Tag: Pine Nuts

Sicilian Braciole

The weather hasn’t quite turned cooler yet, but I am already starting to shift into more comfort food type cooking. Every Sunday is pasta night in my house, so this past Sunday, I decided to make something a bit more special than my usual Spaghetti and Meatballs. This recipe for Sicilian Braciole is very loosely based on the Braciole my mother-in-law makes.

I’ve made Braciole in the past, but the addition of pine nuts and raisins is what makes this recipe specifically Sicilian Braciole. The pine nuts become nice and soft in the sauce, and the raisins appear to almost melt away, adding just a touch of sweetness to balance the dish.

This recipe takes a good 5 hours to make, so plan accordingly!

Ingredients:

Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium white onion, chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup dry red or white wine
  • 4 (12.5 oz) cans stewed tomatoes
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Sicilian Braciole:

  • 1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
  • 1 1/2 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese
  • 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
  • salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste
  • 1/3 cup raisins
  • 1/2 cup dry red or white wine
  • 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
  • 1/2 cup olive oil; divided
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 pounds braciole meat (at my butcher, they were referred to as beef roll ups)

Other:

  • 1 (16 oz) box spaghetti, cooked al dente
  • fresh basil, chopped, for garnish

Continue reading Sicilian Braciole

Lamb and Eggplant Casserole

I have made this Lamb and Eggplant Casserole, adapted from Maureen Abood’s Eggplant with Lamb, Tomato and Pine Nuts recipe, multiple times. And there is only one word for my feelings about this recipe: obsessed.

This Lebanese dish made with layers of eggplant, spiced lamb, and tomato sauce topped with cheese is going to become one of your absolute favorites!

Ingredients:

  • 3 lbs eggplant, cut into ½-inch slices
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 pound ground lamb
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ground pepper, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup pine nuts
  • 1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 12 ounces mozzarella, sliced
  • hot rice, for serving

Continue reading Lamb and Eggplant Casserole

Lamb Stuffed Mediterranean Peppers

I’m not going to lie, I didn’t love stuffed peppers when I was younger. However, as I realize that there are multiple ways to make them, like these Tex-Mex Stuffed Peppers and this recipe for Lamb Stuffed Mediterranean Peppers I’m about to share, I’ve come around on how awesome they can really be!

This recipe is based off one a friend gave me years ago that I used to make Mediterranean Stuffed Mini Peppers. The recipe was so darn good, I figured it was about time I shared a main-meal version!

Ingredients:

  • 6 bell peppers, tops removed and seeded
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
  • 1 lb ground lamb
  • 1  teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon cloves
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
  • 2  tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins
  • 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
  • 1 cup cooked farro (substitute rice to make gluten free)
  • 1/2 cup Feta, crumbled (omit to make dairy free)

Continue reading Lamb Stuffed Mediterranean Peppers

Hashweh (Spiced Ground Beef with Pistachios Over Rice)

Note: This post is sponsored by Moyer Beef. All opinions are mine alone.

It’s definitely still summer weather for the most part, but this past week, we’ve had a bit of a cool down in Philly. Which got me thinking about more fall inspired dishes.

Hashweh, or rice stuffing, is a wonderfully flavorful ground meat and rice dish that is perfect for fall weather (or honestly, any weather, it’s really tasty!)

The dish originates in the Middle East and is typically made with lamb or beef seasoned with spices including allspice and cinnamon, served with rice.

Most recipes also include toasted pine nuts with some also having a sweet dried fruit.

This dish is a nice comfort food option that comes together in roughly 30 minutes. The spice profile makes it really crave worthy!

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 1/2 cups white rice
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 teaspoons allspice
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 2 whole cardamom pods, smashed
  • 1 lb ground beef (I used Moyer Beef’s 81% lean ground beef chuck)
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
  • 1/4 cup dried cherries (or other dried fruit)
  • 1/4 cup pistachios, chopped

Continue reading Hashweh (Spiced Ground Beef with Pistachios Over Rice)

Roasted Tomato Pesto Pasta

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DareToPair #CollectiveBias

Hooray for spring! The weather may be warming up, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to give up my beloved pasta! However, I can at least lighten up my weekly pasta a bit. My favorite way to add a little spring to my pasta? Pesto, like in this recipe for Roasted Tomato Pesto Pasta!

