Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

 

Basil pesto has its exquisite herbaceous appeal however sun-dried tomato pesto or Pesto Rosso as it is known in most parts of Southern Italy, has a sumptuously sweet tangy flavour. This recipe has the addition of a few fresh oregano leaves to give a subtle herb hint and cashews were used instead of almonds or walnuts. Another breezy meal that is deliciously glorious and savoury, and even better the next day, if there are any leftovers.       

Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

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1/3 cup unsalted cashew pieces

2 large cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

1 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves

1 cup julienne style sun-dried tomatoes

5 - 6 fresh oregano leaves 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2/3 cup extra olive oil

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (not parmesan)

Using a food processor, chop the cashews and garlic together.

Add the basil leaves, sundried-tomatoes, oregano leaves and salt and pepper and blend together until finely chopped.

Keep the food processor running and slowly add the olive oil. Then add the Parmigiano cheese and blend until smooth. 

Store in an air tight container with a thin layer of olive oil on top to prevent browning. The pesto will keep in the refrigerator for about a week or freeze for up to 6 months. 

Notes: If you cannot find Parmigiano Reggiano cheese then use another cheese such as Pecorino Romano, Pecorino Sardo, Gana Padano or Parmesan. You can substitute the cashews with almonds. If you have whole sun-dried tomatoes I recommend to roughly chop them a bit before using them. 

Sun-dried Tomato and Olive Loaf

This savoury loaf is appetizing with a meal or on it's own. Use it for sandwiches or savoury eggy bread for brunch. Either way it's delicious!     

Sun-dried Tomato and Olive Loaf

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makes 1 loaf

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

a pinch of salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon mixed herbs ... like Herbs de Provence or Za'atar  

200ml sliced black olives, roughly chopped, set aside a handful for the top 

8 sun-dried tomatoes (the ones packed in oil), roughly chopped

1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese plus some for the top 

1/4 cup butter, softened 

1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly butter and flour a loaf tin and line with baking parchment.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, cream of tartar and herbs. Add the chopped olives, the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and shredded mozzarella cheese, and stir.

Add the butter to the flour mixture and stir; then add the buttermilk; stirring to form a soft dough. Place in the prepared baking tin. Slightly smooth the top. Sprinkle with more mozzarella cheese and the handful of chopped olives, that were set aside. 

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean.   

Baked & Delicious

And just like the other cookbook from the Dollar store this one offers some good recipes. Giving you a step by step visual guide which can be appreciated and most helpful. Even more helpful when kidlets are cooking or baking in the kitchen. In fact, when I purchased these cookbooks I had my kids in mind. 

Just like it's counterpart, Fast & Simple, the introduction has hints and tips for easy baking and time-saving shortcuts. Again, most of the ingredients one would already have on hand so choosing a recipe will be any easy one. This cookbook offers some classic sweet and savoury recipes. Here is a savoury recipe from the book to try... 

Feta & Olive Biscuits
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butter, for greasing
3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped, pitted black olives
1/3 cup drained and chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 cup milk, plus extra for glazing


1. Pre heat the oven to 425ºF. Grease a baking sheet. (If not using a non stick coated one or line the baking sheet with parchment paper.)

2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add the butter and rub together until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.

3. Stir in the olives, tomatoes, and feta. Add the milk, a little at a time, and mix to form a soft dough.

4. Roll out on a floured surface to a 1 1/4 inch - thick rectangle. Cut into 2 1/2 - inch squares. Place on the prepared baking sheet, brush with milk, and bake for 12minutes, until golden brown. Serve the biscuits while still warm.

Notes: It is easy to change some of the ingredients to your liking. Like try a different cheese, add green onions, or add some spices.  

Have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

Kale

I usually eat kale raw mixed in with other salad greens. When we were invite to friends for dinner they served us a lovely side of sautéed kale. It was very delicious. Of course I had to ask what went behind this simple yet lovely dish. It was explained to me and it is very simple. Red/purple kale boiled... sautéed in oil and garlic... dash of balsamic vinegar... serve. Keeping that in mind the next day I decided to give it try with the green kale I had. Because this is one of those times where anything is possible and I wasn't really following a recipe making this was a bit more relaxed and up for a few changes here and there.  

First, I chopped the kale and placed into boiling water for a few minutes. When I was satisfied with the amount of time it had boiled, usually a bright green colour is a good indication, I removed it from the heat and drained it very well. 

Letting the kale rest, I placed some vegetable or in my case Camelina oil in a fry pan over medium heat to warm. Then I added 1 clove of freshly crushed garlic. Stirring, not letting the garlic burn or stick. Now you can thinly slice the garlic or chop the garlic, it is personal preference really and crushed adds a more pronounced garlic flavour. When the garlic was starting to turn slightly golden brown I added the kale.   

After adding the kale, I sautéed it for a few minutes letting everything come together.  

 

Then I added the balsamic vinegar. I do not have an exact measurement. I just added what I thought was a good amount, a dash or two. Sautéing a few minutes longer.

Essential the kale was done however I added some chopped sun-dried tomatoes and sautéed everything for a few minutes longer just to soften the tomatoes and bring out their flavour. Remove from heat and serve. 

It is that simple! 

Enjoy! - JD 

Wild Garlic Pasta

Awhile ago I bought some dried wild garlic pasta. Not really sure what it was all about I stored it away until I felt the time was right. Being at the Italian Centre the other day made me feel as though I should create a dish using this pasta. My first thought was a cream sauce... then I thought of a cheese sauce however I didn't want the heaviness of either.   

So I stuck with olive oil, garlic and a few dried herbs as my seasoning. I also added sautéed mushrooms, some prosciutto, sun-dried tomatoes and grated parmesan cheese. The taste was so flavourful. The pasta, to me, didn't taste much of garlic. There was just a very faint hint of garlic otherwise it tasted like any dried broad noodle. Still it was interesting to try and the colour a pale green with dark green flecks made it eye catching. - JW