Spinach Pistachio Pesto

 Pesto is one of the most versatile sauces. You can put it on pasta, chicken, beef, lamb, sandwiches and list can go on and on. It is completely delicious! Your basic pesto is basil, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan and olive oil. It's not only widely used it's very easy to make. If you have a food processor or blender its even easier to make! The beauty of pesto is that you can change it up. You can stick with tradition or think outside the box. Just switch out the greens and/or the nuts and as long as you have garlic, olive oil and parmesan you'll be fine.

One of my favorite greens is spinach. It's simply delicious. I'm also fond of pistachios. I happened to have both so I though why not! The result was this wonderfully delicate pesto. The color alone was beautiful and the flavor delightful.

As of now, it's my new favorite pesto! I've used it in pasta, as a sauce for beef & chicken and as a spread in a turkey sandwich. However you use it, it's delicious! 

This pesto is Popeye approved!

Buen Provecho!

4 oz of Spinach in blender or food processor

Add 1 large clove of garlic, if garlic is small use two

1/2 cup pistachios

1/4 cup to 1/2 cup Parmesan

Slowly drizzle olive oil into the blender top until the sauce emulsifies.

Delightful Green & Delicious

Toss with spaghetti & top with shaved Parmesan cheese. Yum!

Spinach Pistachio Pesto - yields about 3/4 - 1 cup

4 oz spinach
1 large garlic clove
1/4-1/2 cup of  parmesan cheese, to your taste (start small & add as you go)
1/2 cup pistachio, shelled
1/2 - 3/4 cup olive oil
Salt n Pepper to taste

1. In a blender add spinach, garlic, pistachio and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Blend ingredients together. Through the top opening slowly pour olive oil until you reach the wanted consistency. In between thick and thin. Adjust for seasoning if necessary. Enjoy!

If making Pesto Spaghetti

Ingredients: yields 4 servings

1lb Spaghetti
1/4-1/3 cup Spinach Pistachio Pesto Sauce - If you want to use more feel free. Make it your own!


1.  I boiled the pasta according to package instructions, shy a 1-2 minutes of cooking time, until al dente. Save a cup of the pasta water. Drain spaghetti. Add 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup of pesto to spaghetti. Slowly add pasta water a tablespoon at a time, just enough to make a sauce. You will not use all the water. Toss the sauce and spaghetti, serve immediately. Top with shaved Parmesan. Buen Provecho!

Simple Spinach Dip

I love spinach dip! I love a dip that makes you think you're eating healthy. This dip is delicous served with carrots, cumcumber and bread or particularly anything!

This spinach dip is ridiculously simple. It literally has 4 ingredients, not including salt and pepper. I use frozen spinach, sour cream, mayo and chives or green onions. This time around I used chives. Whether green onions or chives, you can't go wrong.

This dip is great for parties or for simply eating while watching your favorite show on a lazy day. 

The measurements I give are estimates. Feel free to add more mayo or sour cream if you want it creamier. Keep it simple or jazz it up. Either way give it a try!

This is a great game day/night snack!! Go Giants!!

Buen Provecho!! 

16 oz of thawed spinach

Sniped chives, 1 Tbsp or Green onion 2 stocks thinly sliced

1/3 cup mayo

1/3 cup sour cream

salt to taste

pepper to taste

Stir to combine

Store and refrigerate for at least 1 hour for the flavors to meld together.

Slather on crusty bread! My favorite way!

Simple Spinach Dip

16 oz frozen spinach, thawed

1/3 cup mayo

1/3 cup sour cream

1 tbsp Chives, sniped or 2 Green onion stock, thinly sliced

Salt n Pepper, to taste

1. In a medium bowl put thawed spinach, sour cream, mayo, chives, salt and pepper. Stir and combine. Adjust seasoning of necessary. Put spinach dip in a container and chill for at least an hour. Serve with crudités or bread. 

Enjoy! 

Dining with Disney: Lilo & Stitch: Chocolate Cupcakes with Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting.

