Kiwi Mango Orange Basil Pear Juice
Could we possibly add more fruit to this concoction? My juicer sighs "Please no!"
I have to tell you that the kiwi and the mango are the real stars of this juice. They are thick, pulpy fruits that create quite a *sludge* in the juicer. What comes from them is not just juice; it's more like a jammy nectar! When you add them to the pear and mandarin oranges you get a really thick juice. A juice that will make you feel like you are in Hawaii. A juice that is BEGGING for a decorative paper umbrella to accompany it! Continue reading→
Basil Apple Cucumber Juice
My brother and I made this juice last week.
It's a great juice if you are on a cleanse! Your taste buds will be awakened and your tummy will be satisfied. The basil in the juice adds a nice depth to the sweetness of the apple and cucumber. It makes it more of a grown-up drink in my opinion. Continue reading→
Inspired: Thai Basil Chicken
Inspired by Chez Pim's post on Pad Krapow Moo, I made a version Gai Pad Krapow (Thai Basil Chicken) tonight over brown rice with a fried egg.
I just followed her steps, but used ground chicken instead of pork. SOOOO yummy. This is the whole reason why I am growing Thai Basil!
Tomato Basil Pasta
I'm a busy bee lately! Soo much to do....Sooo little time.
Which means that I've stepped away from the kitchen for a bit....
But when I've been in there, I've concocted quick little breakfast sandwiches like this one:
(a whole wheat English muffin with egg, cheese & turkey bacon)
It's worth waking up for in the mornings. I'm kinda obsessed with them.
Tonight I roasted some tomatoes (not from my garden-yet)
I picked some fresh basil from my little garden I've been working on-
Boiled some Whole Wheat Spaghetti...Tossed in a HUGE handful that basil.
Added:
-red pepper
-extra virgin olive oil
-those tomatoes
-a splash of red wine vinegar (It brings out the sweetness in the tomatoes and adds a nice kick)
-fresh ground pepper
-topped with a little grated parmesan.....
My hands still smell like basil, and I am totally loving that!
I'm dreaming of getting back in the kitchen (soon).
I could really use a challenge of making something fun/tasty/good.
You should see what I've clipped out to try....
Hamburger Tomato Pizza
I thought that I would bust this out, while I'm on a roll with Everday Food recipes. I stared at the picture in the current issue for like 10 minutes straight. I kid you not.
If that doesn't get you to try it... Perhaps mine will?
(yes that pan is WELL-LOVED)
Now check up close!
I like a crust that's a little over cooked and crispy!
eating it outside was the best!
Hamburger Grape Tomato Pizza (Everyday Food-May 2008 issue)
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- All-purpose flour, for work surface
- 1 pound frozen pizza dough, thawed
- 3/4 cup store-bought marinara sauce
- 1 cup grated provolone cheese (4 ounces)
- 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced (optional)
- 1/4 pound ground beef chuck
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- A handful of fresh basil! (I added this and it was PERFECT!)
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rub a large rimless baking sheet (or a rimmed one, upside down) with oil.
2. On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin and your hands to roll and stretch dough into a 15-by-11-inch rectangle (if dough becomes too elastic to work with, let it rest a few minutes). Transfer to prepared sheet.
3. Spread sauce evenly over dough, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Top with provolone, tomatoes, and if desired, onion; scatter beef over top. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Bake until crust is golden, beef is cooked, and cheese is melted, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately. (it's not as good the second day for some reason!)
ENJOY!!!! I KNOW WE DID!
Strawberry Juice
As you might know, I got some really great strawberries at the Farmers Market on Saturday.
Here they are right before I started digging in:
So after my strawberry overload breakfast (see below) I decided to treat myself to a refreshing beverage. After working around the house/yard over the weekend, it was well deserved.
I started juicing them with my juicer!
I juiced two of the containers! It produces the best puree!
I think I will use it for pancakes or perhaps in my yogurt....or ice cream!
I muddled some basil leaves with a little bit of sugar. I added some fresh strawberry juice and some sparkling water.
Put in a straw & top with a little strawberry and you have yourself a refreshing drink!
The basil was great! If you aren't as daring...try some mint! MMMMMMM
Fresh Basil Pesto
Whenever I make pesto, I always try to make a huge batch. Because there's nothing more disappointing than eating pasta that doesn't have enough sauce on it!
If you don't have a food processor, a blender works fine. If you don't have either- hope your knife skills are excellent!
Ingredients were all from Trader Joes:
- 2 containers fresh basil
- 2-3 cloves fresh peeled garlic
- 1 lemon squeezed
- a dash of cayenne pepper
- 1 large handful of pine nuts
- 4 heaping tablespoons of parmesan cheese
- fresh ground pepper
- 1/4 cup of olive oil
Chop up a few cloves of garlic (I used 3 for this batch)
Now add the basil. Make sure to leave off the stems. You can see I left one on! Woops!
Make sure to scrap down the sides...
Now, start adding your olive oil.
I added a little over 1/4 cup of the oil to get the consistency I wanted.
I tossed in a handful of pine nuts (they're even better when toasted)
I added 1 fresh squeezed lemon to the mix (prevents discoloration)
A dash of cayenne pepper for spice.
Some fresh ground pepper to even out the flavor....
Now put about 4 heaping tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. (Skip this part if you're vegan)
The cheese is in place of salt. It adds a LOT of flavor. Mix that all up!
Now we have some pesto!
When I made dinner the other night, I added some of the pesto to my shrimp (with red pepper & olive oil) to make jazz them up before grilling:
I put those on skewers (4 to a skewer-except 1 had 5!)
I grilled them on high heat for about 2-3 minutes per side!
I think this weekend I'm going to have a slice of bread toast with pesto on it. Stay tuned.
Sun Dried Tomato Goat Cheese Appetizer
Favorite Appetizer from Trader Joe's Items:
Goat Cheese with Sun Dried Tomatoes, Basil & Pine Nuts
The magic makers:
Take the goat cheese out of it's packaging and put it on your party plate.
Chop up the Trader Joe's Sun Dried Roma Tomatoes. Pour on top of the goat cheese log. A little bit of the oil from the tomatoes makes it soooo yummy & flavorful.
Top with pine nuts and sprinkles of chopped basil. Add some salt & pepper.
And then you have a wonderful appetizer. It's just soo easy & convenient!
It works well with sliced up crostini or crackers. This went really fast last night! If by chance you have leftovers, toss it all in a food processor and you have a tasty pink goat cheese spread. It's a great way to recycle a good thing.
Here's your shopping list:
- 1 log of goat cheese
- 1 jar of sun-dried roma tomatoes
- 1 handful of pine nuts
- a small handful of chopped up basil
