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With the holiday weekend coming up, I am headed out of town for a few days. Before I go, I thought a nice versatile recipe would be good for the weekend, a Creamy Sunflower Pesto. Pesto is a nice recipe to keep in mind whenever you are stuck; it makes a quick pasta sauce, it is great on grilled chicken or beef, and it adds great flavor to appetizers.
A true pesto is made with pine nuts, basil, parmesan cheese, and olive oil, but you can swap out almost any of those ingredients and have a delicious dish. You can use almost any nut; I just recommend toasting them before using them to bring out the flavor. If you want to change the cheese, make sure to use a nice salty cheese or it will be completely overshadowed by the herbs and nuts. Generally, I stick to basil since that makes it recognizable as a pesto, but you can use other herbs for a very different flavor.
For this recipe I used a small amount of cream, as it adds a nice smooth, creamy flavor without overpowering the dish. It also makes it ideal as a sauce without needing to add anything else. If you omit the cream, just drizzle in a bit more oil than what is called for in the recipe until the pesto is the correct consistency.
Making pesto is very simple but takes a little time and love. If you try to go too fast, the oil will separate out and you will have an oily mess. The only trick is to start slowly with the oil, and once everything is moving in the blender, you can start to pour the oil in faster until it is all incorporated.
Ingredients:
1/3 c sunflower seeds, shelled
¼ c parmesan cheese
1 bunch basil (about 1 cup of leaves)
¼ tsp salt
4 Tbsp cream
2 Tbsp water
6 Tbsp olive oil
Directions:
1) Roast the sunflower seeds until lightly brown and fragrant.
2) In a blender, mix all the ingredients except the oil.
3) Scrape down the sides of the blender.
4) While the blender is on, slowly drizzle in the oil.
5) Blend until smooth, scraping the sides occasionally.
6) Serve and enjoy!
Our fan-created recipe has come to a close and the final results tallied! For those who didn’t see, fans voted on various aspects of a recipe they wanted to see on the site. The winner was a vegetarian appetizer using sweet peppers, with a tie for Indian and Spanish flavors. So given those parameters, I went with a Spanish red pepper tortilla with a curried feta spread. A Spanish tortilla is more like an omelet than the tortillas you may be familiar with.
I hope the create-a -recipe polls gave you a little idea of how to come up with a new recipe. This approach is actually one that I usually use to come up with recipes in my own kitchen. I like to start with what type of dish I am making, whether dinner, dessert, appetizer, etc. Then I will either decide on the main component of the dish or the flavor profile I want to use. Once one is decided, I choose the other and start planning details. I will usually do some research online to see what types of dishes already exist similar to what I want to make. After that I just make something up and hope it turns out delicious!
I hope next time you are not sure what to make, you might try making up your own recipe. If you use flavors you like, it will at least be ok. And who knows, you may find a gem you make over and over again.
As an added small tip, here is how to make little egg-shaped garnishes, like the cheese spread in these pictures. This works with cream cheese, ice cream, custard, or anything with that sort of texture. Just take two teaspoons. Scoop a small amount into one spoon, then scoop it out with the other spoon rotated 180 degrees from the original spoon. Scoop back and forth; supposedly it can be done in three passes, but it usually takes at least 5, sometimes more. Don’t worry if it isn’t perfect; it takes a little practice, but is easy when you get it down.
This recipe makes enough for appetizers for 4, or a light lunch for 2.
Ingredients:
1 red bell pepper
2 medium red bliss potatoes, sliced thin
½ onion, sliced thin (optional)
¼ tsp salt
1 clove garlic, minced
3 eggs
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro
2 oz feta cheese
3 oz (about ¼ c) whipped cream cheese
½ tsp curry powder
¼ tsp annatto powder (optional)
Avocado and cilantro for garnish
Directions:
1) Roast the red pepper over an open flame until the skin is blackened, being careful not to burn yourself.
2) Place the pepper in a plastic bag and seal tight. Let sit for 10 minutes to let the pepper steam and cool somewhat. This will make it a lot easier to remove the skin.
3) Peel the skin from the pepper and chop the pepper into 1-inch long strips.
4) Coat the bottom of a small pan with oil, and heat well. An 8-inch, oven-safe, nonstick omelet pan works best, though any small pan will work.
5) Add the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally until they start to brown.
6) Add the garlic, and if you are using them, onions.
7) Cook until everything is nicely browned but not burnt.
8) While the potatoes and garlic are cooking, beat the eggs, cilantro, 1 Tbsp water, ¼ tsp pepper, a pinch of salt, and the bell pepper strips together.
9) Add the egg mixture to the pan, and mix with the potatoes. Stir everything together and then try to flatten as much as possible.
10) If your pan is oven safe, place in a 350 degree oven for 7-10 minutes until cooked through and mostly firm in the center. If you do not have an oven-safe pan, reduce the heat to low and cook partially covered for about 5 minutes until cooked in the center.
11) While the tortilla is cooking, use a mixer to whip the cheeses, curry and annatto powder together until smooth. Taste the mixture and adjust seasonings as necessary.
12) Flip the tortilla by loosening the edges of the tortilla then placing a plate over the pan upside down and flipping the pan and the plate together.
13) The bottom of the tortilla should be golden brown. Place it back in the pan, bottom side up, and cook for about 30 seconds on medium heat to cook any last uncooked spots.
14) Slice the tortilla into wedges and garnish with avocado, cheese spread and cilantro.
15) Serve and Enjoy!
For this week’s recipe, we have a quick but delicious side of chili caramel acorn squash. I love this recipe since it requires almost no work, yet it tastes really special.
