Macadamia Nut Pesto Fettuccini

I don't know why every time I try a new recipe I'm "surprised" its good. I mean, I am the one saving these recipes. I most likely wouldn't save something I think would taste bad.

Still, here's another recipe that's quite tasty. I changed it up a bit.

For starters I added some chicken. I had some left over from last nights BBQ Chicken Pizza so I decided to just cook it up and add it.

Second, I had already made pesto some time ago and froze it. Now my normal pesto recipe has pine nuts in it - which this had as well. So all I did was ground up some macadamia nuts, add all the other ingredients and voila! It was nutty and good.


Macadamia Nut Pesto Fettuccini
Serves 3 (what? serves 3? Weird. You could totally just add more pasta for 4 or take some out for 2.)

• 1 package Fresh fettuccine (9oz)
• 3 cups Fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup Half and half
• 3 tablespoons Roasted Macadamia nuts
• 3 tablespoons Grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons Fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Pepper

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.

2. While pasta cooks, place basil and remaining ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth. Combine basil mixture and pasta in a large bowl, tossing to coat.

If I did this again, I'd add some olive oil when making the pesto. It doesn't call for it, but I can't imagine making pesto without olive oil.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

At the start of this year I decided I wanted to learn how to make bread...or bread type things. Everyone I know who does do bread said, and I quote, "Start with pizza dough, it's the easiest." Uh huh, sure it is.

Today I made pizza dough. It was overly sticky and would not roll out. I'd roll it and it would spring nicely back into the round disc I had put it in originally. So between Blueberry and I we managed to get it onto the pizza pan and toppings on it without it springing back into place. The good thing about it was that we had thin crust at some parts and thick crust on others. A win win!

Still, overall this recipe was delicious! I'd make it again in a heart beat.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Serves 4

• Olive oil, for baking sheet
• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• 1 pound store-bought frozen pizza dough, thawed
• 1/2 cooked chicken, (about 1 1/4 pounds), shredded (about 2 cups)
• 1/2 cup store-bought barbecue sauce
• 2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
• 1 large zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly oil a large baking sheet; set aside.

On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin and your hands to roll and stretch dough to a 15-by-10-inch oval (if dough becomes too elastic to work with, let rest a few minutes). Transfer to prepared baking sheet.

In a medium bowl, combine chicken and barbecue sauce. Leaving a 1-inch border, scatter chicken mixture evenly over dough; sprinkle with cheese, then zucchini and onion. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake until crust is golden and cheese is melted, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Singapore Chicken Wings

Aside from burning the reduction, this marinade was darn good. I didn't use wings because I'm not a dark meat fan at all. Instead I did the old stand by chicken breast.

I will say you need to watch the reduction closely. I turned my back to flip the chicken on the grill (no I didn't bake the chicken like the recipe says) and the reduction had not only reduced, but was getting a bit burnt. Ended up not being able to use it.

I also am not a fan of using the marinade raw chicken was sitting in, so I doubled this recipe and kept half for the reduction - which I burned.

Singapore Chicken Wings

Serves 8

Yields 24 wings

• 2/3 cup Soy sauce or tamari
• 1/4 cup Brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Honey
• 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon Dry mustard
• 12 Chicken wings, divided into wings and drumettes

1. In a large bowl, combine soy sauce, sugar, honey, garlic powder and dry mustard. Add wings and toss to coat in marinade. Cover, refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 400F. Remove wings from marinade and divide on 2 greased baking sheets and back 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, boil marinade in a saucepan over medium-high heat until syrupy. Remove wings from oven; reduce heat to 350F.

4. Baste wings all over with reduced marinade. Return wings to oven, bake until glazed and a little crispy, about 30 minutes more.

Beef and Bok Choy Sitr Fry

Photo courtesy of
Real Simple

Super simple, and delicious. Nothing more I can really say about this recipe. It'll go into the file as maybe some day I'll try it again. Its worth a try for sure.

Beef and Bok Choy Stir Fry

Recipe from Real Simple Magazine
Serves 4

• 1 cup Rice
• 1 tablespoon Olive oil
• 1 pound Flank steak, thinly sliced
• Salt and pepper
• 4 heads Bok choy, quartered
• 1/4 cup Low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Grated fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon Brown sugar

1. Cook the rice according to the package directions. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Season the steak with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook, turning often, until cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the steak to a plate.

2. Wipe out the skillet. Add the bok choy and 1?4 cup water and simmer, covered, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes

3. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix the soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, and sugar. Add to the bok choy in the skillet and bring to a boil. Add the steak and any accumulated juices and cook, tossing, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve over the rice.

Peruvian Chicken

I know every entry I start with OMG - but seriously, this recipe...Oh. My. goodness. It was more effort than I had intended, but it was worth every ounce of work.

And for those of you who know me, don't be shocked, but I actually followed this recipe word for word and I even *gasp* measured!

