Ratatouille: A last summer veggie hoorah

According to Slate, the movie had it wrong. Ratatouille is not fancy French fare but rather a stew that originated with peasants who were trying to get a less-work meal out of as many late summer veggies as possible.

And indeed it was quite doable and, better yet, delivered delish summer freshness in a warm hint-of-fall package, all the more glorious when shared with crusty bread on a late summer evening filled with crisply cool air. Even my friend on a quirky diet for health reasons could fully enjoy it in all its strictly vegetableness. And we topped it with some chicken and Parmesan for a little added flair and protein,

So what was the ratatouille inspiration? None other than result number four of a Google search for "eggplant zucchini tomato" (my local food booty for the week). 

Slate also noted that the key to the dish is that all the veggies have to cook for different amounts of time, so I made sure to study up on some recipes and their order.

Bonus: Buy Ratatouille ingredients, plus grab pizza dough (love me some Publix bakery!) and mozzarella (and goat if you like) cheese, and you can have this pizza. I topped the dough with (in this order) olive oil, chopped garlic, sliced fresh mozzarella, a sprinkling of crumbled goat cheese, tomato and zucchini slices, a drizzle of olive oil and dried basil.

Grilled Cheese with Onions and Mushrooms

When it's pretending to be cool and dreary fall instead of spring like we're in England or something, I want comfort food.  I want my new favorite grilled cheese. (I am realizing I talk way too much about the weather when I blog; sorry, guys.)

My dad and brother came back from skiing in Utah this year raving about this grilled cheese with mushrooms and onions. When these two talk about a meatless lunch with that much enthusiasm and it fills them up for their millions of runs on the slopes a day, it's not to be taken lightly.

I picked their brains as to what made the sandwich so worthy of praise and made a go at it for Sunday lunch (also a theme on the blog lately). It's not complicated. Sauteed mushrooms and onions between gooey hot white cheese. But if you're taste buds are anything like mine, those two key ingredients make anything ordinary way tasty: pasta, a burger, a sandwich. Yummo. Also, serve it with sweet potato fries. Even more yummo.

Recipe: Spinach-Artichoke Hummus

As a big fan of somewhat sinful spinach-artichoke dip, I was fascinated by the taste of its healthy yet delicious hummus cousin at a beer tasting party several weeks ago, and the one I tasted was packaged product from Costco (impressive, Costco!). So I figured I could recreate the concoction with my friend the food processor to partner with some pita chips.

I based the mine off this recipe from Give Me Some Oven! but chose to sauté my fresh spinach to enhance its flavor like in my favorite spinach-artichoke dip recipe. This version is quite spinachy, so you might cut back on the spinach if you prefer. Some similar recipes contained as little as 2 Tbsp. fresh spinach, but I didn't think that merited putting spinach in the name.

Step 1: Saute spinach. Fresh beats frozen, but frozen would do.

Step 2: Blend everything in the food processor. Easy peasy. Look how healthy this tasty stuff is with lots of veggies and a little ground sesame seed (tahini)

Now that I've mastered black bean and spinach-artichoke hummus, I need to work on my classic hummus skills. Playing with more unusual varieties, like maybe red pepper, walnut, or black-eyed pea, sounds like more fun at the moment though.

Three Things: Grilled Cheese

The powers that be declared April National Grilled Cheese Month, presumably so bloggers would have an occasion to talk about gooey cheesey sandwiches. Here are my three takes on the good ole grilled cheese. They're a bit more exciting than the Velveeta between Nature's Own bread I learned to make growing up but were made with the same basic stuff-butter-grill technique.

1. Goat Cheese, Sweet Goat Cheese

What: Goat cheese mixed with honey and lemon rind between raisin bread

Inspiration: A more sinful, more complex version from Cooking Light

Verdict: Honey and lemon enhance the uber-creamy, mild cheese with just enough sweetness that complements the grainy raisin bread. It was perfect for lunch with tomato basil soup .

Bias: I highly prize goat cheese.

