Chimichurri Sauce

Same as I talked a while back about different cultures having their own version of the trinity in cuisine, so do most have their own version of a green sauce. The French make Sauce Verte, the Germans Grune Sosse, and in Mexico there is the tomatillo-based Salsa Verde. My two favourite variations of the green sauce, however, are the Italian Salsa Verde (parsley, capers, anchovies and garlic base) and Chimichurri which originated in Argentina and Uruguay.

Chimichurri is served primarily as a sauce for steak, but it works equally well with chicken, fish and pork tenderloin. Generally, the sauce is parsley based, but as with most things, is open to interpretation and most savoury herbs work well. I like the addition of cilantro to add brightness and a fresh flavour to the sauce, and sometimes I add mint if I have it on hand. I also prefer the addition of lime juice over lemon juice to compliment the freshness of the cilantro.

Chimichurri sauce:

1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 bunch fresh parsley, stems removed
1 bunch fresh cilantro, stems removed
1 bunch fresh mint, stems removed

Combine all ingredients in blender; blend until almost smooth.

Waste Not Issue #4: Basil

This series of posts was inspired by the fact that I needed to get some fresh basil to make a basic tomato sauce. Whenever possible, I always use fresh basil in my recipes, especially pasta sauce.  It was something I read or saw with Mario Batali years ago that just stuck with me - in sauce dried oregano is best but always, always fresh basil.  I like to stick with Mario on that if I can.  And in this day and age of hydroponics and greenhouses in winter what not, you can almost always find decent fresh basil around.

Well Sunday I went to Longo's in search of fennel sausage.  I have literally been all over the St. Lawrence Market and elsewhere trying to find someone who makes it, when I read that Longo's store made brand was very good. A 20 minute drive later, I had it in my possession and the biggest, bunch of basil you could ever get for $2.49.  This is the kind of basil you expect in the peak of summer for that price.  So I bought it thinking "What could I do with it?"

The resulting post are a few ideas for using up a big bunch of basil.

Round 1 - Basic Tomato Sauce

It was the reason for my trip in the first place and one of the most versatile Mother sauces.

Round 2 - Basil Pistou

This Basil Pistou (or Pesto) is super simple and makes a great condiment.  You can use it to dress pasta, or you can drop a spoonful of it into a nice soup (like a Cream of Mushroom or Tomato) and the fresh flavours just bring it alive.

You could spread it on crostini and top with cheese and Oven Dried Tomatoes.  You could use it on a sandwich in place of mayonnaise (that was a very popular wrap today for my kids I tell you!).

The list goes on and on and is only limited by your imagination and creativity.

Round 3 - Basil Oil

I have always been envious of the cute little dots of sauces that chefs make on your plates as they are creating your dish to come out to you, so I thought why not make my own Basil Oil.  This one also has some garlic and a bit of preserved lemon to it. You really should make the preserved lemons.  So useful and takes barely minutes.


Other Ideas:


Caprese Salad:   One of my favourite summer salads and so simple.  This is on our round of camping menus and people are amazed we eat so well when camping, but really it is only a few ingredients, best when tomatoes and basil are at their peak in the summer.

Take a ball or 2 of fresh mozzarella, slice in rounds.  Take 2 or 3 tomatoes, slice them into rounds.  On a plate, lay out both alternating cheese, tomato, cheese, tomato.  Drizzle a small amount of basil oil (or regular olive oil) over the salad and a small amount of balsamic vinegar.  Sprinkle with a small amount of salt and pepper and some shredded basil.  Allow to sit for a few minutes before serving.

Basil Oil

This is an incredibly versatile oil that can be used to fancy up plates, in a salad dressing or as part of a marinade.

If you find yourself with a lot of basil to use up, I highly recommend this.

And its got me wondering about a basil simple syrup for a savory cocktail of some kind, as they are all the rage in T.O. right now.

Basil Oil

2 1/2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves

1/8 piece preserved lemon (or regular lemon)

1 clove garlic, just pressed the the tine of your knife to crack the skin a bit
1 cup olive or cannola, grapeseed or vegetable oil (see notes)

Directions:

Rinse and drain basil leaves. Pat leaves dry with a towel. In a blender or food processor, combine basil leaves and oil. Whir just until leaves are finely chopped but not puréed.

