Pistachio Pesto Chicken Pasta

If there's one thing I miss the most (besides bread) with going gluten free; it's pasta. Gluten-free pasta just isn't the same as good ol' grain filled pasta. But, one of my favorite discoveries is spaghetti squash. I already made this recipe, which was really delicious. But, I'm looooving this Pistachio Pesto with spaghetti squash. The pistachios gives the pesto such great flavor. And, I added whole pistachios to my chicken which helped give the dish additional texture. It is so flavorful and tastes great the next day. I found it from PaleoOMG's blog, which is a great blog that you should definitely check out. I'm definitely not missing pasta with this recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 medium spaghetti squash, halved, seeds and excess threads removed
½-2/3lbs chicken, sliced or cubed
1 cup pistachios, unsalted and shelled
1-1½ cup basil leaves
2 garlic cloves
½-1 cup olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
handful of sundried tomatoes, sliced, to garnish

First set your oven to about 400 degrees; take your halved, seeded squash and place on a cookie sheet. Place in the oven and let roast for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Next, take out your food processor and combine the pistachios and pulse. Then, add your garlic and basil and pulse again till combined. Turn on the food processor, and slowly drizzle in the olive oil and then the lemon juice. I believe I used about a half cup of olive oil. Set the pesto aside. Take out a skillet and place on your stove with the heat at medium. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the pan. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and then place in the skillet. Cook until almost cooked thru, and then add the pesto to the skillet. Now, take a fork and shred the spaghetti squash. Place the squash in with the chicken and the pesto. Combine well. Enjoy!

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

OMG! Finally! I finally found a tomato soup recipe that is incredibly, deliciously, scrumptiously good!! Barefoot Contessa really knows how to put a recipe together. There's layers of flavor in this soup from the garlic to the hint of spice to the tomato flavor, of course. Heaven! That's what this soup is! It's also really simple to make and it's oh so good! Please do yourself a favor and make this soup ASAP! Forget the tomato soup I made a couple years ago. Make THIS one!! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise (I used 7 tomatoes on a vine and didn't cut them)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (28-ounce) canned plum tomatoes, with their juice
4 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 quart chicken stock or water

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Next, take your tomatoes and smother them with 1/4 cup of olive oil, the salt, and the pepper. Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. 

Take a large stock pot, and add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the butter, onions, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Sautee for 10 minutes until the onions turn a slight brown color. Then, add in the canned tomatoes and the basil. Next, pour in the roasted tomatoes along with the juice from the pan. Bring this to a boil and then simmer uncovered for an additional 40 minutes. Next, use an Immersion Blender or carefully transfer a little at a time into a blender and puree the soup. Serve warm and garnish with additional basil leaves if desired. Enjoy!

Iron Chef Basil: Chocolate Cake with Basil Buttercream

We had Iron Chef Basil about a month ago now, and I’m just getting around to posting my recipe. I like to choose the course that seems the most disparate with the ingredient. So for basil, that was of course dessert! I found a lot of strawberry-basil desserts but that seemed pretty classic and I wanted to challenge myself. When I found this recipe for chocolate cake with basil buttercream on The Vanilla Bean Blog, I knew I had to try it. Besides, the photos were gorgeous, and we all know that presentation is half the battle at our Iron Chef competitions. I had a lot of trouble getting the buttercream to set up, but in the end I think it tasted great. It didn’t have a lot of basil flavor that first night (darn it!) but it got stronger and stronger every day. In fact, by the fourth day, it might have been a little too strong, so you’ll want to eat it fast! This recipe is definitely kind of a process and reminds me why I don’t back layer cakes all that often, but for a special occasion (or a competition) it’s worth it. You need to start the night before to get the buttercream ready, so be prepared!

Cake Ingredients

1 3/4 cup flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup good cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk, shaken

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

This is Ina Garten’s chocolate cake recipe, and it’s very good. Mine was a bit dense because I may have overmixed it, so be careful! I think the recipe was a little hard to follow because it was written for someone with a stand mixer and surprise!—not everyone has one of those.

Start by preheating the oven to 350 and butter or spray two 8 inch round cake pans. I had non-stick pans but had a panicked moment when the cakes wouldn’t come out, so even if you do still butter. You could also put a round of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan.

Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. I’m not a big sifter generally, but I would do it for this cake because of the cocoa powder. For some reason that always tends to clump up on me. Stir the ingredients together until they are well combined.

