Simple small batch pesto

This pesto is easy enough to make with some basic kitchen tools, such as a cutting board, knife, and mortar and pestle. A mortar and pestle will make pounding the nuts and garlic easier, but you could chop them fine with a cutting board and knife.

Simple small batch pesto

Yield: ~ 5 tablespoons

Ingredients

2 cups loosely packed fresh basil

1/4 cup whole almonds, or pine nuts

2 cloves garlic (use 3 if you love garlic)

2-3 tbsp olive oil, more if needed

salt to taste

1/4 cup fresh parmesan shredded fine

Directions:

1. Begin by pounding half the nuts in a mortar and pestle. Using gentle force, gradually break the almonds into smaller pieces. Increase pressure as you smash the nuts to make a fine ground. You could use a cutting board, or coffee grinder (cleaned out first!), or place nuts in a ziplock bag and roll them with a rolling pin. Remove the nuts to a small bowl.

2. Pound the garlic with 1/8 tsp salt in the mortar and pestle. Pour the olive oil on top - do not pound again after pouring olive oil in. Set aside the mortar and finely chop the basil on a cutting board.

3. Remove basil leaves from stems and finely chop. Move the chopped basil to the bowl with the nuts. Pour the olive oil infused garlic on top. Add in parmesan cheese and stir together.

4. Add more salt if needed, and pour in a little bit of oil if too dry.

The pesto can be tossed with some cooked pasta, or warm potatoes. I prepared store-bought gnocchi and topped with 1 tbsp or more of the pesto. Divine.  

Lemongrass tofu with soy-sesame sauce and sticky rice

I made this dish for a friend that is interested in preparing more dishes with tofu. It's a simple stir-fry so if you don't have lemongrass or ginger just leave them out. The soy-sesame sauce is fast to prepare. Sticky rice absorbs the sauce much better than long-grain jasmine or basmati, but this could be served over noodles too.

My secret to successful golden pan-fried tofu is pressing extra-firm tofu for as long as possible, 30 minutes or longer. To get started, first press the tofu. Unwrap it from the package, drain the water and set the tofu in a colander or drainer (either over a bowl, or the sink so the water can drain out). Place a plate over the tofu and stack cans of beans or other heavy objects on top. The weight will help expel the water from the tofu. Next, begin cooking the rice, and then prep and cut up the veggies. If you are fast vegetable chopper, you can also use the time the tofu is pressing to make the soy-sesame sauce, or prep it while the tofu is cooking. Fresh lemongrass and ginger are added towards the very end of cooking time.

Other good stir-fry veggies include cabbage, bean sprouts, and even cherry tomatoes. Feel free to add or remove items to use up what you have.

Lemongrass tofu with soy-sesame sauce and sticky rice

Serves: 4

Ingredients (listed in order of use)

1 package tofu, pressed and drained, and then cubed into 1" chunks

2 cups sticky rice (sushi rice), prepared with 1.5 times as much water as rice, or according to package directions

2 tbsp peanut oil

1 package mushrooms, wiped clean and quartered

1 red bell pepper, in strips

1 cup snow peas

2, 4" stalks of fresh lemongrass or enough to equal about 1 tbsp chopped (see note)

1 and 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, chopped

Note: To prep the lemongrass, use a small pairing knife and cut the stalk in half length-wise. Remove the first or second layers, it'll reveal a purplish interior. Finely chop the lemongrass stocks starting from the root end. It will become tougher about 3" inches up from the root end. For the ginger, peel the skin away with a pairing knife or veg peeler, and finely chop.

For soy-sesame sauce:

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp rice-wine vinegar

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted

3 spring onions chopped, chop the long part of the greens in 1" segments

1 clove garlic, minced fine

1/4 tsp or more red chili flakes

Directions:

1. Heat up a large stir-fry pan or wok over medium-low heat. Add in 1 tsp of sesame seeds and toast until the seeds become golden. Move them around the pan often, so they won't burn. Set aside.

2. Add 2 tbsp of peanut oil to the same pan and increase the heat to medium-high heat. Once hot, add in tofu chunks. Don't touch them or move them around. Let them sit for about 5-7 minutes until the bottom 1/4" of the tofu squares look like they are turning golden. The tofu will take 15-20 minutes to become lovely, golden, and crispy. Carefully, take a spatula and lift the tofu gently up. It's ready when it gives. The length of time will depend on your pan (non-stick vs iron). When the tofu is removed easily, flip it over so the other sides can cook.

