Tag Archives: parmesan cheese

Pesto #5: Arugula Pesto

August 6, 2010
popcorngirl12
0 comments
arugula, garlic, olive oil, parmesan cheese, pesto, sauce

Just like basil pesto and spinach pesto, arugula pesto is a vibrant green color. Full of flavor with a little bit of a bite to it. This is another perfect sauce for pasta. Make sure that you wash the arugula extremely well though. Change the water at least two times because it takes a while to remove all the soil and grit. Nobody likes a gritty pesto!

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups (packed) fresh arugula, cleaned extremely well!

1 garlic clove

½ cup olive oil

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

½ teaspoon salt, more to taste

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a food processor blend the arugula and garlic until finely chopped. With the machine running, gradually add the oil, processing until well blended.

2. Transfer the pesto to a large bowl and stir in the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Season with more salt and pepper if needed. Cover and refrigerate.

Makes about 1 cup and can be made 2 days ahead.

Pesto #4: Mushroom Pesto

As we’ve seen this week, pesto comes in all colors. Green is the most popular color and red is a newcomer with its own distinct flavor. Mushroom pesto adds another. I don’t want to say brown but it’s the color of mushrooms. This recipe uses both dried and fresh mushrooms. They both bring their own unique flavor and texture to the sauce. Dried porcini mushrooms are usually easy to find all year-round. They aren’t usually too cheap but if you can find them on sale they will keep for a while in your pantry. I even keep small cans of porcini and shiitake mushrooms in my pantry for any occasion as well. Try using them if you can’t find dried! This sauce is great on pasta but also just as good on toasted crostini (toasted bread slices)

INGREDIENTS:

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms

8 ounces white button mushrooms, quartered

1½ cups fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

½ cup toasted walnuts

2 garlic cloves

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

½ teaspoon salt, more to taste

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the porcini mushrooms, press to submerge. Let stand until the mushrooms are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the soaking liquid from the mushrooms and discard.

2. In a bowl of the food processor add the porcini mushrooms, button mushrooms, parsley, toasted walnuts, and garlic. With the machine still running, gradually add the oil, blending just until the mushrooms are finely chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Cover and refrigerate.

Makes about 1 cup and can be made 2 days ahead.

Pesto #3: Spinach and Pine Nut Pesto

Spinach and pine nut pesto is almost the same as the basil pesto. It looks the same and tastes just as good. Basil can be expensive especially if you’re using a large quantity of it. But with the wonderful bags of washed, pretrimmed spinach making a spinach pesto is a snap. Using the bags saves so much time as well, you don’t have to keep cleaning it over and over to get all the dirt out of it. And there are sales almost all the time for the bags of spinach. Many of them are buy 1 get 1 free! So this is a more economical way to make a great pesto! This pesto is great with grilled chicken, pasta, anything!

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups (tightly packed) baby spinach leaves (about 2 ounces)

¼ cup toasted pine nuts

1-2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (from about 1 lemon)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about ½ lemon)

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

½ teaspoon salt, more to taste

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a food processor, combine the spinach, pine nuts, lemon zest, and lemon juice. With the machine running, gradually add the oil, blending until it is creamy.

2. Transfer the pesto to a medium bowl. Stir in the cheese, salt and pepper. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate.

Makes 1 cup. The pesto can be made 2 days ahead of time.

Pesto #2: Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

August 3, 2010
popcorngirl12
2 comments
basil, garlic, parmesan cheese, pesto, sauce, sun-dried tomato

Sun-dried tomato pesto is not your usual pesto sauce. It’s great for topping sautéed or grilled fish and can be eaten hot or cold! It can also be used as a sauce on penne pasta. However you want to use it will be great! Using sun-dried tomatoes makes this pesto a sauce you can make all year-long as sun-dried tomatoes have a long pantry life and are great for so many recipes they won’t go to waste.

INGREDIENTS:

1 (8.5 ounce) jar of sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil*

1 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves

2 garlic cloves

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

½ teaspoon salt, more to taste

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a food processor, blend the sun-dried tomatoes and their oil with the basil and garlic just until the tomatoes are finely chopped.

2. Transfer the pesto to a medium bowl and stir in the cheese and salt and pepper. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.

Makes about 1 cup and will last for 1 week if stored in an airtight container.

* If you can’t find oil-packed tomatoes, then soak dry sun-dried tomatoes in extra-virgin olive oil for 12 hours.

Pesto #1: Basil Pesto

Basil pesto is the most basic and traditional pesto. It is what most people think of when you mention pesto. The basil-based pesto was invented in Genoa, Italy. It is also sometimes called a Genovese sauce. It should be a beautiful bright green and the aroma is almost intoxicating. Just remember when adding the oil, add it slowly. This is so that the sauce is fully emulsified, meaning all the ingredients blend together in a thick, uniform consistency. There are also many types of basil out there in the markets today so be adventurous and try a few of them for their different flavors! And remember you will be using quite a bit in the recipe so if it’s on sale all the better!