In another bowl, mix together the buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla until combined. Then slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry while mixing on low (it helps to have an extra set of hands for this). Next add the coffee and stir (with a spatula not the mixer) just enough to combine, scraping the bottom. I can’t stress enough not to overmix this. It will be super duper liquidy. I was nervous, but don’t be. Pour the batter into the two pans and bake 35-40 minutes until your toothpick comes out clean. Then remove from the oven and cool in the pans for 30 minutes before turning them out on to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely. Now, to make the buttercream.

Buttercream Ingredients

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups (three sticks) unsalted butter, soft but cool, cut into small pieces

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

The night before stir milk, heavy cream and basil in a saucepan. I tore the basil leaves in half, thinking that it might let them seep out more basil flavor (who knows?). Heat on low until just barely simmering and then remove from heat. Let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight. When you’re ready to make the buttercream, remove the basil leaves from the cream, making sure to squeeze out the leaves.

Whisk sugar and flour together in your saucepan before adding the basil cream mixture. Cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally for 10-15 minutes, until the mixture boils and thickens. Then move the mixture to a bowl and beat on high speed until it is cool, about 7-9 minutes. I know it’s a pain to mix that long if you don’t have a stand mixer, but don’t skimp. If the sauce is too hot your buttercream won’t set.

You want your butter to be soft but cold. What I did was let it soften at room temperature, but then put it back in the fridge 10-15 minutes before I needed it. Reduce your mixing speed to low and add the butter, mixing until it’s fully incorporated. Then turn your mixer up to medium high speed and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy and frosting like! Should only take a couple minutes. Add the vanilla and mix until it’s combined.

Now you need to check the consistency. If your frosting is too soft (mine was) put it in the fridge to chill and then beat again until it’s right. If it’s too hard, you can set the bowl over hot water (simmering at most) and beat until it softens a little. Hopefully you won’t have to do either!

You should know how to frost a layer cake but just in case… start by topping one layer with frosting, then put the second layer on top. Now you’re ready to frost the rest of the cake, and decorate with a few basil leaves on top. We didn’t eat the leaves with the cake though! It’s a strange flavor combination but it definitely works, and I think the cake recipe will definitely become a staple of mine. 

Iron Chef Basil: Chicken in Basil Cream Sauce

Yes, I'm a competitive person. Yes, I like to win. Yes, I'm disappointed.  I really thought I had a chance with this Iron Chef, because this dish is really delicious. I also really love basil, so I was very excited to try some recipes. Eh. I didn't win. I think it was partly because everyone was very full with all the courses that came prior to mine. Maybe if the dishes weren't so filling I might have had a better chance. But, with a refreshing dessert and a drink that started out everything; I didn't have a chance. No matter. I will continue to make this recipe. I love the combination of sun-dried tomatoes, cream, and basil. I'm glad I found The Girl Who Ate Everything's blog, because I've tried other recipes of hers and they've all been great. Here's to the next Iron Chef. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup dried Italian bread crumbs
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic (1/2 teaspoon minced)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Grab a shallow bowl and pour in the milk. Then, take a medium-sized plate and pour the bread crumbs onto it. If your chicken breasts aren't thin; wrap them in plastic wrap and pound with a meat tenderizer till they are about 1/4 inch thick. Take the chicken and dunk both sides in the milk and then cover the chicken with the bread crumbs. Take your skillet and add in the butter. Set the stove to medium. Cook the chicken on both sides until the juices run clear. I believe it took my chicken 8 to 10 minutes to cook. Set aside the chicken and keep warm. I cleaned out my skillet a bit with a paper towel. Add another tablespoon of butter and cook the garlic for a minute. Add in the chicken broth and stir. Bring to a boil and stir any of the browned bits that may reside in the pan. Next, stir in the heavy cream and the sun-dried tomatoes. Boil and stir for a couple minutes. Reduce heat and add in the basil, Parmesan, and pepper. If you want a thicker sauce cook a bit longer; say 5 minutes. Pour sauce over the chicken and serve. Enjoy!

Iron Chef Basil

Iron Chef Basil was held on a hot and stormy night, after a hot and stormy week, so we were all looking forward to some nice light and summery basil dishes. What we got instead were really delicious, but uncomfortably filling dishes. By the end of the night we were each miserably full. Luckily, the company kept our spirits light, even if our scales begged to differ. 

Our evening started out with visual fireworks courtesy of Jen. She brought her typical level of presentation craftiness, which is somewhere between over-the-top and miraculous, and earned herself a second place finish. Not an easy feat for a drink, but this one was pretty amazing. Jen dyed her own sugar (I mean, come on!) to rim the glasses and even made ice cubes with basil leaves nestled inside. The drink itself was a strawberry basil concoction with citrus vodka and the sugar rim helped cut the slight tartness. Plus, it looked gorgeous! Jen also brought a delicious dipping oil for bread that most of us blame for our fullness later on in the night. 