2. Veggilicious

What: Sharp cheddar, avocado, and tomato between sourdough bread

Inspiration: The countless number of avocado and cheddar [cold] sandwiches and tuna melts I have made

Verdict: Crisp, buttery sourdough bookended the excellent summery flavor combo. Really, you could put any cheese and farmer's market bounty together for an equally good hot sandwich.

Bias: I love sharp cheddar. I love avocados. I love sourdough.

3. Fruit Tart

What: Brie, apple, and turkey between honey wheat bread

Inspiration: Fresh Market's Apple-Brie-Turkey Wrap + Upper Crust's Brie and Apple on Wheat + Brie and Bacon Baguette from some place in Oxford, England

Verdict: Buttery, creamy brie and tart Granny Smith apples marry well together, but white bread would have showcased their flavors more. The turkey was unnecessary but only made an appearance to start with to please my carnivorous father. Sweet potato fries made up for what was lacking in the color department.

Bias: I like Brie way more than turkey.

Recipe: Black Bean Burgers

I have always opted for the juicy beef burger over the veggie burger when eating out, but this recipe provides tons of flavor in a grilled patty that fills you up without weighing you down like cheese-laden beef. A cool dill-spiced relish of red pepper, red onion, and cucumber meets the hot-off-the-grill, savory burger between the bun. It makes the perfect summer lunch and is best eaten while sitting in sunshine with good company.

I cut up the veggies and let them relishify the morning of. The burgers just required smashing black beans together with egg, bread crumbs, and spices and then getting your fingers a little gooey to form patties. The guy in the picture got a little extra char but still tasted just fine.

Dinner: Butternut Squash Lasagna

The first bite of this lasagna to meet my taste buds was a pleasant surprise; it was not super heavy (even though I love a good rich, meaty lasagna). The nutty sweetness of butternut squash, the recipe's namesake, is dominant in contrast to the aptly named "smoky" marinara. Sauteed spinach and onion add to the savory flavor of the Cooking Light recipe. 

Now, you might be thinking that this sounds like too much veggies, too much healthiness for a cheesy pasta dish. No worries; there are plenty of layers of cheese, marinara, and white pasta to give it the deliciousness of traditional lasagna. It just cuts it down to just enough sinful, heavy ingredients for just taste without being over-the-top.

I almost bought jarred lasagna to make prep easier but ultimately decided that the smoky recipe recipe was simple and that I had the time to make it in advance on this particular chill weekend. (I won't judge others for opting for the jar instead.) The layering instructions of the recipe got really confusing. We got a little off, but we managed to get some cheese on top, and it all worked out okay. 

We also halved the original recipe and only made one 8x8-inch pan instead of two-- this made for six hearty servings. The salad we served with the lasagna made the meal a little too veggiliciuos, especially because we helped ourselves to large servings of the star of the meal. We concluded that solely a crusty, warm baguette was the best accompaniment, not counting some red wine.

Butternut Squash Lasagna 

1 1/2  cups  chopped onion

5 cup  fresh spinach

1/2  cup  shredded sharp provolone cheese

1/4  cup  chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1  teaspoon  salt

1 large egg

1  (15-ounce) carton part-skim ricotta cheese

1 1/2  cups  diced peeled butternut squash

3 cups  Smoky Marinara (see below)

12  oven-ready lasagna noodles 

1/2  cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375°.

Heat a large Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add spinach; sauté 1 1/2 minutes or until spinach wilts. Combine provolone, parsley, salt, pepper, eggs, and ricotta cheeses in a large bowl.

Place squash in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and cook on high 5 minutes or until tender.

Coat the bottom and sides of an 8-inch-square baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1/2 cup Smoky Marinara in the bottom of one prepared dish. Arrange 2 ½ noodles over sauce; spread 1 cup cheese mixture over noodles. Arrange 1 1/2 cups squash over cheese mixture; spread 3/4 cup sauce over squash.

Arrange 2 ½ noodles over sauce; spread 1 cup cheese mixture over the noodles. Arrange 1 1/2 cups onion mixture over cheese mixture; spread 3/4 cup sauce over spinach mixture.

Arrange 2 noodles over sauce; spread 1 cup Smoky Marinara evenly over noodles. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup Parmesan. Repeat procedure with remaining ingredients in remaining pan. Cover each pan with foil.

Bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes.

Smoky Marinara

1  tablespoon  olive oil

3  garlic cloves, minced

1/4  cup  chopped fresh basil

2  tablespoons  chopped fresh parsley

2  tablespoons  chopped fresh or 2 teaspoons dried oregano

2  teaspoons  balsamic vinegar

1/8  teaspoon  salt

1/8  teaspoon  pepper

1  (28-ounce) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained

1  (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, undrained

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, basil, parsley, and oregano; sauté 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in vinegar and remaining ingredients. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.

Recipe: Moroccan Carrot Salad

I have my friend Anna to thank for introducing me to the only dish that has made me like the taste of carrots (versus hide it in a butter-laden casserole or cake). This salad enhances the that ever-so distinct orange carrot taste by marinating thin shreds in lemon juice, honey, and a Moroccan spice combo (cumin, paprika, and cayenne/red pepper). Golden raisins and toasted pine nuts add more crunchy texture and a sweet and nutty, respectively, twist. If you think you don't like carrots, I challenge you try this.

I pulled the dressing recipe from Sandra Lee, who made it semi-homemade by using packaged shredded carrots. She is a smart lady, because shredding my own carrots took, like, way too long. My carrot, raisin, and pine nuts measurements are guesstimates.

Moroccan Carrot Salad

4 cups shredded carrots

3/4 cup golden raisins

3/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

1 lemon, juiced

1/2 cup, chopped cilantro leaves

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 pinch cayenne (I used red pepper.)

1 teaspoon honey

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a medium bowl, combine shredded carrots, pine nuts, and raisins. Set aside.

For the Dressing: In a small mixing bowl, combine lemon juice, cilantro, spices, and honey. Slowly whisk in extra-virgin olive oil.

Pour dressing over carrot salad and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours to allow flavors to meld.

Three Things: Simple Salad Ideas

Salad greens almost permanently live in the fridge at my house, and I like to play around with different ways to make them taste more exciting your average salad bar. Here are my latest favorite ways to dress up those greens, each with three ingredients or less.

1. Creamy Italian Dressing

Italian Dressing (or any vinaigrette) + Plain Yogurt

Yet again yogurt takes the traditional place of mayo to make something creamy and good for you. Just stir about half bottled dressing and half yogurt, and then toss the mixture with greens. I like to add feta and other veggies to the mix.

2. Insta-croutons

Bread + Olive Oil + Greek Seasonings

I don't care for store-bought croutons but have always loved eating them at the few restaurants that make them in-house. So I figured I could make them, too. I just tore up a piece of sandwich bread, sprayed it with olive oil, sprinkled it with my mostest favorite Greek seasonings from Zoe's  and baked it at 425 degrees until the pieces got brown and crunchy. (Photo is from before they were baked.)

3. Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette 

Olive Oil + Balsamic Vinegar + Honey

Oil and balsamic are a great combo on salad, but it's a bit too twangy for my taste. So I followed my [natural] sweet tooth and added honey to the mix. I mix about equal parts of each of the three ingredients with a whisk (which in reality is usually a fork). In the photo, I tossed the dressing on spinach with chopped pear, toasted walnuts and crumbled feta cheese to go with the pork and potatoes my college friends and I made at our most recent, most glorious reunion (a.k.a. food fest).

Three Things: Butternut Squash

Butternut squash's sweet, nutty taste and versatility won itself a spot as my favorite veggie of the wintertime this year. They keep for months at a time and make lots of servings. Here's what I did with it:

1. Roasted it.

Sweet and nutty side dish

a. Peel, scoop out the insides and chop into bite-sized peices. Place on cookie sheet.

b. Spray with olive oil and sprinkle it with cinnamon.

c. Bake at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes or until soft.

2. Soup-ified it.

Thick, creamy soup I based off this recipe

a. Put roasted squash (see number 1), two percent milk and chicken broth into a blender.

b. Blend until creamy.

c. Microwave it in a bowl (or heat in a pot on the stove) until warm.

d. Top with toasted walnuts.

