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Tag: fresh basil

Fresh Nectarine and Corn Salad

Another yummy corn salad- this one is paired with one of my favorite fruits- nectarines… green onion, mint and basil take this side dish over the top!

  • 4 to 5 corn on the cob, grilled till golden brown and take kernels off the cob
  • 2 large or 3 medium nectarines, cut into 1-inch dice
  • 4 to 5 green onions, trimmed, cut in half and grilled briefly (just to char the outside of the onions)
  • ¼ cup fresh mint, chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
  • ½ cup feta, crumbled
  • Juice of one lemon
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons salt

Transfer the corn kernels, nectarines, green onions, mint, basil and feta to a salad bowl. Add the lemon juice, oil and salt. Toss and serve.

Italian Style Cheeseburgers

Another delicious one…

  • 1 pound ground grass fed beef
  • 1 cup fresh basil, chopped
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper

Transfer the meat into a medium bow. Add the basil, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix well and keep aside in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours. Form four patties and keep aside.

Mayonnaise

  • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup non-fat Greek yogurt
  • ¼ cup kalamata olives
  • 3 to 4 sundried tomatoes
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Process the olives, sundried tomatoes and garlic in a small processor. Mix into the mayonnaise and yogurt in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper and taste for seasonings. Keep aside.

  • 2 medium tomatoes, sliced
  • 4 burger buns, sliced
  • 4 mozzarella slices

Cook the burgers according to desired doneness. Add the cheese on top. Spread the mayo onto the buns and add tomatoes. Serve the burgers with grilled potatoes and veggies.

Coconut Shrimp Curry- Thai Style

Thai Style Shrimp Curry

  • 1 pound jumbo shrimp, cleaned, deveined and sliced in half
  • 2 teaspoons tamari
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced

Place the shrimp, tamari and garlic in a zip lock bag. Marinate for 2 to 3 hours.

  • 2  tablespoons extra light olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, sliced thin
  • 2 stalks lemongrass, peeled and the insides minced- yields about ½ cup
  • 1 14 oz can light coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon palm sugar
  • 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
  • 1 cup fresh basil, chopped
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped
  • Salt
  • ½ lime, juiced

Heat a wok like pan and add the olive oil. Add the marinated shrimp and sauté on high heat for a minute. Take out and keep aside.
Add the onions and lemongrass. Saute on medium high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tamarind concentrate, coconut milk, fish sauce, palm sugar and sriracha sauce. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 5 minutes. Add the fresh basil, cilantro and shrimp. Cook for 2-3 minutes till the shrimp are cooked. Taste for seasonings, add salt and lime juice.

Pan Seared Scallops with Salsa Verde

This is a fantastic recipe to entertain with. I made it through the week as my daughter was complaining about missing scallops. I simply seared the scallops in a non-stick pan till golden brown. I also made a delicious sauce with basil, pistachios and capers. The sauce can be used with other meats as well as pasta…

Salsa Verde

  • 1 cup fresh basil, leaves only
  • ½ cup fresh mint, leaves only
  • 1 garlic clove, smashed
  • ¼ cup pistachios, toasted
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon capers, drained and rinsed
  • 2 anchovies
  • Zest of one lemon
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Process all the ingredients together in a food processor. Transfer to a bowl, cover and let sit for an hour or two before serving.

  • 1 to 2 pounds scallops, cleaned
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Heat some oil to a frying pan on medium high heat. Sear the scallops on high heat for a couple minutes on each side- careful not to over cook. Serve the scallops with the salsa verde and sautéed green beans.

Balsamic Grilled Chicken with Tomato Salad

Balsamic Grilled Chicken I would make this dish if you want to impress someone. It looks beautiful with lots of vivid summer colors. It is an overall winner of a recipe. It is super easy to make and best of all it is very healthy, low in carbs.. but the important thing is that you don’t feel that it is low in carbs. My main goal as the cook in the house is to incorporate as many healthy and varied ingredients as I can in any meal I serve.

Tomatoes are in abundance right now and I love buying the grape variety. They are very sweet and burst in the mouth and best of all, delicious! I cut them up and added some salt, garlic, olive oil and basil. I let the juicy tomatoes sit for a while so they can get even juicier. I marinated chicken breasts that I pounded super thin with balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. You can buy thin breast cutlets in the store but they are more expensive than the regular breast. I quickly grilled the chicken.. it literally took two minutes on one side on a very hot grill. I also put together an arugula salad with a delicious homemade apricot dressing.

The meal was simply delicious… perfect for a summer barbecue…
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Meatballs with Prosciutto and Basil

Meatballs with Prosciutto with Basil1 Who doesn’t love meatballs? I really enjoy them on a cold, rainy day with a nice glass of a bold red wine. I have made quite a few versions over the years- especially for kids. I love incorporating some kind of vegetables in the meat and cook them in a delicious homemade tomato sauce.

These came about as I watched Live with Regis and Kelly- Regis was talking about some meatballs he had with prosciutto in them, “what a great idea”, I thought.

I bought turkey meat, prosciutto and basil from the store and started making the meatballs. I also made fresh tomato sauce with lots of cherry tomatoes. I added the usual ingredients in the meatballs including a mixture of cooked onions, garlic and prosciutto. I also added breadcrumbs and freshly grated pecorino- which I prefer a tad more than parmesan cheese since it has a lot more flavor.

The meatballs were cooked in the delicious tomato sauce. I realized I had run out of spaghetti so I served them on top of penne. In order to serve a balanced meal, I sauteed baby spinach on the side with some garlic and a splash of half and half. The kids had a glass of milk and the adults had a delicious cabernet.

Try the prosciutto and basil meatballs next time you decide to serve a delicious pasta meal.
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