Cilantro Pesto

I love cilantro for so many reasons and can't fathom why others don't enjoy it. It's a great herb to add when making a fresh salsa, or adds that extra pizazz into your guacamole, or in the majority of Latin and Cuban dishes I prepare - it's the final garnishment. Basil pesto is often made in my kitchen since I have an abundance of basil. For a little variety in the typical pestos, I love making this cilantro pesto whenever I can.

Cilantro is one of those stubborn herbs that I've had so many problems growing in my garden. I'm sad to report that I have had no luck with growing cilantro, and I finally pulled out the dying plant. Cilantro is kinda demanding, because it either wants a lot of sun or shade, and depending on the weather here - that doesn't happen consistently. However, I always stock up on cilantro whenever I'm at the farmers market. Luckily it's cheap enough (33 cents a bundle) to purchase and I use it for many of my dishes. This sauce is great to use on almost everything to sandwiches, veggie dips, or drizzled over grilled fish or chicken. Go green and make some cilantro pesto. Enjoy!

Cilantro Pesto
Adapted from Food Network Magazine May 2010 issue
Ingredients:
2 cups gently packed fresh cilantro leaves
3 cloves of garlic
juice of one lime
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup Pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)
1/2 cup queso fresco
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Preparation:

In a food processor, pulse the cilantro, pumpkin seeds, garlic, queso fresco, and salt/pepper until well blended. With the food processor running, slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream.
Add more oil if you like.

Makes about 1 cup. Freezes well if needed, and I use the 4 ounce Gladware containers.

Review: I love applying cilantro pesto on my sandwiches instead of mayonnaise because it gives more of a fresh taste of summer instead of a heavier condiment. My fave summer sandwich is made with fresh tomatoes, green leaf lettuce, crispy bacon, California avocados and topped off with cilantro pesto on toasted sourdough bread. (DELISH!) I might have worn that summer sandwich out, but there are a number of applications to use cilantro pesto: hamburgers, pizzas, nachos, fresh veggies, grilled fish, rice, pasta...the possibilities are endless.

Skinny Tzatziki

Tzatziki is to pita as bread is to butter, and it was absolutely necessary that I included this in our Greek theme dinner. Tzatziki is a Greek cucumber yogurt sauce that is served alongside Greek dishes. Eric loves this condiment versus hummus, and I can't blame him. The cool and refreshing dip composed of yogurt and cucumber than pureed chickpeas. I served this on top of Greek turkey meatballs and paired it with the Greek Orzo Salad. I found the wonderful and delicious skinny recipe at Skinny Taste. I love her blog because she lists the weight watcher points and calories...it's nice to know that most of her recipes are helping to slim down my girlish figure. Enjoy!

Skinny Tzatziki
Adapted from Skinny Taste
Ingredients:
8 oz fat free greek yogurt 
1 small cucumber, peeled and seeded (1 cup grated and drained)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
kosher salt and fresh pepper

Preparation:
Strain the yogurt using a metal strainer or a coffee filter for a few hours to remove as much liquid as possible. Set aside.

Scoop seeds out of the cucumber with a small spoon. Place cucumber in a mini food processor or grate with a box cheese grater. Drain the liquid from the cucumber in a metal strainer and sprinkle with a little salt (this helps release the liquid). You may want to use the back of a spoon to help squeeze out any excess liquid.

In a mini food processor, pulse together the strained cucumber, garlic, yogurt, salt, pepper, lemon juice, dill, chives and place in a small container and refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

Makes about 2 cups. Store in refrigerator for about a week

Review: Eric couldn't believe that this was a skinny version of Tzatziki, and wanted to finish the entire bowl with the rest of the pita breads. I really loved the freshness and balance of this sauce because it never felt too rich or heavy over our Greek Turkey Meatballs.  I'll keep this recipe as my go-to because the store-bought versions have less flavor and are definitely watered down.

