Parsley Pesto

I've been homebound for the past few days after undergoing outpatient surgery, so I was looking for something quick and easy to ease me back into the kitchen.  "Quick and easy" meant I was looking for 2 things: 1) I could put everything into one "pot," and 2) I could find all the ingredients in my house.

So I surveyed my fridge and cupboards, coming up with an abundance of leftover parsley from the Smoky Fish Pie which still looked fresh, along with various types of cheese.  Then I searched the cabinets, noticing a bag of pine nuts that I like to keep stashed for occasions just like these.  My brain started working... I knew I had a jar of minced garlic (a staple in my fridge) and some EVOO (yes, i'm really using a Rachael Ray term), so this was looking more and more like a pesto.

Except... parsley?  I've never been a huge fan of parsley because I gravitate towards the more aromatic herbs like basil and cilantro, both of which make great pesto.  I wasn't so sure about parsley.  I wasn't even sure what parsley really tasted like.  But, since I was set on making pesto now and didn't seem to have any other options, I decided that it wouldn't hurt to showcase parsley once in awhile.

I didn't really do anything special here... I started out with a basic basil pesto recipe and swapped basil with parsley.  (Yup, that's really all).  And since I actually had several kinds of cheese to choose from, I half and half'd parmigiano reggiano (doesn't that sound so classy?) and pecorino romano to total half a cup.

The following recipe was adapted from Elise who posted at simplyrecipes.com

(http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/fresh_basil_pesto/).

Parsley Pesto

Prep time: 10 minutes

Yields: 1 cup

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh parsley leaves, packed

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts

3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

1) Combine the parsley in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor.  Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.

2) Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on.   Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula.   Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended.   Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

I did this one in the blender since I was too lazy to get my food processor out, which is why you see me adding the oil without the lid on.  It's risky business though -- I would suggest using a food processor with the handy opening at the top so you don't need to shield yourself from your blender.

3) Serve.

I like mixing my pesto with pasta, and since we were having fish tonight, it made a cheerful side dish -- what a lovely green!

I have to say that it tasted better than I thought it would... but then again, probably anything mixed with cheese and garlic and nuts will probably always turn out good.  I still prefer basil pesto, but I was happy with the result.

Until the next adventure...

Smoky Fish Pie

The new year brought with it a rainy day, so I was craving something warm and comforting.  As I was flipping through my Cookshelf Healthy Cooking book, a recipe under 'Fish & Shellfish' caught my eye.  Smoky Fish Pie?  Sounded like just the thing.  Scanning the ingredients, I saw that I could make use of the leftover smoked salmon from our traditional lox and bagels Christmas breakfast and stop at the store for the other items.  With a plan in mind, I was already feeling like I'd found the perfect remedy for a rainy afternoon!

The following recipe is from Kathryn Hawkins' Cookshelf Healthy Cooking, page 122.

Smoky Fish Pie

Serves: 4

Calories per serving: 510

Fat content per serving: 6g

Ingredients:

2 pounds smoked haddock or cod fillets

2-1/2 cups skim milk

2 bay leaves

4 ounces button mushrooms, quartered

4 ounces frozen peas

4 ounces frozen corn

1-1/2 pounds potatoes, diced

5 tbsp low-fat unsweetened yogurt

4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

2 ounces smoked salmon, sliced into thin strips

3 tbsp cornstarch

1 ounce smoked cheese, grated

salt and pepper

I couldn't find smoked haddock or cod at the supermarket, but picked up these beautiful haddock fillets already with the skins off.  Turns out they worked just as well.  I also substituted skim milk for light soy milk (which I usually trade off) and sliced baby bellas in place of button mushrooms (also a typical trade-off for me).  Finally, the smoked cheese of choice was an apple-smoked cheddar that gave the casserole some bite.

Preparation:

1) Preheat the oven to 400˚F.  Place the fish in a pan and add the milk and bay leaves.  Bring to a boil, cover, and then simmer for 5 minutes.

2) Add the mushrooms, peas, and corn to the pan, bring back to a simmer, cover, and cook for 5-7 minutes.  Let cool.

I would suggest leaving the lid open a crack so that the sauce doesn't boil over!

3) Place the potatoes in a pan, cover with water, boil, and cook for 8 minutes.  Drain and mash with a fork or a masher.  Stir in the yogurt, parsley, and seasoning.  Set aside.

The recipe didn't call for peeled potatoes, but I peeled mine before I diced and boiled them.

4) Using a slotted spoon, remove the fish from the pan.  Flake the cooked fish away from the skin and place in an ovenproof gratin dish.  Reserve the cooking liquid.

Since I was able to find fillets with the skins already removed, the fish had cooked through and flaked easily.

5) Drain the vegetables, reserving the cooking liquid, and gently stir into the fish, together with the salmon strips.

6) Blend a little cooking liquid into the cornstarch to make a paste.  Transfer the rest of the liquid to a saucepan and add the paste.  Heat through, stirring, until thickened.  Discard the bay leaves and season to taste.

I've always been alittle iffy about making a rue, which is what I equated this to.  I didn't know how much liquid to add to the cornstarch to get it pastey enough, so ended up having to add more cornstarch to thicken it, and later more milk to smooth it out.  Next time I would start with the liquid first and then gradually add the cornstarch.

7) Pour the sauce over the fish and vegetables.  Spoon the mashed potato on top, covering the fish, sprinkle with cheese, and bake for 25-30 minutes.  Serve.





The final result:

I could smell the smokiness in the kitchen before the dish was done baking.  There were alot of flavors going on in the "pie," which I liked.  Overall, it took me about 2 hours to prepare from prep to baking, since I felt like it was hard to multi-task the steps (and of course, it was the first time making it).  Hopefully, next time I will find a way for it to flow better... I would make it again.  It was a healthy twist on traditional shepherd's pie, and the warm and comforting fix I was looking for.

Until the next adventure...

Let's eat.

Hello and welcome to my page!

I created this space mainly to explore my love affair with food.  I enjoy cooking and visiting local restaurants in the greater Philadelphia area, so this site will be dedicated to sharing recipes and dining experiences.

If you'd like to read more, here's alittle taste of my adventures with food.

Whether you've stumbled upon my page looking for a recipe or to read a review, thanks for stopping by, and most of all, enjoy!

-Glo