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arugula pesto

May 24, 2014
the main event, the underwear diet, Uncategorized
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While traditionally pesto is made with basil, this recipe switches it up with vibrant, peppery arugula that goes perfectly over whole wheat pasta. I made arugula pesto in the past, but neglected to understand the value of recording the recipe. Here is my official first attempt at a delicious and deceptively healthy pesto.

5 cups packed arugula
3/4 cup pecorino, broken up into chunks
3/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 clove garlic
4 T extra-virgin olive oil
Juice 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and whirl until smooth (alternately, if you like pesto with a bit more texture, pulse until desired consistency is reached).

photo 2 (2)

Use as a dip for vegetables or crusty baguette, sauce for pasta (makes enough for 1 pound), garnish for soups, condiment for sandwiches, etc. (I served it with whole wheat pasta, garnished with grated pecorino and freshly ground black pepper.)

white gazpacho

April 30, 2014
the main event, the underwear diet, Uncategorized
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I’ve been wanting to make this chilled soup for a while, but wasn’t expecting anything earth-shattering. This recipe, however, is pretty spectacular. Rich, luscious, and creamy, it is a meal in itself. A garnish of the soup’s main ingredients gives texture to the final dish, which looks like it came straight from a restaurant kitchen.

1 3/4 cups diced cucumber (1/2 large hothouse), plus more for garnish
1 cup green grapes, plus more for garnish
1 cup slivered or sliced almonds, plus more for garnish
1 clove garlic
1 cups cubed baguette (1/2 a demi-baguette)
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2/3 cups extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish
Kosher salt, to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender.
2. Add 2 cups water to the blender and whirl until smooth.
3. Divide evenly among bowls and garnish with diced cucumber, green grapes (halved), almonds, and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

Serves 2-4

photo 1 (1)

pork larb

February 13, 2014
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I used this recipe from Bon Appetit for Thai Larb. Here is how I adapted it:

1 small onion, rough dice
1 jalapeno, thin slice
2 cloves garlic, thin slice
2 1/2 tsp fish sauce
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Zest of 2 limes, thin slice
3 Tbsp canola oil, divided
1 3/4 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat and cut into 2-inch cubes
8 leaves butter, romaine, or iceberg lettuce leaves
Cilantro, for garnish

For the sauce:
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp light brown sugar
1/2 tsp Sriracha sauce

1. In a food processor, place onion, jalapeno, garlic, fish sauce, salt, lime zest, and 1 Tbsp of the oil. Pulse until finely chopped.
2. Add the pork to the food processor and pulse until it is very finely chopped.
3. In a pan, heat the remaining 2 Tbsp oil over medium heat. Add the pork mixture and cook, breaking it apart with the back of a wooden spoon, until cooked through, about 5 minutes.
4. Make the sauce: combine the ingredients and stir.
5. Arrange lettuce leaves on a plate and fill each leaf with larb. Drizzle with sauce and garnish with cilantro.

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Leftovers were piled into a container and layered with kimchi. YUM.