get your yummy back

musings from a health supportive culinary artist

Savory Mushroom Tarts August 26, 2012

Filed under: how to make it — chezdesblog @ 10:15 am
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Following a shopping spree for Grilled Rosemary-crusted Pizzas, I had the perfect ingredients around for savory tart making. All I had to add was some puff pastry. The result was these Savory Mushroom Tarts, and they made the perfect complement to a bowl of Chickpea Noodle Soup. Delicious!

Smaller in scale, they make the perfect little side dish. They would also make for a great little lunch on the go or starter for a dinner party.

Extremely versatile, one option is to skip the puff pastry all together and turn these into empanada- style taste treats using this pie crust recipe.  Another option is to fold the puff pastry over the filling, from corner to corner, for savory turnovers. Either way, enjoy!

 

Grilled Halibut with Chimichurri Sauce August 19, 2012

Filed under: how to make it — chezdesblog @ 10:55 pm
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Oh, lucky us. This week, friends brought us halibut that they caught off the coast. When I opened the package, it smelled like the ocean. Heavenly. Thanks, Jenn & Will!

This recipe for Grilled Halibut with Chimichurri Sauce was inspired by the herbs in my garden. Traditionally, chimichurri is made with fresh parsley, garlic, vinegar, olive oil and red pepper flakes. Herb-y and fresh it adds great flavor to steak, chicken and seafood. In this version, I substitute cilantro and lemon juice with great results. I served it with roasted patty pan squash tossed with chickpeas, parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

If you have any leftover chimichurri (which is doubtful), it’s also great as a topping for grilled steak or chicken, tossed with roasted vegetables or stirred into brown rice. Good stuff!

 

Grilled Chicken with Zucchini Pappardelle August 12, 2012

Filed under: how to make it,where to get it — chezdesblog @ 11:46 pm
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For my birthday, I got the Flavor Bible, winner of the 2009 James Beard Book Award for Best Book: Reference and Scholarship. Organized alphabetically by ingredient, season, and other topics of interest, it is a culinary guide to pairing flavors across food groups. Today, I had several ingredients on hand that I wanted to use to create a sensational summer dish – grilled chicken, zucchini, fresh basil and corn. As predicted, when I looked up each ingredient in the Flavor Bible, it was readily apparent that they were in harmony and would enhance one another when paired. This, of course, is not surprising given the season and the propensity to grill outdoors.

I got creative with the zucchini, slicing it into thin, wide ribbons using my best little mandolin. I quickly sauteed it in olive oil with corn, basil, salt, pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Treating it like pasta, I used it as a base for sliced grilled chicken. I drizzled the whole thing with olive oil and lemon juice, a touch of salt and pepper, and viola – a simple and  sensational summer dish – Grilled Chicken with Zucchini Pappardelle.

 

The Real Deal: Pesto Genovese August 5, 2012

Filed under: how to make it — chezdesblog @ 3:05 pm
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Our Italian exchange students, Giovanni and Giacomo, are from Genoa. They immediately showered us with gifts including a cook book featuring traditional recipes from Genoa, and of course pesto, the “queen of sauces.” Given that my basil patch is exploding, I found it only fitting to make them Pesto Genovese

A very simple, non-cook sauce, pesto is packed with flavor and can be used in a variety of ways. For this meal, I simply tossed it with spaghetti and spicy chicken sausage. According to the boys, it rated a “7.5 – like Italy.” (At first I was a bit put off a 7.5 rating, but then I took comfort in learning that nothing really rates higher than a 7.5 in their world. Ha!)

I also used this pesto as a sauce for roasted pork tenderloin (delicious!) and as a dressing for potato salad and a spread on a turkey sandwich (delicious again!). You can also freeze leftover pesto in an ice cube tray for later use. Although, I can’t imagine leftovers.

Giovanni and Giacomo left for home this morning, but we hope to see them again next year, when the basil patch is once again in full bloom. Ciao ciao!

 

 
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