homemade basil pesto... revisited

who has time to cook? well, this is what i've been up to lately.

not vivi's best picture but let's be real- getting a two year old and a (then) one month old to pose for a picture is just not gonna happen. in fact, getting my two year old to even hold vivi takes serious bribing.
i digress. since there hasn't been a whole lot of new recipe creation going on in my kitchen we've relied on our old standbys. homemade pesto is always in our dinner rotation. an overwhelming sense of embarrassment comes over me every time i look at my first few posts, pesto included.  My photography skills were just short of horrific. in making this last round of pesto i replaced my sad iphone picture. being gardening season i felt it appropriate to re-share this deliciousness with you. growing your own basil? find some great tips here.
pesto freezes nicely. simply pour into ice cube trays and toss in the freezer. once frozen, place "cubes" in a freezer-friendly plastic bag. to defrost the cubes, run the bag under cold water. you can toss with pasta, add to a sandwich or add a dollop to the top of a grilled chicken breast. the possibilities are truly endless. happy summer.

pesto
3 c fresh basil, (2 oz)
3 tbl walnuts
3 tbl grated parmesan
2 garlic cloves
1 tbl lemon juice
salt & pepper
1/4 c olive oil

1. combine first seven ingredients in food processor streaming olive oil in slowly.
2. that's seriously it... seriously.

homemade granola

ganola and yogurt parfaits are on the top of the cravings list these days. oooooo and trail mix too! weird, i know.
this is a super simple not-so sweet homemade granola that you can layer with yogurt and fresh berries for the perfect breakfast. when baking be sure to stir the granola every ten minutes so all sides get equal toasty time. everybody's ovens are different so bake time is really dependent on color. you want to bake it until it gets golden brown. it will seem soft and not quite done, but will crisp up even more after you take it out of the oven and let cool. my lower oven rack seemed to toast those suckers a bit more than the top so be conscious of that as well.

homemade granola
4 c oats
1 c shredded coconut
3/4 c dried cranberries
3/4 c almonds, chopped
1/2 c walnuts, chopped
1/2 c honey
1/2 c canola oil
1/4 c brown sugar
1 tbs vanilla

1. combine oats, coconut, cranberries, almonds and walnuts in a bowl.
2. combine honey, canola oil, brown sugar and vanilla. pour over dry ingredients and stir until coated well.
3. spread granola over two baking sheets. bake at 325 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown stirring every ten minutes.
4. layer fresh berries, yogurt and granola in a glass and devour.

turkey sausage & quinoa stuffed peppers

seems this random grain quinoa popped up out of nowhere. i've been playing around with it for months knowing its' healthy reputation, however, found it to be extremely bitter on its own. i knew it needed some flavorful cast members.
for those that aren't familiar, quinoa is a grain usually being substituted for rice in various dishes.

turkey sausage & quinoa stuffed peppers
1 lb turkey sausage
3/4 c cooked quinoa
2 tbl olive oil
1/4 c red pepper, minced
1 zucchini, minced
1 tbl tomato paste
3 green peppers sliced in half and de-seeded

1. cook quinoa according to package using chicken broth in instead of water. set aside and cool.
2. saute red pepper and zucchini in olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes. add salt & pepper to taste. set aside and cool.
3. combine turkey sausage, quinoa, vegetables and tomato paste in a bowl.
4. place halved green peppers in a casserole dish and stuff with turkey sausage mixture. cover pan with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 65 minutes.

baked cinnamon apple french toast

i'm hoping you're as behind as i am and have yet to plan your menu for christmas morning brunch?
this recipe looks beautiful and presents as a whole lotta work. you'll be thankful to know that the most time consuming part is peeling the apples. it's a breeze to whip together and guarantees a sweet treat everyone will love.

baked cinnamon apple french toast
18 pieces of french bread, sliced in 1 in. slices
1 c milk
6 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbl sugar

cinnamon apple topping
5 apples, cored, thinly sliced and peeled
1 c lite karo syrup
1 c brown sugar
1 tbl cinnamon

1. arrange bread slices in a 9 x 13 baking dish overlapping slices.
2. whisk together milk, eggs, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tbl sugar. pour over french bread. cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
3. prepare cinnamon apple topping by combining all ingredients in a saucepan. bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes allowing liquid to thicken. cool and refrigerate overnight.
4. preheat oven to 350 degrees. pour cinnamon apple topping over french bread and bake uncovered for 45 minutes.

