Basil Pesto

Basil, basil everywhere – my window box is just loaded with basil so what better time to make pesto and freeze it for quick pasta dinners in the months to come.

Fresh Basil

Actually I made Basil Pesto  three times this week because my plants are just flourishing. My measurements are “more or less” because it is just that kind of recipe. I put everything in my food processor and use the standard cutting blade.

[Rating – easy]

Preparation time: 

10 minutes to combine ingredients and freeze

Basil (center)
Olive Oil, Pine Nuts and Walnuts, Whole Garlic Cloves,
Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese cubed

Ingredients: 

2 cups of fresh basil leaves (washed and air dried)

½ cup of pine nuts or 100 grams more or less

½ cup of walnuts or 100 grams more or less

8-10 cloves of garlic

½ cup to ¾ cup of hard cheese (Pecorino or Parmigiano-Reggiano)

Coarsely ground black pepper – about ¼ to ½ teaspoon

1 cup Olive Oil more or less

Preparation: 

• Place the pine nuts and walnuts in the food processor
• Process until they are coarsely ground (they should look sort of lumpy)

Coarsely ground pine nuts and walnuts

• Add the basil leaves and the garlic
• Pulse the processor the basil and garlic will begin to blend with the nuts
• Add the cheese

Large Chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese with fresh Basil leaves

• Continue to pulse until the ingredients look combined - but not smooth!!!
• Slowly add the Olive Oil while processing
• The mixture will begin to turn one color
• Scrape down the sides, test the consistency
• Add pepper to taste
• And pulse for a few more seconds

Basil Pesto in Food Processor

A close look at Basil Pesto - it should be a bit grainy 

Storage:
I usually place the Pesto in a silicon cupcake form and cover it with saran wrap.
When the Pesto is frozen it is easy to remove, you just peel the Pesto pelts out of the form and then you can store the individual portions in a container in the freezer; the portions stay separate and you will have Basil Pesto available whenever you want to put together a quick meal.
Enjoy, this is really easy and the results can be enjoyed for a very long time.
Looking forward to your feedback at capricorncooks@gmail.com.

Basil Pesto in silicon cupcake form - great for freezing.

Quick Tomato Bruschetta

It was very hot the other night so I opted for a quick Tomato Bruschetta. 
I knew I had fresh tomatoes and a French bread at home but also no Kalamata Olives. I did find a very good substitute – anchovies.

You can vary the amounts of the ingredients to your liking.

[Rating – easy]

Preparation time: 

10 minutes cutting and cooking + 5 minutes to combine ingredients and serve]



Basil leaves, chopped tomato, hot green pepper,
French bread, garlic, anchovies,
crumbled Feta cheese



Hot green pepper without the tip (top left), sliced Basil leaves (top center),
anchovies mashed in olive oil (top right), half roasted red pepper (bottom left),
tip of the hot green pepper chopped bottom center)

Ingredients: for 2 servings

• 1 French bread – cut in half length-wise and then in large flat slices 
• 4 medium size tomatoes cubed (keep the juice)
• 6-8 large basil leaves (Chiffonade - see below)

Basil leaves 
[to "Chiffonade" your Basil - stack your leaves on each other;
then roll them like a cigar; then slice thinly; fluff out with your fingers] 

• 2 anchovies (mashed)
• 2 whole cloves of garlic
• 4 tablespoons of Olive oil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped (Very Hot) Green Pepper [THIS JUST ADDS FLAVOR, NOT TOO MUCH HEAT - TASTE THE PEPPER BEFORE YOU ADD IT TO BE SURE YOU CAN TOLERATE THE HEAT]
• ½ roasted Red Pepper cubed
• Freshly ground black pepper

Optional Additions or Substitutions:

*Finely chopped Kalamata Olives instead of anchovies
*Chili flakes instead of chopped fresh hot pepper
*Garlic:  add 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
*4 tablespoons of Feta cheese crumbled into small pieces
*Lemon juice
*Note: Any type of crusty bread will do if you don't have a bagette.

Preparation:

Bread:

• Place the slices on a hot frying pan (or under the grill in the oven, or on an outdoor grill) until they begin to brown around the edges
• Remove from the heat to a serving plate
• Vigorously rub the open side of the bread with the garlic clove to coat (the garlic clove should sort of break apart a bit - I actually smashed it with the side of my knife and then rubbed - it released more of the flavor)

Bread after being pan toasted and rubbed with garlic

Tomato Topping:

• Place the cubed tomatoes in a medium size bowl
• Add the cubes of roasted Red Pepper

• In a small bowl – mash the anchovies into the olive oil until it almost disappears (see picture above)
• Add the hot Green Pepper and the thin slices of basil leaves.

• Pour this mixture over the tomatoes and stir gently [you can use this mixture immediately or let it marinate a bit in the refrigerator for an hour or so]

To Assemble:
Spoon the tomato mixture onto the warm toasted bread. 
Add freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Tomato Bruschetta

We topped our Tomato Bruschetta with some crumbled Feta cheese and also added a generous squeeze of lemon juice. 

I hope this works for you - it was quick and easy My Official Taster said it was very delicious.

Looking forward to hearing your comments  .  .   . 

Mock Mushroom Risotto

Looked in the refrigerator and found some mushrooms that needed using, some frozen chicken soup, frozen peas and frozen grated cheese. Decided to try and make risotto - spontaneously - so here is my very simple version - there is no butter and no white wine - but it came out really terrific.

These ingredients make enough for 4 main course servings.

[Rating – needs attention – but easy]

[Preparation time: 10 minutes to cut and chop + 25-30 minutes to mix the liquids into the rice]

Arborio rice, mushrooms, garlic, onions and peas

Ingredients:

1 cup Arborio rice or for risotto (see picture) – DO NOT RINSE THE RICE!!

Arborio rice grains

At least 2 cups of sliced fresh mushrooms (button, Portobello and/or fresh shitake or whatever fresh mushrooms you have available)

At least 2 to 3 cups of chicken stock or any other liquid 

(used homemade chicken soup, added water as needed, white wine works also)

1 tablespoon chopped garlic (or more or less if you like)

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (more or less)

1 cup grated hard cheese (Pecorino or Parmigiano-Reggiano)

Black pepper

2 tablespoons Olive oil or Canola oil 

Preparation:

• Heat large frying pan or wide low pot - Add oil 
• Add onions and cook until softened and translucent
• Add the garlic and nutmeg into the onions - mix
• Add mushrooms - they will begin to soften and shrink a bit when this happens 
• Add rice and mix until it looks kind of opaque or translucent and is well coated with the oil

 onions, mushrooms and rice before adding liquid

• Add one ladle of chicken stock and simmer until it is absorbed, stirring it gently.

 onions, mushrooms and rice after adding chicken stock

• Continue adding remaining stock ladle by ladle using the same process as above [the rice is releasing starches, which what makes this dish so delicious]
• Every so often taste the rice, when the rice begins to get chewy and the mixture is like a thick-ish oatmeal consistency - ADD the peas - MIX 

 mushrooms and rice with peas

• Turn off the heat and add the ground cheese.

 mushrooms, rice, peas adding cheese

• To serve - transfer to bowls and serve immediately.

 Mock Mushroom Risotto

You could bump it up with white wine [next time I just might] and butter.

Let me know what you think and any suggestions you might have.