Pour oil and basil into a small sauce pan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until oil bubbles around pan sides and reaches 165° on a thermometer, 3 to 4 minutes. 

Remove from heat and let stand until cool, about 1 hour.  Using an immersion blender, pureé basil into the oil. It will become a bright lovely green colour.

Use immediately or cover in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator up to 3 months. The olive oil may solidify slightly when chilled, but it will quickly become liquid again when it comes back to room temperature if you give it a shake.

Basil Pistou (or Pesto)

There really isn't a lot of difference between pistou and pesto.  The first, is the French variation and most often does not contain pine nuts.  The second version, the one most of us are more familiar with, is the Italian version and usually does contain pine nuts or walnuts.  

My experience is the French version is more solid and less oily than the Italian version.   The French tend to use pistou to add a burst of flavour to a dish right before serving.  For example in Soupe Au Pistou, which is a very simple vegetable soup made from Summer's finest produce, a "quenelle" of pistou is placed at the bottom of the soup bowl and the soup poured over it.  More often than not, I see pesto used to flavour a pasta in Italian cooking.

A quenelle really is just a football shape of whatever - in this case pistou - and it is made by passing the ingredient back and forth between two spoons to create the shape.  I am not very good at it but I have tried to make my quenelle as well as I can.

Basil Pistou

2-1/2 cups  packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, coarsely grated
pinch of salt and pepper
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large clove garlic, chopped

1/4 cup pine nuts (optional but I like them)

Warm a small frying pan over medium heat.  Toast pine nuts in the pan once to heat, being sure to keep tossing them around until you start to hear them sizzle.  You want them slightly brown but not burnt, so don't walk away - this will only take a minute or two, I promise.  Once toasted remove pan from heat and set aside so nuts cool.

In the bowl of a food processor combine basil, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, garlic and 2 tablespoons oil.  Pulse well until combined.  Drizzle in remaining olive oil to aid in processing.  Continue to pulse pistou until well combined and relatively smooth with no large pieces of basil or cheese remaining.

Use right away or store in an airtight container or jar for up to 1 week.  Alternatively, you can freeze the pistou in ice cube trays, then store in a plastic bag until you need to add some herbaceous freshness to a dish. 

Cilantro Rice

This is a nice bright tasting rice that is a really nice addition to almost any basic meal.  It would also be nice with some corn kernels added. 

Ingredients:

1.5 cups dried jasmine or basmati rice

3 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
juice of 2 small or 1 large lime
zest of 1 lime
3 green onions choped
2 bunches fresh cilantro, chopped
salt to taste.

Directions:

Bring water to a boil over high heat. When boiling, add in rice, return to a boil, and then cover and reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. Once your rice is cooked fluff with fork. Add lime juice, zest, green onions, cilantro and salt. Serve warm.

Rosemary Lamb with Herbed Yogurt Sauce and Panzanella Salad

 This is a recipe based on the Greek Lamb with Yogurt Mint Sauce from Ina Garten's lastest book Barefoot Contessa: How Easy is That?.  I had to make a number of substitutions thanks to a very amnesic visit to the grocery store yesterday without my list!  Grr.  Anyway, as usual, I have managed to survive the substitutions and turn out a delicious Family Day family-style dinner.



Rosemary Lamb (Serves 4)

For Lamb:

2 racks of lamb, frenched and cut into chops
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
4 sprigs rosemary, sheared and chopped
1.5 teaspoons dried oregano
Juice and zest of two lemons
1.5 cups olive oil
1.5 cups dry white wine

Combine all ingredients in a large glass pan. Nestle the lamb chops in the marinade and be sure to rub on both sides.  Marinade in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, and longer if possible, turning half way through.

When ready to cook, pre-heat your grill on high heat.  Grill chops for 2-3 minutes per side for medium rare.

Serve with:

Herbed Yogurt Sauce
Panzanella Salad

Cook's Note on Substitutions:  The original recipe called for the use of red wine but - as amazed by this fact as I am - I had no red wine in the house and today is a holiday so the LCBO is not even open!  Hence, I substituted a dry white wine from Portugal that we had in the fridge.

