Divine Lemon Basil Caesar Dressing

One of my favorite restaurants is Pizza Limone.  Their Pera Pizza is a life changer!  I also love their Caesar Salad.  It has this light flavorful dressing with notes of lemon and basil.  I think I have created something that comes really close to the real thing!  This dressing is also good on Salmon, street tacos, etc. Image from Here

Dressing (Makes 2 cups):

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 cup light olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves (or more to taste)

*In a blender, combine all ingredients.  Blend on high for 20 seconds or until smooth and creamy.  Store dressing in Refridgerator for up to 1 month.

Image from Pizza Limone Menu

Salad:

• Romaine
• Grated Parmesean
• Lemon wedges
• *Note: I also like to add shredded carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, toasted almonds, and grilled chicken 
• Basil Caesar Dressing

 

 

Navratan (9 Vegetable) Korma

This is another great Indian dish.  I love how many vegetables it uses.  I'm not sure when I first had this dish...but I've tried many times to recreate it.  Here is a recipe that comes very close to what I remember eating at a restaurant.  Enjoy!

Image from Here.

In large soup pot over medium heat cook 7 minutes:
2 red onions, sliced
2 c chopped tomatoes
3 TBS butter or olive oil
1/2 c cashews
-Add the below spices and cook 1 more minute:
1 tsp chili powder
2 TBS honey
1 TBS Kasoori Methi 
1 TBS garam masala
1 tsp salt
2 TBS fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic
-Using a blender, blend onion, tomato, cashew, and spice mixture until smooth and cream.  Return sauce back to large soup pot and add:
1 can coconut milk
chopped vegetables: potatoes, peas, zucchini, cauliflower, carrots, water chestnuts, green beans
1/4 c. golden raisins (optional)
-Simmer until vegetables are soft.  Season with additional salt to taste.  
-Serve over basmati rice.  Garnish with additional cashews and chopped fresh cilantro.

Ecuadorian Lentil Stew

 

(Picture from Keep Recipes)

My friend Julie made this for me recently.  She lived in Ecuador.  This dish is very simple and delicious! It makes great leftovers and also a great meal for take and go lunches.  Here is her recipe slightly altered.

Ingredients

• 2-3 tbs oil
• 1 red onion diced
• 1 bell pepper diced
• 3 tomatoes diced
• 6 garlic cloves minced
• 3 tsp cumin
• 1 bunch chopped cilantro
• ~7 cups of water
• 1 lb lentils rinsed
• Salt/pepper to taste

Side dishes:

• Ecuadorian style rice

Instructions:

• Heat the oil on medium heat in a large sauce pan or cooking pot.
• Add the onion, bell pepper, tomato, garlic, cumin, salt,  and 2 tablespoons of the cilantro to make a refrito for the stew.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, until all the ingredients have softened, about 5 minutes.
• Add the water and increase heat to bring water to boil.
• Add the lentils and reduce the heat to medium low, cover partially and cook until the lentils are tender. Taste and add salt if needed, stir in the remaining cilantro, and remove from the heat.
• Serve with Ecuadorian style cooked rice, carne asada o carne frita (fried thin beef steaks), fried ripe plantains or fried green plantains, and a small salad or avocado slices.
  
  
  
  

  Instant Pot Directions: Saute onion, oil and spices for 5 minutes.  Add only 4 CUPS of water (not 7).  Add all other ingredients.  Pressure cook for 11 minutes.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

This is a flexible recipe.  

Soups are a great way to utilize all of the 

random vegetables in your fridge/freezer!

(Image from two peas & their pod)

Carmelize over medium heat for 7 minutes:
1 onion
3 TBS olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced

Add and simmer 10 minutes until vegetables just tender:
1 TBS Thyme
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 c. celery, chopped
2 c. carrots, chopped
1 1/2 c. peas
2 c. zucchini
2 c. cooked chicken
2 quarts chicken broth (prefer Trader Joes brand)
*Optional add ins:  cooked rice, barley, quinoa, orzo, parsley, mushrooms
*Serve with rolls, biscuits, or soda crackers
*Trader Joes 21 Chicken Salute Seasoning works well with this recipe as well.

Chicken Toscana Soup

This is a comfort food soup for sure!  I prefer using "mini" gnocchi for this if you can find them, but large ones work great too.  It's summer...but hey I'm already craving the fall!