Pairing fresh ingredients with pasta can really lighten up a comfort food favorite like pasta. I added in some slow roasted cherry tomatoes to add a bit of tomatoey goodness to the dish.

Barilla has a few Better for You Pasta’s to make lightening up you pasta dish even easier. I picked up a box of Barilla ProteinPLUS Rotini Pasta from Walmart; other options available at Walmart include Whole Grain Pasta, Veggie Pasta and Gluten Free Pasta.

Note: there is a great Ibotta offer right now for Buy any 3 select varieties of Barilla Products and earn $1.00 at Walmart! Details can be found at the link above.

Barilla ProteinPLUS has 17g of protein from all-natural vegetarian ingredients, so it’s a great way to add more protein to your pasta meals without adding meat or seafood.

Ingredients:

  • 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • ground pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
  • 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup grated pecorino cheese
  • 1 box of Barilla ProteinPLUS Rotini (or Spaghetti)
  • shaved Parmesan, for garnish

Continue reading Roasted Tomato Pesto Pasta

Hemp Seed Basil Pesto

During Choctoberfest, I was sent a pretty sweet package of goodies from Just Hemp Foods, including Hemp Protein Powder (which I used in these muffins), Hemp Seeds, and Hemp Oil.

 

This weekend, I finally cracked into the Hemp Seed Oil. I had a bunch of basil that I knew I couldn’t use up before it wilted, so I made pesto, or more specifically, Hemp Seed Basil Pesto!

 

Hemp Seed Oil delivers a subtle nutty taste, so it’s perfect in a pesto. The oil contains the ideal 3:1 omega-6 to omega-3 ratio which supports heart health. Hemp Seed Oil degrades with light and heat, so it’s best to refrigerate it and use it cold. The oil has a green color to it, so it really makes the basil pop!

 

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
  • 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup hemp seed oil
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Continue reading Hemp Seed Basil Pesto

Shrimp Rotini with Arugula Pesto

We are in that weird beginning-of-fall/end-of-summer phase right now, where the weather can be anywhere from 50-80 degrees. So my weeknight dinners are just as random. I keep going in between comfort food choices like Mushroom and Sausage Ragu over Polenta to lighter meals like Autumn Apple Salad with Cinnamon Honey Dijon Dressing. So sticking with tradition and flip flopping again, after posting a recipe for Pumpkin Cake Bites earlier this week, I bring you a seafood pasta recipe with pesto!

This recipe uses arugula as the primary ingredient in the pesto, so it’s really perfect for this time of year. It also comes together in no time (which is why I love meals that use pesto) while adding such freshness to a recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup uncooked mini rotini
  • 1 1/2 cups arugula
  • 1/4 cup basil leaves, plus more for garnish
  • 3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1  pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1/4 cup white wine

Continue reading Shrimp Rotini with Arugula Pesto

Cheese Ravioli with Pesto

I have another busy week this week so I needed some easy meals that can be prepared quickly. Pasta is usually a great option and this recipe for Cheese Ravioli with Pesto is no exception. It comes together in about 15 minutes!

 

I found this recipe on Cooking Light. The pesto is more of a “pesto” and stays pretty chunky. But don’t be fooled, those little flecks of green are packed with flavor!

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 (16-ounce) package frozen cheese ravioli
  • 2 cups fresh baby spinach
  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 tablespoons fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 plum tomatoes, diced
  • 3/4 cup shaved fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
  • 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted, divided
  • Fresh basil leaves (optional)

Continue reading Cheese Ravioli with Pesto

Pesto Pasta with Peas

Yes, it’s technically spring. But. It snowed last night here.  So it’s not time just yet to delve into super springy recipes. Sigh.

