Spicy Arugula Spread
This is a recipe that almost wasn’t. It came about last Sunday night while I was preparing beer bread and chai truffles for a food swap the next day. I was really nervous about going to the swap, in part because I wasn’t sure whether my dishes would be fancy enough for all the foodies in attendance. This is a common fear for me. I call it Potluck Anxiety, and it tends to sneak up any time I take a large batch of treats to a social gathering. Potluck Anxiety is usually really annoying but in this instance I’m glad I had it, because otherwise I might have never made this...
Read MoreMini Rosemary Pesto Rolls
Rami and I are both in horrible moods since Texas lost to UCLA this afternoon. We’re drowning our sorrows in rosemary, butter, and bread with these mini pesto rolls I created. This is the recipe I’ve been tinkering with all week in preparation for the potluck at Greenling’s Best of Austin Bash next Thursday. It meets the main four requirements for any potluck recipe: It tastes good. It’s pretty to look at. The recipe is cheap and makes a lot. It’s easy to make ahead of time, freeze and reheat. Plus, since this is a Greenling potluck, the recipe had to use...
Read MoreRosemary Pecan Pesto
So I’m working really hard to perfect my potluck recipe for Greenling’s Best of Austin Bash next Thursday. I’m not ready to share the whole thing, but I do want to tell you about this fabulous rosemary pesto recipe I created en route to the finished product: Rosemary Pecan Pesto 1/4-1/3 cup fresh rosemary needles 1 cup fresh Italian curly or flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped 3 cloves garlic, peeled 1/2 cup parmesan cheese 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. pepper 3/4 cup pecan halves 1/2 cup olive oil This pesto is very aromatic, and a nice change from the traditional basil/pine nut...
Read MorePesto Change-o!
Last week I made two delicious batches of pesto, one with sorrel and another with basil. After two pasta dinners I still have about 1.5 cups of pesto leftover. Luckily pesto is super versatile and it keeps forever! Here are some easy lunch ideas I had to use up the extra pesto. I typically use about a tablespoon of pesto in a serving. Each recipe below serves one. pesto + tomato + mozzarella + bread + skillet = grilled cheese pesto + 1/4 c. vinegar + chicken breast = marinated chicken breast pesto + 1 tb. red wine vinegar + ground pepper + lettuce = salad ala pesto pesto + 1/4 cup...
Read More