Mint Pesto Couscous
To get the recipe and shopping list on your smartphone (iPhone, BlackBerry, Android device) or PC, click here:
Pasta with pesto has always been one of my staple comfort foods but it can get a little repetitive when it's your go-to meal.
To change it up, I like to substitute couscous for the pasta. Couscous is also a wheat grain but the texture and flavor are very different from pasta. While bland on its own, couscous absorbs flavors much better than pasta.
Couscous is also quicker cooking and requires no draining. You simply pour boiling water over the couscous, bring it to a simmer, turn off the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes.
This recipe substitutes mint for basil in the pesto, which adds a summery freshness and fragrance. However you can really use any green leafy herbs that are lying around if you are looking to empty your fridge.
Special Fork is a recipe website for your smartphone and PC that solves the daily dinnertime dilemma: what to cook now! Our bloggers blog Monday through Friday to give you cooking inspiration. Check out our recipe database for quick ideas that take no more than 30 minutes of prep time. Join the conversation on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
What I do with all my zucchini/courgettes!
In this video I show you a really quick recipe which uses up all the courgettes produced in abundance at this time of year and which means they can be enjoyed for the rest of the year as a delicious soup, a pasta sauce, used on home made pizzas or added to all sorts of dishes.
How to make Tomato and Courgette Soup/ Pasta Sauce/ pizza topping
Ingredients
25g butter
2 onions , chopped
I clove of garlic, crushed
1kg courgette , sliced
1kg tomatoes, chopped or a can of tinned tomatoes
1 red chilli pepper, seed removed and chopped
1 carton of passata
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp turmeric
2 L or vegetable or chicken stock from cubes
crusty bread , to serve (optional)
Method
STEP 1
Melt the butter in a large pan, add the onions, garlic and courgettes, and cook for 5 mins on a medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add a red chilli pepper if you want an extra kick!
STEP 2
Add the tomatoes and flour. Cook for a couple of mins, stirring around to stop the flour from becoming lumpy. Add the turmeric and stock, cover and simmer for 30 mins.
STEP 3
Purée with a stick blender. Add salt and pepper to season. Serve as hot soup with crusty bread, garnish with a swirl
of cream or pesto sauce and top with fresh basil or chives.
To serve with pasta, lightly fry small mushrooms and/or bacon. Add sauce and stir in fresh spinach or chopped kale and wilt into sauce. Add cream cheese if you want a creamer sauce and add cooked pasta of your choice.
This sauce is also great on home made pizzas or in lasagna. For a very low calorie meal, serve with courgetti, spiralise zucchini and use in place of spaghetti (an entire meal made with courgettes- is that too much???)
Other courgette recipes:
Courgette, Walnut and cinnamon layer cake
(This is a big cake and great for a special occasion, it also freezes well)
Ingredients
For the sponge:
3 large eggs
300ml (10.5 fl oz) sunflower oil
300g (10.5oz) soft light brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
300g (10.5 oz) plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
300g (10.5 oz) peeled and grated courgette/ zucchini
100g (3.5 oz) walnuts roughly chopped plus extra to decorate
(I found these amounts made way too much frosting and was enough for two cakes, I froze the excess which worked and used it the next time I made the cake, I put frosting on top and in the middle but not on the sides)
For the frosting:
240g (8 1/2 oz) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon plus extra for dusting
750g (1lb 10oz) icing sugar
75g (2 1/2oz) plain Greek yogurt
Three 20cm (8inch diameter) loose bottomed sandwich tins
Method
STEP 1
Preheat the oven to 170•c (325•F) and line the tins with parchment
STEP 2
Mix together eggs, sunflower oil, sugar and vanilla essence in an electric mixer until combined
STEP 3
Sift flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and ground spices. Turn down the mixer and slowly add until all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Lastly add the courgette/ zucchini and chopped nuts to the batter and mix thoroughly
STEP 4
Divide the cake mixture evenly between the three prepared tins and bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden on top and springy to touch. Allow the cakes to cool completely
STEP 5
While the cakes are cooling make the frosting. Mix together the butter, cinnamon and icing sugar using an electric mixer. Mix well until it is a sandy consistency
STEP 6
Add the yogurt and mix on a low speed until ingredients are combined and then increase the speed and beat until
Light and fluffy
STEP 7
Once the cake layers have fully cooled, place the first layer of the sponge on a plate and top with 3-4 tbsps of frosting smoothing it out with a palette knife. Add the next layer and repeat. add the final layer and use the remaining frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake
STEP 8
To finish, make a swirl pattern in the frosting the tip of the palette knife. Dust with ground cinnamon and decorate with walnut pieces
Rustic Courgette, Pine Nut and Ricotta Tart
(I used 2 x 10’’ quiche tins)
Ingredients
2 at lap Olive oil
4 small courgettes, chopped into discs
2 x 250g ricotta
4 eggs
Basil leaves shredded
A grating of nutmeg
50g / 2 oz Parmesan cheese grated
1 large garlic clove crushed
500g block puff pastry
Flour for dusting
A large handful of pinenuts
Method
STEP 1
Heat oven to 200•C. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry chopped courgettes for 5mins unt golden around edges then set aside. I. A bowl beat Ricotta with eggs, basil, nutmeg, half the Parmesan and garlic set aside.
