Grilled Shiitake Mushrooms with Fennel Frond Pesto

Smmmmmm ahhhhh! Smell that?

Love is in the air!

Oops! Did I say love? I meant spring. But that's still a reason to be excited!

With an unremitting forecast of weather hovering around 80 degrees, the only one who's not in good spirits is my new afro. Alas, no amount of product will keep these waves at bay. 

And if you're on campus, you've probably noticed that the fauna has reached neon levels of exceptionality. This school must keep their plant food recipe under lock and key, because grass this green has only previously been seen in dream sequences. You know the saying, "The grass is always greener"? Yeah, they were talking about Elon. 

I think it's safe to say that we can pack away our skinny jeans and cable knit sweaters for good, now. That's right, because from here on out, it's short hem-lined sundresses (wishful thinking) lax pinnies all day, every day. Definitely no complaints from this girl.

Well, maybe one. 

I have no doubt that every student can relate to this-- the productivity degeneration that occurs every time the sun shines. While going to school in the south gives us shorter winters and and year-round tans, it also makes doing work that much harder. An 85 degree SURF day celebration just doesn't look as fun on the flip side of a library window. 

And with final exams marching in like the Hun army just as we bust out the SPF, I feel doomed for deadbeat city. 

While I can't offer any solutions yet, (I'm still trying to figure out a plan of attack for these last few projects) I can offer some recipes that provide temporary liberation from that daunting workload. At the very least, trying one of these healthy meals may trick your brain into thinking that you're being productive. And maybe then, you can open up Word. 

Fennel Frond Pesto 

Makes about 1 cup

[2] cups fennel fronds, plus [1] tsp
[3/4] cup chopped fennel stalk
[3] tbsp raw almonds, whole
[1] garlic clove
[1] lemon, juice
[2] tbsp olive oil
[1] tsp salt
[1] tsp cracked black pepper
[1/4] cup water

Place fennel fronds and chopped stalk, almonds, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a food processor (or blender) and puree until well combined. If the mixture is too thick, add up to [1/4] cup of water. You could also add more olive oil, but to keep it light, stick with water. When the pesto reaches a thick and even consistency, transfer to a small serving dish.

For the mushrooms:

[3.5] oz Shiitake mushrooms

non-stick cooking spray

salt

pepper

Start by preheating a grill pan to high. Remove stems from the mushrooms, then season them with salt and pepper. Once the grill is hot, spray it with the non-stick cooking spray and arrange the mushrooms around the grill, cap side down. Cook for about 5 minutes, then flip and continue cooking for another couple minutes.

To plate, arrange mushrooms on a dish and top with about a couple tablespoons of the pesto. Garnish the plate with a teaspoon of fresh chopped fennel fronds and a drizzling of olive oil.

The fennel, lemon and almond combo make a really unique pesto that's not too overpowering. And come on, grilled mushrooms really are just the greatest. 

A springtime recipe so gratifying, Peter Rabbit himself would forgo his carrot addiction. But he'd probably never admit that... 

Pesto Pizza with Balsamic Caramelized Onions

Basil Pesto Pizza with Balsamic Caramelized Onions

Trader Joe’s premade Garlic & Herb pizza dough

[1] cup homemade pesto

[2] balls fresh mozzarella, sliced to 1/8 inch

[1/2] cup fresh grated Pecorino Romano

[3] small yellow onions, thinly sliced

[1/3] cup balsamic vinegar

whole wheat flour

Olive oil

Salt

fresh cracked black pepper


Preheat oven to 450 or to pizza dough package directions. 


Thinly slice onions and saute in olive oil on low heat for about 15 minutes. Add the balsamic and continue to saute for another 15-20 minutes until the onions are caramelized. 


Roll out the pizza dough using wheat flour to prevent sticking. Shape it depending on the size of the pan you use. Before transferring the dough to the pan, grease the pan lightly with olive oil. (I think you get the best results when you pre-bake the dough for about 10 minutes.)

Top the dough with the pesto, sliced mozzarella, caramelized onions, and pecorino cheese. Add a couple cracks of black pepper and bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown (about 15 minutes). 

When the pizza is done, top with fresh herbs and a little more pecorino. 

Confession: I also had this the next day for breakfast. 
(And don't pretend like leftover pizza for breakfast isn't like, the best thing ever.)

