Basil

Sauteed Squash & Onions

September 8, 2014 by Kay Leave a Comment

Sauteed Squash & Onions is a super simple side dish using fresh vegetables and fresh basil and it comes together in a jiffy.

Excuse the pun, but it seems zucchini and squash is growing out of my ears lately. It is that time of year when I can’t keep up with the amount of squash I receive in my CSA share. I have a couple of favorite recipes I like to make but I wanted to come up with a simple side dish to utilize some of the squash.

Sauteed Squash & Onions is mighty tasty with the flavors of fresh basil and season salt and goes perfectly along side some grilled tuna or salmon, chicken or a thick steak. Feel free to use thyme or oregano in place of the basil if you would like.

One tip if you have a lot of zucchini/squash on hand, grate it and store 2 cups in ziplock bags in the freezer. During the winter make your favorite zucchini bread or cake and use the frozen zucchini in the recipe.

Enjoy!

Sauteed Squash & Onions

Rating: 41

Yield: 4-6 Servings

Sauteed Squash & Onions

Ingredients

2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, sliced think
3 medium or 2 large zucchini or squash, sliced thin
1 tsp. season salt
2 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped

Instructions

Add 1 tbsp. olive oil to a fry pan and heat over medium high heat.
Add the onion and fry for 3-4 minutes, until the onions start to soften. Transfer the onions to a plate and set aside.
Add 1 tbsp. olive oil to the fry pan and place back on the burner. Add the zucchini/squash. Sprinkle with the season salt. Saute for 3-4 minutes. Add the onions back into the pan. Continue to fry until the zucchini/squash has softened.
Sprinkle with the basil and serve.

http://www.lovefoodwillshare.com/sauteed-squash-onions/

Slice the squash.

Saute the onions.

Saute the squash and sprinkle with season salt.

Sauteed Squash & Onions

Sprinkle with fresh basil.

Peach Fig & Goat Cheese Bread

August 5, 2014 by Kay Leave a Comment

Peach Fig & Goat Cheese Bread is a delightful appetizer that has the sweetness of fig spread, a bite from the goat cheese and it’s balanced out with the fresh peaches.

I don’t even know where to begin with this recipe, it’s that good. I guess I will start with my trip to Aldi’s to do a little grocery shopping. I was at the check out andthey had fig spread at the end cap for under $2. I grabbed it and thought, “I can make something with this”.

Figs are really popular right now. I have yet to cook with fresh figs, mostly because they are hard to find and they are expensive. Also, I wasn’t really sure of what the taste would be so I thought starting with the fig spread would give me an idea if I like figs or not. I will say the fig spread was divine!

My daughter Mackenzie and I shared the Peach Fig & Goat Cheese Bread and once we took one bite we didn’t stop until there was nothing left. That’s how much we loved this recipe. You must try this, TODAY!

Enjoy!

Peach Fig & Goat Cheese Bread

Rating: 51

Yield: 8 Servings

Peach Fig & Goat Cheese Bread

Ingredients

1 loaf ciabatta bread, cut in half lengthwise
4 ounces plain goat cheese, room temperature
¼ - ½ cup fig preserves
Pinch of Sea Salt
2 ripe peaches, sliced thin
10-12 leaves of basil, chiffonade

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Spread the goat cheese evenly on each half of the cut side of the bread.
Spread a thin layer of the fig preserves on top of the goat cheese. The preserves can be very sweet, so make sure it’s a thin layer.
Bake the bread for 10 minutes.
Remove the bread from the oven, take a pinch of salt and sprinkle each half of the bread. Layer the peaches on the bread. Sprinkle with the basil. Cut the bread into slices and serve warm.

http://www.lovefoodwillshare.com/peach-fig-goat-cheese-bread/

Ciabatta Bread

Spread goat cheese on the bread.

Add a thin layer of fig spread.

Slice your peaches, chiffonade your basil and sea salt.

Add even rows of sliced peaches.

Peach Fig & Goat Cheese Bread

Ready to eat!

The flavors are sensational.

Peach Fig & Goat Cheese Bread

Fiesta Fettuccine

July 30, 2014 by Kay Leave a Comment

Fiesta Fettuccine is vibrant with color from the peppers, corn and basil. Add to it some spices, pasta and cheese and you have a dish full of flavor.