turkey mini pot pies

i'll be honest- i could go without the turkey on thanksgiving and simply indulge in the sides. mashed potatoes and stuffing to be exact. and then some more mashed potatoes and stuffing.
i'm convinced everybody has leftover turkey because they'd rather eat the sides too. shake up your traditional chicken pot pie with some leftover turkey and puff pastry dough.

turkey mini pot pies
2 cups cooked turkey, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 onion, diced
1/2 c frozen peas
1 sheet puff pastry dough, thawed (i use pepperidge farm from the freezer section)
3 tbl butter
1/3 c flour
2 c chicken broth
1 c milk
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbl butter, melted

1. melt butter in a stock pot. add carrots, onion and celery. cook on medium-low until soft (about 12 minutes). add frozen peas and cook for another couple minutes. 
2. add flour to vegetables and cook for two minutes stirring to coat. Add chicken broth and milk to vegetables and bring to a boil. turn heat down to low and simmer for 5 minutes allowing liquid to thicken. add turkey.
3. cut 4 circles out of puff pastry dough using a cookie cutter or the top of a cup. (circle size needs to be larger than the ramekins).
4. ladle turkey mixture into 4 ramekins. lay puff pastry dough over the top. cut slits in dough, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with kosher salt. 
5. bake pot pies at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until pastry dough is golden brown.

i'm baaaaack

so there's a baby in my belly hence my falling off the face of the earth for the last few months. pregnancy hasn't been very polite to me- eating and cooking just weren't on the agenda. well, i'm over the hump and expecting another baby girl in march. here's to getting back in the saddle again. my truck-driver appetite craves pretty much everything that's bad for you so strap on your seat belts (or elastic pants?).
i bring you kung pao shrimp! friends, this has a kick. red pepper flakes give it the heat so be sure to adjust the measurement based on your tolerance. i'm not a fishy eater, so i did the same rendition just substituting chicken. 

kung pao shrimp
1 lb peeled shrimp (i used 31-40 ct shrimp)
3 c brown rice
1/2 c cornstarch
3 tbl olive oil
6 tbl soy sauce
3 tbl sesame oil
3 tbl sugar
1/2-1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 c dry roasted peanuts

1. cook rice according to the package.
2. whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, red pepper flakes and ginger. toss shrimp in cornstarch.
3. heat olive oil in saute pan until pan is hot. add shrimp cooking on medium heat for 3-4 minutes on  each side until cooked thru. 
4. pour sauce and peanuts over shrimp. simmer for 5 minutes allowing sauce to thicken. stir allowing sauce to coat both shrimp and peanuts. serve on brown rice.

roasted vegetable + brie grilled pizza- that's a mouthful

weird i know, but there's something so fantastic about roasted veggies. i had to throw 'em on a pizza. and since it's summer, grilling pizza is a must.  this pizza is fresh and hearty all in the same bite.
if you haven't grilled pizza before, you're in for a life changing experience. okay, maybe that's a bit dramatic, but it's awesome. and super simple!

roasted vegetable + brie grilled pizza
store bought pizza dough (we use sciortino's bakery dough sold at sendik's)
olive oil
7 oz brie cheese, sliced in teeny 1/2" pieces
tomato sauce

roasted veggies
1/2 of a zucchini, sliced and cut in half
1/2 of a yellow squash, sliced and cut in half
2 tomatoes, cut in large chunks
6 asparagus, cut in 3" pieces
1/2 of a orange pepper, cut in 2" x 2" pieces
1/2 of a yellow pepper, cut in 2" x 2" pieces
1/8 c olive oil
1 tbs fresh rosemary, minced
salt & pepper to taste

1. let dough sit on your kitchen counter for 2 hours prior to using. this allows the dough to get a little stretchy and more workable.
2. line a baking sheet with foil. throw your chopped veggies on baking sheet and toss in olive oil, rosemary and salt & pepper. roast in the oven at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. once done, set aside.
3. heat up your grill to a very low temp.
4. put small amount of olive oil on another baking sheet. roll out the dough to your liking and place on cookie sheet. brush the top with olive oil.
5. place dough olive oil side down on grill. close the grill and cook on low for 5-10 minutes or until bottom is lightly brown and crispy.
6. brush the top with olive oil and flip over. top with tomato sauce, roasted vegetables and brie pieces. close the grill and cook for 7-10 minutes or until lightly brown and crispy. turn off grill and let pizza sit for 3 minutes allowing cheese to set. (if the cheese isn't oozy enough for you at this point- throw in the oven on broil for a quick 3 minutes)