Tomato Sauce

I'm in love with my tomato garden because the harvest has been so bountiful. I had at least 50 tomatoes from the most recent harvest and I had to make something with them before they all went to waste. Making homemade tomato sauce has been a constant recipe lately in my kitchen because it is so easy to prepare. I fell in love with this AB recipe because roasting the tomatoes gives it a rich and complex flavor and it truly heightens the tomato sauce. Also the addition of the onions, garlic and the fresh herbs makes the tomato sauce a tad more velvety and richer as well.

The original recipe had used white wine and oregano and thyme and I did prepare that version as well on a previous batch of tomato sauce. I thought about many ways to tweak this recipe to my liking. Making homemade tomato sauce allows me to experiment and relish the fruits of my summer tomato garden. Enjoy!

Tomato Sauce
Adapted from Alton Brown
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
24 San Marzano tomatoes, halved (Or Roma/Plum tomatoes)
¼ cup olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 medium yellow onion, cut into quarters
1 medium red onion, cut into quarters
4 to 6 garlic cloves, smashed
2 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary
¼ cup basil leaves, chiffonade
1 ½ cups red wine
Tools needed: Food Mill - this is the one I have and love.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl, add the tomato halves, quartered onions and garlic cloves. Drizzle olive oil to cover tomato mixture, and season with salt and pepper and chopped rosemary. Mix well until everything is lightly coated.

Place tomato mixture in two large baking sheet or jelly roll pans - make sure to place tomato halves cut side up. Bake tomatoes for 1 hour. Midway through cooking time, check on tomatoes and rotate the tomato pans. Then after 1 hour, turn the oven to 400 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Process the tomatoes through a food mill using a coarse steel plate over a medium sized dutch oven.

Toss any tomato skins, or onions/garlic cloves that doesn't get grounded down. Add red wine and basil leaves, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Preserve tomatoes if you like - this is my preferred method using Ball canning. Use tomato sauce over your favorite pasta.

Yield: 6 to 7 cups of tomato sauce

Review: This is such a great and aromatic tomato sauce and the red wine gives it a deeper flavor versus white wine. I preserved at least 3 jars from this harvest of tomatoes. From the looks of my tomato plant, it's almost near the end and I probably have at least 20 more tomatoes to go before it's done for the season. I'm truly enjoying the fruits of my labor and can't wait for the last batch of tomatoes. More tomato sauce to come!


Tomato

Aji Sauce

One of my bestest girlfriends from college is Peruvian, Liz, and this recipe was inspired by her. I had been picking her brain the other night she was over on how to make aji and lomo saltado for dinner this week. Coincidentally, today is Peru's Independence Day. What a perfect way to celebrate Peru's Independence day. Typically the Aji (pronounced A-hi) is a condiment that is best paired with classic Peruvian dishes. It's like their version of ketchup because you eat it with everything! 


One of my most frequented restaurants back in the day was Nory's Restaurant - where they serve your typical Peruvian comfort food- lomo or pollo saltado, special rotisserie pollo, chafu de pollo, and many more dishes. (There are a couple more Peruvian restaurants in the LA area that serve great food as well). I remember the work day lunches when the team would collectively order together and I always had to make sure we had plenty of aji sauce to go around. It gave all our dishes that extra kick of heat and you couldn't get enough of it. I paired this Aji sauce with lomo saltado and it turned out better than Nory's. It had more flavor and not as watery and just the perfect amount of heat that I was looking for. Salud!

Aji Sauce
Original Krystal recipe
Inspired from my Peruano girlfriend, Liz
Ingredients:
6 green onions - white and green parts
3 garlic cloves
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
1 bunch of cilantro, no stems
3 to 4 leaves of romaine lettuce
1/4 cup of mayonnaise
1/2 cup of queso fresco
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons of lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until combined and a liquid forms. Add more lettuce if needed - the water in the lettuce will help formulate the sauce and give the bright green color. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce into a container and it will keep for at least a week.

