Tag: herbs

Pasta · Vegetarian pasta

Lemon spaghetti

Belinda

This is so easy, fresh and tangy. It takes no time to put together and is as good at room temperature as it is hot. It can be served as a carb on the side with a broiled fillet of salmon or chicken or as it is on it’s own.
Thanks to Giada De Laurentiis again!

Serves 6

1lb spaghetti
2/3 cup olive oil
2/3 to 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 large lemons)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 heaped tbsp lemon zest
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk the oil, parmesan cheese and lemon juice in a large bowl to blend.
Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid.
Toss the pasta with the lemon juice and the reserved cooking liquid, adding 1/4 cup at a time as needed to moisten.
Season with salt and pepper.
Garnish with lemon zest and chopped basil

 

Fish · Pasta

Salmon cream tagliatelle

Belinda

This is a recipe from Debbie Cottis in England. It is so simple and is lovely as a small starter for a dinner.
Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped finely
4 oz good smoked salmon shredded
4 fl oz dry white wine
10 fl oz heavy cream
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tsp paprika
6 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
1lb fresh egg tagliatelle
salt

Het the olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan. Fry the onion gently until softened, around 5 minutes.
Add the smoked salmon and cook, stirring for about 3 minutes
Pour in the white wine, bring to the boil and cook briskly for 1 minutes
Mix in the cream. Mix in the cayenne pepper, paprika and 5 tbsp of dill. Cook, stirring for a further 3 minutes.
Meanwhile bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the tagliatelle and cook until al dente, around 3 minutes; drain.
In a large serving bowl toss together the tagliatelle and the salmon cream sauce.
Sprinkle over the remaining dill and serve at once

 

Asian flavors · Fish · Gluten Free · Nuts · Poultry · Salad

Marie Claire’s Vietnamese prawn and chicken salad (CleanCuisine)

Belinda

This is so light and tangy and one of the best salads I know. Well worth making and wonderful for entertaining in the summer!

Serves 4 – 6

12 oz small cooked prawns
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp fish sauce
4 tbsp lime juice
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
15 fresh mint leaves, finely sliced
1 tsp sugar
2 cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts, shredded
2-3 carrots, grated
4 oz snow pea sprouts or other sprouts
1&1/2 English cucumbers peeled, seeded and diced
6 scallions (spring onions) , finely sliced
3 x baby cos (romaine) lettuce, finely sliced
1 -2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
optional  1/3 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts
optional  1 avocado, cubed

Peel the prawns and put them in a bowl
In a small bowl, combine the cumin, fish sauce, lime juice, olive oil, sesame oil, mint and sugar.
Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then pour the mixture over the prawns and toss until the prawns are well coated.
Add the chicken, carrot, snow pea sprouts, optional cubed avocado, cucumber, spring onion and lettuce.
Lightly toss together then pile onto a serving platter or into individual bowls and sprinkle with sesame seeds.  (dry roasted peanuts)

 

Accompaniments · Do-ahead · Gluten Free

Green Goddess dressing

Belinda

I don’t understand why this is not used as much these days. It’s fabulous!
A great idea is to slice tomatoes in half, put a piece of mozzarella and basil inside and sandwich them together then pour over the Green Goddess dressing. The dressing will keep in the fridge for at least a week.

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This recipe makes about 2 cups of dressing, the recipe is slightly adapted from  the original recipe from”The Palace Restaurant” in San Francisco.

1/3 heaped cup fresh chives or green onions (packed in to a measuring cup)
1/3 heaped cup fresh tarragon, (packed into a measuring cup, tarragon is optional but if you like tarragon it’s really good in this dressing)
1/3 heaped cup fresh Italian (flat leaf)  parsley (packed into a measuring cup)
1 1/2  tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2  tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp anchovy paste (or more, depending on how much you like anchovies)
1 cup mayonnaise (a good brand like Kraft or Helmanns)
1/2 cup sour cream (I used light sour cream)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

I used a food processor for this recipe, it makes life a lot simpler.
Measure 1/4 cup each of chives (or green onions) tarragon and parsley and add to the food processor.
Pulse the processor until the fresh herbs are finely chopped then add the lemon juice, white wine vinegar and anchovy paste and pulse a few more times.
Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, salt and pepper and run the food processor about 20 to 30 seconds or until the ingredients are well combined,
Chill at least for a few hours before serving

Baking · Do-ahead · Nuts

Pine nut and rosemary shortbread

Belinda

These are fabulous!!   The recipe makes about 24 small cookies

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp fine-grain sea salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup natural cane sugar or white sugar
zest of 1 large lemon
2/3 cup pine nuts, toasted and loosely chopped
2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

Combine the flour and salt in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
In a separate bowl or stand mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and lemon zest and mix again, then add the flour mixture, nuts and rosemary and mix until the dough goes just past the crumbly stage and begins to really clump together (don’t over mix but under mixing will make the dough seem a bit dry, which can be difficult to handle) It’s a fine line!
Turn the dough onto a floured work surface. Knead the dough just once or twice to bring it together, then divide it into a ball (or 2 balls) and flatten into disks about 1 inch thick.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat mat.
Roll the dough out to 1/3 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.
Cut into whatever shapes you desire and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the cookies are beginning to brown on the bottom.
The baking time will vary depending on the size of the cookies, taking less time for smaller ones.

