Pesto is one of things things that you always want to have in your fridge. It keeps and freezes well, and you can use it on almost anything - from pasta sauce to chicken marinade, and then a sauce for meats.
Most international cuisines have some sort of pesto - a mixture of herb, garlic, and oil. There's gremolata, chimichurri, and of course, by far the most famous, the pesto classico - a gorgeous combination of fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan, and then some good olive oil. Yum. Now that summer is here, my basil plant is a lot like my life right now - overflowing with abundance :)
Don't get me wrong - while the original is still the best, mixing it up here allows me to get creative, and also shows what a simple ingredient switch can make a dish completely different, but still delicious; somewhat of a deja vu.
Pine nuts tend to be ridiculously expensive, so this time, I chose to go with roasted almonds instead. You can actually use almost any kind of nut, but roasted nuts bring out a smokier flavor than the blah uncooked ones.
I made about 2 cups with this, and then had a bit leftover, which saved my life the next day, when I had to make dinner for 6 on 5 minutes notice.
That's another pasta recipe, but here's the pesto - there's only one secret to good pesto. Never ever use pre-grated Parmesan.
Almond Pesto
1 cup loosely packed Basil leaves
4 cloves Garlic, finely minced
1/3 cup Roasted Almonds
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 ea Lemon, juiced
2/3 cup Good Olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
Makes about 2 cups
Combine all ingredients except olive oil in a food processor
Process until roughly chopped
Gradually add olive oil in a stream until pesto is finely minced
Season with salt & pepper
Toss with pasta for a quick meal, serve hot or cold
Monday, June 21, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
Why'd you have to go and make things so complicated?
I first dined at Vue de Monde in 2008, and remember the cozy bistro for their coddled eggs, topped with a truffle foam. Mmmm.. I love eggs, and a pairing with truffles is my favorite combination. It did strike a chord with me, so on this Melbourne trip, I made a special request to go back there.
The food on this occasion wasn't as memorable, but we did have a salad that Mom liked very much, and wanted to make for a dinner party. She asked me for the recipe, so I'm hacking it out here. The key to the salad is the fresh ingredients, so don't be tempted to use sub-par produce, although it might be more cost effective. Also, the presentation was perfect - a very organized mess, looking like not a lot of care was put into plating it, but really, requiring a lot of work for each individual component.
Here's the gist of it - it's not for the fainthearted, and is one of those "looks easier that it actually is" dishes.
Salade C'est Complique
Serves 4
1 ea Zucchini, Shaved into long thin slices with a peeler
1 ea Zucchini, sliced into 1/4" rounds
1 ea Yellow Pepper
1 ea Red Pepper
8 ea Cherry Tomatoes, halved
4 ea Anchovies
1 portion Batter
1/4 cup Dressing
1 portion Eggplant Caviar for base
1 cup Croutons for garnish
For the Salad:
Preheat an oven to 450F. Roast Peppers in oven until tender, but not mushy, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Peel, halve lengthwise, remove seeds, and slice each piece crosswise into four (16 pieces total)
Before serving, dip the zucchini rounds in the batter, and fry in 350F oil until browned and just tender, remove from oil, and blot with paper towels
In the remaining batter, coat the anchovies, and fry in 350F oil, until batter is crisp and brown. Remove from oil, and blot with paper towel
Combine all the vegetables together, and toss with dressing, making sure to taste, reserving 2 tbs of dressing
To serve, spread a layer of eggplant caviar on 4 plate, top with tossed salad, making sure that each has equal portions of each ingredient
Top with fried anchovy, and garnish with croutons
Drizzle each plate with remaining 1/2 tbs of dressing
Batter for Zucchini Rounds & Anchovies
1/2 cup Cake Flour
2/3 cup Ice Water
1 ea Egg Yolk
1 tsp Baking Soda
Combine ice water with egg yolk. Sift baking soda into cake flour, and quickly whisk liquid into dry ingredients. Do not overwhisk, mixture should be a little lumpy. Make this only just before using
Dressing:
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbs Minced Italian Parsley
1 Tbs Mint Chiffonade
Salt & pepper to taste
Whisk all ingredients together, season to taste
Eggplant Caviar
1 ea Large Eggplant
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 clove Garlic, finely mashed
1 Tbs Olive Oil
Salt & pepper to taste
Preheat an oven to 450F. Prick the eggplant all over and rub with olive oil. Roast in oven for about 45 minutes, or until eggplant is tender when pierced. Remove from oven and let cool.
