AwesomeBites

Tag: basil

  • Panzanella – Bread Salad

    Panzanella – Bread Salad

    Ingredients:

    2 tomatoes
    1 small cucumber, peeled and sliced
    1 small red onion, thinly sliced
    bell peppers (optional)
    Kalmata olives (optional)
    1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
    1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
    3 tablespoons balsamic or red wine vinegar, plus more as needed
    Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
    6 to 8 thick slices country-style white bread, torn into bite-size pieces

    Preparation
    In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, onion and basil. Drizzle with the 1/2 cup olive oil and the 3 tablespoons vinegar, season with salt and pepper and toss well.
    Place half of the bread in a wide, shallow bowl. Spoon half of the tomato mixture over the bread. Layer the remaining bread on top and then the remaining tomato mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
    Just before serving, toss the salad and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. If the bread seems dry, add a little oil or vinegar. Serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.

  • Caprese Salad – Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella, Basil and variations

    Caprese Salad – Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella, Basil and variations

    BASIL VINAIGRETTE
    1 small handful of fresh basil
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    2 tablespoons balsalmic vinegar
    Kosher salt

    SALAD
    4 ounces fresh mozzarella, cubed into small bites or sliced
    1 pound ripe summer tomatoes, sliced or chopped
    Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

    BASIL VINAIGRETTE In a small food processor, mix the vinaigrette ingredients. If you’re using variations below, you’ll likely use all the dressing, if not, will use much less. Season to taste. Serve and savor!

    SALAD Stir together the cheese, tomatoes, then add dressing to taste.

    Need to add more
    Californication: Add avocado
    Carbification: Add fresh bread croutons
    Citrify: Add Orange Slices
    Appetizerfy: Add salami
    De-tomatofy: Don’t add the tomatoes
    Greekafy: Substitute fresh feta for mozzarella
    Saltify: Add capers
    Saladify: Add cooked pasta and more dressing
    Amplify: Add sundried tomatoes and artichokee hearts
    Kalmatafy: Add kalmata olives
    Winterize: Add roasted tomatoes, and add sliced beets
    Proteinify: Add beans, black or white (1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained)
    Wichify: Serve on a croissant, or french bread

    Stacked high!
    Pasta Salad

    Bake it!



    Roasted Tomatoes, layered low

    Have fun. Serve as a salad, an appetizer on skewers, stack it high, lay it low, bake it!


    Skewers!

  • Tuscan Tomato Basil Bisque

    Tuscan Tomato Basil Bisque

    Garnished with fresh pepper
    Definately one of my favorite soups. And, I love this soup served with grilled cheese sandwiches or any half sandwich. Happy lunching.

    2 tablespoons butter or extra-virgin olive oil
    1 onion, chopped
    3 cloves garlic, minced
    1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, with liquid (or Fresh quartered tomatoes roast at 400 degrees for 30)
    1/4-1/2 cup roasted garlic tomato paste
    2 cups vegetable or organic chicken or vegetable stock
    2-2 1/2 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced (Roast at 400 degrees for 30 minutes)
    Salt and ground pepper to taste
    2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
    1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
    1 to 1 1/4 cups nonfat half-and-half or nonfat yogurt or cream
    Several dashes of Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce

    In a large saucepan, saute onions and garlic in butter or oil over medium-low heat until soft and golden. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken stock, roasted butternut squash, salt, pepper, basil and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Partially cover and simmer for about 30-35 minutes, or until squash is fork-tender. Puree the soup in a blender, then pour back into the saucepan. Stir in nonfat half and half or yogurt, splash in the hot pepper sauce, and taste for seasoning. Heat the soup, but do not boil, then ladle into bowls. Garnish with sliced basil leaves or minced parsley.

    Equally good served chilled on a hot summer night or hot on a cold winter day.

  • Green Pasta – al verde pasta

    Green Pasta – al verde pasta

    Fresh Spinach works great in this recipe.

    My mom didn’t have a food processor when I was kid, so all this would have been hand chopped.  I loved green spaghetti night.  I didn’t have the original recipe, so I kept trying to find a recipe that came close.  This is the grown up version, my mom would not have used hot pepper flakes, feeding so many kids, but it does make it good.  Speaking to many different cooks, they assumed that green spaghetti would be pesto.  Maybe, but my mom had limited ingredients.  She would use basil and parsley fresh from the garden, and she  may have walnuts and almonds, but certainly no pine nuts. 

    Ingredients:

    • 5 cloves garlic
    • 1 bunch green onions
    • 3 cups packed fresh basil, stems removed
    • 3 cups packed fresh italian parsley or spinach or swiss chard, stems removed
    • 1 lemon; remove zest and squeeze juice
    • 1 (10oz) jar stuffed olives, drained
    • 1 (3 oz) jar capers, drained
    • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
    • 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
    • good quality olive oil

    Preparation:

    In food processor, with the motor running, drop in garlic, green onions, and lemon zest. Process until finely minced. Add olives, capers, & hot pepper flakes and process until finely minced. Add as much parsley and basil as will fit and process with pulse turns. Repeat until all ingredients are processed. With motor running, add lemon juice and Parmesan cheese. Slowly add enough olive oil to make a “pesto” consistency. Separate into 1 cup containers. Each cup coats about a pound pasta.  I like it on fettuccini or spaghetti. Mix sauce with hot pasta and toss well. Garnish with cherry tomato quarters and fresh basil leaf slivers. Sauce freezes well.
    Fettuccini noodles

    I made this green pasta into a pasta salad, served cold and added chopped olives and tomatoes. Add a bite Lite Champagne Vinegarette or Dill Ranch so it is moist. Everyone loves it!