Garden Fresh Pesto

Basil is one of my favorite herbs. I walk by my pot of herbs and nearly swoon from the smell of the basil every time.

Basil tastes great in everything from pasta to lemon cookies (just try it!). But my all time favorite thing to do with basil is make pesto. 

If I have tons of basil, I'll make a triple batch and freeze a bunch in labeled freezer bags and it lasts all winter long. Now hear me on this one.

 There is absolutely nothing more satisfying than eating Garden Fresh Pesto in the middle of a snow packed, ice covered winter day. 

Nothing.

This is a simple recipe. You can use pine nuts if you want, you can also use macadamia nuts. And if you have a nut allergy in the family feel free to substitute the nuts for white beans. Use a drained and rinsed can of white beans and substitute the same amount. The flavor and consistency are so close that you won't even miss the nuts (or the trip to the emergency room if there really is an allergy!) Plus using beans will lower the fat and increase the amount of fiber.. you can't go wrong with that!

Enjoy and freeze this summer day forever with a batch of Garden Fresh Pesto!

On with the recipe! Happy sunshine to you and yours!

Garden Fresh Pesto
1 Cup Walnuts
7 Large Cloves Garlic
4 Cups Fresh Basil Leaves
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1/4-1/2 Cup Fresh Italian Olive Oil

1. In a food processor add the walnuts, garlic, basil leaves (really pack them in there) and the parmesan cheese.

2. Turn on the food processor and begin pouring in the olive oil. Start with 1/4 cup and see if you need more. The consistency should be that of a smooth paste (think hummus or baking soda toothpaste). It should be smooth, but not watery or loose. If need be add additional olive oil 1 tablespoon at a time as you process. Scrape down the bowl of the processor once or twice throughout.

3. Add salt and pepper to taste and give it one more whirl for a few seconds to incorporate!

4. Seal tightly in a jar and use immediately! This can also be put into zip lock bags and frozen for up to 4 months! I love to do this in the summer and in the dead of winter I thaw a package and make summer fresh pesto pasta just to remind us that the ground does thaw.

Servings: 30-33 (1 tbsp. per serving)

Nutritional Skinny:

 107 calories / 4.5 g fat / .6 g carbohydrates / .4 g fiber / 1.2 g protein

Mental Health Tid Bit: For me there is nothing that feels better than making a lot of something yummy that will help me build meals in a hurry some day in the future when I may be tired, frazzled, over worked, or just plain exhausted. This pesto freezes for up to 4-5 months and can be thawed quickly in luke warm water and added to your favorite whole wheat pasta and some chicken and you have an instant home made meal. Having this around is like having a winning lotto ticket hanging around... it provides me comfort and security. Hopefully it will do the same for you!

Salmon and other welcome house guests

We recently had a house full. I mean the house was literally bursting at the seems. Mornings looked like left overs from a raging college party... bodies every where. We are used to that here. Living on the lake, summertime brings all of our friends and family to us for a much deserved vacation on their part. We joke that we open a Bed and Breakfast every summer. Entertaining guests with a few days in between to clean, flip sheets, and prepare for the next round.

What I have come to understand is that with house guests comes work, chaos, laughter, and sometimes when we are really really lucky... special treats.  This last three weeks we have entertained my cousin Jim from Alaska. To say he is a handful is an understatement, but he always comes bearing gifts. This time he came with beautiful Alaskan Jade earrings (shaped like eagles no less), widdled Diamond willow, and a bountiful supply of fresh caught Alaskan salmon. 

We struck gold and we knew it. He knew it would guarantee that we wouldn't kick him out too. He is a smart man.. family after all. We have spent the last three weeks concocting all sorts of delicious treasures with this salmon. The recipes that follow are mouth-wateringly delicious if I don't say so myself. All of the recipes start with a simple recipe for Grilled Salmon and go from there. 

The Pesto Cream Sauce was the perfect marriage with the grilled salmon and the Lemon Dill Sauce my dad now wants to start putting on everything... including breakfast cereal. And I made an entire meal out of the Smoked Salmon Dip and a glass of wine. It was just that good.

Now I sit in a still house. Just me, my boyfriend, and Frankie (our one kitty circus). The weather has turned bringing a cold rain and fog that blanket us for day. I am still recovering from the house guests, but today is a good day with the quiet hum of the heater, the sounds of my cat wanting my attention, and Scott sipping his morning coffee. Life is Good.

Not to mention, I still have leftover salmon that my cousin thoughtfully left behind just for me... Ssshhhh. Don't tell anyone where I live! I am locking the door!