Strip the skin from the meat, and wrap eggplant meat in cheesecloth. Hang over a drip pan in the fridge overnight to drain excess liquid.
Spin eggplant and garlic in a food processor, and gradually add the 1/4 cup olive oil to combine. Season with salt & pepper
The food on this occasion wasn't as memorable, but we did have a salad that Mom liked very much, and wanted to make for a dinner party. She asked me for the recipe, so I'm hacking it out here. The key to the salad is the fresh ingredients, so don't be tempted to use sub-par produce, although it might be more cost effective. Also, the presentation was perfect - a very organized mess, looking like not a lot of care was put into plating it, but really, requiring a lot of work for each individual component.
Here's the gist of it - it's not for the fainthearted, and is one of those "looks easier that it actually is" dishes.
Salade C'est Complique
Serves 4
1 ea Zucchini, Shaved into long thin slices with a peeler
1 ea Zucchini, sliced into 1/4" rounds
1 ea Yellow Pepper
1 ea Red Pepper
8 ea Cherry Tomatoes, halved
4 ea Anchovies
1 portion Batter
1/4 cup Dressing
1 portion Eggplant Caviar for base
1 cup Croutons for garnish
For the Salad:
Preheat an oven to 450F. Roast Peppers in oven until tender, but not mushy, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Peel, halve lengthwise, remove seeds, and slice each piece crosswise into four (16 pieces total)
Before serving, dip the zucchini rounds in the batter, and fry in 350F oil until browned and just tender, remove from oil, and blot with paper towels
In the remaining batter, coat the anchovies, and fry in 350F oil, until batter is crisp and brown. Remove from oil, and blot with paper towel
Combine all the vegetables together, and toss with dressing, making sure to taste, reserving 2 tbs of dressing
To serve, spread a layer of eggplant caviar on 4 plate, top with tossed salad, making sure that each has equal portions of each ingredient
Top with fried anchovy, and garnish with croutons
Drizzle each plate with remaining 1/2 tbs of dressing
Batter for Zucchini Rounds & Anchovies
1/2 cup Cake Flour
2/3 cup Ice Water
1 ea Egg Yolk
1 tsp Baking Soda
Combine ice water with egg yolk. Sift baking soda into cake flour, and quickly whisk liquid into dry ingredients. Do not overwhisk, mixture should be a little lumpy. Make this only just before using
Dressing:
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbs Minced Italian Parsley
1 Tbs Mint Chiffonade
Salt & pepper to taste
Whisk all ingredients together, season to taste
Eggplant Caviar
1 ea Large Eggplant
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 clove Garlic, finely mashed
1 Tbs Olive Oil
Salt & pepper to taste
Preheat an oven to 450F. Prick the eggplant all over and rub with olive oil. Roast in oven for about 45 minutes, or until eggplant is tender when pierced. Remove from oven and let cool.
Strip the skin from the meat, and wrap eggplant meat in cheesecloth. Hang over a drip pan in the fridge overnight to drain excess liquid.
Spin eggplant and garlic in a food processor, and gradually add the 1/4 cup olive oil to combine. Season with salt & pepper
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Re-Purpose this!
I secretly hid some of the leftover frozen meatballs from the Mother's Day tea that I did earlier in the month, and was craving some good old fashioned spaghetti and meatballs. I update the recipe a little so the sauce has a more contemporary character, but still very easy.
Following the "use what's leftover" philosophy that I (and my purse) are so fond of, I dug out from my fridge, sweet pepper, basil, and from the pantry, canned tomatoes, of course!
I pureed the sauce to give it a nice thick consistency, so you could keep it in the fridge and use it as a dip, or even thin it out and use it as a soup. I love recipes that can multi-task like that!
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Red Spaghetti Sauce
Makes 1 quart
1/2 ea Yellow Onion, diced
3 cloves Garlic, sliced
1 ea Red Pepper, but yellow or orange works too
1 can Fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup Basil, chiffonade
2 tbs Olive Oil
1. Heat the oil in a saute pan and saute the onions until lightly browned
2. Add the Garlic, and cook till lightly browned
3. Add the Red pepper and saute for another 2 minutes, then add the tomatoes and basil
4. Cook for another 10 minutes, then puree mixture in blender
5. Bring red sauce back to a boil, and lower to a simmer until desired consistency is reached
6. Season with salt and pepper
Leave to cool then store in an airtight container in the fridge
If serving with meatballs, add the frozen meatballs, cover pan, and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through
Toss with spaghetti, and top with parmesan cheese
To serve as a soup, thin out sauce with an equal portion of chicken stock
Following the "use what's leftover" philosophy that I (and my purse) are so fond of, I dug out from my fridge, sweet pepper, basil, and from the pantry, canned tomatoes, of course!
