Swiss Chard or Kale Pesto

When our garden and CSA baskets hit full swing we are always overwhelmed by kale and swiss chard.  Now that I have found this recipe, we will no longer have a problem using up our leafy greens! It even works well with the ones that have been forgotten in the back of the fridge and started to wilt.

The pesto tastes fantastic tossed over pasta with sun dried tomatoes or in a simple pasta salad with cherry tomatoes and feta. I find it tastes even better cold which makes it a staple for lunches in our house right now.

It could also be served over grilled chicken, shrimp or vegetables. 

Adapted from Kitchenaid, makes approximately 2 cups

Ingredients

1 medium bunch (about 8 stalks) swiss chard or kale
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt
Pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Remove the leaves from the stems of the kale or swiss chard. Discard the stems. Blanch the leaves in the boiling water for 15 seconds and then transfer immediately to a sieve. Rinse with cold water and allow to drain. Once the leaves have cooled, squeeze out as much water as possible. Don't be afraid to squeeze the leaves into a tight ball to do so.

Add the drained leaves, toasted pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, chopped garlic, lemon juice, basil, salt and pepper to a blender. Blend the ingredients for 10 to 15 seconds.With the blender still running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Continue blending until the mixture is well combined and even consistency.

Store in the fridge for up to a week.

♥  Amy

Basic Marinara Sauce

Another recipe from our Friday Night Pasta Parties... I really need to get better at taking photos at these events!

This time we got adventurous and made ravioli so we needed a good basic marinara to compliment it. I was surprised how the little bit of balsamic vinegar in this recipe seemed to provide the sweetness that is needed to over come the acidity in the tomatoes. No more adding sugar to tomato sauce for me!

Adapted from Style Me Pretty, serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
2 28 ounce cans crushed tomatoes
Salt
Pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Directions

In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté the onion and garlic in the oil until the onions are soft, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the basil and oregano and sauté for another couple minutes until fragrant. Add the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for at least 20 minutes. Longer is better.

Finish the sauce by adding the balsamic vinegar and stirring to combine. Serve hot over fresh pasta.

♥  Amy

Arrabiata Sauce

A group of girlfriends from work have recently started a tradition of pasta nights where we get together to make homemade pasta and sauce as an excuse to drink wine and gossip.

 

This is the sauce I made for the first of such events. Sorry no photos... we were too distracted...
Adapted from Una Mamma Italiana, serves six to eight

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup red wine
2 tablespoons brown sugar, optional but recommended!
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped, plus additional for garnish if desired
6 oz can tomato paste
2 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
Pepper
Salt
Directions

In a large sauce pan over medium heat, heat the oil. Saute the onion and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the wine, sugar, basil, red pepper flakes, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, uncovered.

Serve over homemade pasta with parmesan cheese and extra basil to garnish.

♥  Amy

Southwestern Avocado Chili Lime Dressing

The other night I was trying to make a Southwestern Salad, when I realized our yogurt had gone bad. Unable to find a recipe for a southwestern style dressing without yogurt or sour cream or mayonnaise, I decided to throw what we did have, an avocado, into the blender and see what I could come up with.

The result was a light, tangy dressing that I will definitely be making again! As an added bonus, it is dairy-free and paleo-friendly!

Makes approximately 1 cup

Ingredients

1 avocado
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Water, optional

Directions

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add water as necessary to reach the desired consistency.

♥  Amy

Stout Barbecue Sauce

This is a savoury barbecue sauce - if you prefer a sweet barbecue sauce I would suggest adding more brown sugar, molasses or honey.


Adapted from Serious Eats, makes 2 cups

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bottle (341 mL) Guinness Beer
2 cans (398 mL) tomato sauce
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Salt
Pepper

Directions

In a medium saucepan, saute the onion and garlic in the oil until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer until reduced to a medium-thin thickness, about 30 to 45 minutes.

Transfer to a blender. Puree until smooth.

Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

♥  Amy

Homemade {Paleo} Mayonnaise

We are starting our second week of the Whole30 and the cravings have hit hard... grilled cheese sandwiches, mac and cheese... It doesn't help that David is sick, really sick.

We made up a batch of homemade mayonnaise and it certainly goes along way to perk up meals. A tiny dab, plain or flavoured with curry, makes vegetables a lot more appealing when you have been eating a lot of vegetables.

The batch seemed to be thickening nicely but then completely separated when I added the last little bit of oil. Not wanting to throw out good mayonnaise, I found instructions for saving homemade mayonnaise from Kelly the Kitchen Kop.