So this recipe for Pesto Pasta with Peas is a happy medium. The bright green color is a nod that spring weather is (hopefully) not too far away. It is still a warm dish though, so it is good for colder nights. (This recipe from Inda Garten is originally a pasta salad, so it can absolutely be eaten cold as well)

Ingredients:

Pesto:

  • 1/4 cup walnuts
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 3 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pasta:

  • 3/4 pound fusilli pasta
  • 3/4 pound bow tie pasta
  • fresh pesto (see recipe below), to taste
  • 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
  • 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • Grated Parmesan, to taste
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas, defrosted
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Continue reading Pesto Pasta with Peas

Mediterranean Stuffed Mini Peppers

I am less than one month away from attending Eat Write Retreat in Philadelphia and am getting so excited for it! Not only is the lineup awesome, but I get to meet a ton of other bloggers, what could be better? As we get closer to the big weekend, the attendees were sent a secret ingredient and were asked to try to incorporate into an appetizer recipe. I received California raisins, which people tend to think of more for sweet foods, but play off savory dishes oh so well. It goes without saying that I haven’t been able to get California Raisins’ classic commercial out of my head since I received them! OXO generously also sent us a few spiffy tools to help create our recipe; I can never have enough of their products!

Raisins are a great addition to a meal to add some sweetness without any added sugar. The dried fruit is loaded with antioxidants and fiber while being fat free and cholesterol free. Did you know that one serving of raisins (just 1/4 cup) has more potassium than a banana?

 I have a friend that absolutely raves about Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers that her grandmother used to make for her, with rice, nuts, spices, and golden raisins. I decided to make an appetizer version, using mini sweet peppers. My version of these Mediterranean Stuffed Mini Peppers are stuffed with a lamb-farro mixture that includes tomatoes, raisins, pine nuts, and a touch of lemon zest (using my new snazzy OXO zester (paid link)). The peppers are then topped with feta cheese and broiled to make this recipe for Mediterranean Stuffed Mini Peppers!

Ingredients (serves 8):

  • 16 mini sweet peppers, seeded
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped (no more than ½ cup)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ lb ground lamb
  • 2/3  teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/3 teaspoon cumin
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
  • 1  tablespoon tomato paste
  • the zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons golden raisins
  • 2 teaspoons raisins
  • 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
  • ½ cup cooked farro – I used Tuscan Fields vegetable farro
  • ¼ cup Feta, or to taste

Continue reading Mediterranean Stuffed Mini Peppers

Couscous with Dried Cranberries and Pine Nuts

I need more sides in my life. Couscous is a great weekday choice because it’s so quick to make, maybe 20 minutes in total. This recipe is from the Fresh & Healthy DASH Diet Cooking Cookbook which I absolutely love. The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet was developed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute a encourages increasing whole grains, nuts, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy and lean proteins and minimizing processed gains, high-fat meats and dairy, sugars and sodium… which is basically more just eating healthy versus a diet.

 

This couscous recipe is made with vegetable broth to give it some flavor with bites of pine nuts, dried cranberries, and scallions.

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 teaspoons canola oil
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 2 cups reduced-sodium vegetable stock
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup couscous (whole wheat if you can find it)
  • 1/3 cup dried cranberries
  • 2 scallions, coarsely chopped

Continue reading Couscous with Dried Cranberries and Pine Nuts

Snapper with Zucchini and Tomato with Parsley Orzo

My CSA this year allows me to choose 6 items each week to be in my share. Every single time so far, I’ve chosen zucchini as one of the six. I just love it. But with 3-4 pieces of zucchini a week, I am absolutely in search of as many different recipes as I can find. Cooking Light’s latest issue had this wonderful recipe for Snapper with Zucchini and Tomato that I just had to try. They also suggest pairing it with some Parsley Orzo. Note: this recipe makes 2 servings. Multiply as needed.
Ingredients for the snapper:
  • 4 teaspoons coconut oil, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
  • 2 (6-ounce) snapper fillets
  • 2 tablespoons white wine
  • 1 cup diced zucchini
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons minced shallots
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
  • 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 
  • Ingredients for the orzo:
  • 1/2 cup orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
  • 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Continue reading Snapper with Zucchini and Tomato with Parsley Orzo