3. Put it in a main dish.

Makes for a hearty, veggilicious dinner.

a. Peel, scoop out the insides and chop the squash.

b. Follow a recipe, such as this Cooking Light Chicken-Butternut Tagine, a Moroccan dish with sweet, smoky flavor.

Recipe: Yellow Squash Casserole

I am not usually a big fan of the generic casserole with loads of cheese and cream-of-something soup. However, this one doesn't have too many ingredients to cover up the principal veggie, and the way it makes usually bland yellow squash taste so creamy and flavorful wins me over time.

My mom made a squash casserole regularly growing up, but the cream corn in this recipe made it the special-occasion squash casserole. Now I only make this one. My memory of the taste even convinced me to break my preference for seasonal eating to make a giant recipe of the crowd-pleaser -- half for community group everything-but-turkey Thanksgiving dinner and half for a dinner to serve residents of a low-income housing facility.

Squash Casserole

2 cups cooked and drained yellow squash

1 cup cream corn

1 medium onion, diced

2 tablespoons butter

2 eggs

1 tablespoon sugar

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

1 ½ cups breadcrumbs or cracker crumbs (I like Kashi 7-grain TLC crackers), optional

Sauté onion with butter until tender. Mix everything together. Pour into a casserole dish and addcrumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Recipe: Lemony Lentil Stew

This stew, like a thick soup without much liquid, features a small, round bean. Lentils pack a whole lot of vitamins and minerals into relatively few calories, and  their small size allows them to cook quickly. They are the only dry bean to date that I have cooked because they are much less daunting than bigger beans. 

Just simmer them down with some other wholesome, flavorful ingredients for a hearty stew that will fill you up. The lemon and edamame enliven the usual onion-tomato-bean combo, and the tomato and edamame add to the color palette. The recipe comes from the Dec. 2008 Cooking Light, but I added lemony to the name because I found liked my end product that involved squeezing my lemon to my heart's content.

Lemony Lentil Stew

1  cup  dried lentils

3/4  cup  frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans) (I substituted lima beans because they were in my freezer)

2  tablespoons  olive oil

1 1/2  cups  minced red onion

3  garlic cloves, minced

1  (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

6  tablespoons fresh lemon juice (I didn’t measure, just squeezed a lot ‘o lemon.)

1  teaspoon parsley

1  tablespoon  chopped fresh mint (I omitted this)           

1/2  teaspoon  salt

1/2  teaspoon  ground cumin

1/8  teaspoon  ground red pepper

1/8  teaspoon  ground cinnamon

Dash of ground cloves

Place lentils in a large saucepan; cover with water to 2 inches above lentils. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until tender. Drain well, and set aside.

Place edamame in a small saucepan; cover with water to 2 inches above edamame. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until edamame are tender. Remove from heat; drain well. (I cooked lentils and edamame in separate pots at the same time.)

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and tomatoes to pan; sauté 6 minutes or until onion is translucent, stirring often. Stir in lentils, edamame, juice, and remaining ingredients. Cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring often.

Recipe: Black- Eyed Pea Cakes

This recipe is in keeping with my recent bean-are-substantive-and-good-for-you kick, yet the healthy black-eyeds provide a little sinful satisfaction because you keep 'em in oil. I like to combine the flavor of the cumin and onion in the cakes with toppings of ,pepper jack cheese and plain yogurt mixed with green tabasco sauce. A green salad with vinaigrette complements the creamy-beany taste nicely for a veggie-filled lunch. The credit for this recipe goes to who else but Cooking Light.

Black-Eyed Pea Cakes

1  (15.8-ounce) can no-salt-added black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

1/4  cup  dry breadcrumbs

1  tablespoon  finely chopped onion

1/2  teaspoon  bottled minced garlic

1/2  teaspoon  ground cumin

1/2  teaspoon  salt

1/4  teaspoon  black pepper

1  large egg, lightly beaten

1  large egg white, lightly beaten

1 1/2  teaspoons  olive oil

Place beans in a medium bowl; partially mash beans with a fork. Stir in breadcrumbs and next 7 ingredients (through egg white). With floured hands, divide pea mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each portion into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden and thoroughly heated. Remove from pan; top each cake with 1 tablespoon cheese. Serve with sour cream mixture.