Lilo & Stitch is such a wonderful story of family and friendships. Beings from 2 completely different worlds, literally, find common ground and form a long lasting friendship. It's celebrates differences and confidence in oneself. It also shows the importance of family, the bond that's shared with siblings and that no matter what,  you love and take care of one another. Ohana means family, nobody gets left behind!


Dining with Disney Menu is as follows:

Appetizer- Deep Fried Spam Musubi

Entree- Chicken Katsu Dinner Plate

Dessert - Chocolate Cupcakes with Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting.

Now let me example my thought process. Now some of it is quite obvious. The film is based in Hawaii so Spam Musubi & Chicken Katsu make sense. You can make your own Musubi (regular or fried) & Katsu or use my recipes. I serve the Katsu with steamed rice & macaroni salad. Please feel free to go to your local Hawaiian joint and get these goodies.You may not be able to find deep fried musubi but you'll find regular spam musubi which is just as yummy!

Now let's look at the dessert. Chocolate Cupcakes with Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting. You're probably thinking what does chocolate cupcakes have to do with Hawaii or the movie. Well, in the movie, Lilo orders a slice of chocolate cake which Stitch proceeds to devour then spits out because he realized that he just eaten her cake. At the end of the movie to make up for his mistake Stitch bakes Lilo a Chocolate cake. So in honor of those moments I'm sharing this cupcake recipe. Oh, the pineapple is there because it's Hawaii the land of pineapples! I hope you enjoy your time Dining with Disney with your Ohana!

Aloha!

Preheat oven 350 F. Place 3 oz of bittersweet chocolate

1 stick of butter cut up

1/2 cup cocoa powder ( I prefer dark cocoa) in a microwave safe bowl

Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each time until chocolate, butter & cocoa are completely combined. Allow to cool.

To a small bowl combine 3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

In a medium bowl add 2 eggs, 3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

Combine well.

Add cooled chocolate mixture into the wet mixture.

Add flour little by little until all is combined.

Add 1/2 cup sour cream and combine. The batter will be thick.

Line Trays

Using a small scoop or melon baller (That's what I used) pour batter into liners. Bake 18-20 for regular cupcakes or 15-18 minutes for mini cupcakes. Test doneness with a toothpick.

8 oz of cream cheese & 1 stick of butter at room temperature.

Cream together and add 1 tsp of vanilla

Add powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time to your desired sweetness.

Add 1/4 cup crushed pineapple and combine.

Remove from oven and let them cool for a 5 minutes in the pan.Then remove from pan and cool on a wired rack.

When cool frost the cupcakes.

Top them with a chunk of pineapple

Don't they look pretty!

If you want to take one more step add a piece of Millionaire bacon. The sweet & salty totally work!

Live adventurously, add the Millionaire bacon!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting - yields 12-14 reg cupcakes or 35-40 mini cupcakes


Ingredients:

3/4 cup Flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 stick of butter
3 oz bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup cocoa powder (dark)
1/2 cup sour cream


Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting:

Basic Cream Cheese Frosting
1/4 cup crushed pineapple
2-3 slices of pineapple rings, cut into small chunks 
1-2 slice of Millionaire Bacon, cut into pieces (optional)

Note: If using Millionaire Bacon, make that first. It will keep while you make the cupcakes.

Roadmap:

1. Preheat oven 350F.

2. Add chocolate, cocoa powder & butter in to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second increments until chocolate melts. Stirring after each 30 seconds until incorporated and completely smooth. Be careful not to over cook chocolate. Allow chocolate mixture to cool.

3. In a small bowl mix together flour, baking soda and baking powder. In a medium bowl mix together eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt. Incorporate cooled chocolate mixture into wet mixture.

4. Add flour mixture little by little into the wet mixture. Add sour cream and stir until well combined.

5. Place liners in pan. Divide batter into cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes for regular cupcakes. (for mini cupcakes 15-18 minutes) Insert toothpick, if clean allow cupcakes to cool in pan for 5-7 minutes. Take cupcakes out of pans and completely cool.

6. While cupcakes are cooking make frosting. Basic Cream Cheese Frosting- Add 8oz cream cheese (room temperature) and 1 stick of butter (room temperature) into a medium bowl. With a hand mixer, cream together until blended. Add vanilla and blend. Add and blend powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time until desired sweetness. Add 1/4 cup of crushed pineapple and mix in with a spatula. 

