Pesto and Walnut Basil

I already met my goal of posting a homemade ingredient this month but I can't keep this baby secret. This is my lifeline for a weeknight meal if I have absolutely no idea what to cook or no time - the list goes on! :) So in my honest opinion, this is the handiest tool in my repertoire! The following is what you will need to make this too:

• Basil. Lots of basil. 
• Garlic
• Some type of nut. I use walnut, pecan, pinenut, ect. I recommend choosing a nut with more oil as it will contribute a greater flavor rather than a healthier nut, like almonds. This ingredient is to replace some of the fattiness that dairy/cheese normally contributes to the pesto. Make sure the nut is unsalted - very important! Also if you purchase the nut already in pieces, you won't have to break the nut up before tossing it in the food processor.
• Olive oil (this can also be replaced with flaxseed oil or a different oil of your choice)
• Salt

So amounts in this recipe are really difficult since it really depends on how you like your ratios. I purchase a big bunch of fresh basil and split it into two batches. I use about a clove of garlic as well that is split between those two batches - but I am a garlic lover. For some of you that may be too pungent. For the nuts, that really depends. Sometimes I like a heavier nut to basil ratio and some days I don't. I recommend starting off with about 1/4 cup of nut pieces and splitting that between the two bunches. My food processor is....compact size (AKA tiny!) so I am forced to separate my pesto into two bunches. Even if you have a big food processor, I recommend this method for the first time atleast. It will give you a better idea of all the ratios and give you an opportunity to fix it (see below fixers)!

You are going to want to start off by processing the basil. Once the basil is mostly chopped, add the nuts, garlic, and a small splash of olive oil. Start off with a smaller amount (safer amount) if this is your first time since you can always add more. Adding a small amount of olive oil is healthier and I prefer just diluting the pesto with another small amount of olive oil when I am cooking. However, if you want a creamier pesto you will need to add more olive oil; I actually like mine somewhat chunkier and it means less work (which the lazy side of me calls a victory). Last part, add salt to taste! I mostly under salt, since I know I will be seasoning while I'm cooking and this is an easy fix later on! So go make your pesto and be creative! This is perfect with fish, chicken, pasta (duh), pizza/dough/anything-resembling-bread, ect.

Fixers:
If you add too much garlic, stuff some basil and nuts in the food processor! Basically, you need to increase the ratio of basil/nuts : garlic. You can also start the second batch of pesto, omitting the garlic, and mix it with the first batch that has too much garlic.
If you add too much nuts, same fix as above! Add more basil (and garlic if you would like too) to repair that error.

Enjoy! And let me know what other creative things showcased your homemade pesto!

Basil Pesto and Heirloom Tomato Flatbread

So I was looking for something different for dinner tonight...and it needed to be relatively simple, as well as something that could be reheated since Justin was working pretty late tonight. This is what I came up with and it was also the perfect excuse to make sure I made a big batch of pesto for my "I have nothing to cook and no time" weeknights! Look for my post on Basil and Walnut Pesto.
This dish is also really customizable, I just kept mine very traditional. The following are the ingredients for the traditional flatbread:

• Dough (I used whole wheat and a 16 oz dough fit onto 1 cookie sheet)
• About 1/2 cup of Pesto
• 3-4 Heirloom Tomatoes
• Basil
• Capers (optional)
• Goat cheese (optional)

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees, or according to the directions on the dough. If necessary, set the dough on a lightly floured surface and let rise for twenty minutes. Prep your baking pan by spraying cooking oil or lightly covering the pan with oil. Roll out your dough in a rectangular shape and spread prepared pesto over the dough. Slice heirloom tomatoes thinly and layer over the pesto. Add basil and cheese, if using. Brush the edges of the flatbread with olive oil for crispy, golden edges. Bake until golden brown. Once cooked, add capers, if using.
Enjoy!

Buttery Raspberry Lemon Cake

We went to game night hosted at a friend's house and this was our contribution to the meal: Buttery Raspberry Lemon Cake. This is also includes my "Homemade Ingredient" for this month! I found this recipe in Sunset Magazine and it just looked beautiful, not too mention extremely tasty. (Serves 15)

The homemade ingredient this month is lemon curd. I unfortunately found out the hard way that lemon curd in a jar has dairy. Go figure since its basically 3 or 4 ingredients, one being butter. I learned this only after going to two grocery stores. :( The recipe for lemon curd is as follows:

• 3 large eggs
• 1/3 lemon juice (freshly squeezed!)
• 3/4 cup granulated white sugar (I ran out of white sugar so I substituted powdered sugar. Just multiply whatever the recipe calls for by 1.75)
• 4 tablespoons dairy-free butter at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest

Use a double boiler if you have one, or create one. Put a stainless steel mixing bowl over a pot or saucepan of simmering water. Add sugar, lemon juice, and then eggs (you don't want the eggs to start cooking before you mix the other ingredients). Stirring constantly while mixture cooks until it becomes thick (approximately 10 minutes). Remove from heat and immediately pour through a fine strainer to remove lumps. Cut butter into small pieces and whisk into mixture until butter is melted. Add lemon zest and let cool, the lemon curd will continue to thicken as it cools. Cover immediately and refrigerate up to a week.
Recipe adapted from Joy of Baking

The recipe following is for the cake:

• 1 cup dairy-free butter, softened
• 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar (the same rule applies for substituting powdered sugar)
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup of plain almond milk yogurt
• 1/2 cup almond milk (plain and unsweetened)
• 1/4 cup lemon curd (see end note)
• 2-1/2 cups flour (I used white whole wheat flour)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 18 oz fresh raspberries
• Powdered sugar, fresh raspberries, and lemon curd for garnish

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9x13" baking pan. In a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed, beat butter and granulated sugar until fluffy. Beat in the rest of the "wet" ingredients until mostly blended. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and beat until smooth. Spread half the batter in the pan and scatter half the raspberries on top. Gently spread remaining batter over the berries and scatter remaining berries on top. Cook for about an hour, tenting with foil if browning too quickly. Let cool for an hour, garnish and serve.

Thoughts of the Recipe: The cake overall was a bit dense, although the basics of the recipe somewhat resemble a pound cake, it was very moist. The recipe calls for a minimal amount of lemon curd which wasn't enough to actually give the cake any lemon flavor. I will definitely make this recipe again but probably double or triple the lemon curd for more flavor.

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