Recipe: Tzatziki

I haven't gotten adventurous enough to make my own gyros yet, but this yogurt-cucumber sauce makes chicken taste almost as good as lamb. It also contains a few of my other simple, natural cooking favorites: garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. I put mine on a tortilla wrap with chopped tomato and cooked chicken, and for another meal I mixed it with a bunch of veggies and chicken. Yum, a light, delightful lunch. Thanks, Cooking Light.

Tzatziki

2  cups  plain 2% low-fat Greek-style yogurt

3/4  cup  shredded seeded peeled cucumber

3  tablespoons  chopped fresh mint (I didn't have any on hand and left it out.)

2  tablespoons  chopped fresh dill

1  tablespoon  extra-virgin olive oil

1  tablespoon  fresh lemon juice

1/4  teaspoon  salt

3  garlic cloves, minced

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring well.

Three Things: Veggie Snack Meals

Since starting to cook for myself on a regular basis, I have discovered just how tasty veggies can be when prepared the way I like them. Many of my meals consist of snack-like improvisations of veggies on hand. My favorites from this week are:

1. Sweet potato chries

A cross between chips and fries. Gotta love the orange goodness.

Bake sweet potato slices coated in olive oil and salt at 425 degrees for 10 minutes or until some begin to brown.

2. Five-Layer Dip

A healthier rendition of seven-layer dip, and it tastes just as good

Layer plain Greek yogurt, black bean hummus, chopped tomatoes and green pepper, black olives. I ate it with toasted tortilla coated in olive oil.

3. Kiwi-pecan salad

My favorite quick, candy-like salad

Salad greens, sliced kiwi, sugared pecans and Annie's Naturals Light Vinaigrette 

Recipe: Summer Minestrone

The Italian influence of minestrone is what made me like pure-veggie soup for the first time. No sodium-filled chicken stock is necessary for a hearty, savory soup when you cook down carrots, onions, tomatoes and zucchini with basil, parsley and thyme and then add beans and pasta. 

Even though this is "summer" soup, I found the New York Times recipe last fall, and it became the first of my series of fall and winter soup-making Sundays that give me meals throughout the week (and then more meals when I freeze part). I tweaked the recipe a bit for my tastes (no turnips, please) and to simplify fancy pistous and bouqet garni.

Summer Minestrone 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

Salt

4 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, or 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with liquid

3/4 pound zucchini, diced

2 bay leaves

Thyme, parsley, and basil to taste

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini or borlotti beans, drained and rinsed

6 ounces green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths

1/2 cup soup pasta, such as elbow macaroni or broken spaghetti, or 3/4 cup penne

Pepper

Freshly grated Parmesan for garnish

Heat the olive oil to medium-low range in a large, heavy pot, and add the onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring about three minutes until vegetables begin to soften, and add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Continue to cook, stirring often, until tender, about five more minutes. Add the garlic, stir together for about a minute, then mix in the tomatoes. Keep stirring until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant, about 10 minutes. Stir in two quarts (8 cups) water, the zucchini and spices, and bring to a simmer. Add 2 teaspoons salt. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in the canned beans. Taste and adjust salt.

While the soup is simmering, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the green beans. Boil five minutes, until tender but still bright green. Transfer to a bowl of ice water, allow to cool, and drain. Retain the cooking water in case you want to thin the soup. (For a lazier version, omit the green beans or add canned ones.)

Add the pasta to the soup and simmer another 10 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked al dente. Stir the cooked green beans into the soup. Grind in pepper, and adjust seasonings. Soup should be savory and rich-tasting. Remove bay leaves. Sprinkle Parmesan on the top of soup once served in bowls.

Yield: Serves six to eight

Recipe: Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad

The mission: Pesto pasta salad for picnic.

The ingredients: At first I toyed with putting in pesto and mozzarella and tomatoes because I knew it would be good. But then I saw a recipe from Sweet Savory Life with creamy pesto and artichokes and peas. I don't really like peas, but the appeal of creaminess and artichokes would cover them up enough, I figured. And they did. I just tweaked my recipe to use yogurt, because in my book yogurt>mayo and Greek yogurt>plain yogurt. The end. 

