Basil

One of my favorite things about summer and gardening is basil.

More specifically..pesto.

The aromatic leaves can be used fresh or dried to add flavors or spices in stews, vegetable, poultry, vinegars, pesto and pasta dishes.

Aside from its culinary use, basils have medicinal uses. Basils have long been known to treat headaches, coughs, diarrhea, constipation, stomach aches, worms, warts and kidney malfunctions.

Pick basil leaves when young during summer. Freeze, dry or use to flavor herbs or vinegar right after picking or pack in jars of oil to preserve them.

Easy Pesto

In blender:

handful washed basil leaves, no stems (about 1/2c packed)

2 cloves garlic, peeled (more if you really like garlic)

1/4 c fresh parmesan cheese

cover with good quality olive oil (1/2- 3/4c)

Pulse until blended. Add sea salt and pepper to taste. Blend again. Spoon over warm pasta, or use as a dip for warm bread.

Delish.

Chickpea burger with tahini sauce.

Source for picture and recipe.

1 can(s) chickpeas, rinsed
4 scallions, trimmed and sliced
1 egg
2 tablespoon(s) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon(s) chopped fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon(s) ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
2 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
2 6-1/2-inch whole-wheat pitas, halved and warmed, if desired
1/2 cup(s) low-fat plain yogurt
2 tablespoon(s) tahini
1 tablespoon(s) lemon juice
1/3 cup(s) chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt

1. To prepare burgers: Place chickpeas, scallions, egg, flour, oregano, cumin and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor. Pulse, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides, until a coarse mixture forms that holds together when pressed. (The mixture will be moist.) Form into 4 patties.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties and cook until golden and beginning to crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip and cook until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes more.
3. To prepare sauce and serve: Meanwhile, combine yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, parsley and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Divide the patties among the pitas and serve with the sauce.

Lori's Marinara Sauce

2 large cans Italian Plum tomatoes, grind to fine in food processor after removing seeds.

1 large can tomato paste

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped fine

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped fine

1 tsp salt

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

12 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and crushed

2T olive oil

Saute garlic in olive oil in stock pot until lightly browned. Add tomato paste and stir until blended. Add tomatoes and other ingredients. Cook for 1 hours until bubble, stirring frequently. Can be made a day ahead and refrigerated.

Veggie-Flax Burgers

Serves 8. This is a true veggie-lover's burger- not an "I can't believe this isn't beef" patty. The flax adds a little bulk and binding power (and its great nutritional qualities) to this veggie-legume blend. Garnish with your favorite condiments, cheese, or fresh veggies.

2 jars artichoke hearts, drained and quartered

2 tsp chopped garlic

1/2 cup chopped green onions

3T fresh parsley or 2 tsp. dried

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 can kidney or black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup ground flax, or flax meal

4T tahini or other nut butter

several generous twists of freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

1 cup cooked brown rice or millet

4T olive oil

Place artichoke hearts, garlic, green onions, parsley, garbanzo beans, kidney or black beans, ground flax, tahini and pepper in food processor; pulse about 8 times, until blended. Scrape down sides and pulse another few times. Do not over process. Transfer to a bowl and gently stir in cooked rice or millet.

Divide mixture into 8 portions and form into patties 1/2 in thick.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over med. heat. Fry burgers until bottoms are brown, about 5 minutes. Flip, cook other side until brown. Or better yet...GRILL! Serve on whole grain buns, if desired.

Bowtie Pasta Salad

Substitute some of the veggies if you like, but don't omit the cucumbers! It makes it so crunchy and wonderful.

1 lb. bowtie pasta, cooked

2 c. broccoli, steamed

1/2 c. peas

2 c. grated carrots

2 tomatoes, diced

1 green pepper, diced

1 cucumber, seeded, diced

Dressing:
1/2 c. olive oil
3T Bragg's Liquid Amino's
2T yellow mustard
1 1/2 t. dill
1/2 t. black pepper
Juice from 1 lemon

Combine cooked pasta and vegetables. In a small bowl, combine dressing ingredients. Whisk. Pour dressing over pasta and veggies, toss. Refrigerate until well chilled for best taste.