3. While the tofu cooks, prepare the soy-sesame sauce. Add soy sauce, rice-wine vinegar, sesame oil to a bowl, and adjust for taste. Add in toasted sesame seeds, the white part of the spring onions, chopped garlic and red chili flakes. Stir everything together and set aside.

4. Remove the tofu from the pan and set it aside on a large plate. There should be enough oil (about 1 tsp) leftover in the pan, if not add in 1 tsp of peanut oil. Turn heat up to medium-high or high, and add in mushrooms. Cook 5-6 minutes stirring often, and then add in red peppers, cook 4 minutes, and then add in snow peas, and cook another 2-3 minutes, or until the snow peas turn bright green.

5. Once all the veggies are cooked, add the cooked tofu to the pan, add the ginger and lemongrass, and remaining spring onion greens to the pan. Combine and stir together for 1 minute.

6. Place rice in a bowl, cover the rice with about 1 cup of the stir-fry, and top everything with 1 and 1/2 tbsp of soy-sesame sauce.  

Picnic Potato Salad

A healthier tastier potato salad.

Now all you need is a nice picnic location, or an invite to a BBQ.

A nice picnic spot with an old abby.

Someone to carry the picnic supplies?

This is a healthy potato salad made out of a yogurt and mustard dressing. It's refreshing and tangy and nothing like the heavy mayonnaise bland potato salads. Start by bringing some water to boil in a large pot. While the water is warming up, scrub, peel, and quarter the potatoes. While the potatoes cook, prep the rest of the ingredients. 

Picnic Potato Salad

Serves: 4 or more

6-8 medium to large potatoes, washed, peeled and quartered into large chunks

salt, about 1 tsp

1/3 cup yogurt (half mayonnaise and half yogurt is fine too)

2-3 tbsp fine Dijon mustard (may want to add to your taste)

1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper (or any other color is fine)

2-3 tbsp parsley, chopped fine

2 spring green onions, chopped with about 4" of the greens chopped into chives

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Lightly salt the water with about 1 tsp of salt (I used coarse salt). Covering the pan will make it boil more quickly.

2. Once the water comes to a simmer, or light bubbles form from the bottom to the top in a steady stream, carefully add in quartered potato chunks and turn heat down to medium. Cook 15-20 minutes or until soft. Don't cook the potatoes so long that they fall apart, you don't want boiling water, a light simmer is fine. Turn the heat off once cooked. They can sit in the water until just ready to use.

3. In a small mixing bowl add yogurt through green onions. Stir to combine. Taste to adjust seasoning. Since the potatoes were cooked in salted water, you may not need to add in any extra salt.

4. Drain potatoes in a colander, but before draining, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, such as in a coffee mug or teacup. Place the large pot on a heat-safe surface or on a pot holder.

5. Add the drained potatoes back to the large pot, and place the dressing on top.

6. Carefully mix the potatoes and dressing together. Take a big spatula, and gradually fold the potatoes from bottom to top. If too thick, thin with some of the reserved water. Serve immediately, or place in fridge until ready to serve. Some water may separate from the yogurt, just stir carefully before serving.

Speculoos Cupcakes

This delicious cupcake recipe was adapted from Sweet and Savory Tooth's Peanut Butter Cupcakes recipe. After I got my fill of peanut butter, I quickly imagined how I could use Speculoos, the Belgian gingerbread cookie spread, in these cupcakes. Year 2 of living in Belgium is all about trying to mimic the cuisine, watch Belgian cooking and beer shows, and cook some more food when I get around to it, and yes, yes, sample more beers as well. If you don't have Speculoos spread (perhaps a Dutch grocery store nearby?) you should really go to a gourmet foods store and ask nonchalantly if they have any Speculoos. Oh what, you don't have this superb Belgian deliciousness? Or you could mash up a bunch of gingerbread cookies, or just use peanut butter. Both are very good, and they go well with vanilla frosting. My frosting has Speculoos liqueur called jenever (from a brewery that I will somehow manage to post), and the jenever makes it into the batter as well.

Speculoos Cupcakes

Yield: 12 cupcakes

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

6 tbsp butter, at room temp.

3/4 cup Speculoos or peanut butter

1/2 cup brown sugar (or roughly 3/4 cup unpacked brown sugar). The Speculoos is already sweet so you'll be fine with 1/2 cup packed brown sugar.

1 egg

1 and 1/2 tsp Speculoos jenever (a gin-esque beverage that is collectively called Dutch gin or Belgian gin depending on which Dutch speaking country you live in), or 1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla.

1/2 milk

Preheat oven to 350° F and prepare muffin tin with cupcake or muffin liners.

