Fantastic Homemade Pesto Made More Affordable

I had to share my affordable and super tasty pesto sauce recipe made with walnuts vs. expensive pine nuts due to the amazing responses I received for my ‘great grilled cheese sandwiches’ that had pesto and goat cheese. Use this pesto over pasta, as bread spreads, to kick up your garlic bread, and as dollops over grilled steak or chicken…uses are limitless! Enjoy!…

• 1-1/2 cups of fresh basil (I can usually grab a package for $2.00 at my local Latino grocery store) – Just rinse really well.
• 3-4 large garlic cloves-minced
• 1/2 cup water-or less
• 3/4 cup olive oil -or less (I happen to have spanish olive oil which provides a little extra taste similar to that of extra virgin olive oil.)
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1-1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese (it doesn’t have to be parmegiano reggiano which is super expensive – but do not use that stuff from the green can people – oh you know exactly what I am talking about) – And grating it yourself also saves on money. I can usually get a decent brand for $5-6 dollars a good sized wedge that lasts me a month from the cheese section at the large grocery store- and I use slivers of it over salads, and any pasta dishes.
• Kosher or sea salt & freshly cracked pepper
• ***Equipment needed:
• Blender or Food Processor (I have made pesto in both successfully), cutting board, paper towels or clean hand towels

1. This pesto is a creamy pesto which normally does not separate – Adding water also ‘extends’ the product.
2. Also note that mature basil plants (in late August – should you grow your own) will create a more-peppery tasting pesto – versus pesto you may make in May – So in fact you may want to use less of the basil if your leaves are extra big – heck just taste them, put them in your mouth and you will see what I mean. Now take a piece of a little-bitty leaf – tastes different doesn’t it? OK, now that, that’s out of the way – whew! Back to the directions.
3. ***
4. Rinsing and washing your basil well, gently shake off any excess water.
5. Break or pinch with your fingers (hey get the kids, let them do this work) off any stems and place leaves on paper towels or clean hand towels. Roll them up in paper towels to gently squeeze any extra moisture out of leaves.
6. Mince leaves on cutting board as best as you can and place into blender or food processor. (Minced leaves will leave you with about 3/4 cups of basil which is perfect)
7. Add your freshly grated cheese, minced garlic, and walnuts to food processor.
8. Pulse several times.
9. Add half cup of the olive oil and then it’s time turn on blender or food processor to max.
10. Stop a few times to carefully scrape down any product that may have climbed up the sides.
11. Add 1/4 cup or more of water. Turn your machine on again, let water get incorporated.
12. Now taste-test your pesto – add freshly cracked pepper and salt to your liking.
13. Add the rest of the olive oil and/or water should you wish a slightly thinner pesto” And just pulse a few more times to incorporate.
14. Pesto lasts for at least 2 weeks in a sealed container in the fridge.
15. You can also freeze the pesto too – perfect for those of you who have grown too much basil.
16. Let pesto stand out from the fridge for 10 minutes before using to make spreading it easier.
17. When adding to pastas, a little goes a long way.

Enjoy! Leah’s Pesto-Made Easy And Affordable @ Group Recipes

Top Not Cream of Tomato Soup

Easy to make and oh so satisfying, I made this in advance of oral surgery (yeah, I know, ugh!) when I knew I wouldn’t be able to cope the next day. This creamy yet full of needed vitamins soup kept my head afloat, and more. This one is a keeper and of course it goes great with rustic grilled cheese sandwiches and is perfectly great on a cold rainy or wintry day too. This recipe is also handy to have on hand since one usually always has all the ingredients needed in their kitchen…

And remember, tomatoes are super good for you and also help your lungs function properly- so eat your veggies!

