Tag Archives: basil recipes

Basil Brûléed Grapefruit

Posted on by January 27, 2015

Basil Brûléed Grapefruit is as stunningly beautiful as it is quick and easy. It’s perfect in the instance that you’re looking for a healthy, but exciting dessert for Brunch, breakfast, dessert, even an after school snack. Of course you can switch up the herbs depending on the meal; it’s great with cilantro, tarragon, sage, even rosemary, just make sure you mince the rosemary really really finely, or it’s too tough to eat. What’s more simple or satisfying than half of a gorgeous ruby red grapefruit with just a touch of basil sugar brûléed? The thin layer of melted sugar will form a sheet of glass over the surface of the fruit that looks like stained glass and of course when you did your spoon if you’ll get that satisfyingly hard crunch and you break it. I’m convinced it’s this crunch, reminiscent of breaking the top of a crème brûlée that is they key to feeling spoiled without devastating your diet. Did I mention it’s really easy? You can have this on the table in under five minutes, which means Basil Brûléed Grapefruit is a trick everyone should have in their back pocket to wow their Easter Brunch guests with ease … Continue reading →

PESTO!

Posted on by October 28, 2014

Just in case you have basil coming out of your ears or your farm share and you don’t already have a pesto recipe… Here’s how I make PESTO!. I haven’t actually measured out my pesto ingredients in years, so when I made it this week, it was a fun exercise to measure, record, and compare to the recipe my mom gave me years ago, when I left for college. Another fun part of digging out my recipe was discovering that my Aunt Elly taught my mother to make pesto via a note written on the card. A food processor or blender makes this a dream. But making PESTO! can be done via mortar and pestle as well. In fact, that’s how it got its name. 2 cups fresh basil leaves (gently packed if you’re serious about measuring, or two big handfuls) ¼ cup pine nuts ½ cup fresh parmigiano reggiano cut into small pieces (or grated if you’re making it by hand) 2-4 cloves of garlic ½ cup olive oil 1 + teaspoons sea salt extra parm and pine nuts for garnish 1 pound spaghetti Put a big pot of salted water on the stove to boil. Wash and dry the … Continue reading →

Ottolenghi Fave: Grilled Zucchini and Basil Salad

Posted on by November 16, 2015

One of the most inspirational cookbooks I’ve purchased in the past few years was Ottolenghi’s Plenty and one of my favorite recipes in the whole gorgeous book is An Ottolenghi Fave: Grilled Zucchini and Basil Salad. I love to make it deep in the Summer as an alternative to Caprese. Plenty is a vegetarian cookbook full of gorgeous vegetable centered dishes. I’ve enjoyed many of the recipes or used them as inspiration to create my own veggie-centric dishes. I have to say, the only downside is some of the recipes do seem particularly well-tested, but in terms of brilliant ideas, Plenty can’t be beat. And this particular recipe is perfect and ready to go, especially in the summer. The genius of this Ottolenghi Fave: Grilled Zucchini and Basil Salad is recognizing that basil is so delicious and abundant in July and August that there’s no reason to use it as an herb or an adornment. Skip the lettuce altogether and eat more basil in my Ottolenghi Fave: Grilled Zucchini and Basil Salad. It doesn’t hurt to add a special cheese like the pepper laced pecorino I have pictured above and lots of crunchy toasted hazelnuts. If you have the luxury … Continue reading →