Enjoy!

Kelly, here is the recipe you requested.

Puerto Rican Rice

4 c water

3T butter

2 vegetable bouillon cubes

8oz tomato sauce

1 can pigeon peas, or Gandules (ethnic food section)

1 t. chili powder

1/2 t. cumin

1 t sea salt

1/4 t. black pepper

pinch cayenne

Boil above ingredients. Add:

3 cups uncooked white rice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 c. minced onion

Pour into a greased 9X13in casserole dish.

Cover tightly with foil.

Bake for 1 hour and 350 degrees.

What's for Supper This Week?

Sunday- I made Pomodoro Pasta.

Monday- (Birthday dinner for Adrian,6) Since we are having guests, there will be meat served. 2 roasted chickens, garlic mashed potatoes, sweet corn, salad with lots of veggies, leftover Pomodoro Pasta, and fresh WW bread. For his birthday cake he chose chocolate cake with cherry filling, and whipped cream topping. I must confess the cake will not be healthy. Cakes never turn out as well (from scratch) for me, as cake mixes do..

Tuesday- Potato Corn Chowder, salad, and fresh WW bread.

Wednesday- Vegetarian Taco's. WW tortillas, Mexican rice, black beans, cheese, fresh guacamole, tomatoes, and romaine and fresh salsa.

Thursday- Snobby Joes. A vegetarian version of "sloppy joes" from Happy Foody. Served with a side of sweet potato fries.

Friday- won't be home. Wedding! And they are servings ALL ORGANIC FOOD! YEAH! From Bruno's Organics.

Saturday- Vegetarian Pizza. Cheese, red onion, red and yellow peppers, and mushrooms on top of homemade marinara sauce on a WW crust.

This recipe was featured on MSN. It looked deeelish! I clicked to see if I could substitute some ingredients to make it healthier, and they already had a "healthy alternative" Yeah!!! I adjusted the ingredients a bit, to accommodate my large family. Here is the original recipe.

Pomodoro Pasta With Beans

INGREDIENTS
16 ounces whole-wheat pasta shells, tubetti, ziti or rigatoni
2 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed
3 large clove organic garlic, minced
3 ripe medium organic tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup oil-cured black olives, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup sliced fresh basil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
freshly grated organic Pecorino Romano cheese

Pasta doesn’t get much fresher or easier than this elegant, lightly cooked tomato sauce. Beans make a nutritious alternative to meat, and heating them briefly in olive oil and garlic infuses them with flavor.

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add beans and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the beans are just heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add tomatoes, olives, basil and pepper. Stir gently to combine. Top with the bean mixture and cheese. Enjoy with a big salad and garlic bread!

Vegetarian Shepards Pie

4 or 5 russet baked potatoes, peeled and cooked
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup mushroom or vegetable broth
3/4 cup plain rice milk or almond milk
8 oz. slice mushrooms
1 head broccoli, chopped or grated, stems and all
2 carrots, chopped or grated
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 teaspoon cornstarch (or arrowroot powder) plus
1 teaspoon flour

1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
2 handfuls French fried onions


This recipe is easily doubled for a large family.

Mash cooked potatoes with as much milk as you need to make them nice and creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste and a sprinkle of garlic powder.

Heat the oil in a large pan and saute the garlic and onion over medium heat until soft and translucent. Add the broccoli, carrots, mushrooms and celery and cook until veggies start to wilt.

Add the broth and milk along with the cornstarch and flour. Let the mixture come to a boil, stirring frequently. Sauce will thicken up a bit.

Season with salt and pepper if you need to. When all the vegetables are cooked, remove from heat. Spray a 8"x8" baking dish with nonstick oil spray and spoon the vegetable mixture onto the bottom. Cover with the potatoes and smooth them down. Sprinkle the top with nutritional yeast and French fried onions. Heat in oven for 10 minutes or so until top is slightly firm and onions are browned.

Serve with garlic toast or fresh bread. Enjoy!

Serves: 6 Preparation time: 30 minutes