Grilled Salmon and Brown Butter Couscous

Salmon and couscous were just made for each other, don’t you think? They are also the perfect choices for a weeknight meal, you’re sure to get food on the table in no time. Cooking Light’s latest issue has a recipe for Grilled Salmon and Brown Butter Couscous that sounded just wonderful. The magazine suggested making this with grilled summer squash. But I stink. And forgot to pick up the squash. Sigh. If you try the squash out with this recipe, let me know how it goes!
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1 cup uncooked couscous
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1 (14.5-ounce) can fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt $
4 (6-ounce) skinless salmon fillets
Cooking spray

To make, first preheat your grill to medium-high heat. I live in the city, so I use a grill pan and it works just fine. Add the butter to a small pot over medium heat. Cook for 3 minutes or until browned. Add the pine nuts. Cook for 1 minute stirring occasionally.
So at this stage, I was pretty sure I burnt the pine nuts. Maybe it’ll add a smokiness to the couscous?
Add the couscous and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
While waiting for the couscous to cook, combine the pepper, ground fennel seeds, ground coriander, sugar, and salt in a bowl. As a note, the original recipe called for white pepper, which I do not have. Also, I have fennel seeds that I stuck in my Magic Bullet and blend until powdery.
Sprinkle fillets with the spice mixture and place on grill, skin side up. Grilled for 4 minutes on each side.
Add the wine and broth and bring to a boil. Cover the pot, remove from heat, and let stand for 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes have passed, fluff with a fork and stir in the lemon rind, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Yep. Totally burned the pine nuts.
The salmon should be finished slightly after the couscous.
The summer squash would have been a wonderful complement. What was I thinking, making a meal without a vegetable? Oh well.
The flavors were absolutely delicious. The spices on the salmon gave so much flavor, but what I really loved was how great of a sear I got on my salmon. It looks so snazzy!
The couscous was really flavorful, the brown butter and even the pine nuts (which weren’t too burnt to eat, yay!) I love love the hit of citrus with the couscous as well.
To not burn the pine nuts, maybe cook them for about 30 seconds. I also think there’s a chance I never stirred them.. I honestly don’t remember!

Pesto

Nothing tastes as fresh as homemade pesto. It is surprisingly easy to make and really blows the store-bought stuff out of the water. With a whopping 5 ingredients (plus salt and pepper), pesto is definitely something you need to try to make if you haven’t already! I made this to go with my gnocchi that I made for a food swap.

Ingredients (makes about 1 cup):
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup walnuts
3 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste

Add the basil leaves and walnuts to a food processor.

Pulse a few times to combine.

Mince your garlic.

Add to the food processor.

Pulse to combine.

While the food processor is running, add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream.

Add the Parmesan cheese and pulse to combine.

Season with salt and pepper.

You can add more of whichever ingredient you think you need more of at any time. I prefer my pesto to be relatively firm, so I don’t use a lot of olive oil to make mine. I also tend to add more cheese on top of my pasta anyways, so I limit the amount of cheese I put into the pesto. You can also use pine nuts instead of walnuts; I just prefer walnuts.
Be sure to use high quality ingredients for this recipe if you can. Because none of it is cooked, you want basil when it is fresh, high quality olive oil with a smooth taste, and a nicely aged cheese. A little pesto goes a long way when used as a topping on pasta, so this recipe can luckily be frozen to use at a later date as well!

Baba Ghannouj

My CSA share came with eggplant this week. My mind went immediately to Baba Ghannouj, which is sort of like hummus with eggplant substituted for the chickpeas. The eggplant is grilled or baked before pureeing it to give it a smoky flavor. I have never worked with eggplant before, so I used Eating Well’s recipe as a base for my baba ghannouj.

Ingredients:

  • 1 eggplant
  • 2 cloves of garlic (unpeeled)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus zest from the lemon
  • 1 tablespoon tahini
  • 3/4 teaspoons salt
  • Olive oil, as needed
  • Pine nuts, optional

Continue reading Baba Ghannouj

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