Directions

1. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Repeat once.
2. Cream together butter, Speculoos spread, and brown sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl and mixing until the mixture is light and fluffy, and a few shades lighter.
3. Add in egg and Speculoos jenever (or vanilla) and continue to mix until incorporated.
4. Add in flour mixture and milk. Start with 1/3 of the flour mixture. Continue beating on low speed, and alternate between the milk and flour. Add the milk in 2 batches, and the flour in 3, ending with the flour (so add flour, milk, flour, milk, flour). Continue to mix until incorporated and fluffy.
5. Spoon about 3 tbsp of cake batter into a muffin or cupcake liner. Leave 1/2" border from the top of the muffin liner. 
6. Bake 25 minutes at 350° F, or until a fork or toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes in the muffin tin and take out to cool the rest.

I must say that I am not a baker. I fail horribly, but these turned out moist, oh-so delicious, and were devoured within 25 minutes of coming out of the oven (something I attribute to following the directions exactly from the Sweet and Savory Tooth Blog). They go well with a vanilla based icing, but really they are totally fine on their own. I managed to ruin the icing recipe I had, but this is what I tried to do (don't halve it like me, and you'll be fine, since I made this exact recipe for angel-food cupcakes too)

Vanilla icing with a hint of Speculoos

Yield: enough to ice the cupcakes, and then some

1/4 cup warm, room temperature butter

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1-2 tbsp milk, or as needed

1 tsp Speculoos liqueur

1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy.

2. Add in powdered sugar and continue to mix until fluffy.

3. Add in vanilla extract, milk, and Speculoos and continue to cream together until everything is incorporated. Adjust for taste. If not using the icing immediately, store in the fridge until ready to use. Let it come to room temp before icing.

Risotto with spring veggies and roquefort

Risotto with spring veggies and roquefort cheese

Risotto uses arborio rice, a short-grain starchy rice, is usually cooked with onion, garlic, a little oil and wine, broth, and is made into creamy deliciousness with either cheese, cream, or butter. 

Risotto is made by cooking onions or garlic in olive oil until fragrant. The rice is added shortly after and stirred around in the onion-oil mixture until well coated. A few splashes of wine or vinegar are added before broth is added. While cooking, the rice is stirred frequently, and broth is added in small increments every 5-7 minutes. Ingredients such as cream, cheese, or butter can be added in the last 5 minutes of cooking. 

If adding vegetables, peas or fresh herbs, can be stirred in 5 minutes before serving, others such as the broccoli or any other vegetables that will release water, should be cooked ahead of time and stirred in just before serving. I'll call these last minute ingredients in the directions below. The final dish should be creamy and removed from the heat because carry-over cooking will continue to cook the rice.

The broccoli, peas, snow peas, and thyme came out of the garden (spring risotto in July). These are the garden goods the first week of July. 

Risotto with spring veggies and roquefort

Yield: 6 servings, ~1 cup each

For the rice:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1/4 cup of white wine, or 1 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 and 1/2 cups arborio rice

6 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup parmesan shredded

3-4 tbsp roquefort cheese, chopped coarsely

1 tbsp cold butter, or 1-2 tbsp cream

Last minute ingredients:

1 head broccoli, cooked and chopped (butternut squash, zucchini, or mushrooms could work too)

1 and 1/2 tsp fresh thyme, or 1 tbsp dried

1/2 cup peas (fresh or frozen)

1 cup snow peas (stir fried on very high heat for 1-2 minutes)

Fresh thyme sprigs or pea shoots for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat up 6 cups of water or broth in a separate pot and keep warm.
2. Heat up the olive oil in a large soup stock pot over medium heat. Once hot, add in onions and cook until fragrant, about 5-7 minutes, but don't let the onions brown. Add in rice and stir everything together to coat the rice.
3. Add in wine and stir everything together, until it cooks down and the wine has cooked off. Add in about 1 cup broth and stir frequently and gently. You'll continue to add in broth in 1/2 cup increments letting the risotto cook down a little before adding the next 1/2 cup. When you've got 1 cup of broth remaining start getting the last minute ingredients ready.
4. Add in peas and thyme. Add in 1/2 cup more of broth with broccoli. When the last of the water has been added and the risotto is beginning to thicken and look creamy and done, stir in the cheeses and butter (or cream if using). Stir together nicely and season with fresh pepper. Note, because roquefort and parmesan cheeses are salty enough, I didn't add any extra salt.
5. Ladle into bowls or plates top with stir-fried snow peas and garnish with fresh pea shoots (or extra sprigs of thyme).