The result: A flavor-packed cold pasta that got me on a kick of mixing vinaigrette-type dressings with yogurt to toss in my salads.

Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad

1/2 recipe pesto

5.3 oz. Greek yogurt (1 package)

1 package penne pasta

1 1/2 cups peas, cooked

1 can artichokes, chopped

Cook pasta. Stir prepared pesto with Greek yogurt. Mix pasta, pesto-yogurt mixture, peas and artichokes.  Serve cold.

Three Things: Fresh Penne and Basil

The challenge: three distinct ways to prepare these two items from my farmer's market booty together.The results:

1. Lemon and Feta

Most likely to be served as a light side dish

Olive oil and lemon juice mixed with warm pasta and sprinkled with chopped basil and crumbled feta.

2. Pesto Tomato

Most likely to be served in a generic Italian restaurant

Mixed penne with fresh pesto (it is the best way to serve fresh basil), parmesan and chopped cherry tomatoes.

3. Balsamic Pasta Salad

Most likely to be served in a girly lunch place

Mixed cold penne with my sweet balsamic vinaigrette (olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sugar, lemon juice), raw chopped green pepper, chopped fontina cheese and, of course, chopped basil.

Three Things: No Lettuce Required

What follows are the result of playing with my farmer's market finds after lettuce had left the building, er market (it's too hot now in mid-Mo). I boiled up a bunch of veggies on Sunday and then threw them together for lunch during the week.

1. Corn salad

This really dresses up corn, and the Fritos add crunch and super salty flavor.

Ingredients: corn chopped off the cob, chopped green peppers and crushed Fritos tossed in 50/50 plain yogurt and mayo mix.

2. Potatoes, green beans and trout salad

Such a healthy yet tasty combo of flavors that I eagerly anticipated eating it a second day in a row. 

Ingredients: Chopped boiled new potatoes, green beans cooked with onion, crumbed smoked trout (from a package) tossed in a mixture of olive oil and white vinegar

3. Peach -walnut rice salad

Light, fruity, grainy.

Ingredients: cooked brown rice (I cooked it up in the morning while showering and eating breakfast), chopped peaches and chopped walnuts tossed in a mixture of olive oil, honey and lemon juice.

Pesto Cubes

It doesn't make sense not to whip up fresh pesto you can grab a bunch of basil at the farmer's market for a buck. But because I can only use so much of it to top my pasta, sandwiches and veggies in the week it is good, I froze what I had left in an ice cube tray to easily defrost for future meals, particularly after farmer's market season (tragically!) ends. I left the Parmesan out of my pesto recipe for better freezing consistency, so I just sprinkled the cheese on foods when I added the pesto.

Before:

After a few hours in the freeze, at which point they got individually packed and placed back into their frozen hibernation:

Pesto

(Recipe from my Cuisinart food processor booklet)

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts (or walnuts)

1 clove garlic, peeled

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves, washed and completely dried

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Add nuts to the processor and chop 5 times; remove and reserve. Add garlic to processor and chop for 5 seconds. Add basil and half the olive oil. Pulse on grind 10 times, then grind continuously for 15 seconds. With the machine running on grind, add the remaining oil slowly through the holes in the lid. Process on grind for an additional 10 seconds. Add nuts and pulse 10 times on chop to blend. 

Let the pesto sit for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to develop.

Recipe: Black Bean Hummus

For lovers of hummus and black beans like myself, this Cooking Light recipe makes a simple yet tasty and healthy dip. I served mine with tortilla chips I made by baking tortilla strips sprayed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt at 425 degrees.

• 1  garlic clove, peeled
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
• 1  tablespoon  tahini (roasted sesame seed paste)
• 1  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1  (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
• 2  teaspoons  extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 
  
• Place garlic in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Add lemon juice, tahini, cumin, salt, pepper, and black beans; process until smooth. Spoon bean mixture into a bowl and drizzle with olive oil.