STEP 2
Roll out pastry into quiche tins., ensuring enough to cover sides. Add the ricotta mix and press courgette slices into ricotta then scatter with pale nuts, add remaining Parmesan.
STEP 3
Bake for 30mins until golden and leave to cool. Can be enjoyed warm or cold.
Roasted Courgettes
Preheat oven to 200•C. Cut courgettes into chunks, toss with olive oil and fresh thyme and roast in the oven for 40 mins.
FOODCOMMANDER (Episode 11: Like Grains of Sand)
The FOODCOMMANDER is not willing to make nice. In his cooking show, he will bluntly tell you what's good and bad, right or wrong. Follow his command and you will eat like a chef!
Episode 11: Morrocan Couscous Taboulé
2021 Fall Stock Up | Large Family Pantry, Freezer & Household Stock Up | Huge Grocery Haul
Here is our Fall 2021 annual pantry, freezer, & household stock up. We live an hour and half from the nearest Sam's Club, that is a 3 hour round trip in good weather. Costco is even farther from our house. In rain. sleet or snow, travel time can double to each of these stores. Stocking up each fall saves us not only time but money as well. We only have one local grocery store and it is rather pricey and has only basic items. We cook most meals at home and rarely go out to eat in restaurants. We live in the country and have chickens, a garden, an orchard, berry bushes, grapes, maple trees, a pond stocked with trout and honey bees. We preserve much of the food we produce and buy basic items in bulk to save money. Hope you enjoy this years major haul. Shelby
Book Cooks - CSA Week 16 - Simply Tomato!
Book Cooks is back, now through November with our special CSA box videos! Thanks to the Township Green Team for arranging for the Library to be a drop off spot for the Flocktown Farm CSA box! Ever wonder what sort of creative dishes you can cook up with all of those greens and veggies? Each week, Allyssa will show you what was in her small share box and some cookbooks from the Library's collection that have creative recipes. Come browse our cookbooks! Happy Cooking!
The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook – America’s Test Kitchen
• Braised asparagus, peas, radishes, and tarragon – fresh herbs and radishes
• Spiced Beef or Lamb Stuffed Bell Peppers with Feta – any of the peppers or bell peppers
• Roasted Green Beans with Pecorino and Pine Nuts – Dragon Tongue String Beans
• Braised Green Beans with Potatoes and Basil – tomatoes, Dragon Tongue String Beans, fresh herbs
• Braised Kale
• Roasted Winter Squash with Tahini and Feta – can use your delicata squash!
Simply Tomato – Martha Holmberg
• Penne with Blasted Tomatoes, Fennel, and Salami
• Beans with Tomato and Savory – Dragon Tongue String Beans, scallions, tomatoes
• Tomato, Turkey, and Havarti turnovers – including a recipe for tomato jam!
• Chicken Schnitzel with Fennel and Tomato Salad
• Pasta with Tomato, Leeks, Brown Butter
Sips & Dips with Dr. Susanna Hoffman Premiere Episode
Welcome to the premiere episode of our Sips & Dips Series featuring Dr. Susanna Hoffman. We will explore the origins and history of amazing recipes from the Mediterranean region with a focus on Greece. We will also pair these recipes with fantastic wines and have great Q & A sessions for the viewers. Please join us as we discover a Mint Pesto recipe with Retsina!
Download the app: