This stunning recipe is classic Italian. Using only seven simple ingredients, its vibrant color and aroma elevates any meal. Toss with pasta or spread on thinly-sliced grilled Italian or French bread. It’s also amazing on grilled fish, pan-fried eggs and an Italian sub sandwich.
Pine nuts are expensive and can be hard to find; a 2.5-oz. package runs almost seven bucks. Most major supermarkets should carry them, but you can substitute walnuts or pistachios in a pinch. Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS:
4 cups packed garden basil leaves
1/2 cup XV olive oil
4 cloves crushed garlic, minced fine
1/2 cup grated hard Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup pine nuts (2.25 oz.)
Kosher salt and fresh-ground coarse black pepper, to taste.
DIRECTIONS:
Trim and rinse the basil leaves under cold water. Blot dry. Place in a food processor with the minced garlic and pine nuts. Pulse until smooth, about thirty seconds, while slowly adding the olive oil. Fold in the Parmesan cheese, salt and black pepper. Mix gently until incorporated. Serve immediately – best used within one day.
Makes a little over 2 cups.
Italian garden basil grown in a patio pot. Make the most out of your hard-won harvest by making authentic pesto.
My version of a classic Mexican cream sauce, kicked up with zippy chipotle adobo and fresh-squeezed lime juice.
This condiment is a must on authentic Baja fish tacos. You can also serve it with huevos rancheros or as a dipping sauce for a variety of other needs. Double the recipe if you need more. Will keep for at least a week in your fridge. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayo (please do this dish justice and don’t use the low-fat version)
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 tbs. + 1/2 tsp. San Marcos chipotle adobo sauce
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
Buttermilk (used as a thinner, if necessary)
Place the ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Whisk vigorously for two minutes. If the sauce is too thick, thin it with a couple of tablespoons of buttermilk.
Either serve in a dish or place in a plastic squeeze bottle. Refrigerate for two hours before serving.
This is my version of a classic, authentic New Mexican red sauce, which is properly served over made-from-scratch enchiladas, huevos rancheros or basted over braised chicken and beef. You can also prepare this recipe using green New Mexican chile powder. The reason why I like preparing this sauce using ground chile pepper vs. whole chile is that you eliminate the time spent straining the blender puree from the tough, and sometimes bitter pods. You’ll also get a more consistent, velvety-smooth sauce.
Amazing! Enjoy~
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup pure, mild NM Hatch ground red chili powder
2 tbs. XV olive oil
1 tbs. flour
1 tbs. rendered bacon fat (optional)
2 oz. ground chorizo sausage (optional, as an alternate to bacon fat)
4 cloves roasted garlic, minced
1/2 small white onion, minced
1/2 tsp. ground dry Mexican oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin, from toasted seeds
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
2 cups beef broth
Salt to taste, about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp.
Crushed chiltepin or ground cayenne pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Using a heavy saucepan (preferably cast-iron) over medium heat, bring the olive oil up to temperature until shimmering. Add the garlic and onion and sauté for five minutes until tender, stirring constantly. Be careful so it doesn’t scorch.
Next, add the flour and continue stirring to form a roux. Add the bacon fat or chorizo if desired. When the roux turns a medium brown color (about fifteen minutes) add the chile powder and the rest of the ingredients. Bring up to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for about a half hour until the liquid has reduced by half. Whisk to break up the lumps. Stir often. Don’t thicken it too much — the consistency should be similar to melted ice cream. It will continue to reduce when used in recipes that require baking.
Makes a little over one cup.
Mike’s Helpful Tip:
Buy the best Hatch chile powder you can find. It must be pure and not cut with other ingredients. Control the heat of the sauce using crushed chiltepin or cayenne pepper. Always opt for a milder chile powder — you can always kick up the heat later, but you can never take it back.
The Lodge 2-quart cast-iron serving pot (shown below) is ideal for this recipe. It assures even heating without the risk of scorching the roux.
Note: Culinary Compost never endorses products for profit, and has received no monetary compensation for the content of this post.
A variation of two classic, time-tested Italian recipes; the chicken should be seared on the grill over real wood charcoal — anything else is setting yourself up for an inferior presentation. Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS:
For the Chicken Marinade~ 2-4 large skinless chicken breasts 5 garlic cloves – minced 1/4 cup XV olive oil 1/2 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice 2 tbs. premium Balsamic vinegar 1 tbs. fresh-minced garden oregano 2 tbs. fresh-minced garden basil Crushed black pepper to taste Kosher salt to taste
For the Alfredo Sauce~ 3 tbs. XV olive oil 3 large cloves peeled garlic – minced 1 stick salted butter 1 cup shredded hard Parmesan cheese 1 cup heavy cream White pepper to taste DO NOT add salt until you taste after simmering
12-16 oz. Penne pasta, cooked al dente
DIRECTIONS:
Six hours before serving time, pound the chicken breasts flat on both sides using a meat mallet – this will ensure even cooking on the grill. Season each side of the breast lightly with Kosher salt.
Place in a locked storage bowl or a Zip-lock bag with the marinade ingredients, prepared as follows: Mince five garlic cloves and whisk with 1/4 cup XV olive oil, 1/2 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice, the Balsamic vinegar, minced fresh oregano, basil and crushed black pepper.