Alaskan Salmon Cream Cheese Dip

 1 cup low fat sour cream
8 ounces low fat cream cheese
1 tbsp. lemon grass (we use the Nature's Garden in the tube)
Juice of one lemon
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1/4 cup fresh dill
1/4 cup fresh chives
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups smoked salmon (reserve 1/2 cup)

1. Combine the sour cream, cream cheese, lemon grass, lemon juice, garlic, dill, chives, salt, and 1 1/2 cup smoked salmon in the food processor. Process for 30 second pulses until smooth and ingredients incorporated.

2. Transfer to a large bowl and roughly chop the remaining half cup of the salmon and stir in. This will leave delicious chunks in the dip.

3. Serve with pita chips, fresh pea pods, and sliced cheese and pears for a delightful light lunch or snack before dinner. A little apertif!

Grilled Fresh Salmon

2 pounds fresh Alaskan salmon
1 lemon; sliced thinly
Handful of fresh dill sprigs
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. cracked pepper

1. Place the salmon fillets on a foil lined cookie sheet with the skin side down. Sprinkle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Place the fresh dill sprigs and lemon slices on the flesh of each fillet.

2. Heat the grill to 350 degrees. Once hot, place the foil on the grill and close the lid. Cook for 15-20 minutes depending on how thick the fillets are. You will know they are done with the skin begins to sweat white beads. This tells you that the fish is done!

3. Remove from the grill and serve alongside the Lemon Dill Sauce (recipe below)!

Cream Lemon Dill Sauce

 1 cup low fat sour cream

1/4 cup fresh dill

Juice of one lemon

3 cloves garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Combine the sour cream, dill, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor and process until ingredients have been combined and are smooth.

2. Transfer to a bowl and serve alongside grilled salmon. 

Fresh From the Garden Pesto


1 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup walnuts (or pine nuts)
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil

1. Combine the basil, walnuts, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and olive oil in a food processor. Process until smooth. That's it! It's really that easy and delicious.


Pesto Cream Sauce

1. Use the fresh from the garden pesto from recipe above. Place the pesto in a sauce pan and add 1/2 cup fat free half and half! Heat over medium heat for 10 minutes stirring with a whisk until it is hot and bubbly. That's IT!

Serve over the top of the salmon and add a few diced sun dried tomatoes (optional) for an added punch. You will be licking your plate.. well, I'm pretty sure anyway!

Alaskan Thai Chowder

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large white onion; diced

6 cloves garlic; minced

1 cup carrots; diced

1 cup zucchini; diced

1 can (12 ounces) sliced mushrooms

1 teaspoon red curry powder

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon fresh minced or dried ginger

1 tablespoon lemon grass (we use the bottle of Gourmet Gardens)

1 can (14 ounces) lite coconut milk

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

1 can (16 ounces) sweet corn

l lb. cooked salmon; chunked (use the leftovers from the grilled recipe above)

2 cups fresh snow peas
3 tablespoons fresh Thai basil

1. In a large skillet drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and saute for 3-5 minutes or until the onions begin to blonde and become translucent. Add the carrots, zucchini, and mushrooms. Continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes.

 2. Transfer the vegetables to a large soup or stock pot and continue cooking over high heat. Add the red curry powder, turmeric, cumin, ginger, lemon grass, coconut milk, chicken broth, and sweet corn to the pot. Continue cooking over low heat for 30 minutes. The flavors will fill the house with an intoxicating aroma!

3. After 30 minutes, add the fresh snow peas, salmon chunks, and Thai basil to the pot and continue cooking for 5-7 minutes just to heat the peas and salmon through. 

4. Serve in a low with organic grown Indian Basmati rice (we follow the directions on the package, but use low sodium chicken broth instead of water to enhance flavors). Top with fresh cilantro and serve with soft bread for dipping up the soup's delicious juices.

Mental Health Tip: Okay. Here is the skinny on dealing with crazy house guests and relatives. Love them no matter what and embrace their idiosyncrasies. Life is good, but only when there is diversity, new ideas, and people to laugh and share with. I don't care how crazy your family is.. love them because of this. I call it the good kind of crazy! And when all else fails,  get some salmon and start cooking. Good, healthy food cures everything! Even frazzled nerves!

Bringing you fresh fish, omega-3's and healthy back to school blessings!

~ "Too Lovely" Hot Messes in recovery!

