Hey Pesto!!

Okay so I have a double recipe for you today. 2 types of pesto: Basil & Sundried Tomato. Both are real simple to make, healthy, cheap and very versatile. Simply stir into cooked pasta for an instant meal or use on crunchy slices of bread for a snack. Even use to flavour soups.

The measurements here will make a normal amount of pesto (good for 2 servings etc). When I made it I upped the measurements to make a lot which i can keep in the fridge and bring out when I'm too lazy to cook. You can also also add more olive oil than indicated if you want. This just makes the pesto a bit more fluid but makes it cover the pasta better.

Basil Pesto

Ingredients:

60g Fresh Basil

1 Clove Garlic

40g Pine Nuts

6 tbsp Olive Oil

Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Salt & Pepper

Method:

• Put all ingredients, except the olive oil, in a food processor & blend roughly. Alternatively place in a bowl & use a hand blender.
• Slowly pour in the oil and blend until smooth.
• Enjoy

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

Ingredients:

2 tbsp Sun-Dried Tomatoes (Chopped)

2 tbsp Fresh Basil

2 tbsp Black Olives (Chopped)

40g Pine Nuts

2 Shallots (Chopped)

2 Cloves Garlic

1 tbsp Lemon Juice

5 tbsp Olive Oil

Slat & Pepper

Method:

• Put all ingredients, except the olive oil, in a food processor & blend roughly. Alternatively place in a bowl & use a hand blender.
• Slowly pour in the oil and blend until smooth.
• Enjoy

Healthy Starters: Garlic Mushrooms

 I promised to post this recipe ages ago, but didn't so I thought I'd better post it now. A few weeks ago I got a craving for garlic mushrooms. It's strange because for years I would never it them but now I love them. This is a recipe I've come up with by myself as there wasn't a satisfactory recipe anywhere online. As with all my recipes, it's very simple to make and really cheap. You can use normal white (closed-cup) mushrooms or, if you like, experiment with different varieties for different flavour combinations.

Ingredients:

10 Mushrooms 

3 tsp Garlic Butter

10g Flour

50g Breadcrumbs

1 Egg (Beaten)

Method:

• Melt the garlic butter. Add the breadcrumbs and mix thoroughly to make sure the crumbs are coated. 
• Preheat oven to 190°C.
• Clean the mushrooms. Coat each mushrooms in flour, shaking off any excess. Then dip in the beaten egg before coating thoroughly in the breadcrumbs. 
• Place on a baking tray and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the breadcrumbs are golden and crispy. Alternatively you can deep fry them until crispy.
• Enjoy.

A New Winter Warmer: Roasted Aubergine Soup

So now that the evenings are darker and things are feeling generally wintery, it's time to make some delicious soups.

I've been waiting for this for ages because soups are easy to make, filling and cheap. You can make a big pot that will do you for lunches or dinners for the week, or simply put into freezer bags and freeze for use in the weeks to come. This worked great last year when we were snowed in. Simply open the freezer and pull out some warming and morish soup.

So this soup came about more through necessity then design. I was in the local super market (I was going to type souper market for a soup related pun but have decided against it) and they were selling Aubergines for £0.07p. ; Bargain! A quick google for recipes and I've come up with an easy to make soup. Hope you enjoy.

Ingredients:
2 Aubergines (Halved)

2 Cloves Garlic

1 Large Onion (Chopped)
2 litres Vegetable Stock

Olive Oil

Mint

Salt

Pepper

Method:

• Place the halved Aubergines on a baking tray, season with salt & pepper and roast until the flesh is soft. Once cooked, cube the aubergines.
• Sauteé the onion & garlic in a pot. Add the the aubergine and sautee for a few minutes. 
• Add the vegetable stock and allow to cook for 15 minutes.
• Add some mint.
• Blend using a food processor or hand blender.
• Season to taste with salt, pepper and mint. 
• Enjoy.