Tag Archives: pine nut recipes

Chilled Zucchini Soup with Mint

Zucchini – one of the favorite staples of the summer harvest is showing up in farmer’s markets and grocery stores. If you are lucky like me it shows up at your door courtesy of a generous neighbor with a fabulous vegetable garden. No matter how you get that zucchini into your kitchen you must try this recipe for chilled zucchini soup. Super simple to make this is a refreshing treat to enjoy for lunch or dinner. Try drinking this cup of summer freshness!

From by the bay, wishing you chill food memories!

Maryann

 

Chilled Zucchini Soup with Mint

Serves 6

  • 4-5 medium zucchini sliced in rounds approximately 2 pounds
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small white onion, chopped
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, plus extra for garnish
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ½ cup fresh mint chopped
  • 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • additional coarse sea salt to finishing

Directions

In a large pot heat olive oil and sauté the white onion until softened about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini, salt and pepper stirring occasionally until the zucchini is softened, about 5 more minutes. Add the broth to the pot, bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer until the zucchini is tender, about 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Using a food processor puree the zucchini mixture along with the parmesan cheese, pine nuts, mint and lemon juice. Pour into a bowl adding the buttermilk and blend. Cover and place in the refrigerator to cool for at least 3 hours. Adjust seasoning with coarse sea salt. Serve chilled and garnish with toasted pine nuts and a drizzle of olive oil.

Cherry Almond Coffee Cake

My grandmother was a wonderful baker. One of my favorite memories of her kitchen would be that she always had fresh baked goods ready for guests. In her day, guests would just stop by for a cup of coffee unannounced. Grandma was always ready to entertain. Today, guests usually announce themselves by phone and text and there is a little time to prepare. I like to also greet my guests with fresh baked goods like my grandmother did. I love this cake because I usually have the ingredients in my pantry and fridge. It reminds me of the lovely cakes I would enjoy when I traveled to Italy. If I don’t have dried cherries, I use dried cranberries, raisins apricots or peaches chopped. If I don’t have pine nuts or almonds I use pecans or walnuts and then just add vanilla extract in place of the almond extract. The recipes is always perfect with coffee!

From by the bay wishing you delicious cake and coffee food memories!

Maryann

blog almond cake snow

Cherry, Almond, Pine Nut Crumb Cake

Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis from Everyday Italian

Ingredients

1/2 cup whole almonds, toasted, plus 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted, plus 1/4 cup
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
1/3 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup chopped dried cherries or apricots

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan.
Combine the whole almonds and 1/4 cup pine nuts in a food processor. Pulse the machine until the nuts are finely ground. Transfer the nuts to a medium bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine and set aside.
In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer beat the eggs and the sugar until the mixture becomes thick and pale yellow. Add the butter, and milk. Stir in the almond extract and cherries. Gently stir in the dry ingredients. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Sprinkle the top of the cake with sliced almonds and remaining 1/4 cup pine nuts. Bake until the cake is cooked and a toothpick comes out clean, about 50 to 55 minutes. Let the cake cool on a wire rack. Use a knife to loosen the edges. Turn the cake out, slice, and serve.

Asparagus, Egg and Croutons with Pine Nut Dressing

I recently had dinner with a good friend of mine at Franny’s in Brooklyn.  Over a great bottle of wine we shared a few dishes and this one was a seasonal standout. We enjoyd the roasted asparagus topped with a creamy and nutty pine nut dressing, egg and croutons. Here is my take on a memorable dish. It may seem as if this is a lot of steps, but they are all little simple ones and the results are delicious. You could double the recipe and it make it the star dish of the evening and serve it with something simple off the grill.  

From by the bay, wishing for Franny-like  food memories!

Maryann

 http://frannysbrooklyn.com/

blog asp salad

Asparagus, Egg and Croutons with Pine Nut Dressing

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1 pound fresh asparagus
  • 1 egg
  • 1 thick slice rustic bread
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 1/4 cup olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons for bread and asparagus
  • 1 tablespoon wine vinegar
  • 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions

To make the egg, place in small sauce pan and cover with cold water. Bring to a low simmer for 1 minute.  Remove from heat and cover. Keep covered for 10 minutes. Remove egg from the pan and place in an ice bath or cool under cold water. Set aside. Preheat over to 400 degrees F. Place bread on baking sheet and brush both sides with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil. Place in oven for 5 minutes until one side is brown, turn over for another 3 to 5 minutes until brown. Remove from oven and cool. Pull bread apart into large pieces to make croutons. Clean and trim stems of the asparagus and place on baking sheet. Drizzle asparagus with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and  1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper. Place in the same oven for about 15 minutes until the asparagus are tender and start to brown. Place asparagus on a serving platter. Remove from oven and cool. Place a small dry pan with pine nuts over medium heat until the nuts start to brown. Remove from heat and cool. Take 1 tablespoon of the toasted pine nuts aside to garnish.  To make dressing  place the remaining pine nuts go into a small food processor. Add 1/4 cup olive oil, vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt  and pulse until blended and creamy. Peel egg and break into small pieces over the asparagus, then drizzle dressing and add croutons and remaining toasted pine nuts. Serve immediately at room temperature.