1 TBS olive oil                                                      

1 med onion

3 stalks celery, diced

3 carrots, diced                                                          

1 clove garlic, minced                                                     

6 TBS butter

6 TBS flour                                                           

1 c half and half

8 c chicken broth                                                  

3 c chopped, cooked chicken                                           

1 c chopped fresh tomato (about 2-3 romas)                    

1 c chopped fresh baby spinach

1 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese     

16 oz gnoochi

1 tsp salt

1 tsp Italian seasoning

½ tsp pepper

2-3 shakes of Turmeric (for color)

                                      

Sauté onion in oil until nicely cooked.  Add garlic, celery, carrots, and butter and cook on med until butter is melted.  Add flour to make a roux and cook 1 min, stirring constantly.  Add half and half and stir till well incorporated.  Slowly add in chicken broth.  Add rest of ingredients (except Parmesan cheese) and simmer. Just before serving, remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese. 

Rigatoni D

This recipe evolved from a recipe of a family friend.  I turned "Steve's Chicken" into a pasta dish that reminded my husband and I of a favorite dish from the restaurant Maggianos.  This is simple and delicious!  The sauce is on the "runny" side, so I suggest serving it in a bowl.

In Crock pot place:
1 small package white/button mushrooms, sliced
4 large cloves garlic, minced
6 chicken breasts (NOT frozen...adds too much extra water)
1 c. chicken broth
2 TBS Worcestershire sauce
1 large onion, diced
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp. salt
-Cook on low 6-8 hours.  
-Shred chicken and add 1 c. heavy cream and 1 lb Rigatoni (cooked al dente).
-Dish into bowls and serve.   Pasta will absorb cream and juices over time if you want to let it sit for awhile before serving, that works too.

Creamy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

This is a take off of the delicious Cafe Rio Chain Restaurant's Creamy Tomatillo dressing.  It is delicious!  I make it without tomatillos sometimes too when I don't have any.  It is wonderful on top of this taco salad or this taco salad, quesadillas, etc.

SIMPLE VERSION:
1 ranch dressing packet prepared using pkt. recipe*(see note)
Juice of 1 lime
½-1 bunch of cilantro
EXTRA YUMMY ADD-INS:
2-3 tomatillos (can use 1/3 c. green salsa as a substitute)
1 large clove garlic
freshly ground pepper
1 jalepeno (no seeds)--omit this if you don't like things spicy
-Using a blender, blend all the ingredients until smooth and creamy.  Serve with quesadillas, taco salad, etc.
-*NOTE:  I'm a bit picky when it comes to my ranch...this is best using 1 c. 1% milk and and 1 c. KRAFT mayonnaise (don't use low fat!)

Whipped Herb Butter

If you want to add a fun twist to this whipped butter recipe, here is a tasty herb rendition.   This is always a hit!  And goes deliciously well with some homemade artisan bread.

1 pound butter (4 sticks), room temperature
1 c. olive oil
1/4 c. chopped fresh chives
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2-3 medium garlic cloves, minced
-Combine all ingredients in mixer (kitchenmaid, boschmixer, or you can also use a hand-held mixer). Whip for THREE Minutes until butter is white and fluffy.  Spoon into serving dishes.  Put in fridge and store in fridge.  Butter is spreadable out of fridge.  You can also freeze extra butter and pull out at your convenience!



This is a version from Ina Garten which is also very good!

• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced scallions (white and green parts)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

-Combine the butter, garlic, scallions, dill, parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat until mixed, but do not whip.

Saag Shorba Soup

12 oz spinach, fresh

2 medium onions finely chopped

5 cloves of garlic

2 tbs olive oil

3-4 inch piece of fresh ginger chopped

2 teaspoons of coriander

2 1/2 teaspoons of ground cumin 
1/2 teaspoon anise seed

1 teaspoon of turmeric
1/2 tsp sumac (optional)
2 tsp salt

dash cayenne

dash cardamom

4 cups of chicken or vegetable broth

2 cups of fresh tomatoes diced (or 14 oz canned petite diced)

1 can coconut CREAM (not milk) or 1 c. whipping cream

juice from 2 large limes (approx. 1/4 cup)

cilantro (for garnish)

salt to taste

-In a large saucepan or pot, heat the oil on medium.  Add chopped onions. Saute for 5-10 minutes.  Add garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, turmeric, anise seeds, cayenne, and cardamom.  Saute for 3 minutes more.

-Add broth, spinach and tomatoes and bring back to a simmer.

-If desired you can blend 1/2 to all of soup to create a smoother/thicker soup (I used an immersion blender which gives it the consistency I prefer for this soup) Try not to make it into a puree.