The Perfect Beginning

My mom and dad's favorite food is Italian and if I could speak Italian and live anywhere, I would choose Italy. Naturally, making Italian food is something we do a lot. Last Friday night I had a romantic dinner with my mom and myboyfriend to celebrate our (my honey and I's) 5 month anniversary. Yes, I just said a romantic dinner with my honey and my mom. Romance apparently doesn't just come in duos. I made us a fabulous Italian Flag Dip, Eggplant Parmesean, and home made Scarborough Fair Herb Bread. My honey had driven 4 hours and it was excruciating waiting for him and just as I walk to the front door to check on his arrival, guess who approaches. You guessed it, Scott, in perfect timing. Just as I open the door to take a picture of what 'waiting' looks like, he rounds our big van all smiles. We welcome him to our Italian lake house and wrap him in the scents of Italy. His road fatigue vanished as hand him a fabulous Malbec wine that I hand picked up for this occasion.

I clinked glasses with him wishing him a happy 5 month anniversary and he looked surprised and I laughed. "Don't worry, I just figured it out this morning while we were at the grocery store." He laughed and the three of us sat down to a delicious Italian meal. Scott said, "You didn't have to wait for me." My mom and I being nonstop cooks in search of guests to eat the endless supply of food we prepare so we don't eat it all replied, "Of course not, we wanted to. We needed someone to eat all this food!" We have our own alterior motives, you must understand.

We sat around the table and feasted on Fresh Baked Scarborough Fair Herb bread, Eggplant Parmesean, Italian Flag Dip, and of course a lovely salad of fresh romaine and tomatoes tossed in a light vinegar and oil. It was the perfect beginning to what turned out to be a perfect weekend. Let yourself enjoy a perfect beginning too!

Italian Flag Dip

3 large tomatoes; diced

3 cloves garlic; minced

1/2 cup fresh basil; chopped
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. parmesean cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients above and serve with bread toasts or really good crackers for a delicious spin on one of our favorites, the Italian flag. This is similar to a salsa, but made Italian style!

Eggplant Parmesean

1 large eggplant

2 tbsp. low fat olive oil mayo
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
4 cups tomato sauce
2 tbsp. garlic
2 tbsp. italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice eggplant into half inch circles leaving skin on. Spread each side of slices with mayo and dredge through panko bread crumbs. Place in one layer on a greased cookie sheet. Bake eggplant slices for 20 minutes. They will be softened.

Meanwhile, combine tomato sauce, garlic, and italian seasoning in a bowl.

To create, grease a baking dish with olive oil spray. Place 1/4 cup of tomato sauce on the bottom. Layer slices of cooked eggplant on the bottom of the dish and cover with 1/4 cup of shredded cheese. Place another layer of eggplant and continue layering with tomato sauce and shredded cheese until all ingredients are used up. Bake in 325 degree oven for 25 minutes.

Cool for 5 minutes and then serve on top of spaghetti noodles and alongside the salad and bread recipes below! :)

Scarbourough Fair Herb Bread

3 cups bread flour

3 cups whole wheat flour
2 tbsp. honey
2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tbsp. active dry yeast
2 3/4 cup warm water
4 tbsp. dried parsley
2 tsp. sage
2 tsp. rosemary
2 tbsp. melted butter

Grease two 9 x 5 loaf pans.

Combine 1/4 cup warm water, honey, and yeast. Whisk together and let sit about5 minutes. It will begin bubbling indicating that it is getting happy!

Combine 2 cups whole wheat flour and 2 cups bread flour and salt and 2 1/2 cups of warm water. Add the yeast mixture to the flour and water mixture and continue stiring to combine. Add the rest of the flour, 1 cup of whole wheat and 1 cup of bread flour.

Stir until smooth and gently kneed the dough with your hands, covering your hands with flour before kneeding to avoid having the dough stick to your fingers.

Cover and put in a warm place and let rise for an hour. It will double in size.

After an hour kneed the dough for another 25 strokes and divide the dough in half evenly and place half in each of the loaf pans.

Cover and let rise for another hour and it will once again double in size.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees after 30 minutes and continue to cook for 15 minutes covering the bread with foil to prevent over browing. Bread will sound hollow when you tap on the top. This is a good thing!

After the last 15 minutes, remove the bread from the oven and brush with melted butter. Cool for 15 minutes and serve immediately. These two loaves will serve 16-20 people... Maybe!

Mental Health Tip: Don't freak if someone is running behind or you forget something semi important. It is never too late to grab a bottle of wine, an eggplant, and some lettuce and make any day special. Even if there isn't a special occasion, treat yourself to one. If you don't deserve a special occasion, who does? I mean really. You deserve a Mental Health Day every once and a while. Celebrate your mental stability.. even if you aren't at the moment! :)

Here is to new beginnings from your kitchen from ours!

~ "Too Lovely" Hot Messes in the kitchen