Kim was up next with the sole appetizer of the evening. She made a crostini with goat cheese and a strawberry basil topping. We tried it with and without a basil leaf on top and the consensus was that it was best with the leaf. The strawberries made it a little sweet but the basil and the goat cheese brought it back to savory.  Probably the only dish of the night that was actually a good portion for an Iron Chef event, so of course we ate multiples. 

The first entree of the night was from an Iron Chef newbie, Jess. She fixed a really tasty tomato basil soup, and a grilled cheese panini with basil and tomato. This one was a meal in itself, but it was so good we couldn't help cleaning our plates. I predict that Jess will be some tough culinary competition in future Iron Chefs. 

Chelyen's dish was technically a side but could certainly have passed for an entree, and again it was so tasty that we stuffed ourselves on it. With basil as our secret ingredient I was hopeful someone would do a Thai dish and Chelyen delivered. Her Thai Basil Macaroni and Cheese was creamy and delicious with a kick of heat from Thai chiles and a crispy Panko topping. This is me officially begging for the recipe!

Time for another main dish! Picture us all grabbing our full bellies and groaning. Poor Emily made a really fantastic breaded chicken cutlet with a basil and sundried tomato cream sauce, but we were all so full that no one could finish it. The chicken was cooked perfectly, nice and crispy and it would definitely be a great meal on a night when you're not eating lots of other things. I'm sure Emily will be posting the recipe, so be on the lookout! 

I think this might be the first Iron Chef when we've had a duplicate, but it was bound to happen. Shu, our wonderful hostess for the evening, also made a tomato basil soup. The flavor profile was different though, and went in the creamier direction of a bisque. She also made her own bread (with basil of course!) to go with it. So even though it was another soup it felt very different. Another really delicious offering, which made the judging even more difficult than normal. 

You know how people say, "There's always room for dessert?" There's not. There's really not. But we all had to loosen our belts and try. I served my chocolate cake with basil buttercream next. I wasn't sure how it was going to taste because basil buttercream sounds awfully strange, but it turned out pretty tasty. Probably not enough basil flavor for Iron Chef but it did get stronger over time. 

Last but definitely not least. In fact, Cara's Lemon Basil Ice Cream was the Iron Chef Basil winner! It was a refreshing end to the evening, light and citrusy with great basil flavor, like summer in a cute little dish. I never thought I'd like basil ice cream, but this one was really good! Cara definitely redeemed herself from her last ice cream (at Iron Chef Spicy). Pairing it with blueberries was also an interesting, but yummy, choice.

And at this point we were all happy that the food portion of the evening was over and we could get to the digesting and gossiping portion. Even though we practically rolled home at the end of the night, Iron Chef Basil turned out to be full of flavorful, delicious food and, as always, good company. Thanks again to our hostess Shu, and congrats Cara and Jen on your wins! 

Pasta w/ Zucchini, Basil, and Goat Cheese

So, our next Iron Chef is tomorrow and the secret ingredient is Basil. I really love basil so I was excited to try out some recipes. I figured this recipe from Supernature  might be a hit because for one it has goat cheese and two, well, it has basil. I really enjoyed this pasta dish. I don't think it's an iron chef winner, but it is still a really great recipe for a weeknight dinner. It was very easy to make and different than your typical pasta dish. I hope you like it. I know I did! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
½ tsp dried chilli flakes, approximately
1 tsp sea salt
1 medium brown onion, peeled and finely diced
2 tbsp lemon juice                                                
2 large garlic cloves, finely diced
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 oz goat’s milk cheese, diced if soft, or grated if firm
.75 pound of dried pasta (any kind)
2 c green zucchini, ends trimmed
Freshly ground pepper
Freshly grated parmesan to serve
Handful fresh basil leaves, torn

Grate zucchini on a grater with the large holes side. Then, take a heavy pan and pour in the olive oil and cook the onion, garlic, half the basil leaves, red chili peppers, salt, and pepper.  Now, cook for about 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat. At this point, get your pot of water boiling and add in the pasta. Add in the zucchini and cook for about 5 to 8 minutes. Supernature's tip about not cooking the zucchini for too long was certainly accurate, because the green definitely disappeared from the zucchini. I added the lemon juice next (as is recommended) but I wish I hadn't. Next time I make this I will not add the lemon juice. If necessary, add in additional salt and pepper. Drain the pasta once it's al dente. Add the pasta to the zucchini mixture and toss. Spoon the pasta mixture into bowls and top with goat cheese and more basil if desired. Enjoy!