 

10 ways to use Dill Pesto

blog dill pesto
Looking in my refrigerator I saw this big bunch of fresh dill left over making my carrot soup with dill, which really requires very little dill at the end of the day. I hate to waste ingredients, so I decided to make some dill pesto sauce, This pesto sauce should be in every cook’s recipe box. It has so many uses, I’ve just listed a quick ten at the end of this blog, but there are many more , many I’m sure I have not even thought of. If you are ever confronted with some leafy green herb left over such as dill, basil, or parsley consider this pesto sauce to be an easy way to use your herbs. I’m using the classic pine nuts here for texture but you could use any raw or toasted nut you prefer, such as walnut or pistashio.

blog dill pesto 2

Lemon Dill Pesto Sauce
Makes approximately 3/4 cup
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups fresh dill
1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley
1 garlic clove, smashed
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons fresh grated parmesan cheese
Directions
In a food processor add the dill, parsley, garlic and pine nuts. Process until minced. Add the lemon juice, olive oil , cheese and salt and blend into a smooth paste. If you are not using right away don’t add the cheese at this point, you can fold the cheese in to the pesto sauce right before using. You can also use the sauce without the cheese. Depending on personal preferences you might choose to not add the cheese when using with fish.
blog dill pesto 3
10 Ways to use Lemon Dill Pesto Sauce
1.Use to top fish, such as salmon.
2. Add to cooked pasta, toss with a little extra pasta cooking water and more grated parmesan.
3. Add to cooked potatoes with more olive oil or mayonnaise to make a salad.
4. Serve with fresh vegetables as a dip.
5. Add to some ricotta cheese and mix, making a nice spread for bread as an appetizer.
6. Use as a spread for a sandwich such as chicken on ciabatta bread.
7. Add to tunafish with mayonnaise for a great tunafish salad.
8. Top a fresh vegetable soup such as carrot or pea.
9. Add to mayonnaise as an alternate to tartar sauce.
10. Add more olive oil and a little mustard to make a salad dressing for your greens

—– EXTENDED BODY: —– EXCERPT: —– KEYWORDS: —– COMMENT: AUTHOR: Troy EMAIL: Foxtroy67@gmail.com IP: 70.192.73.20 URL: DATE: 4/4/2013 2:39:40 PM Love this post! Your recipes are always delish…but also love the 10 ideas for other ways to use this recipe. And, I bet it tastes like Springtime! —– COMMENT: AUTHOR: entertaining by the bay EMAIL: maryannkraker@aol.com IP: 63.118.185.66 URL: DATE: 4/4/2013 3:41:32 PM I had to stop myself at 10 ideas…………..it’s so yummy! —– ——– AUTHOR: Petrosonic TITLE: Asparagus and Spinach Lasagna STATUS: draft ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 ALLOW PINGS: 1 DATE: 4/1/2013 8:42:46 PM —– BODY: —

Zucchini Salad with Toasted Pine nuts and Shaved Asiago Cheese

blog zucchini

Zucchini Salad with Toasted Pine nuts and Shaved Asiago Cheese
Serves Four
Ingredients
2 medium size zucchini
1/4 cup olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt, such as Maldon
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 tablespoons basil
Asiago cheese , shaved to taste
Directions
Place a dry small pan on medium heat, add the pine nuts and toast in pan until they start to brown. Remove from heat and keep to the side. Take the zucchini and cut off the ends. Use a mandolin or box grater to slice thinly the zucchini length wise. Place on platter. Dress with the olive oil,  lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix well. Let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving, allowing the zucchini slices to marinate. When ready to serve, top with the pine nuts, basil torn into pieces and the shaved Asiago cheese and then serve.

blog zucchini salad

 

Maple Roasted Sweet Potato and Arugula Salad


blog sweet potato salad

 

Maple Roasted Sweet Potato and Arugula Salad

Serves 4

2 cups sweet potato, peeled and chopped

1 red onion, sliced

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

¼ teaspoon dried red chili flakes

3 cups baby arugula leaves

2 tablespoons gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Coarse sea salt to taste

Directions to roast sweet potatoes and red onion:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line with parchment a baking sheet add the sweet potato cubes, sliced red onion, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, red chili and salt. Mix well.  Place in oven and roast for 45 minutes.

Directions for toasted pine nuts:

Use a small dry fry pan heat and add the pine nuts stirring until they are golden brown. Remove from heat and let cool.

Directions to assemble salad:

 

To a bowl or serving platter add the arugula with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and toss. To the arugula add the roasted sweet potatoes and red onions. Top with crumbled gorgonzola cheese, pine nuts, black pepper and finish with coarse sea salt to taste. Serve warm.