Ingredient of the Week

Count how many times I say "week" in the beginning of this post. I dare you! (Really it's not that bad, but it's not the best writing either.)

I'm not sure how long I'll keep this up, but I thought I'd try doing an "Ingredient of the Week" post every week. One thing about eating fresh is that often the same ingredients are used in multiple meals throughout the week in order to eat them before they go bad. So I thought this could be a fun way to share various ways to use the same food or ingredient & also share recipes. This week's ingredient: basil! 

So far, I have used basil in 3 very different ways this week. First up, in a drink.

Home-made Basil Lemonade

1/4 c fresh squeezed lime juice

1/2 c fresh squeezed lemon juice

4 c water

1 c basil infused simple syrup (see below for directions)

Extra basil & lemon slices for garnish

1. To make the simple syrup, boil 1c water. Remove from heat and dissolve 1c sugar in it. Next, add 1c fresh whole basil leaves and allow to steep for 15-20 min. Pour through strainer to remove and discard basil leaves.

2. Mix all 4 ingredients in a large pitcher. Chill before serving. Garnish with basil and lemon, as desired.

{this isn't my picture, but it looks exactly the same. and I love the mason jar look}

The next day I used basil to make a home-made pesto sauce for pasta. One of my favorites!

Fresh Basil Pesto Recipe

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed

1/2 c fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 c extra virgin olive oil

1/3 c pine nuts

3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Combine the basil and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse a few times. Add the garlic and pulse a few more times. (I didn't pre-mince my garlic; just threw it in whole and it turned out great.)

2. Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse a few more times until blended. Add a pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Can pulse or stir to mix evenly.

Recipe makes 1 cup. I halved the recipe and had enough for 3 meals of pasta, plus some left over. 

(recipe source)

Finally, a couple days later I simply added fresh basil leaves to a salad for a delicious fresh punch of flavor every couple bites. If you've never tried this, I highly recommend it. Here is what I put in my salad, along with some other suggestions, if you need a starting place.

Salad with Fresh Basil Leaves

Romaine, red/green leaf, spinach, arugula, or any variety of greens you prefer 

Fresh whole basil leaves

White or red onions

Green beans, broccoli, mushrooms, &/or red/green sweet peppers

Edamame (for protein)

Blueberries, strawberries, or really any fruit that you like

Walnuts, pecans or almonds

Vinaigrette dressings are best on this kind of salad, in my opinion, but again that is up to you. Specifically, I like strawberry blush vinaigrette, red-wine vinaigrette, or raspberry-walnut vinaigrette.

So there it is. My ingredient of the week and 3 extremely different ways to use it. I hope you enjoy the recipes!