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The Basics: Pesto

partysugar — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 10:15:17 -0700

When basil is in season, I can't make enough pesto. The classic Italian sauce native to Genoa tastes delicious on everything from pasta to pizza to grilled fish. It's excellent stirred into salads or slathered on sandwich bread. Although store-made pesto is widely available, it's easy to make. Pesto is simply an uncooked paste consisting of fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil. It can be made with a mortar and pestle or in a food processor. Once you have mastered the basic recipe, you can get creative with other herb, nut, and cheese combinations. To learn the basic technique, read more.

Pesto
From Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 garlic clove, peeled
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
1/2 to 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

In a blender or food processor, pulse the basil, pine nuts, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until finely chopped.
With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil until the mixture forms a smooth and thick consistency. Add the Parmesan and pulse until combined. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Makes 1-1 1/2 cups.

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Scoop Your Own Olive Oil and Pine Nut Ice Cream

YumSugar — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:15:32 -0700

On the hot days of Summer, there is nothing like a scoop of ice cream to cool down. While I've enjoyed my fair share of store-bought ice cream, it was finally time to start making my own, so I recently purchased the ice cream attachment for my Kitchenaid. I was nervous about making ice cream (the custard can quickly curdle) and unfortunately, my nerves got the best of me: when I turned up the heat too high my first batch curdled at the very end of cooking!While I was disappointed with my first go, I had to give it another shot and I am glad I did. With a little more patience, I kept the heat lower and the second custard batch was a complete success. Intrigued by David Lebovitz's interesting ice cream combinations in Fine Cooking, I decided to make his unique roasted pine nut and fruity olive oil ice cream. The flavor definitely caught my guests off guard, but once they took a bite, they loved it! The pairing of olive oil and pine nuts is actually reminiscent of the more traditional butter pecan. If you are screaming for ice cream this Summer, keep reading.

Fast & Easy Dinner: Broiled Salmon With Spinach Feta Saute

partysugar — Tue, 26 May 2009 06:50:58 -0700

After a weekend of burgers and beers, opt for a lighter dinner menu tonight. Broiled salmon is quick, healthy, and scrumptious.

Served on a bed of wilted spinach dotted with creamy feta crumbles, this dish is perfectly balanced in both flavor and texture. Pine nuts add a necessary crunch that complements the plump, flaky fish, chewy greens, and tangy cheese.

Learn the technique when you read more.

Broiled Salmon with Spinach Feta Saute
From Everyday Food

Ingredients

4 skinless salmon fillets (6 ounces each)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 bags (5 ounces each) baby spinach
1/2 cup feta, crumbled (2 ounces)
1/3 cup pine nuts
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. Place salmon on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Broil until opaque throughout, 5 to 7 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add as much spinach as will fit; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing spinach and adding more to skillet as space becomes available, until tender, about 2 minutes.
Remove from heat; drain off excess liquid.
Stir in feta, pine nuts, and lemon juice. Serve salmon with spinach saute.

Serves 4.

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12 Days of Edible Gifts: Sweet and Spicy Brittle

YumSugar — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:15:29 -0800

During the holidays, I keep homemade brittle in pretty packages to ensure that unexpected guests don't leave empty handed. This year, I made two different types of brittle: a classic peanut brittle and a more exotic, spicy brittle with pine nuts. However, it's easy to make brittle with any nut, seed, spice, or dried fruit.
Making brittle can be a daunting task, but with a couple of helpful tips, the procedure is uncomplicated. A candy thermometer is essential. There's a limited amount of time between brittle and burned sugar disaster, so have all the nuts and other ingredients ready and waiting. When the amount of steam produced by the boiling water and sugar mixture lessens, you have reached the hard-crack stage. Most importantly, remember to be patient! Get started on this crunchy, sweet, and spicy gift when you read more.

Sweet and Spicy Brittle
From Epicurious

Ingredients

Classic Peanut Brittle
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup salted peanuts
Spicy Pine Nut Brittle
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 250°F. Lightly oil a large sheet of foil on a baking sheet, then warm in oven.
Cook sugar and water in a deep 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring slowly with a fork, until melted and pale golden.
Cook caramel without stirring, swirling pan, until golden. If making the spicy variation, immediately stir in red pepper flakes, salt, and nuts and cook, stirring, until nuts are golden, about 1 minute.
Once brittle reaches hard-crack stage (about 300°F) quickly pour onto foil, tilting baking sheet to spread brittle evenly before it hardens. (If caramel hardens too fast, put in a 400°F oven until warm enough to spread, 1 to 2 minutes.) Cool brittle on baking sheet on a rack until completely hardened, then break into large pieces.
If you want to create brittle pops, cut skewers into thirds. Alternate the sticks on a foiled and oiled cookie sheet. Cook the brittle as directed above, pour on the foil covering 1/3 of the top of each stick. Once cooled, carefully break apart brittle pops.