I pureed the sauce to give it a nice thick consistency, so you could keep it in the fridge and use it as a dip, or even thin it out and use it as a soup. I love recipes that can multi-task like that!
Red Spaghetti Sauce
Makes 1 quart
1/2 ea Yellow Onion, diced
3 cloves Garlic, sliced
1 ea Red Pepper, but yellow or orange works too
1 can Fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup Basil, chiffonade
2 tbs Olive Oil
1. Heat the oil in a saute pan and saute the onions until lightly browned
2. Add the Garlic, and cook till lightly browned
3. Add the Red pepper and saute for another 2 minutes, then add the tomatoes and basil
4. Cook for another 10 minutes, then puree mixture in blender
5. Bring red sauce back to a boil, and lower to a simmer until desired consistency is reached
6. Season with salt and pepper
Leave to cool then store in an airtight container in the fridge
If serving with meatballs, add the frozen meatballs, cover pan, and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through
Toss with spaghetti, and top with parmesan cheese
To serve as a soup, thin out sauce with an equal portion of chicken stock
Monday, May 10, 2010
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Did a Mother's Day lunch for a special family over the weekend, and as usual, everything was fabulous, but I got the most props on my famous meatballs, so I'm posting it here!
The secret to making great tasting meatballs? Just use ingredients that you're familiar with, and always, always, do a taste test before you roll them out! If you can let the flavors marinate overnight before rolling them out, even better.
The other great thing about this is that it freezes really well, and you can always have a stash for a quick appetizer, or something to throw into a red pasta sauce for spaghetti & meatballs; but that's only if it lasts that long!
Enjoy ~
Chef Laura's OMG Meatballs
Makes 36, 1 oz meatballs
1/2 lb Ground Beef
1/2 lb Sweet Italian Sausage
1/2 each Onion, sliced into half moons
1/4 cup Sundried tomatoes in oil, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 cup Feta, Crumbled
2 Tbs Parmesan Cheese
2 Tbs Breadcrumbs
1 tsp Paprika
2 Tbs Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
1. Heat the oil in a heavy saute pan
2. Add the onion slices, and caramelize on medium until golden brown, about 20 minutes (keep stirring or this burns)
3. Remove from heat, and let cool; chop into a rough paste
4. Combine all the remaining ingredients in a bowl
5. Use your hands to mix well, season with salt & pepper
6. Do a taste test by frying up a small portion of the mixture
7. Divide mixture into 1 oz portions, and roll into balls
8. Arrange meatballs on metal tray and freeze
9. Once frozen, store in airtight container or zip lock bags for up to 3 months
10. When ready to use, arrange meatballs in a single layer on a baking sheet at bake at 400F for 10 minutes
Spinach Yogurt Sauce
2 cups Spinach leaves
2 Tbs Olive Oil
1 cup Greek Yogurt
2 cloves Garlic, sliced
Salt & Pepper to taste
1. Heat the oil in a saute pan, and cook the spinach until wilted
2. Using a food processor, combine all ingredients, and pulse till spinach is finely chopped
3. Store in an airtight container overnight before using, this allows the flavor to develop
The secret to making great tasting meatballs? Just use ingredients that you're familiar with, and always, always, do a taste test before you roll them out! If you can let the flavors marinate overnight before rolling them out, even better.
The other great thing about this is that it freezes really well, and you can always have a stash for a quick appetizer, or something to throw into a red pasta sauce for spaghetti & meatballs; but that's only if it lasts that long!
