August... family, friends, & food

August has been jam packed with so many things. This month i had a visit from my father and brother, i visited a friend while traveling for business, and managed to cook up a storm this month. Well, if not cook it myself... i sure managed to eat some delicious grub this month.

Hubby's Masterpiece

The usual visits to Toad's for a salmon dinner occurred of course, but for the most part hubby and I created some culinary masterpieces in the kitchen. The thing about us though, is that we love to cook together (or i think he loves to cook with me... we will find out the truth later). It is fun though! I usually do the technical things, kneading bread, tart shells, custards, sauces, or anything other than a grilled steak and potatoes. There is one thing i don't mess with, and that is a grilled hamburger. My husband has that down to a science, and this past month he made me some delicious burgers stuffed with fresh mozzarella cheese. Amazing! Fresh lettuce, sliced onion, little homemade spicy mayo on top, all on a toasted bun... wow! He truly outdid himself... well until he made me some of his delicious marinated steak accompanied by rosemary garlic potato wedges.

When my brother and dad came to visit we all had a pizza day on Sunday while we watched the NASCAR race. The BEST part, i made my own mini pizza with half using my homemade pesto, mozzarella & Canadian bacon. The other half of my pizza was Hawaiian pizza, mmmmmm pineapple! Turns out the guys thought my pesto on pizza was pretty dang delicious!! They chowed down on two of their own 10 inch pizzas, and STILL my brother thought he needed to eat some of my pizza!


homemade basil pesto & salsa

Basic Pesto Recipe

1 1/3 c loosely packed basil
3 Tbsp Pine Nuts or Slivered Almonds
2 Garlic Cloves peeled
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Combine all in a food processor and pulse till combined.
Drizzle in up to 2/3 c EVOO until desired consistency is reached.
When ready to use, add in fresh grated Parmesan as desired.

Pesto in lasagna, on bruschetta, tossed with pasta, spread on calzones.... oh so many things you can do with pesto! And the best part is how easy it is to make! I've had sooo much basil from my garden this year I've made pesto for several friends, frozen some, used a bunch, and i still have basil to turn into more pesto! (Plus all the dried basil i have stacking up!) Nothing better than opening up the slider door & walking a few steps to cut some fresh basil for dinner! (or supper, if you are my husband)



Spinach Lasagna Roll-Up - yes that is a Meat Sauce on top!

And besides the dreamy greens of my basil, I also fell absolutely more in love with spinach... too bad I can't convince my father in law to love it as much as I do... he's supposed to be eating spinach to help prevent more eye problems... Oh yes, spinach, a very under appreciated green in my opinion. If you have a picky green eater, like my husband or father in-law, try cheese with it! I made some delicious Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups! Mmmmmmm....  really super easy, but oh sooooooo good. Actually, you can turn anything into a Lasagna Roll-Up if you think about it. Just cook your noodles, lay flat and spread with your favorite toppings. Roll them up and place seam side down in a baking dish and cover with sauce and cheese. Bake them off at 350* till warm, gooey, and bubbly all the way through. I personally like spinach and cream cheese in them, but of course the meat eaters appreciate a more traditional roll-up; sausage, hamburger, cream cheese, tomato sauce (i usually sneak in some pancetta or prosciutto too!).

Is it Breakfast or Something Sweeter?

Something else I've discovered this month, keep a tart shell or pie crust ready to be rolled out in the fridge! It is amazing how simple they are to make, and how simple they are to make into something delicious using whatever you happen to have in the pantry, fridge or cupboard! Like my easy Breakfast Tart. Just put the tart shell in a tart pan or pie pan (i don't have a big tart pan so i use a pie pan, and totally just as good!), add in your favorite meats; browned sausage or bacon, prosciutto, Canadian bacon, or whatever. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and pour over 5 eggs beaten with about a 1/4 c cream (salt & pepper, garlic powder too). I also like to sprinkle over some fresh chopped green onions. Bake it off at 350* for 25-30 min. Yummy! Something about that sweet buttery tart shell and salt bacon just make a perfect combination!


And what could be better after all this hard work than playing the lazy card and hitting up a Chinese buffet with my bestie? Uh, nothing! We are too funny, because we have a method to our Chinese dining experiences. We each fill a plate with whatever mix of yummy entrees, noodles, and rice we so desire... mine are usually more chicken, hers usually more beef... then we each grab a second dish, me the plate for Rangoons, egg rolls, spring rolls and anything else that can be dipped in sweet & sour sauce. She grabs the sauce and anything else interesting she eyes. This last time, we both came to the conclusion that we should just split the plate of fried rolls and Rangoons... why even bother with the other food! And of course we have to share our fortunes with each other. The best part however is the time we spend together catching up. We always seem to just pick up where we left off and solve the world's problems over broccoli beef or sesame chicken. **sigh** These meals/conversations/visits don't happen often enough.

Well - the grocery store calls as it is time to restock the fridge and cupboards for the next week of culinary adventures! Happy Cooking!