Makes 1 1/2 cup brittle of each type.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Spiced Pear and Goat Cheese Salad

partysugar — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 06:45:03 -0700

Just because it's cooler doesn't mean you have to stop having hearty salads for dinner. Fall's fabulous flavors, like pears, dark greens, and nuts, are excellent ingredients in dinner salads.

In this recipe, the cinnamon-spiced pears are roasted in a bath of orange juice. Parsley leaves add freshness and toasted pine nuts provide a delicious crunch. Creamy goat cheese and salty Parmesan cheese finish off the salad. This dish is also a perfect starter for a fancy dinner, so get the recipe and read more.

Spiced Pear and Goat Cheese Salad
From The Nest

Ingredients

For the spiced pears:
4-5 firm but ripe pears, peeled, cored, and quartered
splash of olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice
juice of 1 orange
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
For the goat cheese salad:
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1 bunch arugula and/or watercress leaves
2 ounces Parmesan, shaved
11 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
30 flat parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup pine nuts, toasted until pale golden brown

Directions

Preheat a grill pan or skillet and preheat the oven to 400°F.
Mix the pears in a bowl with the oil, salt, pepper, and dried spices.
When the grill is hot, grill the pears for 1 1/2 minutes on each side until they are beginning to caramelize.
Remove from the pan and place in a small roasting pan. Pour the orange juice and red wine vinegar over them, and roast in the oven for 8 minutes. Transfer the pears to a large bowl and let cool.
Mix the extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice into the pear juices in the roasting pan to make a dressing. Season to taste (remember the cheese is salty).
Mix the leaves with the pears. Add the slivers of Parmesan, along with some of the crumbled goat cheese and the parsley. Pour in the dressing and toss gently to mix.
Serve on a large plate and scatter the toasted pine nuts, remaining goat cheese, and Parmesan over the top.

Serves 6.

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Stuffed Chard Lamb is Delicious for Dinner

YumSugar — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:15:18 -0700

Whenever I take a trip to the store, a couple of items that aren't on my grocery list make their way into my cart. When I spotted a California-raised lamb shoulder at the meat counter, I couldn't stop myself from sliding it into the shopping cart.

I was eager to experiment with lamb because of a recent disappointing experience with imported Australian lamb. Ironically, I found an Australian recipe that I decided to try. If I made it with a local piece of meat, the dish might taste better.

And taste better it did! The lamb is filled with a rich stuffing of eggplant, onions, bell pepper, wine-soaked dried currants, and toasted pine nuts. The bold flavor of the lamb balances out the sweetness of the stuffing and the bitterness of the chard resulting in a dish that is succulent and scrumptious. To try this rewarding lamb dish, read more.

Roasted Stuffed Lamb With Swiss Chard
Gourmet Traveller

Ingredients

Currant and pine nut stuffing
1/3 cup dried currants
1/3 cup Merlot
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
4 anchovies, finely chopped
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 small eggplant, peeled and chopped
1 red bell pepper
2 tsp brown sugar, or to taste
1 tsp fresh or 2 tsp dried Greek oregano
1 lemon, finely grated rind only
For the lamb:
1 1/2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, butterflied
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 bunch Swiss Chard
1/2 tsp nutmeg, or to taste
1 tsp fresh Greek Oregano
1/2 cup Merlot wine

Directions

For stuffing, combine currants and wine in a bowl.
Chop eggplant, garlic, onions and red bell pepper.
Heat oil in a large frying pan, add onion, garlic, anchovy, and nuts and sauté for 5 minutes over medium heat or until soft and nuts start to brown. Add eggplant and bell pepper, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until soft.
Season to taste with sugar, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Add, wine-soaked currants, oregano and lemon rind and cook for another 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Cool.
Preheat oven to 390°F. Place lamb skin-side down on a bench, spread over stuffing, roll up tightly, rather than use twine to secure the lamb, I used these stretch hot cooking bands! Combine 2 teaspoons of olive oil, salt, nutmeg, Greek oregano season to taste and rub over lamb. Place lamb in the baking dish and pour 1/2 cup merlot in the bottom of the pan.
Roast for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 375°F and roast for 1 hour for medium. Cover with foil and rest for 10 minutes.
Heat remaining oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, add garlic and cook for 1 minute or until golden. Add chard and cook for 5 minutes or until tender, then add leaves and cook for another 5 minutes or until wilted. Slice lamb thinly and serve on a bed of chard topped with any extra stuffing.