Enjoy ~
Chef Laura's OMG Meatballs
Makes 36, 1 oz meatballs
1/2 lb Ground Beef
1/2 lb Sweet Italian Sausage
1/2 each Onion, sliced into half moons
1/4 cup Sundried tomatoes in oil, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 cup Feta, Crumbled
2 Tbs Parmesan Cheese
2 Tbs Breadcrumbs
1 tsp Paprika
2 Tbs Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
1. Heat the oil in a heavy saute pan
2. Add the onion slices, and caramelize on medium until golden brown, about 20 minutes (keep stirring or this burns)
3. Remove from heat, and let cool; chop into a rough paste
4. Combine all the remaining ingredients in a bowl
5. Use your hands to mix well, season with salt & pepper
6. Do a taste test by frying up a small portion of the mixture
7. Divide mixture into 1 oz portions, and roll into balls
8. Arrange meatballs on metal tray and freeze
9. Once frozen, store in airtight container or zip lock bags for up to 3 months
10. When ready to use, arrange meatballs in a single layer on a baking sheet at bake at 400F for 10 minutes
Spinach Yogurt Sauce
2 cups Spinach leaves
2 Tbs Olive Oil
1 cup Greek Yogurt
2 cloves Garlic, sliced
Salt & Pepper to taste
1. Heat the oil in a saute pan, and cook the spinach until wilted
2. Using a food processor, combine all ingredients, and pulse till spinach is finely chopped
3. Store in an airtight container overnight before using, this allows the flavor to develop
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Seasons of Spring
Been missing the blog recently since things have been hectic in the other (under?) world, but so far April has seen come pretty culinary colors, with my favorite season for produce!
First, there was a tea party with the girls up in San Francisco, and I'm not sure how other people do tea, but we do it with lamb riblets, a cheese selection, and Chef Laura's all-time famous scones. I'm not sure where the tea was at tea, but there was some pretty good wine!
Not to mention Easter, where I contributed with an unforgettable marinade of green onion and fennel for the roasted lamb, and my signature Mediterranean quinoa salad with sundried tomatoes, green onion, squash, feta and a host of other delicious stuff.
Where would we be without contributions to the pasta book? New pasta creations include an Applewood smoked bacon and peas cappellini with poached eggs, a creamy Vegetarian peas and spinach risotto (c'mon, risotto falls under the the pasta category too), Gnocchi with bacon and spinach carbonara style (recipe below), and a special treat of red Italian sausage penne, where I didn't have to cook at all (Yes, I am still adding it to the book and claiming credit)!
A special friend came in from Portland, and I tried my best to align the menu with their health conscious goals. You can't have a special dinner without an appetizer or dessert, so a tomato and roasted garlic soup served up with some crunchy bread and creme brulee were a prelude and postlude to the entree of delicious slow roasted salmon, spicy corn salad, and a chile verde sauce.
Speaking of chile verde, Gigya had a chile competition to celebrate our Q1 close, and instead of Texas chile, I spiced it up with my contribution of oxtail chile verde, served up with some queso fresco, sour cream and corn bread, and I won!
More to come I'm sure - the rest of Spring awaits!
Carbonara Gnocchi
Serves 2
4 oz Bacon, diced
3 cups Spinach (anything except baby)
4 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 cup White Wine or vermouth
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
2 ea Egg Yolks
Salt and pepper to taste
Gnocchi for 2
Heat a heavy saute pan and add the bacon
Cook till browned and cripsy
Add the minced garlic and spinach, and saute till spinach wilts
Add the White wine and reduce by half
Add the heavy cream, and cook on high until sauce coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes
Season to taste
Temper the egg yolks with the hot sauce, and then gradually combine the yolk mixture and bacon spinach cream sauce
Toss with freshly cooked gnocchi
First, there was a tea party with the girls up in San Francisco, and I'm not sure how other people do tea, but we do it with lamb riblets, a cheese selection, and Chef Laura's all-time famous scones. I'm not sure where the tea was at tea, but there was some pretty good wine!
Not to mention Easter, where I contributed with an unforgettable marinade of green onion and fennel for the roasted lamb, and my signature Mediterranean quinoa salad with sundried tomatoes, green onion, squash, feta and a host of other delicious stuff.
Where would we be without contributions to the pasta book? New pasta creations include an Applewood smoked bacon and peas cappellini with poached eggs, a creamy Vegetarian peas and spinach risotto (c'mon, risotto falls under the the pasta category too), Gnocchi with bacon and spinach carbonara style (recipe below), and a special treat of red Italian sausage penne, where I didn't have to cook at all (Yes, I am still adding it to the book and claiming credit)!
A special friend came in from Portland, and I tried my best to align the menu with their health conscious goals. You can't have a special dinner without an appetizer or dessert, so a tomato and roasted garlic soup served up with some crunchy bread and creme brulee were a prelude and postlude to the entree of delicious slow roasted salmon, spicy corn salad, and a chile verde sauce.
