4.29.2013

Perfect Dinner for a Warm Spring Night

It was very warm this evening and my girls came home from softball practice feeling hot, tired and hungry. 
I grilled beef hamburgers and Trader Joe's Chile Lime Chicken Burgers outside, made Home Fries (recipe below), cut up some water melon, put sliced fresh mozzarella (Trader Joe's Ovoline) on ripe tomatoes with Home Made Pesto (see recipe below) and boiled some corn for a simple and delicious meal on the deck!


Home Fries
      
4 russet potatoes
canola oil
kosher salt

Scrub the potatoes clean and slice.  Mix with 2 tablespoons canola oil on a baking sheet and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake at 425 degrees for 30-35 minutes until brown and a little crispy on the edges.


Home Made Pesto

When I make pesto, I usually start with basil leaves from a plant rather than loose cut branches. I recently bought a Trader Joe's basil plant for $2.99 and harvested the leaves. The key to keeping your plant growing is to cut the leaves just above where you see two sets of tiny leaves growing out of the leaf junctions. It's great to buy the whole plant because hopefully it will continue to produce and you will have another harvest of leaves in a few weeks and be able to continue to make tasty pesto!

4 cups basil leaves
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Mix all in a blender until smooth. Enjoy on tomatoes, cottage cheese, eggs in the morning, turkey sandwiches, pasta... I could put it on most anything!  I even put it on my chicken chile lime hamburger.

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