Wednesday, 26 August 2015

The Pesto Manifesto

I love basil.  Go ahead and ask why don't I marry it.  I would, but I'm not sure if it would have me.  Unlike basil, I'm pretty high maintenance.  The husband I already have will confirm this when he's finished making me coffee.

Thanks, hun.


Nothing sings the praises of the subtle embrace of basil more than a good pesto.  I find store bought pesto to be bitter and very oily.  And expensive.  Holy moly is it expensive!  So there's only one thing left to do:  MAKE HOMEMADE PESTO!

First, the basics:

Pesto is a sauce originating in Genoa, Italy.  It likely got its name from the Italian verb pestare, which means to pound or crush, which is what happens to the garlic and pine nuts in a traditional pesto, oftentimes in a mortar with its accompanying pestle.  Here are the traditional ingredients:

Garlic
Pine nuts
Basil
Salt
Parmigiano-Reggiano
Pecorino
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Feel free to make a traditional batch.  There are a million versions of the recipe available with the magic of Google.


A word about Parmigiano-Reggiano:

Parmigiano-Reggiano is literally The King of CheesesIt is legally only allowed to contain three ingredients:  milk, salt and rennet.  This is what to look for when buying:

source: Wikipedia
 
What it is NOT is anything else.  Disturbing fact:  Outside of the European Union, the term "Parmesan" can legally be used for cheese products "similar" to the real deal.  For those of you worried about this sort of thing, that can include such ingredients as:  cellulose powder (aka wood shavings), potassium sorbate, and cheese cultures.

I'm not telling you what to buy and what not to buy.  I've owned a few of the old reliable green shakers in my day, but would I add it to a homemade pesto?  NO.  Because you can really taste the knock-offs in this case.

That being said, I'm not including Parmigiano-Reggiano in this pesto recipe anyway.

Warning:

Die-hard pesto traditionalists should stop reading at this point.  I'm about to sub in some ringer ingredients for those of us who are feeding giant locust families or don't feel like spending $12 on a half cup of pine nuts (that may be a slight exaggeration, but it's for good effect). 

Here's the thing - due to allergies and illness, some people are on restrictive diets and when I cook for them, I'm always on the lookout for cheats.  This pesto recipe is gluten, nut, and dairy free.  And you will love it.

Ingredients:


1-2 cloves of garlic (I use two, but I love the stuff.  Go to taste.)
1 generous handful of pepitas (Pumpkin seeds, yo)
1 bunch basil (About the same size as a bunch of parsley.  You can find it in this quantity at good veggie and farmers markets)
1/2 bunch parsley (SuperFood extraordinaire, and I use any excuse to add it to my meals)
Juice of 1/2 lemon or 1-2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar - optional (It just adds a little zing to the thing)
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
*4 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes (say what?  Bear with me.)*

Blender

source:  Wikipedia


*Nutritional Yeast facts:
 It's a deactivated strain of yeast, high in B-complex vitamins.  You can buy it in most natural food stores and it's often used in vegetarian and vegan meal plans.  Here's the thing:  IT ADDS A NUTTY, CREAMY, CHEESY FLAVOUR to dishes and it's a surprisingly delicious cheese substitute.

Pesto Directions:

1.  Add garlic, pepitas, and about 1/4 cup EVOO to blender and process until relatively smooth. 
2.  Add basil, parsley, salt, lemon juice (or balsamic vinegar), and nutritional yeast and continue blending, adding EVOO as necessary until all ingredients are blended. 

Once blended, pesto should look like this:

Greetings, Comrade!

Add to pasta dishes, serve on grilled meat or veggies, use as a sandwich spread, eat with your fingers right out of the bowl if you don't want to share (not gonna judge). 

Pasta with pesto and fresh tomatoes
 

Same pasta, next day, cold with raw veg - pesto pasta salad

Welcome to the revolution.

Tuesday, 18 August 2015

Belle of the BBQ

Long August days mean BBQ season is in full swing.  If you're anything like me, being invited out is a mixed blessing; snarfing down delicious grub someone else prepared (and being scooted away when you try to "help" clean up) is the definite upside.  The downside - trying to come up with a unique gift or dish to bring.

I've made my views on deli potato salad clear in a previous post, but to recap:  ZZZZZZZ.  Here's a little jar of happiness that will get you invited back every time - if for nothing else, just to see what amazing wonder you'll bring with you next, and best of all, won't break the bank!

Blueberry Onion Jam

Like most of my creations, this one came about from poor planning and good luck.  Being a procrastinator and one of those people who hates the idea of having to go anywhere until I'm actually there and having an awesome time, I live in the twilight world of denial.  I do nothing to prepare for an event then panic the day of and whip my family into a frenzy of idea-sessions and last minute peeling (I'm sure they love it).

But, as it were, once again I found myself party-bound with no dish or "host(ess)" gift.  A quick survey of the fridge and pantry left me with an inventory that included:



Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO to us from now on)
1 red onion, sliced
1 pint of fresh blueberries (though frozen would also do off-season)
1-2 Tbsp. sambal (or any hot sauce - or none - or any amount.  I'm not here to tell you how to live your life, man.)
1/4 cup red wine
splash balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp fresh, chopped thyme (optional)

1 mason jar or glass decorative jar, 250mL




1.  In a large frying pan, heat EVOO over medium heat.  Add sliced red onion , salt, and pepper and sauté until soft and golden, about 8-10 minutes.

2.  Add sambal or hot sauce and continue cooking, about 3 minutes longer.





3.  Add red wine and balsamic vinegar.  Stir to combine.





4.  Add blueberries and mix well.  Cook until blueberries pop and take on the consistency of jam.






5.  Add salt and pepper to taste (careful with the "to taste" bit though.  Don't burn your tastebuds off before you get to the BBQ) and the chopped thyme. 





6.  Let cool and spoon into clean jar.

Without canning, will last about 7-10 days in the fridge.  But let's get real...


Smoked gouda grilled cheese with blueberry onion jam