Chill until an hour before you are ready to grill – rotate the chicken occasionally in the marinade.
Prepare a heavy stock pot with enough water to boil the pasta. Heat on medium-high with a dash of salt.
Prepare an outdoor charcoal grill with enough wood charcoal for a medium-hot fire. When white-hot, level the coals and place the chicken breasts directly on the center of the grill grate.
Char and turn after four minutes. Turn again and check for doneness when the juices run clear. The breast should be firm with an internal temperature of 165° F. Remove from heat and let rest in a heavy covered dish.
While the breasts are grilling, heat a heavy, cast-iron pot over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil and minced garlic. Saute for four minutes, stirring constantly, taking care not to scorch the garlic. Add the butter. Stir until melted. Increase heat slightly and slowly add the cream, grated Parmesan and white pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and stir constantly until thickened, about six to ten minutes. Shut off the heat and cover until ready to serve.
While the breasts are grilling, bring the pasta water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta, calculating the finished serving time, and cook according to box directions, stirring occasionally – about six to nine minutes, until al dente. Drain and keep covered.
When the alfredo sauce is done, add to the drained pasta. Mix lightly. Slice the chicken breasts and serve on top of the pasta/sauce.
Serve with a garden spinach salad or grilled asparagus and Italian bread.
Here is my version of a tangy-zippy BBQ sauce based on recipes from North and South Carolina. It is amazing on BBQ pulled pork — a great alternative to a heavier BBQ sauce that lets the flavor of the smoked meat come through.
Ingredients:
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tbs. ketchup
2 tbs. brown sugar, packed and leveled
1/2 tsp. red cayenne pepper flake
2 tsp. Tabasco hot sauce
1/2 tsp. smoked Spanish paprika
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. coarse-ground black pepper
1 tbs. honey
Directions:
Combine the ingredients in a non-reactive sauce pan and bring to a rolling boil. Simmer for three minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from the heat and when cool, store in your fridge for at least three hours, allowing the flavors to set.
Drizzle over pulled pork sandwiches.
Makes one cup. Will last for months in your fridge when sealed.
Who’s up for making a made-from-scratch marinara sauce with fresh summer garden herbs? Sounds like a lot of work? It’s easier than you think.
This is a classic spicy red sauce prepared in the old world Italian tradition. We’ll serve it with grilled Italian sausage and Cremini mushrooms over a bed of penne pasta.
The sausage takes center stage — made locally in Johnsonville, a town in Eastern Wisconsin (their brats are legendary!) Many large retail grocers will carry it.
My family loves this recipe. I’m trusting yours will too.
For another version of my homemade marinara using garden tomatoes, click here.
Ingredients:
1 package Johnsonville® mild Italian sausage (5 links)
2 28-oz. cans Red Gold® tomatoes (one crushed and one diced)
4 large cloves fresh garlic; peeled and minced
6 large Cremini mushrooms; washed, stemmed and sliced
1 small onion; peeled and sliced lengthwise into 1/4″ strips
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup fresh Italian oregano leaves; minced
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves; minced
1 green bell pepper; cored and sliced
1 red bell pepper; cored and sliced
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. beef boullion granules
Sea salt, to taste
Hot red pepper flakes, to taste
1 pound penne pasta, cooked al dente according to package directions (about 11-12 minutes)
XV olive oil
Grated fresh hard Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Preheat an outdoor charcoal grill with enough coals for a medium-hot fire. Mound the briquettes and fire until white hot; about twenty minutes. Cook the sausage links covered over indirect heat with the top vent partially choked down.
Turn every 5 minutes until firm and evenly browned. Remove and set aside.
In a 3-quart heavy enameled cast-iron sauce pot, heat 1/4 cup XV olive oil until shimmering, then add the minced garlic. Stir constantly so the garlic doesn’t burn. Cook for three minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for an additional three minutes, then add the sliced onion and a pinch of sea salt. Cook until the onions are tender and translucent. Add the red wine to deglaze the pot. Add the two cans of tomatoes, the oregano and basil and stir. Add the sugar, red pepper flakes and beef boullion. Simmer on low, partially covered, stirring occasionally for at least two hours. You cannot rush a good marinara sauce! After the first hour, add the sliced red and green bell pepper. Cut the Italian sausage at a bias in 1/2″ chunks and add to the pot. The sauce can be left to simmer for at least six hours with great results. Just make sure to keep the heat at an absolute minimum.
Boil 3 quarts of water in a separate stock pot. Add 1 tsp. of sea salt. Cook the penne pasta until just al dente. Drain well and serve with the sauce, topped with shredded hard Parmesan cheese.
Serves six comfortably
Total cooking/prep time: 4-6 hours
I love fall, because my garden is setting many heirloom tomatoes — the perfect time to make a pot of made-from-scratch Italian marinara sauce. This recipe also calls for grilled or pan-fried Italian sausage served over pasta. The marinara is based, in part, on a recipe from a friend who is first generation Italian – his family hails from an area just outside of Rome.
Easier than you thought, eh? Enjoy.
Ingredients:
2 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. rendered bacon fat
8 cups pureed garden tomatoes (blanched and peeled)
2 cloves garlic – peeled and minced
1 medium Spanish onion – fine chopped
1/2 cup red wine
1 stalk celery with leaves – minced
1 sweet bell red pepper, diced
1 carrot – peeled and grated
1 tsp. salt, to taste
Pinch of sugar
12 dried chiltepin peppers, to taste, crushed in a mortar
1 tsp. dry ground Turkish oregano
1 tsp. dry ground basil
1 tbs. dry ground parsley flakes
2 dry bay leaves
5 mild Italian sausage links, grilled or pan-fried and cut into chunks at a bias
Your choice of pasta noodles, cooked al-dente
Directions:
Using a 3-quart heavy non-reactive enameled cast-iron pot, add the olive oil and rendered bacon fat. Heat on medium and then add the onion, garlic and celery, stirring for about 20 minutes until translucent. Add the red wine and deglaze the pot.
Blanch and peel the garden tomatoes and pulse in a food processor until smooth. (To blanch tomatoes, wash and add to a pot of boiling water for thirty seconds, then plunge into ice-cold water. The skins will peel off.) Core, process and add to the pot and increase the heat until a low simmer is achieved. Add the carrot, bell pepper and dry spices. Simmer on very low heat, partially covered for about six hours, until most of the water is rendered out, stirring occasionally. While the sauce is cooking, grill or fry the Italian sausage and then cut into chunks and add to the pot, during the last two hours of cooking. Stir every half-hour.
Serve over your choice of pasta, cooked al-dente.
Makes about 2.75 quarts. Serves 4-6
Note: to cut the acidity of tomatoes, sugar is added. Shredded carrot is also used. Taste and adjust to your preference accordingly. A touch of dry red wine may be added, but is not necessary.
This is an authentic Mexican white sauce that is a must on fresh Baja fish tacos. The preparation is simple and it will keep for at least two weeks in your fridge.
INGREDIENTS:
Sour cream
Freshly-squeezed lime juice
minced fresh cilantro to taste
Kosher salt to taste
Fresh-ground black pepper to taste
Ground coriander to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Determine the amount of Crema you need. Mix the sour cream and lime juice in proportion so it forms a “squeezable” sauce. Add the other ingredients.
Mix well and store in a plastic food-service squeeze bottle. Let it sit for three hours before serving. Serve over Mexican-style tacos.
This is a hot sauce based on Melinda’s® White Label, which is one of my favorites. Its ingredients and preparation are authentic to the Yucatán province of Mexico. Use caution when blackening the habañeros – your kitchen must be properly ventilated or you will be knocked flat by choking, searing fumes – I would advise preparing them on an outdoor grill in a heavy cast-iron pan instead. You’ve been warned!
Will easily keep for several months in your fridge. May also be used as a dipping sauce in moderation.
Ingredients:
10 home-grown habañero peppers, stemmed
1 medium onion, cut into eighths
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into chunks
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tbs. XV olive oil
Crushed black pepper, to taste
1 tsp. salt, to taste
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. ground turmeric (optional)
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
Preparation:
Stem the habañero peppers. Peel and cut the onion into eighths. Peel the raw garlic. Wash, peel and chunk the carrot and set aside.
Heat a heavy cast-iron pan over medium-high heat with 2 tbs. of olive oil. Add the vegetables and habañero, a pinch of salt and black pepper. Allow to char slightly until lightly carmelized, about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
In a food processor, add the red wine vinegar, lime juice, remaining salt and sugar. Turmeric may be added to brighten the color, but is not necessary. Add the carmelized peppers, onion, carrot and garlic and puree until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, a small amount of cold water may be added.
Extremely hot. Makes a little over 1-1/4 cup.
Bottle and store in your fridge. Allow to set up for 4 hours before serving.
The habaneros, onion and carrots blackened in cast-iron over medium-high heat.
Ready for the food processor.
Safety Outdoors: Cast-iron pan blackened habaneros on a charcoal grill
This is amazing paired with smoked salmon. Some people shred the salmon and mix it in with the spread. I feel this kills the presentation. Let the fish take center stage by adding it chunked on a cracker with this spread as a flavorful base.
Ingredients:
1 8oz. package cream cheese
2 tbs. capers, drained and left whole
2 tbs. minced red onion
1 tbs. minced fresh parsley
2 tbs. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 tbs. mayo (add if you need the spread to be more creamy)
Fresh ground pepper to taste
fine chopped fresh dill weed (optional)
Snack crackers
Directions:
Beat the cream cheese with the lemon juice and mayo until desired consistency is achieved. Add the capers, red onion, parsley and pepper.
Fold in until combined. Let stand in the fridge covered for about an hour.
Spread on crackers and sprinkle with the chopped dill, then top with chunked smoked salmon.
This stunning recipe is classic Italian. Using only seven simple ingredients, its vibrant color and aroma elevates any meal. Toss with pasta or spread on thinly-sliced grilled Italian or French bread. It’s also amazing on grilled fish, pan-fried eggs and an Italian sub sandwich.
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