-Add coconut milk, and lime juice.  Add salt to taste and more cayenne and cumin if you wish.  Simmer for 10-20 minutes if you wish to enhance the flavor of the spices.

-Serve with cilantro as garnish.
Note:  I prefer fresh to canned tomatoes.  I also like to add half of the tomatoes during the cooking process, and then the other half just before serving.

Mulligatawny Soup

Made this again yesterday. This is a yummy Indian soup recipe. It is full of flavor due to lots of garlic, ginger, and spices!

Saute for 5 min:
4 TBS grapeseed or olive oil
1 large onion diced
Add and cook 1 minute:
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 TBS chopped fresh ginger
½ jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, chopped
1 TBS coriander
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 ½ tsp turmeric
¼ cup all purpose flour
Add and bring to boil stirring constantly:

9 cups chicken broth

Add:

2 cups red, pink (pictured) or brown lentils

-Lower heat and simmer soup covered 1 hour
-Remove from heat, and blend ½ soup until puree
Add:
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

¼ cup fresh lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

-Soup thickens as it sits. For leftovers it makes a great dip for breads.

Garlic Rice

I have a friend that told me she puts garlic in her rice as it simmers.  Why have I never done that???  So I'm completely converted, thanks to Robin!  If you love garlic, then this simple rice twist will spruce up any meal with rice :)

Directions:
Add 2-3 large cloves of garlic (minced) per 1 cup of uncooked rice.  Cook rice according to package directions (I prefer using Jasmine or Basmati white or brown rice).  Serve rice as a side dish to steamed veggies, your favorite fish, as a base for your cooked beans, etc.

Pepper Pasta

This is a "light" pasta dish with mild flavors.

Cook al dente:
1 lb. whole grain angel hair pasta
-Set aside to drain.
Caramelize for 7 minutes over medium heat:
1 onion
1/4 c olive oil
Add and cook for 5 more minutes:
3-4 large red, orange, and yellow bell peppers, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Add:
Cooked angel hair
1/2 c. Italian parsely, chopped
1/2 c. pecorino romano cheese
salt/pepper to taste
-Serve warm or at room temperature.

Zucchini-Potato Soup

Another "thick" soup for a hearty winter meal (or to use all that garden zucchini in the fall!)

Carmelize onions 7 minutes over medium heat:
1 medium onion, diced
2 TBS olive oil
Add and simmer 20 minutes until potatoes tender:
3 stalks celery
2 large garlic cloves
4 c. chicken or vegetable broth
3 medium zucchini
3-4 medium potatoes, peeled, chopped
-Blend soup until smooth and return to pan.
Add:
1/2 c. cream
1/4 tsp salt (more to taste)
1/4 tsp pepper
-Serve warm. Garnish with crumbled bacon.

Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut and Ginger

This is DELICIOUS! If I could only make one butternut soup recipe, this is the one I would make. This is a perfect recipe for a rainy or snowy day!

2 large butternut squash (5 pounds total)—halved lengthwise, peeled and seeded

Salt and freshly ground pepper

extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 large clove garlic, minced

2 tsp curry powder

2 TBS fresh ginger (or 2 tsp dry)

6 cups water

1 c. canned coconut milk

1 c. half and half

-Preheat the oven to 350°. Set the squash, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Fill each cavity with 1/2 tablespoon of the butter; season with salt and pepper. Roast the squash for about 1 hour and 20 minutes, until tender; cut into large pieces.
-Meanwhile, in a large soup pot, caramelize onions in a little olive oil (5-7 minutes). Add the garlic, ginger and curry powder and cook another minute until fragrant.
-When squash is done, blend squash with the 3 cups of water and onion/spice mixture until smooth (may need to be done in 2-3 batches). Return puree to soup pan and add coconut milk and half and half. Simmer over moderately low heat for 5 minutes to combine all of the flavors. Add salt/pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls, top with a garnish of toasted coconut and enjoy!

Soba Noodle Stir Fry

This is a healthy stir-fry dish using Soba noodles. The entire recipe is pictured on this fun platter my neighbor lent me :-)

Serves 6-8

Slice all vegetables julienne style
In large non-stick pan or wok cook 5-7 minutes:
1/2 onion diced
2 TBS oil
2 cloves garlic
2 carrots, diced
1 head broccoli, diced
1/2 cup cauliflower
Add and cook 2 more minutes:
1 bell pepper
1 small zucchini
1 small yellow squash
1 pkg. soba noodles cooked and drained
2 TBS seasoning (I like to use Tones Spicy Spaghetti Seasoning-it's not really spicy)
salt/pepper to taste
-Garnish with grated/sliced Parmesan and fresh diced tomatoes.
-My neighbor suggest adding some red pepper flakes for a little "heat"
-You can also try variations with the same ingredients making it more Thai-like or Cajun-like by changing the seasoning and garnishes...