Serve and enjoy with your Lomo Saltado! Or enjoy with toasted bread or french fries.

Review: Perfect blend of spices and a beautiful sauce to enjoy with our Peruano inspired meal. I wish all Peruvians a peaceful and Happy Independence day.

Tomato Sauce

I've been a little MIA for the past couple of weeks since the passing of my Nanay Maring (my grandma). She passed away on July 12, 2010 and I had been working on her DVD slide show and scanning millions of pictures - and spending some quality time with my family. The family shared childhood stories of our Nanay, and even traded stories/jokes on her famous Filipino folklore's/anecdotes. There are so many wonderful memories that I have of my Nanay because she raised me since I was one year old.

My wonderful Tita (aunt) Elen pointed out that my gardening skills are from my Nanay. It was one of her favorite pastimes and I'm happy to say that I have inherited her gardener's thumb. It's been awhile since I've cooked in my kitchen. I thought this recipe was fitting for my first one back, and I'm dedicating it to my Nanay Maring. The San Marzano tomatoes in my garden are thriving, and for the most part I've been able to harvest at least 30 tomatoes. They are the best tomatoes to use for tomato sauces. Fresh tomatoes, onions, lots of garlics and basil and thyme were the major contributing components in this dish and enjoyable flavors that I love together.

Tomato Sauce
Adapted from Simply Recipes
Ingredients:
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds of fresh tomatoes (San Marzano tomatoes)
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chiffonade
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon of sugar
Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Heat a medium-sized dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and let it heat for a minute or two. Add the onions and sauté them until translucent, about 10 minutes or so. Add the garlic and let it cook for one minute. Mix the onions and garlic well.

Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, thyme leaves, and basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a slow simmer and add the cover to the pot. Let it cook covered for 20 minutes.

Using a food mill, add the cooked tomatoes in over a large bowl and push the tomatoes through to have a thicker and smoother consistency. Remove any tomato skins that cannot be grinded down. Serve with your favorite pasta or use a dip with garlic bread. Enjoy!

Review: This is a wonderful tomato sauce to make and enjoy with any pasta. You can easily substitute canned tomatoes if you don't have fresh tomatoes. Using fresh tomatoes from my garden is so rewarding - and we're truly enjoying the fruits of our labor. More tomato recipes are to follow soon! Nanay you will always be remembered forever in our hearts. The greatest gift you gave us was our family, and for that I will always love you Nanay.

Basil Pesto

One of my latest and most relaxing hobbies is gardening and we've planted a medium-sized herb garden in our backyard. We planted: Basil, Oregano, Sage, Chives, Italian Parsley, Rosemary, and San Marzano Tomatoes & 2 bell pepper plants. We also have three citruses trees of Valencia Oranges, Meyer lemons and dwarf limes. Eric recently added drip irrigation system to our wonderful little garden to ensure the vitality and growth of my precious garden. I check out my garden everyday and watch the bountiful fresh herbs growing away. I recently learned from Sidewalk Shoes to harvest your basil to ensure a plentiful and bountiful batch. It will give you at least 3 good batches if you harvest it correctly.

Right now, Basil is thriving in my herb garden and I've finally harvested some basil and made a batch of pesto. I love the distinctive aroma - it's very earthy and sometimes smells like a cross of mint and anise - it's definitely unique. The wonderful thing about herbs is the more you pick them, the more they grow! I've kinda neglected the "usage" of fresh herbs and need to shift our summer menus using fresh garden ingredients. So use your basil often and they’ll keep producing. If you leave them alone, they'll start producing those beautiful white flowers- which is the opposite of what you want to happen - so clip those monsters off! Make your batch of homemade pesto today. ;-)

Basil Pesto
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Back to the Basics
Ingredients:
1/4 cup walnuts

1/4 cup pine nuts
9 garlic cloves
5 cups of basil leaves, packed
1 1/4 cups of olive oil
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Gouda cheese
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:
Preheat the oven for 350 degrees. Add the walnuts and pine nuts to a jelly sheet pan and toast for 10 minutes. Set aside and cool.

