Smokey Walnut Spinach Pesto

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dinner, easy meal, food, foodie, garlic, gouda, pasta, pesto, postaday2011, quick & easy, quick meal, recipe, side dish, spinach, walnut

Exhausted tonight, I needed something that was quick to make for dinner. The fridge and pantry were sparse and I had some fresh spinach that needed to be used. Pesto it is! After all, pesto doesn’t have to be pine nuts and basil.

Smokey Walnut Spinach Pesto

Ingredients:
1 lb. linguini, 1/2 c. olive oil, 1/2 c. walnuts (toasted), 1/2 c. smoked gouda, 2 c. fresh baby spinach, 1 clove of garlic, lemon zest, fresh ground sea salt, fresh cracked black pepper

Directions:
In food processor blend together ingredients. Cook pasta according to package directions. Pour sauce over fresh hot pasta and toss to coat. Sprinkle with fresh grated cheese and serve.

I’m hoping to bake again tomorrow… What are your Friday plans?

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Sausage & Watercress Penne

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dinner, easy dinner, easy meal, easy recipe, food, foodie, lunch, meal, pasta, penne, postaday2011, quick & easy, quick and easy, quick recipe, recipe, sausage, watercress, yellow pepper

A tasty heap of comfort food is the perfect way to end the day…

Sausage & Watercress Penne

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground turkey sausage, 1 lb. penne, 3 c. chopped watercress, 1/2 shallot (minced), 2 diced yellow bell peppers, 1/2 c. dry white wine, fresh ground sea salt

Directions:
Cook penne according to package. Drop sausage by the spoonful into pan of shallow water and simmer until meat is done (water should be gone, if not drain water). Remove sausage from pan then add wine and deglaze pan.  Toss peppers, shallots and watercress in pan and simmer. Sprinkle with fresh ground sea salt. Return sausage to pan. Pour over pasta and garnish with freshly grated pecorino romano.

*I actually use turkey breakfast sausage for this recipe. I prefer the flavor of breakfast sausage over the other varieties…
*Some people use only the watercress leaves, I roughly chop the leaves and stems alike, it adds to the texture.

What are your weekend plans?

Basmati Pistachio Rice

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basmati, easy meal, easy recipe, Indian cooking, Indian cuisine, Indian food, pistachio, postaday2011, quick & easy, recipe, rice, side dishes, vegan, vegetarian

As a side dish I was going to make plain basmati rice and daal. However, when I looked in my pantry there were no lentils. I had to quickly change my plans to create a lightly flavored rice.

Basmati Pistachio Rice

Ingredients:
2 c. water, 1 c. basmati rice, 1 c. pistachios, 2 bay leaves, 1 small piece of cinnamon stick, 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
Bring water, olive oil and bay leaves to boil. Add rice and cinnamon stick, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick and bay leaves. Fluff rice and stir in pistachios. Serve hot.

Serve as a side dish with curried vegetables.

What quick substitutions have you had to make recently?

Chicken Crêpes with Tarragon Champagne Sauce

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brunch, chicken, crêpes, cuisine, dinner, easy recipe, food, foodie, French, gourmet, lunch, postaday2011, quick & easy, quick recipe, recipe, sauce, tarragon

Crêpes are a versatile food. They can be hearty enough for dinner, light enough for lunch, sweet enough for dessert and delicious enough for brunch. Crêpes are also a great way to use up leftover chicken or veggies in your fridge. I make a large stack of crêpes one day and freeze them for the month…  Last night I made these tasty Chicken & Tarragon Crêpes.

Chicken Crêpes with Tarragon Champagne Sauce

Ingredients:
4 crêpes, 2 cooked chicken breasts (Mine are leftover from another meal where I marinated and grilled them), 1 c. heavy cream, 1 c. champagne, 2 Tbsp. butter, 1 shallot (minced), 1 Tbsp. tarragon, 2 tsp. Dijon mustard (optional), fresh cracked black pepper, fresh ground sea salt

Directions:
Cut chicken into pieces and set aside. Brown shallots in butter, add chicken to pan and warm. Remove chicken. Pour champagne, Dijon and tarragon to pan, allow to simmer. Add cream, salt and pepper and simmer. Slowly add flour, whisking constantly. Allow sauce to thicken. Add chicken back to sauce. Warm crêpes in oven for a few minutes. Divide chicken mixture between crêpes and top with remaining sauce. Serve hot!

I loved how this sauce turned out, I was picturing it drizzled over pasta or salmon, Hubster was envisioning it over a burger…

What is your favorite herb to use when cooking?

Grilled Brie, Pear & Spinach on Rosemary Bread

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brie, brunch, easy recipe, food, foodie, gourmet, grilled cheese, grilling, lunch, luncheon, pear, postaday2011, quick & easy, quick recipe, recipe, rosemary bread, sandwich, spinach, vegetarian

Grilled Cheese for the Adults

Grilled Brie, Pear & Spinach on Rosemary Bread

 

 

I used last night’s rosemary bread recipe and made smaller sandwich sized loaves for this recipe, but you can slice a loaf to make these tasty sandwiches.

Ingredients:
fresh-baked rosemary bread, butter, brie cheese, red pear, Anjou pear, baby spinach leaves

Directions:
Thinly slice brie and pears. Layer bread with brie, pears and spinach. Butter outside of bread and grill. Serve warm!

What is your favorite grilled cheese variation?