PISTACHIO PESTO PASTA WITH SWEET PEAS (Gluten-free) Serves 4
- 1 cup pistachios, shelled
- 1 garlic cloves, shelled and smashed
- 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 lemon, juice and zest
- 1 (heaping) cup basil, washed and packed
- 1/3 cup parmigiano reggiano, finely grated
- 12 oz. pasta, spaghetti or linguini
- 1 cup sweet peas, defrosted
In a food processor, add 1 cup of pistachios and grind into a "flour" or as textured as you'd like the pesto to be. Slowly add olive oil and pulse until well combined. Then add garlic cloves, salt, lemon juice, zest and basil and parmigiano reggiano. Pulse until a well paste and bright green. Set aside.
Add frozen sweet peas to a colander. Rinse with luke warm water for 5 minutes or until thawed and defrosted.
In a large saucepan, add 3 quarts of water with 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil before adding in 12 oz. of spaghetti. Stir often and cook uncovered at a rolling boil for 10-12 minutes or until pasta is tender. Drain pasta, but reserve 1/3 cup of pasta water.
In a large serving bowl, combine drained pasta, pasta water and a drizzle of olive oil. Stir in pesto until pasta is evenly coated. Fold in sweet peas. Garnish with lemon zest , fresh pepper and more parmigiano reggiano.
Chickpea and Fava Bean Socca with Leek, Marjoram and Thyme (Gluten-free, Vegan) Serves 2-4
- 1 cup chickpea & fava bean flour
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 5-6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 leek, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh marjoram, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- Freshly ground pepper
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Sift chickpea flour into a bowl with salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in lukewarm water, making sure to eliminate all lumps. Stir in 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Let this mixture stand in warm spot covered (can be for as long as 12 hours!) Note Batter should be the consistency of heavy cream.
Preheat skillet or cast iron in your hot oven with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. In the meantime, stir in leek and herbs to socca mixture. Carefully remove hot pan and pour in batter evenly. Top with sea salt, fresh pepper and more herbs. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until edges are browned and firm.
Let cool for 15-20 minutes before eating. Serve and top with side salad for extra boost!
BERRY, RED CURRANT & MASCARPONE TARTLETS (Gluten-free) & A PARK PICNIC
Although I'm not the biggest warm weather fan, there's something romantic about Summer. You can ride bikes like you're in a Godard film or picnic luxuriously in the park. When you have beautiful days like this one, it makes you forget about the downsides like mosquito bites and 100% humidity. Right now, I love summer food and festivities. So, I had a picnic in the park with great friends, wine and weather:
1 cup quinoa, dried 3 oz. Raspberry Tart Ale cheese, crumbled 3/4 cup sweet peas 1/2 an avocado, diced 2 tablespoons fresh mint, minced 1 tablespoon olive oil Maldon sea salt to taste Fresh ground pepper 1 lemon, juice and zest Handful of clover sprouts, to top 1. Add quinoa to saucepan with 2 cups water and a pinch of sea salt. Boil, then simmer and cover for 10 minutes or until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender. 2. Let grains cool to room temperature. Then, stir in lemon juice, zest, olive oil, salt and pepper. Combine with sweet peas, avocado, mint, cheese and top with clover sprouts. Serve room temperature or chilled! CRUST: 2/3 cup sorghum flour 1/3 cup tapioca starch 1/3 cup almond meal 2 tablespoond light brown sugar 1 1/2 teaspoon xanthum gum 6 1/2 tablespoons cold butter, diced 1 egg 1 teaspoon water 7 oz. mascarpone cheese, room temperature 1/3 cup cane sugar 2 tablespoons vanilla extract 12-15 small strawberries, whole 1 bunch red currants, as needed Fresh mint, minced 1. In a stand mixer, beat mascarpone with sugar and vanilla. Fill tart pans evenly with mascarpone mixture. 2. Top evenly with whole strawberries and sporadically place red currants. Garnish with chopped mint and fresh lemon zest. Chill or serve immediately.