Variations-  Use chopped raw or toasted walnuts and 1 tbsp coarsely ground coffee in place of the lemon, pine nuts and rosemary

 

Do-ahead · Grains · Vegetable-related

Roasted vegetable couscous with a lemon hummus sauce with roast chicken with basil and lemon

Belinda

Serves 2 but can easily be double, trebled…..
Try any combination of Mediterranean vegetable that you fancy.

1 red pepper, seeded and cut into 3/4″ squares
1 yellow pepper, seeded and cut into 3/4″ squares
1 large or 2 small zucchini, cut into 3/4″ rounds, then half moons
1 small eggplant, cut into 3/4″ pieces
1 large red onion, cut into 3/4″ pieces
1/2 butternut squash, cut into 1/2″ pieces
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
handful fresh basil leaves
1 cup carton good quality hummus
4 tbsp plain Greek yoghurt
juice of a large lemon
4oz couscous

Roast the vegetables- Heat the oven to 400 degreesF. Heat a large roasting pan in the oven. Place the red and yellow peppers, zucchini, eggplant, butternut squash and red onion in a large bowl and drizzle half the olive oil over, tossing to coat evenly, season well (You may need some more oil) then tip the contents into the roasting pan.
Roast for about 40 minutes or until the vegetables are completely tender and lightly caramelized, tossing from time to time to ensure the vegetables cook evenly.
About 5 minutes before the vegetables are done, quickly chop up the fresh basil and scatter over the vegetables, tossing to combine, then return to the oven to finish cooking.

Flavor the hummus- Put the hummus into a bowl and whisk in the yoghurt and half of the lemon juice, then season to taste. Cover and set aside

Make the couscous- Place the couscous in a large bowl and drizzle over the remaining olive oil with the rest of the lemon juice, stirring gently to combine.
Pour over 4 fl oz boiling chicken broth, vegetable broth or water then stir well, cover and leave to stand for 5 minutes before gently separating the grains with a fork. Season to taste after fluffing and separating the couscous, then place in a pan to reheat gently, stirring continuously with a fork.
Serve with the roasted vegetables piled on top, or mixed through if you prefer and the hummus sauce on the side or dolloped on top.

This is divine served with roast chicken with basil and lemon – pouring all the juices of the chicken dish in with the couscous.

This is very fragrant with the basil and lemon flavors permeating the chicken and juices.

Serves 2 but can be doubled and trebled…

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F

6 organic chicken pieces, bone in and skin on
extra virgin olive oil
4 large cloves garlic
1 large lemon
large handful of fresh basil leaves
good large glass of white wine, drinkable, so you can have a glass while you cook

Season the chicken pieces and put them into a roasting tin.
Pour over enough olive oil to moisten them and make a shallow pool in the tin.

Squash the garlic in it’s skin and tuck it in amongst the chicken. Squeeze the lemon over the chicken and drop the empty shells in too.

Roast for 30 minutes in a preheated oven to 400 degrees F then tear up the basil leaves and toss them around in the chicken. Return the chicken to the oven for about 10 more minutes.

Use the couscous to soak up the juices and big chunks of good Ciabatta bread on the side.
This is one heck of a meal!!!

 

Fish

Seared fish with beet, avocado, garbanzo bean and pecan salsa

Belinda

This is so delicious and light! You can use a firm fish like halibut or even better, a fillet of wild salmon works really well with the salsa. It’s very pretty on the plate as the garbanzo beans turn bright pink!

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6 small diced cooked beets (If you roast your own, season them with salt and pepper, olive oil and balsamic vinegar, then cover them with foil and roast at 400 F for 1 hr 20 mins or until tender, then peel them, and allow to cool)
1 x 15.5 oz can garbanzo beans (chickpeas) drained and rinsed
8 chopped scallions
¾ cup pecan pieces, toasted in the oven until browned
1 seeded and chopped red chili
3 tbsp chopped fresh mint
2 tsp ground roasted cumin
4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
5 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper

Put the diced beets into a good-sized bowl. Add the chopped scallions, seeded and chopped red chili, chopped fresh mint, toasted pecans, cumin, lemon juice, balsamic and olive oil.
Mix and season well with salt and pepper. Add more balsamic or lemon juice if you think it needs it.

