Three things to make with pesto

Healthy eating often comes down to having healthy options available when you are hungry or craving something. Having your home-made pesto on hand gives you several healthy options.

...But once you make your own pesto though…it’s hard to go back to a store bought version,...

BASIL PESTO

Ingredients

-2 cups packed fresh basil leaves

-100 g pine nuts, roasted

-1/2 lemon (juice and zest)

-~15 cl extra-virgin olive oil

-100 g freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

Combine the basil, lemon juice/zest and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth.

Season with salt and pepper and add the cheese.

Tips & Tricks

-I make this usually in big batches and freeze it. Freeze in ice cube trays, and then store frozen pesto cubes in plastic freezer bags for up to 6 months

-If you want to make this a less outspoken flavor you can use half basil leaves and half baby spinach leaves

1 PREPARATION - 3 LUNCH/DINNER IDEAS

ARUGULA SALAD WITH PESTO AND SMOKED SALMON

Ingredients (4 portions)

-handful of cherry tomatoes or 2 chopped tomatoes 

-1 can or fresh artichoke hearts, quartered

-2 cups baby arugula

-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

-2 tablespoons pesto sauce

-2 slices of smoked salmon, cut in pieces

Directions

1.Add tomatoes and artichoke hearts to a bowl with the pesto and red wine vinegar and let marinate for a few minutes

2. Serve marinated vegetables with arugula salad and smoked salmon

ZUCCHINI BASIL SOUP

Ingredients (4-6 portions)

-2 tablespoons olive oil

-1 onion, chopped

-1 tablespoon chopped garlic (I use microplane zest to do this fast)

-4 tablespoons of basil pesto

-1 kg zucchini’s cut in rounds

-1 liter of chicken or vegetable stock

-salt and pepper to taste

-Parmesan cheese (optional as a garnish)

Directions

1.Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Cook the onion, garlic and zucchini’s slowly for 10 minutes, or until the zucchini’s are lightly browned and softened.

2.Add stock and simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered. Remove from the heat and add basil

pesto and mix with an hand-held mixer.

Serve with salt and freshly ground black pepper and sprinkle over some Parmesan, to taste.

QUINOA SALAD WITH PESTO, CHERRY TOMATOES, PINE NUTS AND PROSCIUTTO

Ingredients (4-6 people)

-200 g uncooked quinoa

-6 tablespoons home-made pesto

-handful cherry tomatoes, cut into 2

-50 g pine nuts, roasted

-100 g prosciutto

-100 g rucola salad

Directions

1. Prepare the quinoa. Follow directions on packaging: usually 2 cup water to 1 cup of

quinoa.* Set aside to completely cool.

2. In a large bowl toss the cooled quinoa with pesto, cherry tomatoes, pine nuts  rucola

and prosciutto or other dried ham or bacon.

Season with salt and pepper and some lemon zest (optional)

3. You can make this a vegetarian salad and skip the prosciutto and add some extra

veggies like roasted peppers or steamed green asparagus.

                 

*I usually take 1 ½ cup of water to 1 cup of quinoa to avoid the quinoa being mushy.

Need Some Healthy Easter Brunch Ideas?

GREEN JUICE

Ingredients (~4 large juices)

-1/2 pineapple

-handful of kale leaves (optional)

-2 handful of spinach

-3 sprigs of fresh mint leaves

-1/2 cucumber – no need to peel

-piece of ginger (~1 cm ~depending on how spicy you want it) – no need to peel it if you are using a slow juicer

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a blender or slow juicer.

