The "Best" Basil Pesto

It's easy. It's quick. It tastes 1000% better than anything you can buy at the store. Do yourself a favor and make the most delicious, fresh pesto you've ever had. 

Ingredients:
4 cups of basil leaves, tightly packed
4 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/2 cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
dash of red pepper flakes
salt & pepper

Directions:
Toast the pine nuts. Blend all ingredients except the parmesan, until smooth. Add in the parmesan and blend. Stream in EVOO as needed until smooth. Taste and adjust salt & pepper as needed.

Note: I have also tried making the pesto with pecorino romano for a stronger kick.

Spiralled Zucchini Bowls

How great are infomercials? Seriously, I love them. The demos, the sales pitch, the products that you can't live without!  C'monnnn, at home facial kit, knives that cut through bricks, or my latest obsession, the vegetable spiralizer all qualify as necessities right? The Paderno Spiralizer may or may not be another ploy to trick the recipe testers into believing zucchini noodles taste just like pasta. But so far its working!

Ingredients:
3 zucchinis 
3 heirloom or cherry tomatoes 
2 ears of corn, cut off the cob
1/2 cup of pesto
Salt & Pepper to taste


Directions:
Spiralize the zucchini into noodles. Preheat oven to 400 and soak the ears of corn in water for 10 -15 minutes. Place the corn on a baking sheet and allow to cook in the oven, for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cut the corn kernels from the ears of corn. Halve the tomatoes, and mix with zucchini and corn. Toss with the pesto, and season with salt & pepper as needed.

Harbaugh's Pulled Pork Sliders

Who's pumped for Red Zone to come back? This lady right hereee! I mean between Bleacher Report, my Fantasy league and Pinteresting finger foods, I can barely find the time to sleep. Yea, that couldn't be farther from the truth, but I have found some amazing new recipes for this season.
In the meantime I want to share a staple of the 2013 Season. I've learned with avid sports fans not to mess with their superstitions (no hats on the bed, noted). Which will probably explain why I have not be eaten pulled pork in over a year, but it is a crowd pleaser no matter how many weeks in a row you consume. 

Ingredients:  
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
4 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt, more as needed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (4-1/2- to 5-pound) boneless or bone-in pork shoulder
2 cups barbecue sauce (optional)

Directions:

Place the onions and garlic in an even layer in the slow cooker and pour broth. Combine the sugar, chili powder, salt, cumin, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork and place the meat on top of the onions and garlic. Cover and cook until the pork is fork tender, about 6 to 8 hours on high or 8 to 10 hours on low.

Turn off the slow cooker and remove the pork to a cutting board. If the pork has a bone, remove and discard it. Using 2 forks, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces, discarding any large pieces of fat. Return the shredded meat to the slow cooker, add the barbecue sauce, if using, and mix to combine. If you’re not using barbecue sauce, use a spoon to skim and discard the fat from the surface of the strained cooking liquid, and then add 1/4 cup of the liquid at a time to the slow cooker until the pork is just moistened. Taste and season with salt as needed.

I usually serve with a spicy coleslaw. (Cabbage, apple cider vinegar, lime juice and cayenne) 

Mini Apple Pie Factory

Can we just agree that anything miniature is just that much more fabulous? Mini sliders, mini cupcakes, mini pizzas, mini tacos, miniature poodles; Beau :) So obviously after making a go at mini cheesecakes, I had to try mini apple pies! I'll be the first to admit that baking is a bit of a challenge for me. You know, with all that measurement jazzz. (I'm sure by now you've noticed that most of my recipes read "adjust as needed" for the spices.) So, one day I called over some of my gurllls and we had a little baking bonanza. It's always more fun with your friends around to laugh at the trials and errors. As you can tell, the lattice was not our strong point. 


Ingredients for filling:

8 cups of apples

12 tbs flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

4 tbs chilled butter

1 pinch of salt

Dough:

2 boxes of pillsbury pie crusts

(I tried two different dough recipes, and both weren't nearly as good as the boxed. I'll keep trying!)

Directions:

Start by cutting up eight cups of apples into small 1/2in bits. Mix the apples with flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Unroll your chilled pie crust and cut circles for your mini muffin tin. I used a mason jar ring that worked great! Line each of your muffin tins with the crust. Gently fill the crusts with your apple mixture to the top. Divide your butter equally into 24 pieces, and put a dab on each pie. Cover each pie with extra dough as desired. Brush melted butter over each pie. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-22 minutes. 