In a food processor, mix the walnuts, pine nuts and garlic to a paste. Add the basil leaves, salt and pepper and mix well.

Slowly add the olive oil with the food processor on. Blend until pesto is almost at a puree. Add the Parmesan cheese and mix for another minute. Make sure the pesto is mixed well and scrape down the sides if needed.

Transfer the pesto into a container and store in fridge or freezer. If storing in freezer, add a small drizzle of olive oil with a plastic wrap placed directly on top of the pesto. Let no air touch the pesto or it will turn brown. Pesto freezes well, so stock up for winter!

Yield: 4 cups

Review: Doesn't my basil plant look like the leaning tower of Pisa or something? Pesto is simple to make and a perfect compliment to any meal - try it with your sandwiches, over your favorite pasta, or drizzle it over some caprese. Basil is pretty versatile and definitely one of my favorite ingredients of summer.
Enjoy!

Citrus Marinade

This past weekend Eric had his Annual Roadway Barbecue for work and of course - Eric was in charge of the meat. We were going to take a shortcut and buy already marinated steaks from the supermarket. However, the quality of meat and flavor doesn't really come through when you buy it already pre-made. We bought some nice quality flap meats from Costco and used a marinade that I love for summer grilling. I recently used this marinade on chicken and knew it would work just as great on steak. I've created this simple marinade using some ingredients from our garden -Valencia oranges, Meyer lemons and fresh oregano. The citrus marinade kept the steaks moist and juicy and the flavors were infused from fresh herbs and citrus. The simpler the recipe, and awesome is the taste!

Citrus Marinade

Original Krystal recipe

Ingredients:

Protein of your choice (i.e. 2 chicken boneless chicken breasts or 1 pound of flap meat steak)

1 orange, zested

1 lemon, zested
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon of fresh oregano
juice of the lemon
juice of the orange
1 tablespoon of Cumin
1 tablespoon of Complete seasoning *it's in the Mexican specialty aisle at Ralphs or at ethnic markets* 
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt & pepper (to taste - but about 1 teaspoon of salt & 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper)

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients in a food processor except for olive oil. Process the mixture for 1 minute, and slowly add the olive oil until emulsified.

Add the citrus marinade with the meat in a ziplock bag or large container. Make sure each piece of meat is covered in the marinade. Season the meat with salt as you pour the marinade on top. Let it marinade in the refrigerator for at least 3 to 24 hours. (I prefer 24 hours because the flavors really meld together).

Grill steaks/chicken on the barbecue or bake meat on the oven till it’s fully cooked. I love the smokiness of flavors that shine through if grilled, but it's still pretty tasty if you cook the meat indoors.

Review: This citrus marinade got rave reviews from Eric's co-workers. I love the mixture of garlic and fresh oregano paired with the citrus zest of lemon and oranges - it's like a melody of summer on top of your steak. This is a very simple marinade for summertime grilling!

Chipotle's Honey Vinaigrette Dressing

Oh how I love Wednesday nights with my girlfriend, Angel. We started up our weekly cooking nights because I realized we haven't cooked together since....EASTER! It's been a busy past couple of months since I've spent the last two months training for my half marathon and this upcoming 10k that I have this weekend. We planned a fabulous meal of her husband's fave dish, Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin, paired along with our favorite side dish of Chipotle's Lime-Cilantro Rice and a simple salad with Chipotle's dressing. It's almost a Chipotle-themed meal you would say. She had been wanting to learn how to make this dressing ever since I told her that I had the recipe. We both love the salad dressing from Chipotle, and it's one of my favorite items to order whenever I visit them. I really enjoyed this salad dressing because the sweetness of the honey and tanginess of the red wine vinegar are a perfect melody together. Enjoy!

Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette Dressing
Adapted from Chipotle
Ingredients:
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup honey
2 teaspoons Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
1 1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle powder
1 teaspoon lime juice
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
½  teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
½ cup or more of extra virgin olive oil

Preparation:
1. Combine all ingredients except oil in food processor and blend on low speed for less than 15 seconds.
2. Slowly add extra virgin olive oil into food processor on low speed.
3. Chill for at least one hour.
Yield: 1 ½ cups

Review: This was pretty darn close to the restaurant version, and I eat this salad all the time from Chipotle. There are a couple of different versions of this recipe where there is no lime or chipotle powder in the recipe, and they use adobe seasoning. We thought the kick from the chipotle spice was perfect to tame down the red wine vinegar. If you think it will be too spicy - just add less chipotle. This is a great dressing for any of your simple salads, and if you want to go the Chipotle route - add some grilled peppers, black beans, tomatoes, little bit of cheese, sour cream and top it off with some grilled chicken. Voilà, Chipotle Chicken salad at home!

Salsa di Parmigiano

From our recent trip to Napa Valley, we dined at Chef Michael Chiarello's restaurant, Bottega. My husband and I were served a Parmesan dip at the restaurant that was paired with their freshly baked bread. I'm usually a fan of just olive oil & balsamic vinegar for dipping the bread. However, after one taste of this dip - I was in love! At the restaurant, the parmesan dip was served perfectly in this little 1 ounce white ceramic shot glass with a demitasse spoon. I love demitasse spoons because it's such a delicate and tiny spoon, it just oozes refinement and enjoyment when you use it. We both knew that we could re-create it ourselves.

From tasting the dip, we both tasted parmesan cheese, another salty-ish cheese, garlic, red pepper flakes, olive oil and Italian seasoning. I made it by last week before I found the recipe on Food Network. I had created more of a garlic dip, and not too reminiscent of our Bottega experience. Then finally after perusing Napa Style I found the recipe because they sold it at the stores as well! I highly recommend you try this dip, it's so rich and delicious.

Salsa di Parmigiano
Adapted by Michael Chiarello
Ingredients:
1/2 pound Parmigiano Reggiano
1/2 pound Asiago cheese
1 head of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons chopped green onion (about 3)
2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:
1. Remove any rind from the cheeses and chop the cheeses into rough 1-inch chunks.
2. Place the cheese in a food processor with the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and pulse until reduced to the size of fine pea gravel.
3. Stir in the green onion, olive oil, and black pepper and pulse again. Cover and let stand at room temperature for at least 4 hours before using.

Review: One of the best dips that we've had and it pairs perfectly with warm rosemary sourdough bread. It's easy to make and we will definitely be always making a bowl of it for our dinner parties!

Marinara Sauce

We have a rule at our house that if you open a bottle of wine, you must drink the entire bottle of wine. It's an absolute waste to not finish "great wine." I have a great habit of obeying this rule, and there will be a rare occasion where we can't oblige this rule. Eric & I had enjoyed a fancy filet dinner using port, sabayon using port, and I was pretty much "wined" out after half the bottle or so. I had remembered to save the rest to make this marinara recipe so this beautiful bottle of Hess Alomi would not go to waste. (I love this wine collection for so many reasons, it's the wine we drank on our wedding day, past dating anniversaries, and the winery in Napa is beautiful). The Hess wine was the perfect addition to this fabulous & super-duper easy marinara sauce. I served it on top of my turkey meatballs, and a simple salad. Enjoy!

Marinara Sauce
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup good red wine, such as Chianti
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
1. Heat the olive oil in a 3.5 dutch oven or small stockpot. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
2. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper. Cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 15 minutes.

Review: LOVE this marinara sauce, and it went perfectly with my turkey meatball sandwiches. The richness of the wine accentuates the tomatoes and gives it a depth of flavor. I was happy just enjoying the marinara sauce with bread, too. Simple recipes with lots of flavor like this are perfect for days when you don't want to spend all day in the kitchen.

