small saucepan, combine reserved 1/2 cup sauce with remaining 1/2 cup milk. over medium heat, which until warm and smooth. Spoon cooked mushrooms over each serving, or serve on the side. Serve lasagna with warmed sauce.