I could eat pasta every day, really, I love it that much! I try to control the amount of pasta I eat, too many carbs to eat it every day. When I make a pasta dish I like to add in a fair amount of vegetables to off set the carbs. At least in my head I think I am eating healthier. 🙂

There are some wonderful spices in Fiesta Fettuccine, my favorites are paprika and cayenne pepper. These spices add some smokiness and heat to the dish. The cilantro and basil add a fresh element to the dish. Lastly, I added bacon and cheese to the recipe because everything tastes better with bacon and cheese. I’m right, aren’t I?

Enjoy!

Fiesta Fettuccine

Rating: 51

Yield: 4-6 Servings

Fiesta Fettuccine

Ingredients

1 pound fettuccine pasta
3 cups corn, fresh or frozen off the cob
4 tbsp. butter, softened
1 lime, juice of ½, ½ for garnish
½ tsp. paprika
½ tsp. chili powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper, more if you want it spicier
¼ tsp. pepper
½ tsp. salt
1 sweet pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
½ onion, sliced
¾ cup milk
¾ cup heavy cream
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
½ cup sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tbsp. parsley or cilantro
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped or julienned
6 sliced bacon, cooked & crumbled
1/2 cup queso fresco, crumbled

Instructions

Cook fettuccine according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.
Add the corn to a microwave safe dish and heat for 2 minutes, set aside.
In a small bowl, mix together the butter, juice of a ½ a lime, paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper, pepper and salt. Take ½ of the mixture and mix it in with the corn. Put the other half in a large sauce pan over medium high heat. Add the pepper and onion. Cook for 5-6 minutes, until they start to soften.
Stir in the milk and heavy cream. Cook for 5 minutes stirring often, until the mixture starts to thicken. Stir in the cup of pasta water.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the parmesan and cheddar cheeses. Stir to combine, return the pan to the heat. Add in the pasta, corn, parsley or cilantro, basil and bacon. Stir to combine.
Plate the pasta, garnish with queso fresco, a slice of lime and basil.

http://www.lovefoodwillshare.com/fiesta-fettuccine/

It’s almost ready to eat!

Fiesta Fettuccine

Squeeze fresh lime juice before eating.

Queso Fresco is a mild mexican cheese.

Love the color combination.

Pasta Perfection

Beef Basil Stir Fry

May 12, 2014 by Kay 1 Comment

Beef Basil Stir Fry is a speedy recipe that you will have on the table in less than 30 minutes.

I like the combination of beef and basil in this recipe, they work well together. Normally you use fresh basil in Italian dishes, but adding basil to stir fry recipes is another great use for the herb.

The vegetables in this stir fry are onion, sweet pepper, snow peas and the surprise vegetable is kohlrabi. If you have never tried kohlrabi, I urge you to try it, it has a peppery flavor to it and adds a nice crunch to the stir fry. The sauce is made up of sweet chili sauce and soy sauce and if you like a little heat add some sriracha.

Enjoy!

Beef Basil Stir Fry

Rating: 41

Yield: 4 Servings

Beef Basil Stir Fry

Ingredients

2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 lb. New York Strip Steak, sliced thin
1 small onion, sliced
2 small or 1 large sweet pepper, chopped
1 kohlrabi, peeled & sliced
2 cups snow peas
½ cup sliced fresh basil plus more for garnish
¼ cups Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
Rice, for serving
Sriracha, for serving

Instructions

In a large pan, heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil over medium high heat. Add the strip steak and cook for 4-5 minutes, just until cooked through. Transfer steak to a plate and set aside.
Add the remaining 1 tbsp. of olive oil to the pan and add the onion, pepper and kohlrabi. Saute 3-4 minutes and add the snows peas. Cook for an additional 2 minutes and add the steak back into the pan.
Mix together the sweet chili sauce and soy sauce, add to the pan and stir to combine. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the ½ cup basil. Serve immediately over cooked rice, garnish with basil. Add sriracha if you like.

Notes

In place of kohlrabi, feel free to add matchstick carrots or broccoli to the stir fry.

http://www.lovefoodwillshare.com/beef-basil-stir-fry/