Basil - Walnut Pesto Recipe

So, I was supposed to include this in yesterdays post and forgot, but here's a great recipe for pesto.  I got tired of buying pine nuts to make pesto because they are expensive and I don't use them for anything but pesto.  Now I just use whatever nuts I have around my house.  Walnuts are my favorites right now, but I've used pecans and they are just as delicious as any other nut.  Our basil plants are growing like crazy in our garden, so I'll be making a lot of this over the next month or so. . .

Walnut pesto

2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 cup walnuts (lightly toasted in a 350 F oven if desired)
2 cups fresh basil leaves, washed and dried
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Put the garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it’s finely chopped. Add the walnuts and pulse again to crush them. Add the basil, salt, pepper, and Parmesan. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil through the feed tube and process until the pesto is pureed. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.


I got this recipe online and typed it up in a document, so I can't remember where it came from.  I'm thinking a blog, so please forgive me not giving credit to the owner.  I've altered it to fit my needs, so it's a little different that the original. 

Happy Cooking Everyone!

Week 19 - Chicago Pizza. . .

Well, I must say that I had a wonderful meal tonight!  I recently discovered that my favorite pizza from the south suburbs of Chicago (my hometown) was opening a location in Marietta!  God bless Aurelios Pizza for coming to a location within 15 miles of my home!!!  So, tonight was an unofficial opening that the owners only announced on facebook.  They announced that they would open at 4pm and I will tell you that there was only one table available when my family and I arrived at 4:30pm!  How amazing is that? 

We are the first customers ever, so I was completely expecting this to be a learning curve for the wait staff (and it was), but the pizza was amazing!  I've been going to this pizza place since birth and it is my "definition" of everything good and pure about pizza.  Check it out in East Cobb at 1255 Johnson Ferry Road, Marietta, GA 30068! 

So, I should probably get the menu up since I am a day late with it!  Sorry, but my sweet Annabelle had a birthday on Sunday so we've been busy around our house.  She's 8 now and she is definitely letting us know that she is one whole year older every chance she gets!  So sweet!

Here this week's menu:
Sunday - Out to dinner
Monday - Aurelio's Pizza!
Tuesday - Seared Shrimp, basil and walnut pesto (recipe follows), roasted cauliflower
Wednesday - Seared Mahi-Mahi, black beans, white rice, roasted asparagus
Thursday - Baked chicken, carrots, potatoes
Friday - Spaghetti with meat sauce
Saturday - Turkey burgers, roasted sweet potatoes and potatoes, broccoli

So, I'd love to hear what all of you will be eating this week!  Let's encourage one another here! 

Happy meal planning to you all!

Sarah

Week 18 - Hotlanta

Well, I'm very late this week posting, but I'm sure we're all a little off this week with the holiday!  So, I'll do my best to post the menu for this week from Tuesday through Saturday. 

 

School is officially out for the summer!  It's been wonderful to sleep in, play with kids and not worry about any schedules.  Alain decided to celebrate the end of school with a large watermelon!  The kids loved it.  I'm always amazed how quickly a watermelon disappears at our house. 

I hope that all of you were able to enjoy the Memorial Day holiday!  The kids and I went up to Tennessee to see my Mom & Step-Dad while the hubby traveled to Florida to spend some time with his family doing some manual labor.  It was a great weekend!  We went hiking with my mom and I had my first tick.  Turns out the stupid tick was attached to the back of my knee for 4 days before I found it all swollen and full of my blood!  YIKES!

Here's the menu:
Tuesday - Hamburgers and hot dogs (leftover from my mom's barbecue)
Wednesday - Breakfast for dinner (Eggs, pancakes and hash browns)
Thursday - Mexican beef tacos, black beans, asparagus, pico de gallo
Friday - Shrimp pesto, roasted cauliflower
Saturday - Seared Mahi-Mahi, roasted zucchini and carrots

Happy Cooking to Everyone!  Let's see your menus!  Don't be bashful!

Favorite Pancakes!

So, I love warm pancakes on any morning.  It starts the day off on a sweet note every time I make them, so this is my go-to recipe right now.  That may change in a few months when I make a few changes to it or come across the next great pancake recipe.  However, I dare you to try these!  You'll never eat anything else again!

I'll provide the link to the original recipe (Paula Deen), but I've altered it quite a bit, so I'll provide the current version below!

Chocolate Chip Pancakes (picture shows them w/o choc. chips)

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups White Whole Wheat Flour (King Arthur makes my favorite variety, but you can use All-Purpose)
3 tbls. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs, separated
3 tbls. butter, melted (plus 4 tbls. divided for cooking)
1/2 cup mini semi-sweet morsels

Directions:

Preheat griddle to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  In another small bowl, combine milk, egg yolks, and 3 tablespoons melted butter; add to flour mixture, whisking until smooth.