Season 4 fish fillets and sauté in hot oil over medium high heat on both sides until just done and crispy on the outside then serve on or beside a good dollop of the beet salsa.

Fish · Gluten Free

Mustard Roasted Fish

Belinda

Absolutely divine, creamy, tangy and simple.
Thank you Barefoot Contessa for this recipe. I have tweaked it a little, however.

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Serves 4

4 (8 oz) fish fillets such as red snapper, salmon, Chilean sea bass, or whatever is your preference.
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 oz creme fraiche
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp whole grain mustard
2 tbsp minced shallots
2 tsp drained capers
Grated rind of 1 large lemon
1/2 tsp dried dill weed (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. (You can also use an ovenproof baking dish)
Place the fish fillets skin side down on the sheet pan/ baking dish. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and the grated rind of the lemon.
In a small bowl, combine the creme fraiche, 2 mustards, shallots, capers, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.
Spoon the sauce evenly over the fish fillets, making sure the fish is completely covered.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, until it is barely done.
The fish will flake easily at the thickest part when it’s done)
Be sure not to overcook it! Serve it hot or at room temp with the sauce from the pan spooned over the top.

Accompaniments · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Whole30 compliant

Provencal oil cured olive tapenade

Belinda

This is my very favorite tapenade as it’s made from oil cured Provence olives (if you can get them). It’s dark, rich and powerful tapenade and you need very little on a cracker or fish or chicken fillet. We always have some in our fridge as it has a great shelf life.
You can “play” with this recipe as far as how much lemon, garlic, anchovies you use. Some people add breadcrumbs, mustard or ground almonds for a different taste and consistency
If you can’t find the jars of black olives cured with Herbes de Provence (Vicente Foods supplies them, for my LA Westside friends)  then you can use the brand “Cento” and add a little more fresh thyme. The Cento olives are even darker and oilier than the Provence ones.

1/2 lb oil -packed black olives, drained
6 well rinsed anchovy fillets
3 tbsp drained capers
1/2 heaped tsp minced fresh thyme
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 to 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 good sized cloves garlic, crushed

Break open the olives by pressing on them with the back of a wooden spoon, then remove the pits.
Put the olives, anchovies, capers, thyme and lemon juice in a food processor and blend until a paste is formed.
With the motor running, add the olive oil a little at a time until the paste is smooth but not oily.
Use the tapenade immediately or put it in a covered jar and store it in the refrigerator where it will keep for up to 3 months

Note;  This is lovely wiped on top of a piece of fish, then grilled or baked, on crackers, on a fillet of chicken, in any sort of dish you’re cooking, in soups, with cheese……..

 

Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Grains · Vegetable-related

Pesto Rice Salad

Belinda

Another gem from Delia Smith..

Just as homemade pesto does wonders for pasta so it does for rice too. This salad can be served warm as a first course and it’s really good as an accompaniment to fish or chicken main-course dishes. Served cold it makes a lovely addition to a selection of salads for a buffet.

Serves 4 -6

Italian arborio rice measured to the 8fl oz of a glass measuring jug.
1 quantity of pesto sauce, preferably homemade. (See recipe below)
16 fl oz boiling vegetable or chicken stock
5 scallions (spring onions) finely chopped
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
A good handful of fresh basil leaves
3 oz Parmesan Reggiano cheese shavings (made with the potato peeler)
salt and freshly ground pepper

First of all measure the rice into the glass jug then add about one quarter of the pesto sauce to it and stir it around to coat all the grains.
Tip the mixture into a shallow saucepan or frying pan with a lid and pour the boiling stock into a jug (pitcher) then pour this over the rice.
Now turn on the heat and stir with a wooden spoon adding 1 tsp salt.
Then, when it begins to boil, put a lid on, turn the heat down to low and let the rice cook for exactly 20 minutes.
As soon as it’s ready, tip all the rice into a serving bowl. then simply pour in the lemon juice, olive oil and the remaining pesto sauce.
Combine all the ingredients together stirring and tossing.
At this stage, taste and season with salt and pepper.
Finally, scatter some torn basil leaves, finely chopped scallions and then some of the Parmesan shavings over the surface f the salad as a garnish.
If you want to serve the salad cold, then add the basil, onion and parmesan just before serving.


PESTO SAUCE

2 oz fresh basil leaves
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 oz Pecorina Romano cheese, grated
salt and pepper

In a blender, put the basil,pine nuts, garlic and olive oil with some salt and blend until you have a puree.
Then transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the grated Pecorino cheese.