7. Frost cupcakes and topped with pineapple chunk (mini cupcakes) or chunks (regular cupcake). If you want to go extra crazy add a piece of millionaire bacon with pineapple chunks. It sounds crazy but it works!! Try it!  Enjoy!

Chicken Florentine Crepe with Hollandaise Sauce

 There is always something in our fridges that needs to be cook today or forget about it. This was my dilemma.  I had some chicken thighs that needed to be cooked and spinach and mushroom on the verge of spoiling. Necessity truly is the mother of invention. I decided to make Chicken Florentine. I could of easily just served it with potatoes or rice but I wanted something more elegant. This is where the crepe comes in. To make it even more fancy I made some Hollandaise Sauce to pour over it.

This dish is so delicious! I only had spinach, onions and mushrooms but you could use any vegetables you like and it will be incredible! It was light, satisfying and so savory!

I suggest doing the batter for the crepes first it needs to rest for at least 1 hour in the fridge.  Second work on the filling. Third do the hollandaise while warming up your filling. When each component is done, start making the crepes and adding your warm filling, roll and top with hollandaise.

Make Crepe Batter- Add 2 eggs, 1 cup of flour, 3/4 cup milk, 1/2 cup water, 3 TBSP butter & 1/4 tsp salt to a blender. Blend for ONLY 10 seconds.  Place in fridge for 1 hour.

Season and cut chicken

Add oil to a medium pan on medium high, add chicken

Brown chicken and remove

Add diced onions

and garlic. Cook until tender.

Move onions/garlic to outer side of pan and add mushrooms.

Cook until brown. stir together.

Add flour and stir into veggies while cooking out the flour taste.

Add 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock

Stir scraping bottom for flavorful bites. Bring to a boil and sauce thickens.

Put chicken and juices back, finish cooking chicken. 5- 10 minutes check for doneness.

Add 1/3 cup heavy cream, stir and allow sauce to reduce.

Add spinach and wilt.

Yummy Filling!!

Make Crepes. Butter pan, 1/4 cup batter in pan, swirl, cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, flip and cook other side.

Make Hollandaise- 2 yolks, juice of half a lemon, 1/4 tsp salt blend in blender. While blending pour in the top 5 tbsp melted butter. Blend until completely emulsified. Adjust for seasoning. 

Add a couple of Tbsp of filling

Gently Roll

Drizzle with Hollandaise sauce.

Delightful bite!

Chicken Florentine Crepe with Hollandaise Sauce - yields 4 servings

Ingredients:

1lb chicken thighs, skinless, boneless 
1 Tbsp Poultry Seasoning
1/2 an onion, diced
1 garlic clove
8 oz Mushroom, sliced
4-5 oz Spinach
2 Tbsp Flour
1 1/2 cups Chicken stock
1/3 cup heavy cream
Salt n Pepper
2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Crepes- store bought or homemade Crepes  
Hollandaise Sauce 


Roadmap:

1. If making crepes do that first. Batter needs to sit for at least 1 hour.
Cut chicken into strips or chunks. Season chicken with salt n pepper and poultry seasoning.

2. To a medium heavy bottom pan on  medium heat add oil. Brown chicken. Once all chicken is browned remove from pan and place on plate.

3. Add diced onions & garlic, season with salt & pepper,  cook until tender, 4-5 minutes, push onions/garlic to the outer sides of the pan and add mushrooms. Cook until brown. Add the flour, stirring to cover vegetables with flour and also to cook the flour taste out. 

4. Add chicken stock, stirring/scraping up with a wooden spoon the good bits from the pan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens.

5. Return chicken to pan and lower to simmer. Finish cooking chicken through, 5-10 minutes, check for doneness.

6. Add heavy cream, stir and allow sauce to reduce. Add spinach and wilt in pan. Cover and remove from heat. Keep warm.

7. Prep homemade crepes or store brought crepe. Make Hollandaise Sauce. 

8. Assembly: Crepe, spoonful of chicken mixture , roll and drizzle hollandaise sauce.

9.  Enjoy!