*I used a mini cheesecake muffin tin that made it really easy to pop the pies out.

My favorite fashion blogger this + that

Rosemary Bread Twists

When that bread basket arrives at the table, it is nearly impossible for me to resist. Whether it's the sourdough at Balboa or the tall breadsticks at Perry's, I'm a sucker! These are an easy twist...get it, twist... on traditional garlic bread. I sought out to make something to compliment the lamb chops I served at a dinner party and these did just the trick. An added bonus, your guests will think you slaved away all day. Especially if you get creative with the shapes! 


Ingredients

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1/3 cup grated Gruyere

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 container refrigerated breadstick dough- (Pillsbury)Finely ground sea salt (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a food processor, chop the Parmesan, Gruyere and rosemary together until coarsely chopped. Set the cheese mixture aside. Separate the dough strips. Using a pizza cutter or a large sharp knife, cut each dough strip in half lengthwise to form thin strips. Working with dough strip at a time, coat each strip with the cheese mixture, pressing very gently. Twist each cheese covered dough strip and place onto prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle with the salt, if you wish.

Bake until the breadsticks are golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the warm breadsticks to a basket and serve.

Original recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Shrimp, Lime and Avocado Salad

In honor of my new sistaaa (most gorg bride ever) and a toast to her birthday last week, I wanted to share with you one of her delicious recipes! A few months ago she hosted a dinner party and it was perfection! This ceviche like salad is hearty enough to serve on its own, or as a side dish. I have done my best to recreate it at least five times since then. It would even be a great filling for a fish taco! SO many options, so tasty, you really can't go wrong! Thanks Mo, Happy birthday xoxo

Ingredients:
1 lb jumbo cooked shrimp, chopped 

1 medium tomato, diced

1 hass avocado, diced

1 jalapeno, seeds removed, diced fine

1/4 cup chopped red onion

2 limes, juice of

1 tsp EVOO

1 tbsp chopped cilantro

salt and fresh pepper to taste

Directions:

In a small bowl combine red onion, lime juice, EVOO and salt & pepper to taste. In a larger serving bowl, combine the shrimp, avocado, tomato and jalapeno. Combine all ingredients together. Adjust salt and pepper as needed. Chill in refrigerator for about 30 min for flavors to settle. Garnish with cilantro and serve! 

Shaved & Shredded Salad

Wasn't the first day of Spring was just lovely? I had lunch in the sun, got in a nice run, hung with my Momma! No complaints from this little lady. Well, aside from the six "detox" emails in my inbox this morning. Listen Gwyneth, not all of us have to face bikini season in the South of France, so a tri-weekly juice diet sounds a tad aggressive. And if you live in SF, and you're laying in Fort Mason in a bikini, I am judging you. However, I do appreciate some hearty greens to get you feeling back to neutral. Even if it's washed down with a glass of buttery chard... don't worry, I'm sure you've earned it :)


Ingredients:
large bunch of tuscan kale, shredded
1 bag of pre-shredded brussel sprouts
1 avocado
1/2 cup shaved almonds
1/4 cup shaved pecorino or parmesan

Dressing:
Juice of two lemons
1 tbs dijon mustard
1 tbs minced shallot
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup EVOO
Salt & Pepper to taste

Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a mini-food processor, blend. Depending on how heavy you like your dressing, add more EVOO and lemon juice. Massage the kale until bright green. Combine with the brussel sprouts. Top the greens with avocado, almonds and pecorino. Dress and serve!

Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas... for Jesus

To tell them if it is meatless and healthy or not... that is the question. If it's spicy and filling enough, usually my recipe testers don't mind a meal off the beaten path. So for Ash Wednesday, I opted for a meatless meal that did not disappoint. Making healthy Mexican food can seem impossible, but these enchiladas were totally guiltless, and super easy to make! JC would have totally approved. 