This next step is optional, but it does make for some light and fluffy pancakes if you're willing to take the extra step to whip the egg whites.  In a small bowl, beat egg whites at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until stiff. Gently fold into batter. Gently fold in chocolate morsels.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter on hot griddle. Ladle about 1/4-cup batter for each pancake onto hot griddle. Cook pancakes for 2 to 3 minutes, or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Turn and cook the other side. Repeat procedure with remaining 2 tablespoons butter and remaining batter.

BTW - I always double this recipe and store any leftovers in the fridge or freezer for an easy breakfast later in the week!   :)

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paulas-home-cooking/chocolate-chip-pancakes-with-cinnamon-cream-recipe/index.html

Still don't see any recipes, Ladies!  ;)

Week 17 - End of School

The school year is coming to a close for many of us and it seems to slip by more quickly each year.  I'm not the emotional type over school, but I see so many moms tear up as they pick up their kids on the last day of school.  I get it, but I guess I also look forward to the next stepping stone in each of my children's lives.

Emilie is my party planner.  The girl wants to have a party to celebrate every kind of food that she loves.  Last year, she organized a "Watermelon" Party with her friends from school at a play ground.  This week she asked me for a "Strawberry" Party.  Since she's been nagging me about this idea for more than a few weeks, I finally decided to act on it and invited 2 friends over to celebrate.  I made strawberries on sticks with whipped cream for dipping, they played Old Maid and then watched Strawberry Shortcake.  Could life be any better?  

Now, onto this weeks' menu.  I really haven't thought too far in advance, so I'm not going to get detailed with the veggies.  I'll just list the main course unless it's something that has to be eaten out of my fridge within the next few days.  

Sunday - Mahi-Mahi, seared asparagus, seared zucchini, white rice
Monday - Angel hair pasta with meat sauce (zucchini noodles for the hubby), green beans
Tuesday - Chicken breasts with pumpkin seed sauce
Wednesday - Sirloin steaks, sauteed spinach, roasted carrots
Thursday - Chicken tacos, black beans
Friday - Out of Town
Saturday - Out of Town

Let's see your menus, everyone!  Happy cooking!

Week 15 - I'm Back!

Wierd, but Blogger tells me I didn't publish this last week.  I thought Nikki said she saw it, but I'm going to publish it again.  Sorry if you all are getting this twice!

Just finished organizing a children's consignment sale with some of my friends, so that is why I've been absent with menus over the last few weeks.  It's been a roller coaster start to Spring!  I'm very excited to be cooking again this week!

My hubby is starting a new diet called "Paleo," so I am working around the beginnings of this diet in our menu planning.  It looks like I'm cooking a lot, but I'm trying to stretch carb leftovers for the kids.  The basis is not too far off from his normal requirements (lean meat, lots of veggies and fruits, no carbs, etc.).   The kids still eat rice and pasta and I'm going to do as much as I can from my amazing Mexican cook book.  ;)

Here's the menu so far:
Sunday - Shrimp stir fry with mixed veggies
Monday - Seared sirloin steak, caramelized onions, black beans, roasted mixed veggies and yellow rice
Tuesday - Turkey burgers, tomatillo-chiplotle salsa, steamed broccoli, yellow rice (kids), salad with cilantro vinagrette
Wednesday - Chicken with almond sauce (been trying to make this for weeks), green beans, salad, rice
Thursday - Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, baked sweet potato, broccoli
Friday - Marinated mahi-mahi, black beans, white rice, grilled zucchini, lime-honey coleslaw
Saturday - Out for dinner at Birthday party

Let me hear what you all are eating this week!

Sarah

Week 16: Freezing in May!

So, those of you who do not live in the Atlanta area might not know that it's absolutely freezing this week!  I feel like such a baby saying this (as I know my BIL and SIL are dealing with highs in the 40's in Oregon), but very windy highs in the 60's in May = Not Cool! 

Nevertheless, I must confess that I'm enjoying some inside playtime with my kids.  The nice weather puts us outside everyday which leaves very little time for blogging, cooking and cleaning.  ;)

So, this Paleo diet is getting better in our house and I am adjusting.  Alain is fully committed, but I am only about 75% committed.  I still eat bread.  This diet encourages no bread (wheat or grain of any kind), no dairy, no legumes and as little processed food as possible.  Low processed food is something we've been working towards in our house for over a year, so I'm very on-board with this idea.  I cherish knowing what goes into my children's bodies. 

So, here's my menu for this week.  I may or may not include sides from here on out just so I can get this out more quickly.  ;)

Sunday - Whole baked chicken with Mole Sauce

Monday - Thai basil shrimp with cabbage

Tuesday - Chicken tacos, black beans, cabbage slaw, fresh mexican salsa

Wednesday - Leftovers

Thursday - Mahi-Mahi, steamed artichokes with vinagrette, broccoli

Friday - Burgers, roasted sweet potatoes, asparagus (big hit with the kiddos now)

Saturday - Out for dinner

Well, I hope that all of you are well on your way with your weekly menus!  Please post your menu in the response so we can all be encouraged to stay on top of meal planning! 

Happy Cooking!