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Tag: Basil

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

1 lb Ground Chicken

6-8 Button Mushrooms, diced

1 can Water Chestnuts, diced

1 small Yellow Onion, diced

2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Head Butter or Leaf Lettuce, leaves separated

2 Large Handfuls of Basil, Cilantro, and Mint

1 Cucumber, cut in half then slice into thin spears

Hoisin Sauce (from omnivorescookbook.com)

  • 1/4 cup light soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1 clove garlic , grated
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon miso paste

Saute onion in olive oil until just beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add mushroom and cook until they begin to lose their moisture and soften, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix up hoisin sauce ingredients in a small bowl.

Remove onion and mushroom mixture to a bowl.  Add chicken to the pan and cook until just cooked through.  Add mushroom mixture back to pan, add water chestnuts and mix in hoisin sauce.  Stir frequently until fully heated through.

Serve family style.  For assembly, top one piece of lettuce with chicken mixture, then a generous helping of herbs and a few cucumber spears.

Panzanella


3″ Baguette [day old, sliced into 1/8″ slices]

Salad:
1 pint Cherry Tomatoes [cut in half]
1 Armenian Cucumber [sliced, or two other thin cucumbers]
1/4 cup Red Onion [sliced thinly]
handful Basil Leaves [fresh, torn]
1-1/2 cups Navy Beans [cooked]

Dressing:
generous pinch Sea Salt
1 tsp warm water
2 Tbs Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
black pepper [to taste]

Arrange slices of baguette on a cutting board in a single layer. Allow to dry out for several hours. Break bread slices into 1″ pieces + set aside.

Dissolve sea salt in water + vinegar in a small bowl. Whisk in oil + season with pepper. Toss dressing over the vegetables + beans in a medium bowl. Gently mix in bread. Serve immediately.

Green Curry Risotto


2 1/2 cups Butternut Squash [chopped into bite size pieces]
2 Tbs Olive Oil
1 Sweet Onion [medium, chopped, about 1 1/2 cups]
3 Garlic Cloves [minced]
1 Tbs Ginger Root [fresh, peeled + minced]
1 cup Arborio Rice
1/2 cup Dry White Wine
14 oz Coconut Milk
2 1/4 cups Vegetable Broth
2 Tbs Thai Green Curry Paste
1/2 cup Basil [fresh, chopped]
3 springs Thyme
1/2 Tbs Oregano [fresh, chopped]

Steam or pressure cook the butternut squash until very tender. In a medium saucepan, bring the coconut milk + vegetable broth to a gentle simmer and hold over low heat.

Meanwhile, saute onion, garlic + ginger in olive oil for about 10 minutes, until onions are softened. Add rice + toast, stirring frequently for about 2 minutes. Add half a cup of wine + cook, stirring frequently, until the rice has absorbed all the moisture. Continue to cook the rice, adding 3/4 cup of coconut broth as it is absorbed.

Stir the curry paste into the last cup of broth until well mixed. Add the cooked butternut squash + herbs with the last cup of coconut broth to the rice. Stir all the ingredients together gently + adjust the salt if necessary. Cook another couple minutes, then allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Crab Stuffed Deviled Eggs


6 Eggs [free range, hard boiled, peeled]
2-3 Tbs Mayonnaise
1 Tbs Brown Stone Ground Mustard
1/2 tsp Tarragon [dried]
1/4 lb Crab Meat [picked over for shells]
1 tsp Basil [fresh, chopped]
pinch of Salt
dash Smoked Paprika

Cut each egg in half. Combine yolks, mustard + mayonnaise in a bowl and mix till smooth. Stir in tarragon, crab, basil + salt. Divide crab mixture into about 1″ round scoops + fill egg whites. Serve garnished with a little extra basil + a dash of smoked paprika.

Texas Happy Hour

1 Watermelon [rind + seeds removed, roughly chopped]
2 inches Ginger Root [grated]
dash Cayenne Pepper [to taste]
Basil Leaves [garnish]

Blend everything but the basil in batches + combine in a large bowl or jar.

Refrigerate several hours, then serve as a soup in small bowls, garnished with basil.

Or

Freeze in ice cube trays.  Serve a glass full of frozen watermelon soup cubes, a few basil leaves + top with a summery wheat beer.

Peachy Tomato Soup

2 Peaches [freestone, chopped, about 2 cups]
3 cups Tomatoes [cored, chopped]
1/4 cup Sweet Onion [minced]
1/4 cup Fresh Basil [+ a little for garnish]
1/2-1 Tbs White Wine Vinegar
1 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 tsp Salt [+ more to taste]
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Puree peaches, tomatoes, + onion in a blender. Add remaining ingredients + puree a few minutes more till very smooth. Adjust vinegar + salt + serve garnished with a little basil.

Stuffed Red Peppers

3 Red Bell Peppers [whole]
1 cup Bulgur Wheat
1 cup Sweet Onion [sliced]
2 Summer Squash [chopped]
4 Garlic Cloves [roughly chopped]
2 Tbs Olive Oil
Salt + Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1/2 cup Kalamata + Green Olives [pitted + chopped]
1 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 cup Basil [fresh, thinly sliced]

Roast peppers till skins blacken [either under the broiler or over an open flame]. Allow to cool, remove skins, stems + seeds. Set aside.

Bring 1-1/2 cups water to a boil. Stir in bulgur, turn off heat + cover. Allow to stand for 15-20 minutes until water has been absorbed and bulgur is tender.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss onions, summer squash + garlic with olive oil, salt + pepper then spread into a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes, flip, roast for 5 minutes more. Squash + onions should be lightly browned.

Toss squash, onions, garlic, bulgur, basil + olives in a large bowl. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Season with pepper. Stuff some of the mixture into the roasted red peppers. Transfer the remaining bulgur mixture to a serving dish + place the stuffed peppers on top. Serve.

Pesto

3 cups Basil
3 Garlic Cloves
1/2 cup Pine Nuts
1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast
Lemon Zest [1/2 small lemon]
Salt + Freshly Ground Black Pepper [plenty, to taste]
1/2 cup Olive Oil [+/-]

Process all in a food processor, adding olive oil last and slowly till desired consistency.

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