Day 79: Sausage Pecan Pesto Shells

I originally got this idea from one of my Real Simple magazines.  (Follow that link to the exact recipe.)  I made it once or twice last summer, I think, and we all loved it!  However, the original recipe calls for a parsley pesto, rather than basil.  (You can really make any kind of pesto since the word in Italian means "to pound, or crush" referring to how they originally started making basil & pine nut pesto.)  I've made a parsley pesto, spinach pesto, of course basil pesto, and next will make a broccoli pesto, I believe.  All good, but basil (the original) is definitely the most flavorful.  Because I wanted to save some pesto for tomorrow's paninis for lunch, I made this pesto with a combination of parsley, basil, and even some spinach.  I started with several cloves of garlic in the food processor, added handfuls of basil, parsley, and spinach, and some parmesan cheese.  Sprinkled in some salt and pepper, and began to pulse the processor.  I drizzled in some extra virgin olive oil and even added some pasta water to this batch.  When it came to my desired consistency, I stopped.

Here's a more literal recipe for pesto:
3-4 cups of greens (basil, parsley, or spinach, or a combination of the 3)
4-5 cloves of garlic
1 cup grated parmesan cheese (*usually when I say parmesan cheese, I mean parmesan/romano combo from the store)
1/2 - 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
optional: 1/2 cup pine nuts

Combine all dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times.  Turn the processor on and drizzle in the olive oil while the pesto comes together.  Use more olive oil as you desire.

For the entire meal, I:
1. Cooked 3/4 lb shells according to package instructions.
2. Made a pesto in the food processor.
3. Brown a little less than 1 lb of sausage. (You can use Italian sausage, but I used breakfast sausage and added some Italian seasonings such as dried basil, oregano, parsley, onion flakes, and 2 cloves of minced garlic.)
Combine the shells, pesto, and sausage, and add some whole or half pecans if desired.

Day 10: Mozzarella, Tomato, Basil Panini

On a night when Randy is working late and most likely heading to his second job right from his first, :(  Abby and I usually have something simple--PB & J, mac & cheese, or cereal. It's not that I don't enjoy cooking for my daughter, it's just that night's alone with 2 kids (and bath-time!) are easier when dinner is a non-issue.  So I present to you today: lunch!

I've said before that one of the ways I show Randy my love is by presenting him with good-looking and great-tasting meals.  (This is in no way something I believe all wives should do, it's just what I do--we all show love in different ways!)  Lunch is no exception.  I never used to care what I made myself for lunch until Randy started his internship this past fall.  It was the first time he would be out of the house all day, everyday, and need to pack a lunch.  So naturally, I started packing his lunch for him.  All of a sudden, I realized how awful my own lunches were--packed on a whim, no effort--sometimes I would just go without lunch!  But now that I pack Randy good, well-balanced lunches, I have better lunches, too!  We love sandwiches, so I usually try to mix them up a bit with wraps, subs, or paninis.   I don't have a panini press, so I either use my grill-lined cast iron skillet, or a flat skillet.  Then the panini can be warmed in the microwave at work before eating.

The recipe for the panini itself is simple: spread basil pesto (recipe follows) on both slices of bread, and stick a few slices of tomato and fresh mozzarella cheese in the middle.  Set the sandwich on a panini press or a buttered skillet and press down (a foil-wrapped brick, or heavy pot works).  Turn when golden on one side.  Press down again.

There's nothing like a sandwich made on fresh bread!  Yes, I occasionally make my own bread.  It's really easy, and makes sandwiches so much better!  I was home yesterday with my sick baby and took advantage of some down-time.  I made Ina Garten's honey white bread.  Here's the recipe:

1/2 cup warm water (110*)
2 pkgs dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 cups warm whole milk (110*)
6 TB unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 TB honey
2 extra-large egg yolks (I use large and it still comes out great!)
5-6 cups flour
1 TB kosher salt
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Mix the warm water, yeast, and sugar in a bowl and let dissolve 5 minutes.  (You can use an electric stand mixer with the hook attachment, or mix the dough manually.)  Add milk, butter, and honey and mix on medium speed until blended.  Add the egg yolks, 3 cups of flour, and salt.  Mix on low for about 5 minutes.  While mixer is on low, slowly add the remaining flour until the dough doesn't stick to the bowl.  Knead dough in bowl for about 8 minutes, adding flour as necessary.  Dump dough onto a well-floured surface and knead by hand 1 minute.  Roll in a butter-covered bowl and let sit under a damp cloth for about an hour.  Then divide the dough and place into 2 greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans.  Cover with a damp cloth again and let rise another hour.  Bake at 350* for 40-45 minutes.  Turn out of the pans and cool completely before slicing.  (I freeze one loaf.)

Pesto





 





I use as much basil as I have on hand at the moment (usually at least one bag's worth, or 50-60 leaves).  Wash and place in the bowl of a food processor.  4-5 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped--added to the basil.  Sprinkle a little salt and pepper.  Once the processor starts, drizzle in some extra virgin olive oil slowly and watch for the consistency you want to appear.

Randy's lunch.  He'll need some mint gum after that panini!