GRAVLAX/SALMON WITH VEGETABLE RELISH

Ingredients (~10 portions)

-10 slices of gravlax or smoked salmon

-Vegetable relish

         -handful of diced peeled cucumber

         -handful of diced celery

         -handful of finely diced red onion

         -handful of finely diced red bell pepper

         -1 tablespoon capers, drained and rinsed

         -1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

         -juice of 2 lemons

         -3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

         -5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

         -dash of fresh pepper and sea salt

         -handful chopped fresh herbs (chives, mint, cilantro, basil   leaves, flat-leave parsley)*

*not all ingredients are required to make relish

Directions

1. Prepare relish: mix all the ingredients for relish, cover and refrigerate at least for 2 hours before using.
2. Assemble plate : place 1 tablespoon of vegetable relish on a plate and place a piece of rolled up slice of salmon on top of the relish.

Tips & Tricks :

-You will have plenty of vegetable relish to add to other dishes : bread, salad, fish, chicken, etc.

-You can keep the relish for up to a week in the refrigerator

SPRING VERRINE WITH TZAZIKI, QUINOA, PEAS AND BACON

Ingredients (~8-10 verrines)

-1 cup uncooked quinoa

-dressing for quinoa

-3 tablespoons olive oil

-2 tablespoons lemon juice

-1 tablespoon honey

-1 teaspoon ras el hanout

         -pinch salt and pepper 

-2-3 cups peas

-1 shallot, chopped

-150 g cubes of panchetta or bacon, cooked and crumbled

-1/2 cup of chopped fresh mint

-1 garlic clove, grated or finely minced

-1 teaspoon of ras-el-hanout (Moroccan spice mix)

For the tzatziki

-1 cup Greek yoghurt

-1 cucumber, seeded, finely grated and drained

-1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

-1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

-sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Recipe

1. Cook the quinoa: Follow the directions on the package and let it cool down (usually a 2 to 1 ratio – I usually start with a 1,5 to 1 ratio to avoid it being mushy). Once cooked, mix the quinoa with vinaigrette
2. Prepare the peas: Bring a pot of water to a boil and turn off the heat. Add the peas and cover until bright green (this avoids that the peas ‘wrinkle') ~2-3 minutes.
3. Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onion for a few minutes at medium heat, add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add peas, fresh mint and pancetta/bacon and bring to taste with pepper and salt.
4. Prepare the tzaziki: Whisk together the yoghurt, cucumber, lemon zest and dill. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Assemble the verrine: Add one layer tzatziki, one layer quinoa and one layer pea/pancetta mixture.

Tips & Tricks

-You can make these in advance. The verrines stay good for several days in the refrigerator.

GREEN ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH PEAS AND BREADCRUMBS

Ingredients (4-6 portions)

-1 tablespoon olive oil

-1 large onion, diced

-1 garlic clove, sliced

-1 leek, chopped

-1 sprig of fresh thyme

-1 large (1-pound) bunch asparagus, tips reserved for garnish, the remainder sliced

-1 cup (~200 g)  of green peas, fresh or frozen

-4 cups (~1 liter) of vegetable stock

-salt/pepper to taste

-1 tablespoon of cream (optional)

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat and add onion, leek, garlic and thyme sprig. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are soft (~3 minutes).
2. Stir in 4 cups of vegetable stock, sliced asparagus (not the tips). Bring to a boil and lower heat and simmer until asparagus are very tender, about 15 minutes. 

Add peas and simmer for another 3-5 minutes.
3. Remove the thyme sprig and mix the soup with a  (hand)blender. Pour mixed soup back into the pot, add asparagus tips and cook for a few minutes.
4. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a few asparagus tips and some cream (optional).
5. Serve with breadcrumbs, crostinis with goat cheese or Parmesan crackers.

EXOTIC FRUIT SALAD WITH PASSIONFRUIT COULIS

Ingredients (~4-6 portions)

-3 kiwis, peeled and cut into chunks

-1 mango, peeled, stone removed and cut into chunks

-2 oranges, juiced

-8 passionfruits, cut passionfruit in 2 and scoop out the pulp

-1 vanilla bean, split the pod lengthwise into two halves and scrape out the oily seeds from the inside

-1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

-1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped

Directions

Assemble all the ingredients in a pot and stir well to combine all the flavors. Let marinate for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator before serving.

Kids proof soup!