Serves 6.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Grilled-Salmon Salad

partysugar — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:30:07 -0700

During the Summer, I try to consume as many dinner salads as possible. This grilled salmon salad, from the wonderful minds of MyRecipes.com, is healthy yet filling. The salmon is marinated in a fragrant spice rub before being quickly cooked on the grill. A tomato vinaigrette adds freshness while goat cheese provides a creamy texture. Pine nuts and green onions are a necessary crunch that balance out the buttery texture of the salmon. For the simple yet scrumptious recipe, read more.

Grilled-Salmon Salad
From Sunset magazine

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds boned, skinned salmon fillet, cut into 4 equal pieces
3 tablespoons light-brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
About 1 teaspoon salt
About 1 teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces salad mix, rinsed and crisped
Tomato vinaigrette, recipe below
4 ounces fresh chèvre (goat) cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup minced green onions (white and pale green parts only)
1/4 cup pine nuts

Get more recipes at MyRecipes.com

Directions

Rinse salmon and pat dry.
In a bowl, mix brown sugar, cumin, chili powder, and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Place salmon in bowl and rub pieces all over with spice mixture.
Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile make the tomato vinaigrette.
Lay salmon on a barbecue grill over a solid bed of hot coals or high heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 2 to 3 seconds); close lid on gas grill. Cook, turning once, until a thermometer inserted in center of thickest part reads 140°, 6 to 8 minutes total.
Meanwhile, divide salad mix equally among four plates. Place a piece of salmon on each mound of greens.
Drizzle salads equally with tomato vinaigrette and sprinkle evenly with goat cheese, green onions, and pine nuts. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4.

Tomato Vinaigrette

1 cup diced firm-ripe tomatoes (about 8 oz.)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

In a bowl, combine tomatoes, vinegar, oil, shallot, mustard, salt, and pepper. Mix well.

Makes 1 cup.

Like the recipe above? Try out some of these other ones:

- 7 Cool Salads Under 300 Calories
- The Ultimate Grilling Guide
- 7 Ways With Salmon
- Quick, Weeknight Favorites at Sunset.com

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Textured Side: Sautéed Spinach with Pine Nuts & Golden Raisins

YumSugar — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 04:28:31 -0700

Spinach is one of my favorite things to cook. Whether it's put into a salad or cooked into a casserole, I absolutely love the way it tastes. I recently came across a simple recipe for spinach sautéed with pine nuts and golden raisins. While I have put raisins in many a spinach salad, I've never put them in cooked spinach. I think the squishy texture of the raisins will go nicely with the slightly wilted spinach. To get the recipe and try it for yourself, read more.

Sauteed Spinach with Pine Nuts & Golden Raisins
From Eating Well

Ingredients

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons golden raisins
1 tablespoon pine nuts
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 10-ounce bag fresh spinach, tough stems removed
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon shaved Parmesan cheese
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Add raisins, pine nuts and garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add spinach and cook, stirring, until just wilted, about 2 minutes.
Remove from heat; stir in vinegar and salt.
Serve immediately, sprinkled with Parmesan and pepper.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Gemelli With Sausage and Swiss Chard

partysugar — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 06:03:31 -0800

Pasta is an obvious choice for a super swift yet delicious meal. Why? Because an easy and tasty sauce comes together while the pasta cooks. Sautéed Italian sausage, garlic, and swiss chard are delicious when tossed with cooked gemelli. Raisins, pine nuts, and Parmesan round out the hearty dish.

Fill free to get experimental with the recipe. Use arugula instead of chard, or dried cranberries instead of raisins. For the recipe, please read more.

Gemelli With Sausage and Swiss Chard
From Everyday Food magazine

1/3 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 pound mild Italian sausage, casings removed
1 pound Swiss chard, tough stems removed, leaves cut into thin strips
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper
1 pound gemelli or other short pasta
3/4 cup raisins, plumped in boiling water and drained
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

In a large skillet, toast pine nuts over medium-high heat, shaking the pan to toast evenly, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from skillet.
In the same skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage, and cook, breaking it up with a fork, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add chard, garlic, and pepper; cook, tossing, until chard wilts, 2 to 3 minutes. Cover to keep warm.
Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions, about 12 minutes.
Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup cooking water. Return pasta to pot.
Add sausage mixture to pasta with 1/2 cup reserved cooking water, raisins, toasted pine nuts, and Parmesan; toss to combine. Add more cooking water if pasta seems dry.
Serve with more Parmesan.

Serves 4.

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Yummy Link: Lemon and Pine Nut Pasta

YumSugar — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 14:14:14 -0700

Sometimes all you need is a really great, but simple recipe. On nights like those, give this lemon and pine nut pasta a try. - Too Many Chefs