Pesto Dedicated to Someone I Love...

I have the best friends. Today one of them came over to visit me in my new place, and as she was leaving, she shared with me how happy she was that I finally found my home. I could see that she had been with me through my long wait (and near misstep into taking the wrong apartment). She is a true friend.

These are the people I live for and love most to cook for and with. Pardon my ending a sentence with a preposition, but it's true.

So here it is. Pesto. 

• Basil (about 4 ounces, or one large bunch)
• Olive Oil (up to 1/2C)
• Garlic (2 cloves)
• Lemon Juice (about 1T to taste)
• S&P
• Parmigiano reggiano (about 1/4C)
• Toasted Pine Nuts (about 1/4C) 

If making a large batch, use a Cuisinart or blender. A mini-prep works great for smaller batches. 
Pick leaves off stems. Wash & dry leaves if they're noticably dirty. You don't want grit it your pesto.
Toast pine nuts in a dry pan on the stove. Don't walk away. They go from 0-60 in no time. 
Stuff the leaves into the blender/food processor. Add the garlic, pine nuts, parm, about 1/2 the oil, and about 1/2 the lemon juice. Sprinkle with a little kosher salt and pepper. 
Blend until chopped up. Stop and scrape down the sides, and blend again until pesto-like. 
Add more oil to make the right consistency. You can also add a tiny bit of water. 
Adjust the lemon juice salt & pepper to taste.
Serve immediately. Store in the fridge in an airtight glass container for up to one week, or freeze in ice cube trays for easy use later. 

Recommended uses:
Roasted Potatoes with Pesto (great hot or cold)
Grilled Vegetables and Fish
Homemade Gnocchi with Pesto & Goat Cheese 
Pizza! 

A mini-prep is ideal for small batches of pesto and other quick sauces and salsas.

The mini-prep blade is designed to rotate clockwise on one speed, and counterclockwise on the other, helping to incorporate ingredients.

Thai Coconut Braised Spinach with Chick Peas

Until today, if I were offered a choice of beef stew or vegan stew, I would have gone with beef. 

Now, unless Julia Child floats down from the sky with a bowl of her boeuf bourguignon, I'm sticking with this vegan bowl of heaven on earth. 

A friend shared the Treehugger recipe on Facebook the other day, and I, predictably, adapted it. There is nothing wrong with the original recipe, mind you. The ingredients are simple, and once combined, may fool you into thinking you're eating at a fine Thai restaurant. That said, I only changed two ingredients because I didn't have what was called for. Instead of sundried tomatoes, I roasted some cherry tomatoes, which I'm sure weren't as flavorful, but were ok. I also substituted chili-garlic paste for the chili flakes. This was a good decision, as the paste added depth of flavor quickly. The last thing I did was serve the stew over half a roasted acorn squash. I just wanted a little more "meat" to the dish, and the squash was a perfect choice. 

Shopping List (Serves 4)

2 acorn squash , split in half lengthwise & seeded 

1C cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1# baby spinach

1 small onion, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1T ginger, minced or grated 

1T chili-garlic paste

1 lemon, zested & juiced (I prefer Meyer lemon here)

1 14oz can light coconut milk

1 15oz can chick peas, drained & rinsed 

olive oil

S&P

ground ginger 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400'. Lay the squash halves hollow-side up on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, coating all sides with your hands. Sprinkle with salt & pepper, and roast for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until tender. On another sheet pan, spread out the tomatoes cut-size up. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Roast for about 15 minutes, until caramelized but not burnt. 

Heat a 4Qt. or larger heavy pot, add about 3T olive oil, then saute the onions until they begin to turn golden. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for another minute. Stir in the chili-garlic paste and lemon zest, then add the chick peas, cooking for a few minutes. 

Next add a handful of spinach at a time, stirring and allowing it to wilt. Continue until all of the spinach is incorporated into the mixture. Add the coconut milk and lemon juice, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Season with S&P and ground ginger. 

To serve, place a half acorn squash into a bowl, and ladle in some of the stew. Top with some of the roasted tomatoes. 

(Do not eat the squash skin. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon as you eat the stew.)

No-Squish Squash with Coconut Rice

It looks simple, doesn't it? 

It is simple to make (YAY!), and is also surprisingly delicious and satisfying (YAY! squared). 

The star is the summer squash, which thanks to a quick blanch prior to the saute, is tender and delish - without a hint of squish. I'm pretty sure that the reason some people don't like squash is the sog factor. I feel you. Texture is a very important element to an appealing dish. Along with the squash being cooked properly, the caramelized garlic, toasted panko, and coconut rice come together in perfect harmony to support the sweet squash with roasty-toasty flavor and a bit of crunch. 

(Serves Two as an Entree) 

The Rice
1T coconut oil 
1/2C basmati rice
1/4t kosher salt 
1C water

In a small (1 quart) saucepan, melt the coconut oil and stir in the rice and salt. Raise the heat to high, and add the water. Stir the rice as the water comes to a boil. Put a lid on it, lower the heat to super-low, and cook for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, check the rice to see if all the water has been absorbed. Stir it with a fork. If it's still wet, cover it and cook for another 5 minutes (a heavy pot, like Le Creuset, can take longer than a stainless steel pot). If the rice looks done, turn off the heat and leave it covered until service. 

The Panko
In a medium pan, melt 1T butter on medium-high heat. Stir in 1/3C panko crumbs. Stir the crumbs as they brown in the butter. Do not walk away. They will become golden brown before you know it. Once they're done, spread the crumbs out on a plate to cool a bit. 

OK...Now, the Squash
3, 3-4" summer squash, washed and left whole (do not trim off the ends) 
1 large garlic clove, sliced thinly 
1-2T olive oil 

Boil about 6C of water. Gently drop in the whole squash and cook for about 1 minute on each side. Remove them from the pot and let them let off some steam as they await the frying pan. 

Heat the pan from the panko on medium heat. Add the olive oil. Add the garlic and saute for about a minute. Slice the summer squash into bite-sized wedges, and add them to the pan. Sear each side of the squash until golden. Sprinkle with a tiny bit of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Stir in the toasted panko crumbs right before serving. 

Serve the squash over the rice. Add a little freshly grated Parmigiano Reggaino if you wish. 

Enjoy!

**Note: Summer squash can be substituted with zucchini. Just be sure to keep the squash whole when blanching.