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!

Seafood Cakes and 2-Ingredient Remoulade Sauce

It's Monday again... Anyone wishing it was still Saturday? Sort of like your Give-a-Damn's busted?

Sounds like a case of the Mondays. Well, I have a little treat for you today. In case you haven't heard it's officially Spring! What does that mean for me out here in Montana? 


Not much. The weather outside is a nice warm 33 degrees with cloudy and a chance of more cloudy and rain. What's your weather like? I hope a little more sunny than ours. 


But the good news is that I have a delicious and simple recipe for you and your loved ones tonight... Seafood Cakes! 


Come on Seafood in cake form? Does it get anymore spring-like than this? And the beauty about this gorgeous seafood cake recipe is that it's interchangeable. You can use crab meat, salmon, cod, swordfish, whatever is your favorite! They come together so easily that you might think you missed a step, but you didn't!


And we are going to bake them rather than fry them in a skillet. This does two things for us:


1. It cuts down on the oil that is absorbed in the cakes, thus less fat that we eat, but more importantly;


2. We have free time to linger on the deck with a glass of wine or jump in the hot tub while the oven is doing the work for us! 

It's brilliant really! And the crispy outer shell is still there in that first, second, and third bite! This recipe is so easy it's a perfect "Case of the Mondays" sort of dinner. I also included a really easy recipe for Remoulade Sauce to pour over the top if you so desire. It has two ingredients and uses the new and delicious Philadelphia Cooking Creme product! 

We made Crab cakes and Salmon Cakes and they were both delicious this way! We also steamed some asparagus in the microwave for 5-7 minutes alongside and made some delicious Hush Puppies (recipe coming soon!) It was perfect all the way around!

Happy Spring to each of you and thanks for stopping by. If you want to brag about your weather go ahead and make a comment. I'd love to be jealous!

Seafood Cakes

1 (6 ounce) can Lump Crab Meat (or Salmon, Swordfish, etc.)
1 Egg
1 tbsp. Parmesan Cheese
1 tsp. Parsley
1 tsp. Garlic; minced
1/4 cup Celery; minced
2 tbsp. Cornbread crumbs (you can also use regular bread crumbs)
1/2 tsp. pepper


1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine the crab meat (or seafood of your choice), egg, Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic, celery, cornbread crumbs, and pepper in a large bowl. Mix until it becomes thick and delicious looking.
3. Form into 4 small cakes and place on a cookie sheet. Make sure to spray the cookie sheet with non-fat cooking spray. 


4. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Done! They will turn out crisp and delicious!


Servings: 4 (one cake)




Nutritional Skinny: 

61.3 calories / 2 g fat / 6.3 g carbohydrates / .5 g fiber / 4.2 g protein 

2-Ingredient Remoulade Sauce


10 ounces Santa Fe Philadelphia Cream Cheese Cooking Creme
1/2 cup Low Fat Milk (or fat free half and half)


1. Combine the Cooking creme and the milk in a sauce pan. Heat over medium heat until hot and bubbly. About 5 minutes! Pour over your seafood cakes and delicious!


Servings: 8 (approx 1/4 cup)


Nutritional Skinny:


60 calories / 4 g fat / 3.2 g carbohydrates / 0 g fiber / 2.5 g protein



Mental Health Benefit: This recipe is super easy, doesn't take a lot of time, and isn't high in fat or calories. You can turn your blah's upside down by becoming a success in the world of the kitchen. Plus by baking these instead of frying them, you save yourself time and calories. It's a perfect way to get over the hump and start feeling good about yourself and the new beginnings that spring always brings along with it.

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!