Do you have a picky eater at home?

I do!

I’m telling you if my Sienna (~8 years old) really likes something,... the odds are that pretty much everybody likes it.

I made this soup yesterday and the kids loved it.
Enjoy!

Chinese chicken soup

Ingredients (serves 8)

-1 tablespoon of olive oil

-1 onion, chopped

-2 leeks, cleaned and white part finely chopped

-3 carrots, peeled and chopped

-300 g chicken breast (~2 medium chicken breasts)), cut in bit-sized pieces

-1,5 liter of chicken stock

-1 can of corn (~300 g) or fresh corn

-2 eggs, lightly beaten

-3 spring onions , finely sliced (optional)

Directions

Heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onion, leeks and carrots and cook for 5 minutes at medium heat.

Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer and add the chicken pieces and the corn.

Simmer the soup for 15 minutes

Take off the heat and using a fork, gently stir the soup as you add the beaten egg in a continuous stream. Continue stirring the soup with a fork for another minute once all the egg has been added..

Serve with a handful of chopped spring onions.

Raclette, tartiflette,..ohhhh do we love those indulgences!!!!

But after week(s) of indulgence during ski break, time to get back on track,…!!!

What about a healthy  minestrone soup with plenty of vegetables?

You can easily create a meal soup out of this and dinner is ready!

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

-3 tablespoons olive oil

-1 onion, diced

-2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced

-2 stalks of celery, diced

-2 carrots, diced

-1 zucchini, diced

-2 bell peppers, diced

-1 can (~400 g) kidney beans (or cannellini beans), drained and rinsed

-2 tablespoons fresh basil

-1 teaspoon dried oregano

-1 can (~500 g) crushed tomatoes or tomato coulis

-2 tablespoons tomato paste

-1,5 liter of vegetable stock

-handful of spinach (optional)

-3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

1) Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent (~5 minutes). Add the garlic, celery, carrots, zucchini and bell peppers and cook until they begin to soften (~5 minutes).

2) Stir in dried oregano and add the crushed tomatoes, vegetable stock and tomato paste. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes.

3) Stir in the kidney beans and spinach (optional) and simmer for another 5 minutes.

4) Serve with Parmesan cheese and basil.

Note:

-Create your own version:

• My kids love this soup with pasta and/or chicken. 
• I prefer mine with quinoa and harissa (gluten-free).
• You can basically serve this soup with the vegetables you have on hand. Add or omit some of the vegetables in the recipe.

-Make a big batch and freeze left overs.

-Save the rinds from Parmesan cheese and add it to the soup for some extra flavor (remove before you serve the soup).

Heart-warming winter foods

Some leftover vegetables? Roast your winter vegetables in the oven with some herbs  Roasting vegetables caramelizes them, which brings out the full flavor.

You can use pretty much any vegetables to prepare this recipe.

Here is one of my favorite combinations

Ingredients

-1 onion, peeled and cut in 4 pieces

(pearl onions are even better but they take some time to peel,…)

-8 whole garlic cloves, peeled

-4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced in ~1 cm pieces

-2 large parsnips, peeled and slices in ~1 cm pieces

-100 g (mixed) mushrooms, cut in 2

-1 zucchini, cut in ~1 cm pieces

-4 thyme sprigs or sage leaves or rosemary sprigs

-3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

-1 teaspoon sea salt

-1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

-2 tablespoons lemon juice, some lemon zest

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 ºF/200 ºC.

2. In a large bowl, toss the vegetables with the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest and herbs until the vegetables are coated evenly and season generously with salt and pepper.

3. Spread the vegetables on a baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes (depending on size you cut the vegetables), tossing a few times, until the vegetables are tender and golden.

4. Ready to serve !

Tips and tricks

-This is a dish you can make ahead of time and leftovers can be used cold the day after in a salad.

-You can also use other vegetables: butternut squash, cauliflower, broccoli  green/yellow/red peppers, cherry tomatoes, any root vegetable will do.