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Pesto makes a delicious pasta sauce, sandwich spread, or dip.
With so much basil growing in my garden this year, it was about time to make a batch. Unfortunately a huge plate full of basil blends down to very little pesto, so make sure you have a LOT before getting started.
Ingredients:
- LOTS of fresh basil (I used sweet basil as well as Thai basil)
- 1/4- 1/2 C Slivered almonds (Because pine nuts are expensive and these were on sale! You can also use walnuts)
- Olive oil
- 3-5 cloves garlic
- Salt, Pepper
- Cheese (optional–I only had a tiny bit): Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese or similar
Combine basil, nuts, garlic, and cheese in the food processor. Add just enough olive oil so that the ingredients blend well. Add salt and pepper to taste.
I was unpleasantly surprised at how much olive oil is required to make a creamy pesto… but I did read a tip about using chicken broth or some other stock to achieve a similar consistency without as much oil.
Enjoy! This came out delicious!
Almond-Basil Pesto
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Throw away your ranch dressing! It’s awful for you.
Well, at least try this first.This is one of the easiest, most delicious, healthy, versatile dips/sauces you can make, and I urge everyone to give it a fair chance.
Tzatziki: Tzatziki, tzadziki, or tsatsiki (Greek: τζατζίκι [dzaˈdzici] or [dʒaˈdʒici]; English pronunciation: /zæˈdziːkiː/)
You’ve probably seen tzatziki on top of your gyro, or served along side pita wedges as a part of a mezze. Greeks do meze / mezze / mezzedes like the Spanish do tapas: small plates of food shared amongst diners.There are variations on this dip, but in general these are the ingredients:
- Greek Yogurt (I used Chobani, which I love and is fat-free. I also love the Total/Fage brand. Whichever is on sale)
- Diced cucumber, and additional sliced cucumber to dip/garnish
- Garlic or garlic powder (if you don’t have time to let it sit overnight, use powder)
- Lemon juice
- Salt, pepper
- Optional but delicious: dill or Fennel (I used fennel and loved this). I highly recommend these herb scissors I just received as a gift from my mom ( Beach Dazed) as they have 4 blades that slice your fresh herbs right into your bowl–no waste of flavor or herbs, and quite a time saver.
- Parsley, mint, and olive oil are all optional enhancements. Feel free to play around.
Greek yogurt, which is frequently fat-free, is high in protein (higher than other yogurts), has a thicker, creamier texture than other yogurt, and can be used as a substitute for cream and other products in baking and cooking. For instance, replace cream, cheese, or coconut milk in a curry with Greek Yogurt. It works, and is delicious. I’ve done it many times.
How I made this batch of tzatziki that had me “mmmmm-ing” with everything I dipped into it (zucchini fritters, dolmades / stuffed grape leaves, cucumbers, keftedes / meatballs, bread… etc.):- Get a large container of greek yogurt and transfer to a larger bowl.
- Peel 1/2 of a cucumber, dice and add to the yogurt.
- Take the other 1/2 of the cucumber (skin on, if you like) and slice it thickly for dipping/garnishing
- Add a healthy squeeze of lemon (1/2 a lemon or less will do, to taste) to the yogurt dip
- Sprinkle in a little garlic powder (to taste, again, but tzatziki should be garlicky). You can add fresh minced garlic if you have time to let the dip sit overnight, to absorb the flavors.
- Chop 1/3 cup fresh fennel leaves into the dip, or dill if you have that. I recommend using these herb scissors, they made my life SO much easier (above).
- Add salt and pepper to taste
Enjoy!! Use as a dip for raw veggies, meze foods, fritters, meatballs, pita or bread. The prep time is only 5 minutes!
May 3, 2011