Introduce a Little Parsley to Your Pesto

Fresh herbs and produce are arguably some of the most exciting aspects of the summer months. Farmer's markets are open and stocked full of everything from peaches to crisp lettuce, yellow corn and fresh lemonade. Obviously, I love it. Last summer I was obsessed with growing anything I could in an apartment setting. I wasn't totally successful, but this year our apartment has much better access to direct sunlight and I've been able to grow basil, aloe, and mint. Parsley is another herb that I've come to love. Flat-leaf parsley has a very distinct flavor that freshens any dish.

A few weeks ago, my best friends and I got together for a "girl's night" last hurrah before our friend gave birth to her baby (which happened yesterday!). My friend, Kelsey, made the most amazing pot of basil pesto over spaghetti (and was nice enough to cook gluten-free pasta for me)! Ever since then, I've had a serious craving for spaghetti and pesto. So when I saw a recipe in bon appetit magazine that used parsley, instead of basil, as a pesto, I was interested in trying it.

Parsley Pesto with Spaghetti 
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 pound spaghetti
2 cups packed fresh flat-leaf parsley
3/4 chopped fresh chives
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups pasta cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, pulse walnuts in a food processor until smooth. Add parsley, chives, oil, and Parmesan; process until smooth. Season pesto with salt and pepper.

Toss pasta and pesto in a large bowl, adding pasta cooking liquid by 1/4-cupfuls until saucy (because you might not need the full amount). Season with salt and pepper.

Adapted from bon appetit magazine. 

Coconut Ginger Soup

Ever since going gluten-free, I have had trouble finding soups that don't contain gluten fillers. This is especially difficult because the kinds of soups I most prefer are bisques, thicker soups usually made by pureeing the ingredients together. I had the place all to myself last night and decided that I'd make my own gluten-free soup, one that I could repeat and love!

One of my favorite cuisines are Indian and Thai, both of which tend to use a lot of coconut milk in their food. Needless to say, I've become obsessed with this stuff. I almost always have a can or two in my kitchen at any given time. 

But it's been a while since I made a good soup. The last soup I attempted to make was an Indian mulligatawny soup with lentils (and also coconut milk). It did not turn out well. Also, my hubby doesn't prefer to have soup for dinner (or lunch, really) because he doesn't find them substantial enough. As a result, I really don't make soup too often. But since I'm trying to curb the type of snack foods I eat, I picked up a few ingredients to make myself a soup snack during the week. This recipe was a success.

Coconut Ginger Soup

Adapted from Gloriously Gluten-Free Cookbook

Makes about 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup sliced mushrooms

2 cups loosely packed spinach leaves

2 tablespoons grated ginger

1 tbs oil

3 cups vegetable stock

2 14 oz. cans coconut milk

1/2 tablespoon cornstarch

3 tablespoons brown sugar

Cayenne pepper to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add spinach, mushrooms, and ginger and cook while stirring, until the spinach begins to wilt, about 2 minutes. 

Add 2 1/2 cups of the broth to pot and stir well. Bring to a boil and add the coconut milk and cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring, about 3 to 4 minutes. 

In a small bowl, combine the last 1/2 cup of broth with cornstarch and stir until smooth. Pour the mixture into the soup and stir well. Add the brown sugar. Cook until desired thickness is reached, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with cilantro as a garnish. 

Blackened Chicken with Cilantro Lime Couscous

This time of year, it's typical for one to find me with my face buried in a mountain of papers and books. My life becomes engulfed by the copious amounts of rough drafts, papers, and reading that sometimes I enjoy, sometimes I do not (I'm looking at you Ford Maddox Ford...) 

Either way, I eventually have to come up for air... which usually means a quick pop over to Pinterest. It was during one of these interludes that I found a recipe that made me very very hungry. 

I know I can only speak for myself, but I love me some cilantro. Really, I could eat this stuff just as it is. I love the smell, the taste, how it looks. Yeah, I have a slightly obsessive nature. 

Blackened Chicken with Cilantro Lime Couscous

4 servings

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, defrosted

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 tsp curry

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne (if you really like spicy food, you can up this to 1/4 tsp)

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup lime juice

1 box couscous

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 can chicken stock

1 avocado

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

Combine all of the dry seasonings in a bowl; sprinkle over both sides of the chicken, rubbing the mixture into the chicken breasts. Heat olive oil over medium heat for a minute and add the chicken. Cook covered for 7 minutes on each side.

In a pan, heat the can of chicken stock until it's just begun to boil. Immediately remove from heat, stir in the couscous, cover and let sit for 5 minutes; fluff with a fork. Add chopped cilantro and lime juice. Stir to combine. 

In a blender/food processor, add the flesh of the avocado and the Greek yogurt. Blend until it's your desired thickness level. 

Slice chicken and serve on a bed of couscous with the cream sauce dolloped on top. Voila! 

Pretty easy right? Other things to love about this meal: it's low in sodium and the chicken is great lean protein. Do yourself a favor: have another serving.

Lemon Garlic Marinated Chicken on Wilted Spinach

Chicken and I don't always get along. I'm incredibly finicky about eating meat; I guess I just expect them to be perfect cuts of meat. If there's any fat, grissle, or weirdness, I lose my appetite.
But then I married someone who ALWAYS prefers to have meat for dinner and had to start whipping up meat recipes. 

Since then, I've mastered the art of cooking a moist, flavorful piece of chicken breast and have now garnered the ability to improvise sans recipes. 

 

I learned (by experimentation) that adding salt and pepper to the defrosted chicken breasts seals in moisture while the chicken cooks. No matter what recipe I'm making, I always always start with this first step. 

Pouring olive oil over the pieces also increases moisture threshold. Also, when it's mixed in with the lemon juice, it formed a sort of glaze that you can use to cook the chicken.

 

I opened up my fridge and found an overabundance of garlic and lemon juice. I incorporated plenty of both!

Lemon Garlic Marinated Chicken on Wilted Spinach recipe

Serves 2

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, defrosted

Salt and pepper

1/3 cup olive oil

A spoonful of minced garlic

1/3 cup of lemon juice

Rub defrosted chicken with salt and pepper and place in dish. Pour the olive oil over the chicken. Add the spoonful of garlic; make sure that some garlic sits on each piece. Pour the lemon juice over the chicken. Place lid on dish, or cover, and let sit in fridge for at least 2 hours. 

Once marinated, place chicken in saute pan, pour remaining liquid in pan, and cook for about 10-15 minutes. 

Serve on a bed of spinach that has been dipped in olive oil. (It softens the spinach). 

Enjoy!