Tag Archive for 'basil'

Prosciutto Sandwich w/Basil Apple Fennel Slaw

Published by mel on October 2, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.

Prosciutto Sandwich w/Basil Apple Fennel Slaw

Lately, I’m loving big, delicious sandwiches full of meats, cheeses and “slaws”. I tried looking up the definition of a slaw, but all I got was “sliced cabbage”, which isn’t really what I had in mind. Here’s my definition. Slaw (n.): A crunchy mix of thinly sliced vegetables and herbs, dressed with mayonnaise or vinaigrette, and usually served as a side or topping with a sandwich. There. I feel better. Now I can use the term slaw as loosely as I have been and we can get back to talking about the sandwich.

I like to think of this sandwich as a transition meal between Summer and Fall. The fennel and basil make it taste Summer-fresh, but the green apple definitely says Fall. The rest of the sandwich is a neat little stack of prosciutto, Saint Albray Cheese — a creamy, Brie-like, spicy cheese — and the slaw. It was perfectly simple, a nice balance between meat and cheese and vegetables, and absolutely delicious!

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Crisp Gnocchi with Lemon & Garlic Greens

Published by mel on September 24, 2008 in entree and recipe.

Crisp Gnocchi with Lemon & Garlic Greens

Hot on the heels of the homemade gnocchi post, here’s another method for cooking fresh gnocchi that will make those little potato pasta pillows even more delicious and addicting. Pan fry them until they’re crisp and brown. I would describe the taste as a cross between pasta and a french fry. MMM. There’s nothing better than that!

As with the last batch of gnocchi, I didn’t want to smother them in sauce. I wanted them to really shine. So, I sauteed some kale with basil, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and serrano peppers. The greens were spicy and garlicky and lemony and the perfect compliment to the crisp, starchy gnocchi.

I used a batch of frozen homemade gnocchi for this dish — it went straight from the freezer into the oiled pan and crisped up nicely. You can also use fresh and frozen gnocchi, but I would avoid the shrink-wrapped kind you find in the pasta aisle. You’ll lose all of the creamy potato-ness if you go that route.

This dish came together in under 20 minutes and is delicious and fancy enough for guests. The Lemon and Garlic greens would also be fabulous tossed with pasta and a little olive oil. Just make sure you make a whole bunch — people will be wanting seconds.

Shamless Plug: Head over to Kelly Spitzer’s Flavor a Deux to read her “Foodie Spotlight” all about yours truly. I had a great time working with her on this interview. Thanks Kelly!

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summer roll remix: mango, basil & tea-infused noodles

Published by mel on July 2, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.

summer roll remix: mango, basil & tea-infused noodles

Last month, I posted some traditional summer rolls made with carrot, cucumber, rice noodles and cilantro. While delicious, I had a hard time handling the rice paper. Thanks to some fabulous tips from Ami, I managed to make them much more quickly and efficiently this time.

I also wanted to experiment with the fillings, so I went with mango, basil and tea-infused rice noodles. I soaked the rice noodles in a strong brew of Lapsang Souchong tea, which gave them a smoky and almost spicy flavor that made a nice contrast to the mango and basil. I also sprinkled some of the dried tea leaves over the filling before wrapping the rolls for extra flavor.

Since it was a weeknight and I was feeling a bit lazy, I made a simple dipping sauce by combining Ponzu and Sriracha. Ponzu is a citrusy Japanese sauce made from Shoyu, Mirin, rice vinegar and yuzu. It salty, tart and a little bit sweet.

All in all, I think I like these little mango rolls. They were different and refreshing, but still felt as light as the traditional version. Tom thought they were too “herbal” because I used 2 basil leaves per roll. I suppose I agree, so I adjusted the recipe here to call for 1 basil leaf per roll. Feel free to play with the ingredients, or to substitute Chai or another strong black tea if you can’t find Lapsang Sauchong.

In honor of the 4th of July, I’ll be posting something decidedly non-American on Friday, but perfect for beach snacking: homemade empanadas with 3(!) kinds of filling. Yum!

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summer rolls w/ spicy peanut & sesame basil dipping sauces

Published by mel on May 14, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.

summer rolls w/ spicy peanut & sesame basil dipping sauces

I love summer rolls for a number of reasons.

1. They’re pretty
2. They’re hand-held
3. You can dip them in sauce
4. They’re healthy
5. They are super tasty

I don’t like summer rolls for a few reasons.

1. They’re a pain to wrap
2. The rice paper is delicate as all hell and a pain to wrap
3. Man, are they ever a pain to wrap

I’ve always loved summer rolls. I just never got why they were so expensive. Five or Six dollars for some vegetables wrapped in rice paper? Why? I finally found some rice paper wraps at Whole Foods and thought I’d give them a go. How hard could they be?

Turns out, they’re not so easy. The five or six bucks is for labor, not ingredients. You have to dip the rice paper in warm water to soften it up. You can’t do more than one at a time or they’ll stick together (at least in my experience). And you have to be careful wrapping the little suckers or they’ll break and you’ll have to start all over again.

But they are tasty. Very tasty. Like a hand-held salad you dip in dressing. Maybe I just have to get the hang of it. Maybe, like dumplings, they just take practice. I’m sure I will try and try again until I get them right (I still have like 50 rice paper wraps in the pantry). Next time, I’ll also throw some shrimp in there. I think they need it. Everything is better with shrimp.

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cheesy pasta & peas (or, grown-up mac & cheese)

Published by mel on April 16, 2008 in entree and recipe.

cheesy pasta & peas (or, grown-up mac & cheese)

We’re experiencing a freak cold front down here (55 degrees in April? What?) and I was craving a weather-appropriate meal. Mac and Cheese is the ultimate comfort food. It’s creamy and cheesy and has the satisfying crunch of oven-crisped pasta. I wanted to make healthier weekday update to the classic that omitted the cream and introduced some vegetables.

So, I decided on peas because they looked vibrant and spring-like and added some basil for color and freshness. I also threw some Thai chiles in there for kick. I subbed skim evaporated milk for cream, but kept the Gruyere cheese so that the dish would still have the rounded richness of traditional mac and cheese.

cheesy pasta & peas (or, grown-up mac & cheese)

I was really happy with the final product. Overall, it felt light while still retaining it’s comfort-food-ness. The Thai chiles made up for any flavor that might have been lost by omitting the cream and butter. Next time I make it, I might also add some crisp turkey bacon for that delicious smokiness.

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grown-up grilled cheese breakfast-style

Published by mel on April 3, 2008 in breakfast, recipe and sides & bites.

grown-up grilled cheese breakfast-style

I posted a grown-up grilled cheese last month that made for a wonderful dinner. There’s really nothing as versatile and virtually indestructible as the grilled cheese sandwich. Infinite fillings! Dipping sauces! Soups! Experimenting is the best part.

I especially like a grilled cheese breakfast. Sunday morning, I made a version with cheddar, basil and apricot jam. Sweet and herbal, they were a perfect match for both Tom’s sweet tooth and my salty one.

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basil lime shrimp with plantains

Published by mel on March 19, 2008 in entree and recipe.

basil lime shrimp w/plantains

I love plantains. They can be prepared both green (startchy) or over-ripe (sweet). They’re rich in fiber and potassium which makes them a nutritious vegetable, but the sweet ones taste like an indulgent carb.

For dinner last night, I simply peeled and halved a few over-ripe plantains and baked them. I also made a quick sautee of shrimp, lime juice, Thai red curry paste and basil. The spicy and tangy shrimp were a nice contrast to the sweet basil and plantains and the whole meal came together in under 25 minutes.

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