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves

¼ cup toasted pine nuts (pignoli)*

1-2 cloves garlic

½ teaspoon salt, plus a little more to taste

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus a little more to taste

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a food processor or blender, pulse the basil, pine nuts, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon of the black pepper until finely chopped.

2. With the processor or blender still running, gradually add enough oil to form a smooth and thick consistency. Transfer the pesto to a medium bowl and stir in the cheese. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate.

Makes about 1 cup. The pesto can be made up to 2 days ahead.

*To toast pine nuts for pesto, bake them on a cookie sheet at 400ºF for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Just keep an eye on them because they can burn very quickly!

**TIP** If using the pesto as a pasta sauce it must be the right consistency. So when your pasta is just about ready you can add a little bit of the pasta cooking liquid to the pest to get it a little thinner so it will coat the pasta. Just be careful you don’t add too much and make it a pesto soup!

Fresh Green Bean & Tomato Salad

I made this for the first time yesterday as part of a Thanksgiving in July dinner. Why did we have Thanksgiving in July? Because during Thanksgiving the turkeys are so inexpensive when they are on sale it makes sense to buy one, even if you don’t plan on cooking Thanksgiving dinner. I got a 16.81lb turkey for only $10.06! How could I resist! The only problem though is that it takes up my entire spare freezer! So we cooked it up! And since there were just the two of us I didn’t go crazy with the calorie laden sides. Just made the turkey, mashed potatoes of course, cranberry sauce, gravy and this green bean-tomato salad. It can be served at room temperature or chilled. Either way it tastes great and is a better choice than the traditional green bean casserole! This recipe serves 4 but I thought it would be too much for just us so I cut it in half. Still had leftovers! It was so good!

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound fresh green beans, washed, trimmed and cut in half

1½ teaspoons salt, divided

4 large plum tomatoes, cut into chunks

1 clove garlic, chopped

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place the prepared beans in a large saucepan. Add 1 teaspoon salt and enough water to cover the beans. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, covered, for 6-8 minutes, or until tender. Drain well.

2. In the meantime in a large salad bowl, combine the tomatoes, basil, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and remaining ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix well.

3. Add the drained green beans and toss. Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese.

Serve immediately at room temperature or cover and chill until ready to use.

Mussels Ala Genua

I never knew I liked mussels for most of my life until I had them at a friend’s house about 10 years ago. Who knew I’d love them so much! We have tried mussels in most of our favorite restaurants in our travels and have found such a range of styles and tastes! In Florida our favorite place to get mussels is at our favorite Italian restaurant EVO in Tequesta. (www.evoitalian.com). And strange enough our all time favorite place for mussels was in one of the oddest places you would think, North Conway, NH at a wonderful place called The Muddy Moose Restaurant and Pub (www.muddymoose.com)! We were there at the outlets a few years ago on while on our trip to Maine and decided to get a beer, they are a microbrewery also so they have great beers. We were hungry as well so decided to give their mussels a try and they were outstanding! Go figure, a local pub serving bikers and tourists and they all loved the mussels! A full pound of Maine mussels sautéed with garlic, shallots, white wine, butter, lemon juice and crushed red pepper. Incredible to say the least! We compare everything to theirs now. EVO’s recipe is fresh Prince Edward Island mussels pan sautéed with white wine, roasted garlic, pecorino romano and tossed with a touch cream, finished with fresh basil and toasted crostini. Also to die for! But mine is my own recipe and it’s still really good. I have been actually buying my mussels frozen from Wal-Mart, no joke. I get two whole pounds for $3.50! They are already cooked and frozen! And they are really good! Go figure! I always have some on hand in the freezer for a quick snack when company comes by. They don’t take too long to cook and they are pretty low-calorie too. It’s the cream sauces and bread that makes them higher in calories. Anyway, without further ado (as my Dad always says…) here’s the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds of frozen mussels

2 -15 ounce cans fire roasted tomatoes with garlic and basil

olive oil

3-4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup wine, red or white, which ever you have open

thin sliced italian bread toasted, if you wish

grated parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large sauté pan, pour enough olive oil to coat bottom of pan and heat on medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté until lightly brown. Careful not to burn it.

2. Add the wine and sauté with garlic for a minute or so.

3. Add the tomatoes to pan and stir well. Cook for about 5 minutes until heated thoroughly.

4. Add the mussels and mix thoroughly. Cover and heat for about 7 minutes. Remember they are already cooked so don’t overcook.

5. Serve in a large bowl with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

Serves 6 (or 3 really hungry people!)