Ingredients: 

1 cup red enchilada sauce

1 tsp olive oil

1 bag of pre-cut butternut squash

1 small onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

10 oz can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies

1 can reduced sodium canned black beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup cilantro

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 cup water

salt and pepper, to taste

8 medium white corn tortillas

1 cup reduced-fat shredded Mexican cheese

2 tbsp chopped scallions, for garnish
reduced-fat sour cream, for garnish

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place 1/4 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a large baking dish. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in large skillet. Add onions, garlic, and jalapeno and cook 2-3 minutes until onions become translucent. Add cubed butternut squash, Rotel tomatoes, black beans, water, cilantro, cumin and chili powder and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Place about 1/3 cup filling in the center of each tortilla and roll, place on the baking dish seam side down. Sprinkle cheese inside the filling if desired. Repeat with the remaining filling. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese and bake, covered with foil until hot and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Top with scallions and eat with sour cream.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

It's raining, it's cold and my keratin treatment is starting to fade. This is not a good look, trust me. I've luckily found a way to lessen the blow of our inconsistent "winter" weather. Meet the slow cooker, my savior. What's better than coming home to a little home cooked meal, minus the cooking part? I of course can't help but think of those old infomercials, "Set it and forget it"! But it's so true, especially after a long day of work, nothing sounds worse than figuring out what's for dinner. After testing endless tortilla soups, I finally found the perfect combination of flavor and texture. Try it out and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

1 can (15oz) petite diced tomatoes

1 can (10 oz) red enchilada sauce

1 can (4 oz) diced green chilies

1 can (14.5 oz) black beans, drained

10 oz corn kernels

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups low sodium chicken broth 

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder

2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 bay leaf

2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

2 limes, juiced

Directions:
Combine all ingredients into the slow cooker, except the cilantro and lime juice. Set on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Once cooked, remove the chicken and shred using two forks. Return to soup and stir in chopped cilantro and lime juice. 

Optional toppings: Tortilla strips, sour cream, avocado and cheese

Italian Chop Chop

So I mentioned here, that even the most anti-kalers will get on board. Probably not the case if you try to serve it three times in one week. By the fourth, I was vetoed and had to scramble for what turned out to be a new dinner staple. What's better than an old school italian chop chop? Most of the ingredients are usually lying around or in your pantry, and it can be served as a side or a main dish. 

Ingredients:
3 heads of romaine lettuce
2 roma tomatoes
8 oz fresh mozzarella
4 oz italian dry salami
1/2 red onion
1/2 cup kalamata olives
1/2 cup chopped pepperoncinis
1 Tbs fresh italian parsley

Dressing:
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup EVOO
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:
Wash and dry the romaine lettuce. Chop it up in thin strips, horizontally. Continue to chop the rest of the ingredients and combine in large bowl. Toss all of the dressing ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Pour over the salad and toss. Adjust seasonings as needed. Garnish with a fresh bread or these twists.

Kale Avocado Salad

Ya, ya we know, kale is all the rage these days. Salads, smoothies, soups...everyone is getting their fix. Took me a while to get on board, but I finally found a recipe that even the most anti-kalers will love. It's a word, trust me. I think my recipe tester was finally sold when I mentioned that kale doesn't get soggy overnight with dressing. Fun fact :) The key is massaging the kale, yes I just told you to massage your food. It completely changes the texture and taste. So get out there and get handsy with some kale. 

Ingredients:

For the Dressing:
1 ripe avocado

Juice of 1.5 lemons

1/3 cup of olive oil

2 Tbs cilantro or basil

Salt and pepper to taste

Salad:

1 bunch of dino kale

1 can of corn

1 basket of cherry tomatoes
1 avocado
1/2 cup of slivered almonds
1/4 cup shaved parmesan

Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients for the dressing in a food processor. Taste and adjust as needed. I've found adding more EVOO and lemon juice helps to thin it out if the avocado wasn't very ripe. Set aside and start to prep the kale. Wash and dry the kale well. Lightly massage the kale until it is bright green. Add corn, tomatoes, almonds and sliced avocado. Toss in the dressing and top with shaved parmesan. 

