Parsley Sunflower Pesto

This is a tasty pesto sauce to make when fresh basil isn't available. It may be used immediately, but if you let it sit overnight in the refrigerator, the flavors become more intense.

2 cups of chopped Italian parsley
1/3 cup of shelled and salted sunflower seeds
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 to 2/3 cup of olive oil

In the food processor, (blender if you don't have a food processor,) chop the parsley, sunflower seeds, and garlic together until they are finely mixed. With the food processor running, pour the olive oil in a thin stream. Stop at 1/2 cup of oil and check the texture. If it's too dry, add the rest of the oil. Scrape the pesto out of the food processor with a rubber or silicone spatula
into a bowl.

I didn't take a picture of the pesto in the bowl, but I have a picture of the Basil Grilled Chicken with Pesto Pasta dinner I used it in.

Dinner Magic Menus September Week 3

Dinner Magic Menus September Week 3

Country Pork Ribs
Pesto Mashed Potatoes
Salad


Chicken Kabobs with Peaches and Couscous
Lightly Steamed Cabbage


Asian Chicken Salad Twirl


Taglione
Italian Salad with Mozzarella
Italian Style Vegetables


Asian Pork and Eggplant
Shredded Cabbage and Carrots


Salmon with Lemon and Lavender
Green Beans with Warm Cherry Tomatoes
Garlic Bread


Warm Chicken Spinach Salad
Fresh Herb Bread


Click here for the Dinner Magic Shopping List for September Week 3.

Orange Sherbet from Cook's Illustrated

I feel like a magician! Whenever I make something new that I've never tried before, and it turns out delicious, I feel like I've done some amazing act of wizardry, some type of elemental magic, turning basic ingredients into a culinary delight. That's what happened with this orange sherbet recipe.

Orange sherbet isn't one of my favorite frozen desserts. But when I read the recipe in the American Classics 2009 issue of Cook's Illustrated, I had to try it. It's made with fresh orange juice and heavy whipping cream for a smooth, creamy sherbet that tastes like a delicious frozen Orange Julius, only better.

Since I got the recipe out of a Cook's Illustrated magazine, I can't post it here. It's my favorite cooking magazine, and the recipes and cooking tips are all top notch. The Cook's Illustrated website has another similar recipe, but I haven't tried that one.

Steak and Roasted Vegetables

Steak and Roasted Vegetables
Tossed Salad
Quick Garlic Breadsticks

Steaks for each person, rib-eye, sirloin, or your favorite steak
Steak rub or spices of your choice (We use Creole seasoning.)
One potato for each person, peeled and cut up
One sweet potato, peeled and cut up
One carrot for each person, peeled and cut in chunks
1/2 cup of parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 can of refrigerated biscuits
2 Tbsp real butter (not margarine)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 head of romaine, chopped
1 large tomato, cut up
2 radishes, thinly sliced
Croutons
Salad dressing

Prepare the vegetables by placing them in a covered baking dish.
Sprinkle the olive oil, parsley, and some salt and pepper over the vegetables and toss to coat.
Cover the vegetables with tin foil if you don't have a covered dish.
Bake in a 375 degree oven for one hour or until the vegetables are fork tender.
While the vegetables are baking, season the steaks.
Just before the vegetables are done, toss the salad.
Put the steaks on the grill.
For the biscuits, take them out of the can. Roll them into short ropes and twist.
Place the twists on a baking sheet.
Melt the butter and stir in the garlic and onion powder.
Brush the melted butter mixture over the breadsticks.
Remove the vegetables from the oven.
Heat the oven to 450 degrees and bake the breadsticks 8-10 minutes.
If they are ready before the steaks, keep them warm and tender by placing them in a dish and covering with a towel.
Enjoy your steak dinner!

Shrimp and Grits Dinner

This evening we wanted something light and quick to prepare. Shrimp and grits came to mind, along with a salad made with tomatoes and peppers from our garden. It took about 15 minutes to prepare, start to finish. I used chicken broth that I had saved in the freezer.



Shrimp and Grits

1 lb shrimp, deveined and precooked
4 green onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp Tabasco, or 1 tsp Creole seasoning
1/2 cup chicken broth (more if you cook the grits in it.)
1/4 cup feta cheese
1 1/2 cups grits
3 cups of chopped salad greens
1 chopped yellow, red, or green pepper
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
Croutons

Preparation:
Toss the ingredients for the salad.
Boil water for the grits, and cook them according to the package directions.
Saute the onions and garlic in the butter.
Add the chicken broth, shrimp, and Tabasco or Creole seasoning.
Allow the shrimp to cook until it's completely heated through, about 3 minutes.
Place some grits on a plate. Scoop the shrimp out of the pan with a slotted spoon and place on top of the grits.
Sprinkle with feta cheese.
Sprinkle croutons on the salad.

This light dinner tastes wonderful paired with a chilled Pinot Grigio.