Broccoli-Peanut Pesto and Simple Button Noodles

A while back I found a recipe for pesto that used broccoli. I actually am not a huge fan of pesto, normally, because I find the taste of basil and pine nuts overwhelming, but I like the idea of simple green stuff on my noodles. So, I loved the idea of broccoli pesto. I tweaked it and put in my own ingredients, and came up with this Broccoli-Peanut Pesto. My camera was dying during this recipe, hence the somewhat fuzzy quality of the pictures.

Chop up broccoli, peanuts, salt, olive oil, and a handful of oregano!

Now, making homemade noodles seems to be regarded as one of those things that is extremely difficult and time-consuming and really not worth the time and effort. And in some cases, I wholeheartedly agree. I have made egg noodles, and non-egg-noodles, fettuccine, spaghetti, ravioli, lasagna, even tortellini, and I agree that in many cases homemade noodles are very time-consuming and not all that worth it. Especially spaghetti noodles. Those are small and ridiculous to try to make.

BUT these noodles are very worth it. They are simple and quick to make, and very hearty and filling. Together, the pesto and noodles make a very refreshing, filling meal.

Simple Button Noodles (printable recipe)
1 c all-purpose flour
1 c whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
water

Mix together flours and salt. Add water a tablespoon at a time, mixing as you go, until you have reached a stiff dough.

Knead until smooth and elastic.

Bring a pot of water to boil.
Divide dough into quarters, and roll out into a rope about 1/2 inch in diameter. Cut noodles to desired thickness (about 1/4 inch is good).

Place noodles in boiling water until they float. Drain water.

Broccoli - Peanut Pesto (printable recipe)
1/2 head broccoli
1 c peanuts
handful of oregano (optional)
1 tsp salt
1/2 c olive oil

Place broccoli, peanuts, oregano, and salt into food processor. Chop to very small. Add olive oil. Blend until pesto consistency.

Simple Couscous Tabouleh

 

Last spring I planted a bunch of different herbs in my garden. And then the super dry super hot summer teamed up with my extreme lack of plant growing ability and killed them all.  Except the parsley. The parsley not only survived, it thrived. It grew huge. It had no water for weeks and baked in the sun, yet it continued to grow. The puppy laid all over it and smooshed it into the ground and it continued to grow. The only problem was... what do you do with parsley??? I didn't know why I had planted it in the first place. I mean, you put parsley on plates in restaurants for a "garnish." Too bad that last summer I did not know tabouleh existed, or I would have used up ALL the parsley. And probably killed it. Oh well. 

Now that I know tabouleh exists, I love it! It is such a different sort of salad, full of summery flavor. It has a cool, herb-full flavor that goes perfectly with thick slices of multi-grain toast or whole wheat bread.

For my tabouleh, I started by juicing three lemons. 

I mixed the lemon juice with olive oil, pepper, and water, then added the couscous and cooked it in the microwave until the couscous was fluffy. If you did not know, couscous is a little pasta-type thing... kind of like a cross between a grain and a tiny pasta. It's good.

I then chopped up half of a cucumber into little pieces. I used half a cucumber because that is all I had. You can use a whole one if you like.

Then I chopped up a bunch of parsley.

I then tossed it all together with some balsamic vinegar, and chilled it. That's it! There are many recipes for tabouleh which have all sorts of things in them, from tomatoes to mint to bulgur wheat, but I like to keep mine to a minimum. Tabouleh is a delicious, simple summer lunch. Although my husband will say it's more of a side dish. He is a little leery of the "salad for lunch" idea.

Simple Couscous Tabouleh (printable recipe)
3 lemons, juiced (about 1/2 c lemon juice)
1/2 c olive oil
1/2 c water
1 tsp pepper
1 & 1/2 c couscous
1/2 cucumber, chopped (or a whole cucumber. your choice.)
1 bunch parsley, chopped (about 3-4 cups)
1/4 c balsamic vinegar

Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, water, and pepper. Add couscous, and cook-- 3 min in microwave, then let stand until couscous is fluffy.
Toss couscous, cucumber, parsley, and vinegar in a large bowl.
Chill until cool (about an hour).
 

Herb Bread from yeast starter

I've never been much of a gardener. When we were growing up, my brother used to forbid me to even look at his tomato plants, because he believed that if I looked at them they would die. It probably was not an entirely unfounded belief.

I think that my stunning lack of success as a gardener is closely tied to my scatterbrained personality. I just... forget that I have plants to take care of. I water them and weed them and help them tenderly along and then the next time I remember they exist it has been two weeks and they are dried, shriveled little shrubs of themselves, overtaken by the more hardy weed-plants that don't need my care or protection.

I do have a solution to this problem. I learn to like the weeds. I pretend that the four-o-clocks that have taken over my front flower bed are gorgeous, and what I wanted there all along. Stickers? Builds character.

But I haven't entirely given up on the idea of my own garden filled with real plants that I actually planned to be there. I keep trying. And I'm getting better. For example, my herb garden this year was not entirely a bust. Granted, the basil is kind of... sad. And the rosemary insists that life in my garden is just not worth living. But the parsley is doing GREAT. ... uh, what do you do with parsley? Lots and lots of parsley?

Anyway, it came to my attention the other day that I actually had quite a few herbs in my garden, and I decided that the time had come to put them to work in my kitchen. Why else grow herbs? Exactly. So I made this delightful herb bread, and I thought I'd share.

If you've been reading my blog for long, you know that I grow yeast starter. I like the flavor better, and it's cheaper than store bought yeast. So this bread is made from starter, and I explain how to make said starter here: http://lifebydanielle.blogspot.com/2011/09/pet-yeast.html

I keep my starter in the fridge so I don't have to use it every day, so before I made this bread I pulled the starter out of my fridge and let it warm up for a while until it was all bubbly again, then poured about 2 cups of starter into my mixing bowl.

Herbs from my garden. This is all that I used in the bread, and I made a lot of bread. Fresh herbs are quite strong.

Chop chop chop. And crack some pepper too.

Pile flour on the starter.

Add some herbs. And salt. And warm water. Not much water, just enough to make a shaggy but rather stiff dough.

Knead, knead, knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic.

Olive oil all over the dough and let it rise to double. Then shape the bread how you want it and let it rise to double again before baking it.
Now, I have no pictures of my first batch of bread, because, true to form, I forgot all about the bread in my oven and it became large croutons. But the rest of my dough became nommy, lovely calzones with cheese and ham and onions in the middle of it. And I do have pictures of those.

Herb Bread

2 c starter
some fresh herbs and cracked pepper and garlic
salt (about 1 to 2 tsp)
3 c flour
about 1/2 cup warm water

Chop up the herbs. Mix the starter, flour, herbs, and salt. Add enough water to make a stiff, shaggy dough. Knead until smooth and elastic, about ten minutes. Coat liberally with olive oil and let rise to double. Punch down and shape into bread loaves, calzones, etc. Allow to rise to double again.
Bake at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes, or until slightly golden. Eat happily.