Basil Pesto

Well, I was trying to decide what I should write about...again.... it's not because I haven't made anything, nor is it because I have any shortage of recipes, but I do try to think of things that are seasonal, and people are possibly cooking right now. I made a roasted chicken last night for dinner, that I think I will share soon. It is very good, and fairly easy. You will have most items on hand and you can throw it in the oven and just fill the house with delicious scents, throw together a salad, maybe some dessert and everything comes to the table in a snap.
I made these absolutely amazing  apple pie cookies on Tuesday. I mean they are really good. Flaky, filled with warm apple goodness, bite-sized, and perfect for...well...just about anything. We had tacos, lasagna, and bbq chicken. We also had pesto.
I really, really like pesto, and so does my family. I love making creamy pesto, with some butter, half and half, and chicken stock. It is so flavorful and fresh tasting! The other thing I love about it is it is so easy to make, freezes well, and I can just pull a container out for an impromptu dinner. Like I did on Wednesday. I got back to the house later than I had anticipated. I had forgotten to thaw some chicken. I was running behind. So, I pulled out some frozen cheese tortellini and some pesto, threw together a salad, and voila!
I urge you to make homemade pesto. Everything tastes better, fresher, and healthier when you make it at home. You would probably be surprised at how vibrantly green pesto is when it is first made. And how absolutely amazing it is.

The other great thing about it is, if you ever feel like you want to stray from the traditional basil pesto, you can switch out the nuts (or omit them) change herbs to parsley for a mild flavor, or cilantro for a clean taste, and make a new, different pesto to drizzle on freshly roasted vegetables, pastas, fresh salads, or cheese and crackers.

Basil Pesto
adapted from Bride and Groom Cookbook
1/2 cup pine nuts
4 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves
3 cloves chopped garlic
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup grated parmasan

Combine basil, pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food proecessor fitted with a steel blade and process until the ingredients are well incorporated, about 15 seconds. Shut off the motor and scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the motor running, slowly add the 1/2 cup olive oil through the feed tube. Shut off the motor and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the cheese and pulse until the mixture comes together and sooks like a thick paste. Use immediately or transfer to a container, drizzle with a thin layer of olive oil, cover tightly, and refrigerate.

The herbal base of this pesto, minus the cheese, can be frozen. Add the cheese after defrosting the pesto and stir well to combine.

A little corny

The recipe I'm writing today is actually on my blog right now. It's in the On the Table, seasonal fruits and veggies section, but I wanted it in the eternal archives.
When my husband and I were first married, I had a copy of Cooking Light magazine. I ran across this recipe, and, as usual, over time the recipe has been altered and changed until it reached the recipe that it is today. It's just an easy topping for corn that is very festive and different. I haven't met anybody who didn't like it, and its just the thing to perk up your summer bbq.

The variations are endless, and even if you're not grilling, you can make this in the oven or just boil the corn and add the topping.

Corn with Citrus Butter
Basic recipe
Grill corn in the husk for about 15 minutes on medium heat, or boil corn on the cob for about 8 minutes (5-10)
Melt 1/2 stick butter, add juice from one lime, 1/2 lemon, salt and pepper, 1/2 teasp. cayenne pepper

Variation 1
add a handful of chopped cilantro

Variation 2
add 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Variation 3
add about 2 Tablespoons thinly sliced jalapenos to the butter before you melt it

Variation 4
double the lime juice, skip the lemon juice, and add cumin, paprika and cilantro

Fish and Chips and Salsa

Another item that I found my blog lacking was fish. We eat lots of fish, just like beef, but I guess I know a lot of people don't like fish or maybe they don't like very many kinds of fish.
We eat a lot of fish around here. I try to fix it twice a week for health and variety, (although I must admit if I make shrimp I count that as one of our fish meals) and everybody loves it.
I definitely have my favorite types of fish, and I have so many ways of preparing them I rarely make the same thing twice in a month. My husband requests fish and chips, and fish tacos quite frequently. We will also eat fish grilled, or baked, with lemon or browned butter.
We also love shrimp tossed with pasta, or sauteed in garlic, ginger and butter and topped with cilantro, served with warm french bread. As a matter of fact, we are having teriyaki-pineapple prawns with rice and snow peas for dinner tonight.
I will probably end up writing about a lot of those different dishes later, but today I wanted to tell you about a really easy, really good way to cook fish.

It also makes use of leftovers, which makes it a hit with me. Use any white fish you like, halibut, farm-raised catfish, tilapia, red snapper or orange roughy, and coat it with some crushed up tortilla chips. You take salsa and swirl in some sour cream and it makes a delicious and fresh tasting topping.

 

Fish and Chips and Salsa

Serves 4

4 white fish fillets (halibut, red snapper, orange roughy or tilapia)

salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

4 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

4-5 cups tortilla chips, crushed by hand or in a food processor

1 12-16 oz jar of medium salsa

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Season both sides of the fillets with salt and cumin. Combine butter and lime juice in a bowl and drizzle over the fillets. Top each side of the fillets with a layer of tortilla chip crumbs.

Heat a deep saucepan over medium high heat. Add about 2 tablespoons cooking oil and once the oil is heated add the fish. Cook for 6-7 minutes per side, or until fish has reached desired doneness.

Whisk together the salsa and sour cream in a small saucepan over low heat. Heat until just warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in cilantro.

Plate the cooked fish fillets and top with creamy salsa.

Enjoy!