To thicken failed mayonnaise:

• Place two egg yolks a new bowl
• Place the bowl in warm water for a few minutes
• Once the eggs are warm, blend well
• Add a teaspoon of lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Slowly drip the failed mayonnaise into the yolks blending constantly
• Continue to slowly drip in the mayonnaise until it thickens and all of the mayonnaise has been added

You can find some good tips to prevent your mayonnaise from failing in the first place at Kelly the Kitchen Kop and The Clothes Make the Girl.

Adapted from Nom Nom Paleo, makes approximately 1 cup

Ingredients

1 egg yolk, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon white vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil, macadamia nut oil or avocado oil

Directions

Place the egg yolk, salt, mustard, vinegar and lemon in a large bowl. Whisk to combine, about 30 seconds. Whisking can be done by hand, using an immersion blender or using a food processor.

Add the oil slowly while whisking constantly. Continue whisking until the mayonnaise has emulsified and thickened.

♥  Amy

Cranberry Mostarda

This is one of the first recipes I ever pinned on Pinterest. The original recipe called for cherries but pitting cherries is just so much work so I never got around to making the recipe.

Then when looking for ideas for our Christmas gift baskets, I had the bright idea to make it with cranberries instead!

The result is a savoury, rich cranberry sauce that would be fantastic over pork or duck. It would probably also be pretty yummy over melted brie.

Adapted from Family Style Food, makes approximately 3 cups

Ingredients

1 pound cranberries, fresh or frozen
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 tablespoon dijon mustard

Directions

Combine the cranberries, sugar, vinegar, wine and spices in a large saucepan. Simmer over low heat for approximately one hour until thickened.

Stir in the mustard and remove from the heat.

To can, ladle into the prepared jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Gently tap to remove bubbles, wipe the rim clean and place the lid on the jar. Tighten just until finger tip tight. Process in the boiling water for 10 minutes. Remove the jars without tilting and allow to cool upright for 24 hours. Any jars that have not sealed should be refrigerated. Sealed jars can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to one year.

If you don't want to jar, the sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

♥  Amy

Homemade Honey Mustard

Adapted from Design Sponge, makes 2 cups

Ingredients

1 cup ground mustard
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup honey, additional to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt, optional
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper, optional
1 teaspoon ginger, optional

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a small pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking gently.

Ladle into clean, sterilized jars with 1/2 inch of head space.

Mustard will last several weeks in the refrigerator or up to a year if hot water processed.
♥  Amy

Muhammara

Muhammara is a Mediterranean dip made of walnuts, roasted red peppers and pomegranate molasses. It is the perfect combination of savory and sweet. When ever I serve muhammara, it always gets rave reviews.

The best part? I was able to make it paleo friendly! It makes an excellent substitute for hummus and a great light lunch.

Pomegranate molasses can be found in any middle eastern grocery store. I found mine at Community Foods. I use roasted red peppers from a jar for convenience sake, which I find at Superstore, but you can also easily roast your own red peppers.

Adapted from Veggie Belly, makes 2 cups

Ingredients

1 cup walnuts
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
2 large roasted red peppers (approximately 1/2 of a 300 mL jar)
1 clove garlic
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili flakes
½ teaspoon salt

Directions

In a skillet on medium heat, toast the walnuts till they are slightly browned.

Put the toasted walnuts with all the other ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. If the mixture is too thick to blend, add a few tablespoons of additional olive oil.

Serve with vegetable slices or pita.

♥  Amy

Salted Caramel Sauce

Salted caramel seems to be the *it* dessert right now. 

I finally broke down, set aside to my aversion to candy making and attempted to make salted caramel sauce.

Of course, I burnt the first batch. 

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, makes about 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

6 tablespoons salted butter

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream, room temperature

Directions

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the sugar, stirring constantly. Continue cooking the liquefied sugar until it starts to darken. 

Just as the sugar starts to smoke (do not let it smoke or it will burn), add the butter and stir to combine. 

Remove from heat and add the cream and salt. The sauce will foam considerably. Whisk until smooth.

Store in a jar in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

♥  Amy

Bitchin' Sauce

With a name like Bitchin' Sauce I just couldn't resist making it. And this sauce is worthy of its name!

The first time I made it I had three servings of salad just for the sake of being able to eat the sauce. It has a spicy-nutty flavour similar to hummus or tahini sauce. It makes an excellent salad dressing, vegetable dip or accompaniment to fish or chicken.

Both the nutritional yeast and the liquid aminos can be found at your local health food store or aisle - try Community Foods in Calgary. I did not add the Bragg Liquid Aminos because it is a soy product and not paleo-friendly. You could also add soy sauce instead.

From The Faux Martha, makes two cups

3/4 cup water
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
1/2 cup almonds
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons  Bragg Liquid Aminos, optional
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Place all of the ingredients into a blender. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Store in the refrigerator - if it lasts that long!

♥  Amy