I had some leftover pesto from last week, and decided to make a pasta with grape tomatoes, pesto and bow tie pasta for dinner tonight. I always forget how easy it is to make pesto, and in August there is basil everywhere, even in shaker heights!
Here is how I make it:
A big handful of basil, stems removed
1/2 c or so of grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Olive oil
Pine nuts, a handful
Place all ingredients except olive oil in food processor, add a tablespoon or so of olive oil, pulse a few times, then add 2 more tablespoons oil and pulse until smooth. Spoon over warm pasta and add a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water to blend.
Never fails!
Extended Burke Family
Monday, August 20, 2012
Weeknight Favorites with Local Ingredients
This past week I ventured out into downtown Delaware for some local flavor to add to my homemade meals. First stop was the Delaware County Community Market where local vendors sell their product to members and part of the proceeds of the purchase support local non-profit agencies! Here, I bought fresh corn, grape tomatoes, and a jalapeno pepper. They also sell handmade goods such as pot holders, coasters, jewelry and canned jams or spreads. A small deli counter has daily specials and they can whip you up a nice little lunch during the week!
On Saturday, my mom and I checked out the Delaware Farmer's Market and let me tell you, there was a ton of fresh produce! Right from the farm with excellent prices! I have never tasted such fresh, sweet corn as I have from these stands. So, we picked up a dozen ears of corn, yellow bell peppers, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, another jalapeno, and red onions. All of these ingredients were used in my new August favorite - Corn Salad!
Ryan and I were invited to a "Favorites" party on August 18th and for the theme, we were to bring our own favorite drink or food. I previewed the recipes for Ryan earlier in the week before bringing them to the party, but these are what I ended up preparing:
Weeknight Guacamole
2-3 ripened avocados
1 bunch of green onions - thinly sliced and then finely chopped
1 lime-
1 clove of garlic - minced
2-3 pinches of Kosher salt
Mash the avocados, add the green onions and garlic. Juice 1/2 of the lime, and taste for preference. I usually add juice from the second half, but I love lime! Once you've added the lime juice, salt to your taste! So yummy!
August Corn Salad
1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup of sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp of fresh ground pepper
**Combine above ingredients until sugar dissolves and allow to sit during preparation of the corn salad. This will be the dressing.
3-4 ears of fresh corn, raw, steamed or blanched
1/2 red onion chopped
1 yellow bell pepper chopped
1 jalapeno finely chopped
3/4 package of grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup of basil leaves torn into little pieces
Argulula lettuce (optional in my opinion)
Combine all of the vegetables listed above, thread in the arugula as desired, add the dressing (I only add about 1/2 of the mixture) and serve immediately! Leftovers become a bit soggy, so plan on eating it all in one night. This will serve about 3-4 people.
These side dishes were both well liked at the favorites party, and they are pretty easy to make. I loved using the fresh, local ingredients-especially the corn! I hope these dishes make it to your table this August!
Until next time,
Christen
On Saturday, my mom and I checked out the Delaware Farmer's Market and let me tell you, there was a ton of fresh produce! Right from the farm with excellent prices! I have never tasted such fresh, sweet corn as I have from these stands. So, we picked up a dozen ears of corn, yellow bell peppers, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, another jalapeno, and red onions. All of these ingredients were used in my new August favorite - Corn Salad!
Ryan and I were invited to a "Favorites" party on August 18th and for the theme, we were to bring our own favorite drink or food. I previewed the recipes for Ryan earlier in the week before bringing them to the party, but these are what I ended up preparing:
Weeknight Guacamole
2-3 ripened avocados
1 bunch of green onions - thinly sliced and then finely chopped
1 lime-
1 clove of garlic - minced
2-3 pinches of Kosher salt
Mash the avocados, add the green onions and garlic. Juice 1/2 of the lime, and taste for preference. I usually add juice from the second half, but I love lime! Once you've added the lime juice, salt to your taste! So yummy!
August Corn Salad
1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup of sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp of fresh ground pepper
**Combine above ingredients until sugar dissolves and allow to sit during preparation of the corn salad. This will be the dressing.
3-4 ears of fresh corn, raw, steamed or blanched
1/2 red onion chopped
1 yellow bell pepper chopped
1 jalapeno finely chopped
3/4 package of grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup of basil leaves torn into little pieces
Argulula lettuce (optional in my opinion)
Combine all of the vegetables listed above, thread in the arugula as desired, add the dressing (I only add about 1/2 of the mixture) and serve immediately! Leftovers become a bit soggy, so plan on eating it all in one night. This will serve about 3-4 people.
These side dishes were both well liked at the favorites party, and they are pretty easy to make. I loved using the fresh, local ingredients-especially the corn! I hope these dishes make it to your table this August!
Until next time,
Christen
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Gotta Love Garlic
Tonight was my only night at home this week to cook and I chose FISH! Tilapia to be exact. Since we often have salmon, thought I would mix it up a bit. What better to pair with fish than my stand by grain- couscous- and a few ears of locally grown corn?! I picked the roasted garlic and olive oil couscous and then planned on a garlicky fish preparation to seal the deal.
This meal was super easy and super healthy - and it only took about 20 mins to make it.
I melted 2 tbsp of butter in a saucepan and then added 4 crushed cloves of garlic - simmering until fragrant (~2 mins). Next, add 2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice and remove from heat.
Place the fish in a shallow glass baking dish, season with salt and pepper, then add the butter/garlic mixture spreading evenly over the fish. Place this dish in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 15 mins and voila! So easy and very low calorie!
The plate felt a little naked once prepared with 3 pale white/yellow foods, so next time I might add in a leafy green such as Tami and Ryan's favorite broccoli with garlic and basil! Makes for a better presentation :)
We finished the night with my new most favorite ice cream flavor from our quaint, downtown, mom-and-pop ice cream establishment, "Ollie's". The flavor is Lemon with Black Raspberry Swirl and let me tell you...it is to die for! My mouth waters just thinking about it! Can't imagine any better flavor to enjoy on a hot summer day or night.
Looking forward to next week with a few more nights at home to cook!
Yours truly,
Christen
This meal was super easy and super healthy - and it only took about 20 mins to make it.
I melted 2 tbsp of butter in a saucepan and then added 4 crushed cloves of garlic - simmering until fragrant (~2 mins). Next, add 2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice and remove from heat.
Place the fish in a shallow glass baking dish, season with salt and pepper, then add the butter/garlic mixture spreading evenly over the fish. Place this dish in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 15 mins and voila! So easy and very low calorie!
The plate felt a little naked once prepared with 3 pale white/yellow foods, so next time I might add in a leafy green such as Tami and Ryan's favorite broccoli with garlic and basil! Makes for a better presentation :)
We finished the night with my new most favorite ice cream flavor from our quaint, downtown, mom-and-pop ice cream establishment, "Ollie's". The flavor is Lemon with Black Raspberry Swirl and let me tell you...it is to die for! My mouth waters just thinking about it! Can't imagine any better flavor to enjoy on a hot summer day or night.
Looking forward to next week with a few more nights at home to cook!
Yours truly,
Christen
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