This on is an arugula pesto. Arugula is one of my favorite greens. I love its versatility.. I can use it in a salad, cook with it and now make a pesto with it.

I simply paired it with garlic and pine nuts. I don’t like to use too much olive oil but it is important to use a really good quality one- so a little goes a long way. I used Pecorino instead of Parmesan as Pecorino has a stronger taste which is great for the bitter greens.

That is all I needed to make a delicious sauce. I used it for pasta and in this case- for pizza. Even my daughter ate it- she doesn’t usually like arugula but she really enjoyed the pesto on the pizza.

• 1 bunch arugula, washed
• 2 garlic cloves
• ½ cup pine nuts
• ¼ to ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup shredded Pecorino
• Salt

Add the garlic and pine nuts into a food processor. Process for a minute. Add the arugula and process. Leave the processor on and drizzle the olive oil slowly until the pesto is processed well. Take out in a bowl. Add the cheese and salt. Serve it with pasta or pizza.

The sweet and tangy sauce was absolutely delicious with the chipotle turkey, scalloped potatoes, chorizo stuffing and of course chorizo brussels sprouts.

• 16 ounces fresh cranberries
• 1½ cups pineapple juice
• ¾ cups brown sugar
• 1½ cups fresh pineapple, cut into small chunks
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped
• ½ cup green onions, chopped

Add the cranberries, pineapple juice to a boil and let simmer for 5 minutes. Add the brown sugar, fresh pineapple, salt and paprika. Cook on low heat for ten minutes until the sauce is thick. Check for seasonings and let cool. Can be frozen at this point for up to a week. Add the cilantro and green onions right before serving.

I used what I had in the fridge… that is what I like about making salsas- there are no rules. You can add whatever you want. I happen to have green onions on hand and I always have cilantro. I chopped everything and added the usual lime juice. I also added smoked paprika. To make it sweet, I usually add honey. This time I decided to use agave. I recently bought a bottle of it and have started experimenting. It is a great substitute for sugar and has a very low glycemic index. I even tried duffins with agave and they were a big hit.

Try this salsa….. it is delicious.

• 5 to 6 apricots, chopped
• 4 to 5 green onions, chopped
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped
• Juice of one to two limes
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon agave

Place the apricots, green onions and cilantro into a medium bowl. Mix well and add the lime juice, smoked paprika, salt and agave. Mix well and let it sit for an hour before serving with tortilla chips or over fish or grilled meat.

I thought I would post a few recipes for the upcoming long weekend. I am starting with a quick and delicious appetizer. I love making fresh salsa for a barbecue meal. In this one I have used mango and avocado. It may sound like a strange combination but they work really well together. They have a similar consistency but completely different flavors. To make it interesting, I added a nectarine as well. The salsa is amazing with tortilla chips. Burger recipe coming up for tomorrow…

• 1 medium mango, cut into ½ inch dice
• 1 large nectarine, cut into ½ inch dice
• 1 ripe avocado, mashed
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped
• Juice of 2 limes
• Salt

Add the mango, nectarine, avocado, green onions, jalapeno and cilantro in a small bowl. Mix well and add the lime juice and salt. Mix and let the salsa sit for about an hour. Serve with chips or an entrée.

I recently made my way to the La Esquina brasserie and the food was unbelievable.. by far the best Mexican food I have had in New York. It is hard to get reservations but it is definitely worth it once you are able to get in there.

Anyway, I roasted poblano peppers, tomatoes, garlic, onion and paired it with raisins. It resulted in a well balanced, delicious sauce. I grilled some steak and served the delicious sauce on top- it was a big hit. I had a lot leftover and made a delicious stew.. recipe to follow…

• 2 poblano peppers, halved and deseeded
• 6 plum tomatoes, halved
• 4 garlic cloves, skin on
• 1 small red onion, skin off and quartered
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• 1 ½ cups water
• ½ cup golden raisins

Add the peppers, tomatoes, garlic and onion onto a lined cookie sheet. Drizzle oil and salt. Roast under a broiler till vegetables are charred, about 20 minutes. Take the tomato and garlic skins off. Add the roasted vegetables to a medium saucepan. Add the water and raisins. Bring to a boil and turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes or till the vegetables are soft. Transfer all ingredients to a blender till smooth.
Serve with grilled steak.