The great debate remains, however... do you eat the leftovers hot or cold?

Holiday Haddock and Pesto Potatoes

Tonight, I was really inspired to use up some of the fresh herbs that had been patiently waiting in our refrigerator. More specifically, I wanted to put a dent in our ridiculous quantity of basil (my favorite herb of all time) before all the leaves started to wilt. If I learned something from my French host mother, it was to use up fresh ingredients as. soon. as. possible. So, what do you do when you have a humongous box of basil that's practically on a countdown to expiration? Make pesto, of course!

With pesto as my inspiration, I created this recipe for potatoes with basil sauce and pan-seared haddock with a roasted tomato and pepper sauce. The red sauce is so flavorful and is absolutely delicious paired with the flaky haddock. The basil sauce adds the perfect compliment and is versatile enough to use in other recipes. Plus I love the red and green colors, making it perfect for a Christmas-time meal. 

Basil Sauce
[2] cups fresh basil
[1] lemon, (juice and zest of half)
[2] tbsp toasted pine nuts, plus [1] tbsp for garnish
[2] garlic cloves, chopped
olive oil
salt
pepper

Start by toasting the pine nuts on low heat-- keep an eye on them because they burn so quickly! When you can smell them, they're done. Next, purée the garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice in a blender. Then add the pine nuts, basil, salt and pepper. Start blending and stream in the olive oil until the sauce is completely smooth. I served the sauce chilled on top of the warm potatoes, and sprinkled a couple toasted pine nuts and fresh chopped basil as a garnish.

Boil the potatoes in heavily salted water for about 15 minutes or until fork tender.

I think the fillets look like mittens.

For the haddock, marinate the fillets simply in olive, sea salt, and pepper for about 30 minutes...

When the sauces are finished, just pan fry the fish in olive oil for about 3-4 minutes per side or until the fish is firm to the touch.

Any sturdy white fish will do in this recipe. The sauce is light enough for delicately flavored fish like haddock, but also can stand up to strongly flavored fish. Use whatever looks the freshest. If it looks like it's been dead for a week, chances are it tastes like it, too.

For the red sauce, I knew I wanted to maximize the flavor of the tomatoes (since they're out of season), so I roasted them in the oven and added tons of flavor with roasted red peppers and red chiles. It's not spicy, but has an incredible depth of flavor. You can monitor the spice level by adding more or less red pepper flakes. I adore this sauce and can't wait to make it again. It's gets better the longer it simmers, and even tasted amazing after 1 or 2 days in the fridge. 

Roasted Tomato Pepper Sauce
[6-7] vine-ripened tomatoes
[3] dried New Mexican red chiles, rehydrated (water reserved)
[2] roasted red peppers (you can totally make your own, but I just used jarred)
[1] tsp red pepper flakes
[1] small yellow onion
[1] garlic clove
[2] tbsp worcestershire
[1/4] cups balsamic vinegar
olive oil
salt
pepper

First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the tomatoes in half and season with salt, pepper, and a healthy amount of olive oil. Roast for one hour until the tomatoes are caramelized and rich in flavor.

Meanwhile, rehydrate the chiles in hot water for 20 minutes. After the chiles are softened, take them out of the liquid, remove any seeds, and chop finely. Purée in the blender with about [1/3] cup of the reserved liquid until completely smooth.

Sauté the onion until tender, then add the garlic and about half of the red pepper flakes. Transfer to the food processor, add the puréed chiles, the rest of the red pepper flakes, roasted tomatoes, roasted red peppers, worcestershire, balsamic, salt and pepper. Pulse until the mixture is combined but still chunky. Taste and season with salt and pepper. I simmered the sauce while I cooked the haddock for about 10-15 minutes. 


Most people know that I looooooove on the salt, so I tend not to suggest quantities here. Season until you think it tastes good, adding more balsamic or maybe more red pepper flakes to make it spicier. I never follow recipes, so I won't feel bad if you don't either! 

The resulting flavor is so rich and works perfectly with the brightness of the basil sauce. The two huge haddock fillets made about 5 portions, but the sauces leave lots of leftovers. The basil sauce would work great as a marinade and the red sauce would be amazing on vegetarian tacos!