This recipe will work with almost any orange-fleshed squash or sweet potatoes. The main reason to use acorn squash is that it is not as sweet as other squash and you don’t have to peel it. As an added bonus, the peel looks really nice on the plate.
Squash is very forgiving when you roast it. It should be nice and soft when it is done; you should be able to stab it with a fork and get almost no resistance. The nice thing is the squash won’t overcook quickly, so just be careful not to burn the sugar.
This dish should serve3-4 as a side.
Ingredients:
1 acorn squash
1 Tbsp oil
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili flakes
Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2) Cut the acorn squash into ¾ inch cubes, leaving the skin on.
3) In a bowl, mix the remainder of the ingredients.
4) Toss the acorn squash to coat evenly.
5) Place in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet.
6) Roast for about 30-40 minutes until the squash is easily pierced with a fork.
7) Serve and enjoy!
Using our suggestion box, one of our friends Laura asked a few questions about preparing a nice steak and how to avoid overcooked, bland meat. So to help make the perfect steak, I will share some chef tricks. The recipe itself is very simple; this one is really all about technique.
When cooking a nice steak, there are two methods I have heard. In restaurants, they sear the outside over very high heat, and then finish cooking it to the desired doneness in the oven. I greatly prefer this method; it is super simple and always works. The other method is to cook the steak in the oven first and then sear the outside. It works well, but I think this order is a bit more finicky; if you’re not very careful about the time in the oven, the steak can get overcooked when you move it to the pan to sear it. Whatever you do, I don’t recommend cooking a steak in a pan only, without cooking it in the oven, as it rarely goes well unless the steak is very thin. Because of the high heat, the steak will turn out dry and tough.
When you have put the steak into the oven and then need to test the doneness, there are a million methods. My favorite is to press the center of the steak. If it feels like your cheek, it is very rare. When it feels like the side of your nose, it is medium. When it feels like the tip of your nose, it is well done. It takes a little practice, but after a while you can tell the doneness of a steak in one second flat. If you prefer a more scientific method, you can use an instant-read thermometer. Stick the thermometer in the thickest part of the steak and check for 145 for medium-rare, 155 for medium, 165 for medium-well, and 170 for well-done.
Now, a little advice for marinades. If you have a good steak, they are totally unnecessary. But, if you want to use one, don’t add salt to the marinade itself, as the meat will absorb all of the salt but none of the other flavor. Add the salt to the meat after marinating for a much better balance of flavors. I also recommend adding something acidic (such as balsamic vinegar) to a marinade to help tenderize the meat and something sweet (such as grape juice) to help the steak caramelize. Lastly, after you marinate, always pat the steaks dry or they will just stew instead of caramelizing.
This recipe makes enough for two servings.
Ingredients:
1 lb rib-eye or New York steak (preferably thick cut)
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
½ c grape juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp dried or 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary
1 tsp salt and pepper
Directions:
1) Mix the vinegar, grape juice, garlic and rosemary in a large Ziploc bag.
2) Add the steak, seal, and marinate for about 1 hour.
3) While the steak is marinating, preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
4) Remove the steak from the marinade and pat dry.
5) Sprinkle both sides of the steak with salt and pepper.
6) Heat some oil in a pan until incredibly hot (as hot as you can get it without burning the oil; the oil should be shiny and should move on its own).
7) Put the steak in the hot pan and cook for 3-4 minutes until well caramelized. Don’t play with the steak too much.
8) Flip the steak and cook on the other side for 3-4 minutes until also caramelized.
9) If your pan is oven-safe, place the pan directly into the oven. If not, place the steak on a foil-lined baking dish and put it into the oven.
10) Bake until the desired doneness, about 5-10 minutes depending on doneness and how thick the steak is.
11) Let sit for 5 minutes covered before serving or it will dry out when you cut into it.
12) Serve and Enjoy.
Fruit salsas are, in my opinion, one of the greatest inventions of the modern world. The combination of sweet and spicy is as good as it gets. Depending on what you use, it can go on anything, even ice cream. Fruit salsa on fish is my favorite way to serve it, so today we will make tilapia with watermelon salsa.
Whenever I do fish and a fruit salsa, I prepare the fish very simply. For tilapia, the only real trick is to make sure the pan is super hot. Since tilapia is so thin and will completely fall apart if you overcook it, you want to cook it quickly on high heat.
For the salsa, you can do almost anything. Tropical fruit, melons, berries, or citrus are all amazing. Each one has its own little tricks, but generally speaking, add some lime, cilantro, onions, and peppers, and it should be amazing.
I served this dish with black japonica rice and a small side salad.
This will make enough for 2 with a little salsa left over.
Ingredients:
1 ½ c watermelon, cut into ½ inch cubes
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
½ jalapeno pepper, diced
1 Tbsp lime (juice of 1 small lime)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cumin
1 Tbsp feta cheese (optiona)
2-4 pieces tilapia (about 6oz per person)
Directions:
1) In a medium bowl, combine all the salsa ingredients (everything but the fish and cheese).
2) Toss together and taste; if it needs to be sweeter, add 1 tsp sugar.
3) Let the salsa sit while you prepare the fish.
4) Heat a pan very hot.
5) Sprinkle the tilapia with a pinch of cumin, salt and pepper.
6) Add a dash of oil to the pan.
7) Quickly sauté the tilapia, about 1-1 ½ minutes per side until desired doneness.
8) Remove the tilapia from the heat and top with the salsa and cheese.
9) Serve and Enjoy!
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