Presto Pesto

Probably the easiest thing I make is pesto and I make it all the time. It's pretty healthy, delicious and it takes a couple simple ingredients.

Typically it is made with basil, pine nuts, parmesan and olive oil, but you can mix this recipe up as much as you want.

I typically have spinach so I play with the flavors. I'll use walnuts instead of pine nuts and the result is a full aroma and flavor from the walnuts and tons of great nutrients.

The ingredients for this simple pesto are:
1 cup of basil (fresh)
1/4 cup of pine nuts
2 tablespoons of parmesan
about 1/2 cup of olive oil

Use a food processor to break down the pine nuts and parmesan with a little olive oil, then add the basil with a pinch of salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle in the remaining olive oil while the processor does its work. The mixture emulsifies into a creamy and full sauce that can literally be used for anything. Pizza, past, bread, dressing. The list goes on.

Now, as my blog says, I've had to make some changes to this process because I moved to London. I'm using ingredients that I am not used to and the product last night wasn't a failure but it wasn't to standard either.

 Let's start with the basil. Basil, as you may know, can get expensive to buy fresh so while I was shopping I came across a basil bush and immediately bought it. It is vibrant, smells fantastic, and adds a little life to the otherwise pathetic kitchen table. It has been easy to live with. Just water here and there and relieve the plant of some leaves so it can continue to grow. With the rainy and cloudy days ahead, I hope it survives. Luckily, it cost me a cheap (GBR) 1.99 (about three dollars), to by Nebraskan standards, that's a steal.

The pine nuts where an interesting revelation too, because they were also very reasonably priced (GBR 2.85). However, they are not cleaned or shelled nearly as well as the packs I've bought in the past. I found that out the hard way when I just tossed one in my mouth after opening the package. It was just like I ate dust. Ick. There, you are warned. The taste of the pine nuts were still very earthy and gave the pesto a very full flavor. The next time I make pesto, I'll probably cut down on the number of kernels I use.

Finally, the Parmesan. This may be obvious, but Parmesan, when aged, develops a very robust and rich flavor. It, along with the olive oil, give pesto the creaminess we taste. I couldn't find a block of Parmesan to grate myself so I settled for Parmesan shavings and processed them down. This Parmesan was very full and after reading the label again, I found that it matured/aged for 18 months. Boy, it had kick. Next time, I'll pull back the reigns on the Parmesan too.

I decided to make pizza with the pesto. A simple pesto with mozzarella on top. Nothing fancy. it was great, but could be better. Follow the recipe with ingredients from home, and you'll be good to go. But if you enjoy a full Parmesan flavor, add more. If you like the earthy taste of pine nuts, toss another hand full in. There are no rules. Ciao!

Bacon-Maple Cupcakes with Sis

I know, I know, I know...this post is long overdue and I owe many of you another round of these cupcakes but you'll have to wait until I get back in December.

My sister and I made them yesterday on my last day in the US and they were delicious. The combination of sweet maple syrup and savory-salty bacon was delightful and added a wonderful crispy crunch to a very light cupcake.

For this recipe all you need is:
1 box vanilla cake mix
3/4 c water
1/4 c maple syrup
1/3 c vegetable oil
3 eggs
1/3 brown sugar
6 strips bacon (cooked until crispy)
Frosting!
8 oz cream cheese
3 c powdered sugar
2 tblsp maple syrup

1. Mix the cake mix with the water, syrup, eggs and oil. Scoop into cupcake liners and sprinkle the top with a little brown sugar.
2. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.
3. For the frosting mix the cream cheese with one cup of powdered sugar until combined. Add the next few cups gradually with maple syrup until mixed well then mix on high for about 3 minutes until fluffy.
4. The frosting is very sweet so only use a dollop and stick a strip of the bacon in the middle for garnish, crunch and salty goodness.




Look for my next recipe from London. I haven't decided what to make yet (I have to scout the grocery store) but I can't wait to get cooking!