• 2 large cans of whole plum tomatoes in their juices (28 oz sized cans)
• 2 stalks celery-diced
• 2 carrots-diced
• 1 med. onion-diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 5 slices of bacon chopped up
• salt and fresh ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon parsley (optional)
• 1 cup cream, yes cream – half-n-half is ok to use as well as other substitutes like skimmed milk, but try and use the cream if you can – hey quick no one is looking!
• freshly ground Parmesan cheese to top it all off once ready to serve
• Equipment Needed: blender, soup pot with cover

1. In a large bowl open up cans of tomatoes and put into bowl.
2. Slice up bacon and place with a little olive oil into the cold soup pot. On medium heat, let bacon slowly crisp up.
3. While bacon is cooking, with own hands, carefully crush up tomatoes in large bowl – do your best not to squish onto yourself the tomato juices.
4. Once bacon is done, strain out bacon, but leave fat in.
5. Take diced up celery, carrots, onion and fresh ground pepper and let sweat in bacon fat till onion is translucent. Mmm getting there already! Sweat vs. sautée which means low to medium heat.
6. Add garlic, continue sweating (not you, but the vegetables) for two minutes, add “hand-crushed” tomatoes to pot.
7. Let simmer at least 45 minutes with cover on soup pot.
8. Taste and add salt as necessary. Let soup cool down considerably before attempting to putting it into blender to liquidfy all soup in order to avoid blender popping its top and making a mess in your kitchen. Using a hand blender is great too and you can do it while it’s still hot.
9. Next add cream while heat is low. It’s now ready to serve.
10. Serve with rustic bread grilled cheeses if you like, sprinkle fresh parsley, the grated cheese, sprinkler with bacon bits and voila – the perfect top notch creamy tomato soup!

Top Notch Creamy Tomato Soup @ Group Recipes

Tomatoes are full of licypene, a known antioxidant and are full of vitamins C, A and K. Some studies are starting to show that they help support lung functions specifically two powerful compounds found in tomatoes-coumaric acid and chlorogenic acid-are thought to block the effects of nitrosamines. These are compounds that not only are formed naturally in the body, but also are the strongest carcinogen in tobacco smoke. By blocking the effects of these nitrosamines, the chances of lung cancer are reduced significantly. Who Knew!?!

Feel free to come by and check out my many other recipes too for happy and healthy eating:Divaliscious Recipes @ Group Recipes

Leah Quinn is a writer specializing on food, health and entertainment and is a multi-media artist living in New York.

Leah’s Loveable Croûtons

Leah’s Lovable Croûtons

With all the homemade bread I make, I sometimes don’t get around to having it all eaten – what to do? Make croûtons of course…besides making incredible breadcrumbs for your next chicken bake, why don’t you have handy homemade croûtons for your fantastic salads and sensational soups too – they too deserve top billing – in this case topped with your homemade croûtons!

Quick and easy and baked in the oven vs. fried up in a pan. Keeps for three weeks in a covered container should they last that long……

• Stale bread, homemade bread, unused Italian bread – use a rustic bread of any sorts, don’t have any? Use at least a multi-grained bread for added interest over plain old white bread – wonder bread will not work here kids!
• Let bread out for a few days, at least one day if using fresh bread.
• (I used my sun-dried tomato bread that was left over from last weekend that maybe some of you saw the recipe and topped my last bowl of Top Notch Tomato Soup with them today) – wow oh wow!
• Dashes and several shakes of all the following herbs:
• garlic powder, freshly ground pepper, red chili flakes, dried mustard, celery salt and a good amount of herbs de province (by this time you know it’s a favorite of mine) and a little salt.
• Olive Oil
• ****Equipment Needed:
• Bowl, spoon, cookie sheet, one working oven at 350 degrees

1. Slice up your stale bread, up into crouton sized bites and place into bowl.
2. Drizzle slowly a little olive oil over bread cubes. Stir up bread cubes, till coated with the olive oil.
3. I usually drizzle, stir, then drizzle a little more and stir again, this way all cubes are lightly “basted” with the olive oil.
4. You will do the same procedure as above as you add each spice.
5. If you don’t ( I have learned this from experience), one half of your bread cubes will have the seasonings, the other half not)
6. And by adding the olive oil first, your chosen herbs and spices will stick to your bread cubes.
7. Add each herb and spice, a shake here a dash there…depending upon your bread you chose for this task, select your herbs accordingly.
8. My sun-dried tomato bread had lots of garlic, so I didn’t need to add much garlic powder for example.
9. Place and level coated bread cubes on cookie sheet and place in oven.
10. After five minutes, check on them, using metal spatula or spoon turn over your bread cubes, and bake for another 3-5 minutes.
11. Let cool, then store in an air-tight container with lid in the refrigerator and enjoy!

Check out this recipe and many more of my recipes by clicking below.

Leahs Loveable Croutons @ Group Recipes