The fabulous $2.99 Sweet Basil plants at Trader Joes are the perfect excuse to make pesto, and a 8+ hour shift at KGO is the perfect excuse to make White Bean & Basil Spread with No-Kneed "Awesome" Bread.
My frugal pal Vanessa gave me the tip to use cashews instead of pine nuts in pesto. You still get that sweet, mellow, nutty richness, but at half the price. I also replaced Parmesan with less-expensive Asiago with no complaints from the co-workers who gobbled it up.
White Bean & Basil Spread
1/4 cup toasted, unsalted cashews 2 large cloves garlic, peeled 1/2 cup fresh arugula leaves, packed 1/4 cup Asiago cheese, grated 1/2 cup olive oil 2 cans (14 oz) white kidney (cannellini) beans, drained & rinsed* water or chicken broth as needed
Place the first 5 ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and whirl to combine. Add the beans and puree until smooth, adding water or broth to thin as needed.
Makes about 3.5 cups
*I usually use dry beans when I make white bean spreads, but I was short on time and the cans were only $.89 each at TJs - well within my limits of frugality
The tomatillo sauce was so yummy, I decided to try the same technique with Simple Pleasures Farms sweet little cherry tomatoes. And oh I'm glad I did!
The "recipe" is very loosy-goosey:
Take a bunch of:
Cherry Tomatoes- I think I used about 2 lbs
Onion - 1 whole, peeled and cut into 8ths or so
Garlic - 3-4 whole cloves
Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar (which I didn't have, I so I used a mix of white balsamic and red wine, but I wish I'd had regular balsamic) Sprinkle on sea salt and pepper.
Roast in a 450-degree oven for about 45 minutes
Dump it all in the food processor and add a good amount of basil leaves (my Trader Joe's basil plant is nearing the end of its life. It has served me well)
Ta-da! A super yummy, fresh-tasting and healthy sauce. I poured it over TJ's tortellini and it made a lovely lunch.
Oh, and the tip? I'm lucky that I have the counter space to keep my food process or out on the counter (and yes, I keep it plugged in and no, I don't want any grief about fire hazards or energy) but storing the disc blades has always been a problem. They're too big to put in a drawer, and are awkward and take up a lot of spaced in a cabinet.
The solution? I tipped the chopper blade to the side...
Thanks to the wisdom, encouragement and well-appointed nursery of my friend Silke and her fabulous store, Local Flora, I am attempting to grow my own tomatoes. I love a good, sweet, juicy tomato - but not paying $1-$2 each for them at the farmer's market.
I could have paid $19.99 + S&H for an upside down tomato planter, but why would I do that when I can grow mine in a recycled grocery bag I got for FREE with the purchase of the Wall-E DVD?
And I could spend up to $200 for an Eclectic Tera Cotta Planter, but I think my 'maters will taste just as good grown in the cage of an old circular fan.
So far the little guys seem to be healthy and growing beautifully, and have sprouted a few flowers. At the end of the summer, I hope to sip a glass of wine and nibble a slice of homemade bread topped with home-grown tomatoes and basil. Stay tuned for further developments!
OK, they're not really Crabby Patties, but when you live with a 10 year old you can't help but think "Crabby Patties" when you've got round, fried seafood cakes. Squidward WISHES his were this good!
The fine folks at Safcolsent me samples of their canned salmon and tuna to try. Since Safcol comes in lots of tasty flavors - Lemon Pepper, Tomato Basil, Chipoltle, Spicy Chili, Cajun - I wanted to use it for something more than a run-of-the-mill sammi filler. My mind turned to crab cakes - which I love, but never make because good crab is so spendy. Subbing tuna or salmon is a yummy and frugal alternative. Are you ready, kids? Let's make:
Salmon Cakes with Aioli
1 egg + 1 egg yolk 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 4 minced garlic cloves 1 cup olive oil squeeze of lemon juice
1 egg 1/4 cup aioli 1/2 cup green onions* 1/2 teaspoon herbs de Provence 3 6oz. cans Safcol Lemon Pepper Salmon, drained (about 9 oz) 2 cups fresh bread crumbs (made from sturdy bread)** 1 teaspoon sea salt
Oil for frying
First, make the aioli:
Put all of the ingredients into the bottom of a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup. Plunge a stick blender to the bottom of the cup. Turn on the blender, leaving it on the bottom while the mayo thickens. As it thickens, move it up a bit to incorporate all of the ingredients. Add a squeeze of lemon juice to taste.
(Don't have a stick blender? Get one! They're not expensive, will last you forever, and are indispensable in the kitchen. I'll never make mayo/aioli any other way. And they're the best for making quick & easy veggie soups)
To make the patties:
In a medium bowl, blend the egg, 1/4 cup of the aioli you just made, green onions, and herbs. Add the salmon and 1 cup of the bread crumbs. Blend until incorporated.
Using a tablespoon, form the mixture into flat patties. Chill for 1/2 and hour or overnight to make ahead.
Place the remaining 1 cup of bread crumbs on a plate and sprinkle in the sea salt. Drop a patty into the crumbs, cover with crumbs and press to coat. Place the covered patty back on the plate. Continue with the remaining patties. Chill for 1/2 an hour.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch covered skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 of the patties and cover the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Turn, cover and cook the other side for another 2-3 minutes. Remove to a plate covered with 2-3 layers of newspaper and 1 sheet of paper towel to drain (why? because its cheaper than 2-3 layers of paper towels!)
Serve with the rest of the aioli
Makes 18 nibbly-sized patties
The gears of my brain are turning with other ways I can season and flavor seafood patties. But yours is too. And to get you started, I've got 10 sampler packs of Safcol Tuna and Salmon to give away - just leave a comment here or on Facebook and I'll randomly select winners next weekend.
Posts