**Check out the Muddy Moose when in North Conway, NH!! You won’t be disappointed!

Sour Cream & Onion Tilapia

June 16, 2010
popcorngirl12
0 comments
baked, dill, garlic powder, lemon juice, mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, parsley, red onion, sour cream, tilapia

I made this dish for the first time last night and it was incredibly delicious! Quick, easy and healthy. Usually when I make tilapia I fry it with panko bread crumbs but I had just cleaned the stove and didn’t want the mess of oil all over it again! So I looked around online for tilapia recipes that were baked. I found quite a bit but none of them had everything I wanted so I took a little bit from a few of them and came up with this recipe. There were no leftovers and there was a request to make it again! Always a good thing! It is a light and refreshing twist on a baked fish dish. And did I mention it was really easy and quick? I wish I had leftovers for lunch! Cleanup was also a snap because it was all in one dish. I just served it with some veggies and dinner was served!

Sour Cream & Onion Tilapia

INGREDIENTS:

6-8 tilapia fillets

salt and pepper

½ cup light sour cream

1/3 cup light mayonnaise

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill (1 tsp dried)

2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley (1 tsp dried)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Parmesan Cheese for topping

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 350º. Grease or spray a 13×9 inch baking dish or baking dish large enough to hold the tilapia in a single layer.

2. Place tilapia in the baking dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Combine remaining ingredients (except for parmesan cheese) and spread evenly over the fillets. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese evenly over the fillets.

4. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork. When done you can broil for a couple of minutes to brown the cheese on top if you wish.

Serves 3-4

Scallop Primavera

June 9, 2010
popcorngirl12
0 comments
basil, broccoli, carrots, cream of chicken soup, garlic, olive oil, oregano, parmesan cheese, parsley, pasta, primavera, Scallops, Vegetables

I am always looking for recipes for scallops. I really like the bay scallops better than the larger sea scallops. Mainly because you never really know if you’re actually getting real sea scallops. But the bay scallops are easy to keep frozen and have on hand when you’re in the mood. I came up with this recipe one day when I was cleaning out the fridge. I used carrots and broccoli in this but you can also use any other vegetable you want. If you don’t have any fresh veggies on hand a bag of mixed frozen vegetables will work just fine. I also like the broccoli/cauliflower mix for this recipe. If you are watching your carbs use a lower carb pasta or my favorite Shirataki Tofu Noodles. Or leave out the pasta all together and add more veggies. Another variation is to throw in some grated cheese of your choice and sprinkle the top with breadcrumbs and butter and bake it! I’m getting hungry just writing about this! Have fun with whatever you choose!

Scallop Primavera

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound bay scallops

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 cups broccoli florets

10 oz. can of cream of chicken soup, reduced fat or fat-free

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ pound pasta (elbows, small shells, cavatelli, spaghetti, your choice) cooked and drained

salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon oregano

1 tablespoon parsley

Parmesan cheese, if desired

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large saucepan sauté the garlic in the olive oil. Add the scallops and sauté for about 5 minutes. (Don’t overcook). Remove scallops from pan and set aside.

2. Add carrots and broccoli to pan and sauté for about 10 minutes until vegetables are tender, not mushy.

3. Add the cream of chicken soup and stir well. Cook for about 5 minutes and add the scallops back into mix. Toss to coat.

4. Add the cooked pasta and mix thoroughly. Cook a couple more minutes till heated through.

Serve with parmesan cheese for topping if you want.

Quick & Easy Minestrone Soup

No matter where you have minestrone soup it probably won’t be the same twice. It’s one of those soups that have little variations. This version is a quick and easy version. If you’re running late or just want a quick soup to warm up this is it. It’s semi-homemade. It uses a can of vegetable soup. I like Progresso soups but you can use whichever you prefer. The can size is approximate also. Whatever is closest if you can’t find the exact size will work.

INGREDIENTS:

¼ cup orzo or other small pasta

salt

1 can of Progresso Vegetable Soup (19 oz. can)

1 can Canellini (white) or Red Kidney Beans (15 oz. can)

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the orzo and salt to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is tender (al dente). Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the water.

2. In the meantime, heat the soup and beans to a simmer in a medium saucepan.

3. Stir in the cooked pasta. Add a little of the reserved cooking water if the soup is too thick. Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese.

Serve immediately

Serves 2

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Tag Archives: parmesan cheese

Pesto #5: Arugula Pesto

Pesto #4: Mushroom Pesto

Pesto #3: Spinach and Pine Nut Pesto

Pesto #2: Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

Pesto #1: Basil Pesto

Fresh Green Bean & Tomato Salad

Mussels Ala Genua

Sour Cream & Onion Tilapia

Scallop Primavera

Quick & Easy Minestrone Soup

Top Posts & Pages

Follow my other blog! : Cruise Ship Recipes at Home

Chilled Strawberry Bisque (Carnival Cruise Lines)

Escargot Bourgignonne

Alchemy Bar’s Cucumber Sunrise (Carnival Cruise Lines)

Baked Alaska (Carnival Cruise Lines)

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