Cilantro Oil & Smoked Red Pepper Sauce

Here's the follow-up to my Mesa Grill post. The relishes on the dishes that compliment them to perfection! I love the vibrant color of the cilantro oil, and the spicy kick from the Smoked Red Pepper sauce...it gives a good amount of heat and a beautiful touch to the dish. It helps create those unforgettable Mesa Grill dishes with fresh flavors.

Adapted from Mesa Grill Cookbook - Chapter Relishes, Sauces & more

Cilantro Oil
Makes about 3/4 cup
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups canola oil
1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves (stems included)
10 fresh spinach leaves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Preparation:1. Combine the oil, cilantro, spinach, and salt in a food processor and mix for 5 minutes.
2. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer (don't press on the solids, or the oil will get cloudy) into a bowl. This can be made up to 2 dys in advance and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Smoked Red Pepper SauceMakes about 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients:4 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1/2 small red onion, coarsely chopped
4 cloves roasted garlic, peeled
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chiptole chile puree
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup canola oil

Preparation:
1. Combine the red peppers, onion, garlic, vinegar, honey, mustard, and chiptole puree in a blender, season with salt and pepper, and blend until smooth. 2. With the motor running, slowly add the oil and blend until emulsified.
3. Strain the sauce into a bowl. This sauce can be made 1 day in advance and refrigerated.

I have the perfect sauce bottles for these two wonderful sauces. I'll probably make a mini Bobby Flay meal using the sauces or use them sparingly on whatever dishes I have. These will keep in the fridge for at least a month! Yipee!

Happy Birthday hubby!

My husband had his birthday this past Wednesday. He came home early, we played a little rock band and relaxed at home. My birthday was pretty amazing, and I knew that I couldn't top the spa day and give him a gift as big as the T.V. Eric didn't want any of that, so I planned a simple menu for his birthday. He did request a special menu, but that will be shared on Saturday with our friends. I'm recreating the Mesa Grill experience once again!! The birthday menu was: Burgers, fries & my homemade coffee toffee walnut brownies!
I did surprise him with the candle on the brownie, and sang to him! He requested a large glass of milk to accompany his brownies. Our burgers were pretty tasty. I made garlic-pesto burgers with carmelized onions! Topped them with melted provolone cheese. Man....they were tasty!!!

The burgers were made by me as well, I mixed ground sirloin and hot Italian sausage in the food processor. Added some seasonings, chopped garlic, and a little worchestire sauce and seasoning salt to add some flavor. The burgers were really juicy and tasty! I loved add the pesto with the burgers, it gives such a nice bite to the burger! In case you need it, here's the recipe to making your home-made pesto. It tastes alot better than store-bought versions!

Pesto Recipe

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts

3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.
2. Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Makes 1 cup.

Chile-Lime-Garlic-Tequila Compound Butter

Eric & I decided to stay home this past Labor Day weekend, we did go out for dinner on Friday night. We had some decent Mexican food, but we really wanted a good steak for dinner on Saturday. We decided to pick up some ribeye steaks and use up the rest of my "special butter" for the marinade. Dinner was perfect, and I had plenty of leftovers for the next day.

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

2 teaspoons minced jalapeno or serrano chiles (seeds & membranes removed)

4 cloves of garlic

1 tablespoon lime juice, freshly squeezed **I think I used 2 or 3 - I like alot for flavor**

1 tablespoon lime zest

2 teaspoons tequila **I used Don Julio & Calzadores....both are good..but PATRON would be awesome as well!!!

2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in a food processor, make sure butter is at room temperature. It will be hard to mix at first. Once everything has mixed, place compound butter on a sheet of plastic wrap. Shape into a log, and twist the ends to seal. Place the butter in the fridge to harden.**Serve slices of butter on top of your choice of meat. Yum!!!!!!!!***