Chicken Tikka Masala

This recipe is slightly altered from the original in "Best International Recipe Cooks Illustrated." This is my favorite Indian recipe so far (and in my top 10 favorite recipes of ALL time!). Thanks to my sister who made it for me over a year ago. I LOVE THIS! It does have some unusual steps, but it is not difficult. Don't take short cuts and use only FRESH ingredients or it won't taste as good. I often double this recipe. It freezes GREAT and is even better as leftovers!

Serves 8-10

Chicken:1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
4 boneless chicken breasts (5-6 oz each)
1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
2 TBS vegetable oil
1 TBS minced fresh ginger
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
Masala Sauce:3 TBS oil
1 medium onion, minced
salt
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp minced ginger
1 serrano chile, ribs and seeeds removed, chile minced
1 TBS garam masala
1 TBS tomato paste
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1 large head cauliflower, washed and cut into small pieces
1/2 c. water
2 tsp sugar
2/3-1 cup heavy cream (I like 1 cup :-) )
1/4 cup fresh cilantro

For the chicken: Combine salt, cumin, coriander, and cayenne in a small bowl. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle with spice mixture, pressing gently so the mixture adheres. Place the chicken on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30-60 min. In large bowl, whisk together yogurt, oil, ginger, and garlic; set aside

For the Sauce: heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and 1/4 tsp salt and cook until softened and light golden 5-7 min. Stir in garlic, ginger, diced serrano, garma masala, and tomato paste and cook until fragrant about 30 seconds. Add crushed tomatoes, cut cauliflower, and sugar and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer 15-20 minutes until cauliflower tender. (You can also steam cauliflower separately, and blend it, then add it to sauce for a smoother texture). Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm (sauce can be made up to 4 days in advance)

While sauce simmers adjust oven rack to upper middle and heat the broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan with aluminum foil and place a wire rack over the sheet. Using tongs, dip the chicken into the yogurt mixture (chicken should be coated heavily) and arrange on wire rack. Discard excess yogurt mixture. Broil the chicken until exterior is lightly charred in spots 15-20 min, flipping chicken 1/2way through cooking (I always just cut a little into the chicken to make sure it is done).

Let chicken rest 5 minutes, then cut into chunks (eat one chunk--it's delicious!) and stir into sauce. Stir in cream and cilantro, season with salt to taste, and serve over white basmati rice with naan bread and vegetables of choice.

-The chicken is AMAZING by itself and you could just eat it with potatoes, rice pilaf, vegetables etc or even use it as a BBQ recipe.

Spinach Pesto

This makes a wonderful spring/summer dish. It is delicious cold or at room temperature.

Cook 13 oz. Barilla Whole Grain Pasta (penne or rotini)
-cook for just 8 minutes so pasta remains firm
-drain until dry

In blender/food processor:
2 large handfuls fresh spinach
2-3 garlic cloves
2 oz. cream cheese
1/4 c. pine nuts
1/4 cup parmesan or pecorino romano cheese
1/4 cup pasta water (from boiling pasta) or olive oil

salt to taste

-Combine cooked pasta and fresh pesto.

Quinoa Pilaf

This is a great side dish recipe from a sister-in-law, that I think is even better as leftovers. It is also easy to take in a lunch the next day.

Saute for 5 minutes:
1 TBS olive oil
1 medium onion
Add:
1 red pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp basil
1 cup rinsed uncooked quinoa
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

-Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 14-16 minutes until broth evaporates and quinoa tender. Add 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained and salt to taste. I'd serve this with steamed vegetables, salad, and some bread/muffins. Serves 6.

Garlic Lime Dressing

This is delicious on steamed veggies or on the "Romaine Tomato Salad". A little goes a LONG way with this! Therefore I usually always toss the salad with the dressing before serving instead of serving the dressing on the side.

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (or fresh lemon juice)
1/2 cup light olive oil
1 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
freshly ground pepper (about 10-15 turns)

-To prevent separation, blend all ingredients for about 2minutes. You don't have to do this, but then you don't have to shake the dressing each time you want to use it.