Speaking of chile verde, Gigya had a chile competition to celebrate our Q1 close, and instead of Texas chile, I spiced it up with my contribution of oxtail chile verde, served up with some queso fresco, sour cream and corn bread, and I won!
More to come I'm sure - the rest of Spring awaits!
Carbonara Gnocchi
Serves 2
4 oz Bacon, diced
3 cups Spinach (anything except baby)
4 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 cup White Wine or vermouth
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
2 ea Egg Yolks
Salt and pepper to taste
Gnocchi for 2
Heat a heavy saute pan and add the bacon
Cook till browned and cripsy
Add the minced garlic and spinach, and saute till spinach wilts
Add the White wine and reduce by half
Add the heavy cream, and cook on high until sauce coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes
Season to taste
Temper the egg yolks with the hot sauce, and then gradually combine the yolk mixture and bacon spinach cream sauce
Toss with freshly cooked gnocchi
Friday, April 16, 2010
Gigya's Winning Chile Verde Recipe
To celebrate the close of an extremely successful Q1, Gigya held a Chili Cookoff in conjunction with poker night. I might have lost all my money at poker, but I did win a $100 with my award winning Chile Verde. I promised to post the recipe if I won, so here it is!
Although chile verde is usually made with pork, (and you can definitely use that meat if you prefer), I used oxtail for this one because it's a slightly richer meat that's not often found in restaurants.
The chile verde sauce also works really well as a side sauce for meats and fish, if you're using it that way, omit the onion, and add 1/2 cup of olive oil.
Good luck!
Gigya's Oxtail Chile Verde
Serves 8
5 lbs Oxtail
4 cups Chile Verde
2 Tbs Oil
Chicken broth
Salt & pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a large sauce pan, and sear the oxtail on all sides, until nicely browned
To this in batches as necessary
Add the chile verde sauce, and enough chicken broth to cover the oxtail
Cover pot and braise in a 320F oven for about 2.5 hrs or until meat falls off the bone
Pick the meat off the bone and serve hot
Season to taste
Optional Garnish: Sour cream, queso fresca, cilantro
Chile Verde Sauce
Makes about 4 cups
4 ea Poblano Chilies
3 ea Jalapeno Chilies
8 ea Anaheim Chilies
6 ea Tomatillos
4 ea Green Onions
1 ea Green Pepper
3 ea Limes, juiced
1 ea Yellow onion
4 cloves Garlic
1 bu Cilantro
Salt to taste
Roast the peppers and tomatillos until skin is charred
Leave to cool, then peel peppers
Combine all ingredients in a blender
Season to taste
To serve as a sauce, omit the yellow onion, and add 1/2 cup olive oil when processing
Although chile verde is usually made with pork, (and you can definitely use that meat if you prefer), I used oxtail for this one because it's a slightly richer meat that's not often found in restaurants.
The chile verde sauce also works really well as a side sauce for meats and fish, if you're using it that way, omit the onion, and add 1/2 cup of olive oil.
Good luck!
Gigya's Oxtail Chile Verde
Serves 8
5 lbs Oxtail
4 cups Chile Verde
2 Tbs Oil
Chicken broth
Salt & pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a large sauce pan, and sear the oxtail on all sides, until nicely browned
To this in batches as necessary
Add the chile verde sauce, and enough chicken broth to cover the oxtail
Cover pot and braise in a 320F oven for about 2.5 hrs or until meat falls off the bone
Pick the meat off the bone and serve hot
Season to taste
Optional Garnish: Sour cream, queso fresca, cilantro
Chile Verde Sauce
Makes about 4 cups
4 ea Poblano Chilies
3 ea Jalapeno Chilies
8 ea Anaheim Chilies
6 ea Tomatillos
4 ea Green Onions
1 ea Green Pepper
3 ea Limes, juiced
1 ea Yellow onion
4 cloves Garlic
1 bu Cilantro
Salt to taste
Roast the peppers and tomatillos until skin is charred
Leave to cool, then peel peppers
Combine all ingredients in a blender
Season to taste
To serve as a sauce, omit the yellow onion, and add 1/2 cup olive oil when processing
Monday, March 22, 2010
Going for the Green Goodness
After an intense heart-stopping weekend of eating fried stuff and meat, I decided that enough was enough, and that I would go on a strict veggie/grain diet for a week after. I felt so much better with my home cooked meals, and gave myself cheese and egg allowances to feed that Umami cravings.