Also, the Herbed Yogurt Sauce was originally called Yogurt Mint Sauce but guess what I forgot to mint at the grocery store...duh!  Anyway, I had fresh dill and arugula in the house so that is what I used.  Nothing beasts fresh mint, and I do have some fresh mint chutney in the fridge that I get at VJ`s Supermarket in Little India, which I think might add an interesting dimension to the sauce with a different lamb marinade.  Next time!

I think these would be fun at a party as a passed appetizer and the frenched lamb bone almosts acts as a perfect utensil for eating.  I'd call them "lamb lollipops" and offer them to people with the opportunity to dip into the sauce in a bowl.

Panzanella Salad

Today is Family Day in Ontario - thank you Dalton McGuinty!  Basically it is a the mid-winter blah day off we all need and now look forward to.  So my plans today include a bit of packing for our holidays and spending some time in the kitchen with my two favourite boys.

I thought I would make a simple but elegant meal to cap off a great long weekend and feed my need to cook until I get back from my cruise.  I am looking forward to seeing Belize again, going to Roatan, visiting Cozumel and then hitting Key West and Miami.  We have lots planned - snorkling, sea kayaking, catamarans, air boats through the Everglades - which is a good thing since I hear that the food on cruises is endless.  We'll do our best to not go too crazy!

I have a somewhat stale loaf of rustic Italian bread and have always wanted to make Panzanella so I decided since we are making lamb today, it would be a good idea.  I took the inspirational lead for tonight's salad  from the Barefoot Contessa but in the end made the recipe my own.

Panzanella Salad

Toasted Bread:

1 loaf of day old rustic bread, sliced on an angle (about 4 cups)

2 teaspoons olive oil for grilling + 3 tablespoons for salad dressing

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed (not chopped - you will be rubbing the bread with them)

Preheat grill or panni press to 400° (medium-high). Cut bread loaf into 8 (1-inch-thick) slices; cut slices in half, if desired.  Rub each slice of bread on both sides with raw garlic cloves.  Brush each side of bread slices with remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil. Grill at 400° (medium-high heat) 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned and toasted and has grill marks.  Set aside to cool. Cut bread into 1 inch pieces and place in large salad bowl and set aside.

Dressing:

1 half piece Preserved Lemon, well rinsed and chopped finely
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
freshly ground pepper

Whisk all ingredients together quickly until they become emulsified.  Set aside until ready to use.  You will have to whisk again prior to dressing the salad.

Main Salad:

2 pounds tomatoes (about 3 large) or 1- 12 oz. container a mixed tomatoes (yellow, orange and cherry)

1/2 English cucumber, quartered and cut into small chunks (similar size to tomatoes)
1/2 red onion

1/4 cup packed fresh basil (I forgot to buy some so I used Arugula)
3 tbsp dill fronds, torn

salt and pepper to taste

Coarsely chop tomatoes (cut in half if using cherry tomatoes) and cucumber. Peel and thinly slice red onion and place everything in a medium bowl.   Cube toasted bread.  Toss cubed bread in with the tomatoes and cucumbers and pour dressing over the salad.  Toss well.  Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.  Lay salad out on a beautiful plate and sprinkle with fresh herbs (or Arugula in my case).

Serve and enjoy!

Cook's Note:  The salad will hold well for about half an hour but you should plan to serve it fairly soon after you add the dressing so the bread does not become soggy.  A nice addition would be some feta or torn fresh mozzarella cheese.

Herbed Yogurt Sauce

This Sauce is based on the Barefoot Contessa`s Yogurt Mint Sauce.  I think depending on the type of cuisine you are making, you could substitute a number of different herbs.  I think basil would work nicely and even cilantro, but today I substituted arugula for the mint.

And as I forgot to get more lemons yesterday, I am using the rind of the Preserved Lemons I made a month or so ago for the lemon flavour.

Man....that REALLY was an amnesic shopping trip yesterday.

Herbed Yogurt Sauce

1 cup Greek-style Yogurt
6 green onions, white and green parts chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
1 cup arugula, packed
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or 1quarter piece Preserved Lemons, rinsed well and finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients except yogurt in a food processor with the steel blade and purée until it is a coarse paste.  Add the yogurt and pulse until combined.  Check the seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as needed or even a few crushed red pepper flakes.  If you are using preserved lemons be careful with the amount of salt you add.

Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.