Cowboy Chicken Chili

Well that little dream of a mid-winter tan has ceased, and the rain has returned. The skiers are happy and the East Coasters reading are ready to lunge through the computer as I complain about wearing a second layer.  Let's be honest highs of 21 degrees just isn't my sitch, and I think Uggs are necessary for anytime below 55. Sooo, I have a little soupy soup to warm us all up! Traditional chili can be a little too heavy, but this chicken alternative is a great substitute.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon EVOO
1 medium white onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cayenne or chipotle pepper

1 tsp chili powder
1 sweet potato, peeled, diced (optional)
2 15-oz cans white beans, rinsed, drained
1 28-oz. can fire roasted tomatoes, with juice
8-oz can chopped roasted green chilies- mild or hot
2 cups chicken broth, more if needed
1 tbs balsamic or apple cider vinegar
2 heaping cups cooked chicken pieces, or shredded
Juice of 1 lime

Directions:

Heat a large pot over medium heat and warm the olive oil; cook the onions until they are soft and translucent. Add the garlic and spices and stir for a minute.

Add the diced sweet potato, beans, tomatoes, green chiles, broth, balsamic vinegar. Stir gently to combine it all.

Bring it to a simmer and lower the heat; cover and cook the chili for 30 minutes or so until the sweet potatoes are tender. Add the cooked chicken and lime juice. If the chili thickens too much thin it with a little more broth. Cook for about 5-10 more minutes on low and serve. 

Optional toppings: cilantro, avocado, cheese, sour cream. 

Spicy Spaghetti Squash Tacos

You were warned, slightly obsessed with anything and everything spaghetti squash as of late. A few months ago I bought the Smitten Kitchen cookbook, and immediately got that salivating, fat kid moment while looking at the pictures. Somehow this one slipped through the cracks, but I am so happy I finally made it! I would have never thought lime juice would go well with spaghetti squash, but it is the perfect combo. And I just really, really wanted some tacos.

Ingredients:

1 large spaghetti squash

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice

1/4 cup cotija cheese 

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander 

1/2 tsp salt 

16 6-inch flour or corn tortillas 

1 15oz can black beans, drained & rinsed

1/4  cup finely diced red onion 

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Optional garnish: Tabasco sauce, chopped pepperoncini, salsa, avacado

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the spaghetti squash in half, length wise. Scoop out the seeds and pulp. Season with a little EVOO, salt and pepper. Cook for 35 min, face up. 

Whisk together the lime juice, chili powder, cumin, coriander, and salt. 

Remove the spaghetti squash from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle. Once it is cool, start to shred out the squash with a fork.  Pour the dressing over the strands of squash and gently toss together. Taste the squash and adjust the seasoning as desired.

I stuffed the tortillas with squash, beans, onion, and salsa. Sprinkle with cotija cheese, and cilantro. Line up all of the tacos in a pyrex dish and broil for about 5-7 min. Finally garnish with sliced avocado and hot sauce of your choice. 

Original recipe courtesy of Smitten Kitchen

Pesto Turkey Spaghetti Squash

The obsession started a few years ago. My roommate was in the kitchen attempting to dismantle the mother of all melons. (Or so I thought) Butcher knife, forks, leg up for leverage... the works. I thought to myself, "wow, gurlll really wants to get into this melon". She quickly corrected me, and informed me of this magical vegetable... SPAGHETTI SQUASH! Where had this delicacy been hiding all of my life? Admittedly, it totally irks me when it's called a great substitute for pasta. To that I say.... naaa naaa naaa. The true Italian in me knows there is no such comparison. Pasta is pasta. However, I've played with numerous combinations, and found that pesto is by far one of my favorites. It gives off that guiltless comfort food feeling. 

My other favorite thing about spaghetti squash is cooking it for people that have never tried it before. One of my frequent recipe testers gave the expected "what is this chick, diet food you are going to feed me look" when I was whipping up my latest concoction. To my delight, he loved it! 

Let's be honest, I could go on. You be the judge, and go have yourself a big ol' bowl of squash. Let me know what you think! And stay tuned for my post on SS tacos!

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash
1lb lean ground turkey
1/2 cup of pest0 (recipe here)
EVOO
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the spaghetti squash in half, length wise. Scoop out the seeds and pulp. Season with a little EVOO, salt and pepper. Cook for 35 min, face up.

While the squash is in the oven, start cooking the turkey meat in a skillet. Heat 1 Tbs of EVOO and add your turkey to the pan. Break it up into pieces, and season with salt and pepper. (Optional: add chili powder for a little heat) Add  3/4 of the package of pesto to the ground turkey, reduce heat to low.

Remove the SS from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle. Once it is cool, start to shred out the squash with a fork. When all done, toss in with turkey and pesto! This recipe easily feeds four to six people, and keeps for several days in the fridge.