Peruvian Chicken

Recipe from Cuisine at Home

Serves 4 - easily

FOR CHICKEN

• 1/4 cup Low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Lime juice
• 1 tablespoon Ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon Chili powder
• 4 Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, trimmed

FOR RICE

• 1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup Diced onion
• 1 1/4 cups Water
• 1 tablespoon Minced garlic
• 2/3 cup Dry medium grain rice
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup Seeded, diced tomato

FOR SAUCE

• 1/2 cup Fresh bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup Milk
• 1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup Diced onion
• 1 tablespoon Minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon Each: Ground cumin, chili powder, and annatto powder or paprika

• 1 1/2 cup Chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons Fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons Grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon Ground walnuts
• 1/4 cup Chopped walnuts
• 2 tablespoons Chopped fresh cilantro

1. Preheat grill to high heat. Brush grill rack with oil. Combine soy sauce, 2 T lime juice, 1 T cumin, 1 T oil, oregano and chili powder in large bowl or resealable plastic bag. Add chicken, marinate in fridge while you prepare rice and sauce.

2. Heat 1 T oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup onion; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in water and 1 T garlic; bring mixture to a boil Add rice and salt; cover pan. Reduce heat to low; simmer rice 20 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork; stir in tomato.

3. Soak bread crumbs in milk in a bowl. Heat 1 T oil in sauté pan.

4. Add 1/2 cup onion and 1 T garlic to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in cumin, chili powder and annatto; sauté 30 seconds. Add broth and bread crumbs; bring to a boil. Remove mixture from heat; stir in 2 T lime juice, Parmesan and 1T ground walnuts.

5. Remove chicken from marinade, discarding marinade. Grill chicken covered, over direct heat, 6 minutes on each side or until chicken reaches 160F. Serve chicken with rice and sauce; garnish with 1/4 cup chopped walnuts and cilantro.

********************

As I was doing step 3 I wondered about not using fresh bread crumbs and after I tasted and had the sauce I realized that fresh soaked in milk is the only way to go.

I had no idea what annatto was and so used Paprika in its place. I now need to find out what it is and where I can get it - cuz I'll be making this recipe again. = ) Enjoy!

Parmesan Crusted Salmon and Scalloped Potatoes Gratin

OMG...this meal was the bomb! It was, as Nancy would have said, Bombdiggity! Claudia and Blueberry joined me in trying these two new recipes. I don't think any of us spoke for the first five minutes of dinner...well other than "yum", and "mmmm" and "OMG"...

The halibut recipe was so easy. And for as easy as it was, it was absolutely to die for. I made homemade pesto - I don't believe in store bought pesto...why? Because pesto is so easy to make and is way fresher tasting when done by hand.

Parmesan Crusted Halibut

Serves: 2

• 1/4 cup Panko crumbs
• 2 tablespoons Grated Parmesan cheese
• Minced zest of 1/2 lemon
• Salt and pepper
• 4 teaspoons Purchased pesto, divided
• 2 Halibut fillet

1. Preheat oven to 450F; coat a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

2. Combine panko, Parmesan, lemon zest, salt and pepper in a bowl. Spread 2 T pesto on 1 side of each halibut fillet and arrange on prepared baking sheet.

3. Press panko mixture onto pesto side of fillets, spritz crumbs with nonstick spray, then refrigerate until ready to roast.

4. Cook fillets until panko crumbs are golden brown and flesh flakes easily (10-12 minutes)

Scalloped Potato Gratin

Recipe from Tyler Florence

Serves: 5

• 1 1/2 cups Heavy cream
• 1 sprig Thyme
• 2 cloves Garlic, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
• 2 Russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/8th " thick slices - be as uniform as possible
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2. In a saucepan, heat up the cream with a sprig of thyme, chopped garlic and nutmeg.

3. While cream is heating up, butter a casserole dish. Place a layer of potato in an overlapping pattern and season with salt and pepper. Remove cream from heat, then pour a little over the potatoes. Top with some grated Parmesan. Make 2 more layers. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Sprinkle some more Parmesan and broil until cheese browns, about 5 minutes.

Chicken Stir-Fry Wraps

Being the chicken is likely the most consumed meat of the decade, I'm constantly trying to find interesting ways of preparing it. If left unchecked, I can get quite tired of chicken. Pork doesn't "agree" with me, so I'm limited to my white meat selection.

This particular recipe was 1) easy and 2) good. I didn't actually buy lettuce to do the wrap thing with, but it was tasty all the same.

Chicken Stir Fry Wraps

Recipe from Everyday food

Photo courtesy of
Everyday Food

Serves 4

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally and thinly sliced
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 large red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, mixed with 1 tablespoon water
• 12 to 16 Boston lettuce leaves (about 2 heads)

Directions
Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over high heat. Add half the chicken; cook, stirring constantly, until opaque throughout, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Add remaining tablespoon oil to pan, along with the onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until onion is tender and golden, about 4 minutes (reduce heat if browning too quickly).

Reduce heat to medium; add garlic, ginger, and red-pepper flakes; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds.

Stir in soy sauce, vinegar, and cornstarch mixture; remove from heat. Add chicken and any accumulated juices; toss to coat. Serve in lettuce cups.