One of the best meals that I whipped up for the week was a quinoa over broccoli pesto, topped with coddled eggs (my favorite way to eat eggs!). The broccoli pesto was a breeze to make, and I used the leftovers to stir into my pasta, spread on bread to toast, or just put spoonfuls of it into my mouth for a quick tasting high protein snack!
Here's the recipe. I used frozen broccoli because it was cheaper and easier, but you could definitely substitute for fresh. The trick to cooking the broccoli is to steam it quick and dirty, or until the broccoli is just tender. Let the veggie cool to room temperature before buzzing in the processor.
Here's the recipe.
Broccoli Pesto
makes 1 pint
12 oz Frozen Broccoli
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan/Pecorino
3 cloves Garlic
1/2 cup Basil Leaves, Packed
2/3 cup Roasted Slivered Almonds
1/2 cup Olive Oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt & black pepper to taste
1. Bring 2 tbs of water to a boil in a saucepan
2. Add the broccoli and cover the pan
3. Cook till broccoli is just tender, about 5 minutes, strain any remaining liquid out
4. Reserve 2/3 cups broccoli for Quinoa
5. When the remaining broccoli has cooled, add to food processor
6. Add all the other ingredients, and process till fine
7. Add additional olive oil if necessary to maintain desired consistency (I like mine more pasty, instead of liquid)
Quinoa on Broccoli Pesto with Egg
serves 2
1/2 cup Broccoli Pesto
1 cup Cooked Quinoa (1/2 cup uncooked Quinoa with 1 cup liquid)
2/3 cup Cooked Broccoli (reserved from recipe above)
2 ea Eggs
2 Tbs Olive Oil
Salt & pepper to taste
1. Bring eggs to room temperature in warm water
2. Boil water in a sauce pot and remove from heat. Add the eggs, and let stand for 2 mins
3. Toss the quinoa, cooked broccoli, and olive oil together
4. Season the quinoa salad with salt & Pepper
5. Spread the broccoli pesto on the bottom of the plate
6. Top with the quinoa salad
7. Crack the soft cooked eggs on top of the quinoa & serve immediately
One of the best meals that I whipped up for the week was a quinoa over broccoli pesto, topped with coddled eggs (my favorite way to eat eggs!). The broccoli pesto was a breeze to make, and I used the leftovers to stir into my pasta, spread on bread to toast, or just put spoonfuls of it into my mouth for a quick tasting high protein snack!
Here's the recipe. I used frozen broccoli because it was cheaper and easier, but you could definitely substitute for fresh. The trick to cooking the broccoli is to steam it quick and dirty, or until the broccoli is just tender. Let the veggie cool to room temperature before buzzing in the processor.
Here's the recipe.
Broccoli Pesto
makes 1 pint
12 oz Frozen Broccoli
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan/Pecorino
3 cloves Garlic
1/2 cup Basil Leaves, Packed
2/3 cup Roasted Slivered Almonds
1/2 cup Olive Oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt & black pepper to taste
1. Bring 2 tbs of water to a boil in a saucepan
2. Add the broccoli and cover the pan
3. Cook till broccoli is just tender, about 5 minutes, strain any remaining liquid out
4. Reserve 2/3 cups broccoli for Quinoa
5. When the remaining broccoli has cooled, add to food processor
6. Add all the other ingredients, and process till fine
7. Add additional olive oil if necessary to maintain desired consistency (I like mine more pasty, instead of liquid)
Quinoa on Broccoli Pesto with Egg
serves 2
1/2 cup Broccoli Pesto
1 cup Cooked Quinoa (1/2 cup uncooked Quinoa with 1 cup liquid)
2/3 cup Cooked Broccoli (reserved from recipe above)
2 ea Eggs
2 Tbs Olive Oil
Salt & pepper to taste
1. Bring eggs to room temperature in warm water
2. Boil water in a sauce pot and remove from heat. Add the eggs, and let stand for 2 mins
3. Toss the quinoa, cooked broccoli, and olive oil together
4. Season the quinoa salad with salt & Pepper
5. Spread the broccoli pesto on the bottom of the plate
6. Top with the quinoa salad
7. Crack the soft cooked eggs on top of the quinoa & serve immediately
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