<![CDATA[Selusca.com - Intermission]]>Thu, 16 May 2024 10:24:00 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Pesto Pizza]]>Sat, 14 Jun 2014 22:10:35 GMThttp://selusca.com/intermission/pesto-pizza

Ingredients:

  • Boboli Original Crust
  • 3/4 cup Fresh Pesto
  • 1 cup 6 Italian Shredded Cheeses
  • 3 Fresh Vine Ripened Tomatoes
  • 1 cup pitted Kalamata Olives
  • 1/2 cup Shaved Mozarella Cheese
  • A few leaves of Fresh Basil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread pesto thinly on the Boboli crust. Cover the pesto with a layer of the shredded 6 Italian cheeses. Top with thinly sliced tomatoes and halved kalamata olives. Top then with the shaved mozzarella. Bake the pizza at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the pizza from the oven and add freshly cut basil. If you want to add shrimp, chicken, pepperoni, or sausage, you can use slightly less tomatoe and olives to avoid too much moisture

]]><![CDATA[Grilled Shrimp & Pesto Wraps]]>Mon, 09 Jun 2014 00:58:59 GMThttp://selusca.com/intermission/grilled-shrimp-pesto-wraps
Okay, I lied....no pesto pizza today. It's Sunday evening, and the weather is so nice that I figured I'd grill shrimp instead. Recipe for four. 
Ingredients:

Mix these ingredients in a large bowl and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. 

  • 2 pounds peeled shrimp, tail off
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons Sriracha Sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
While the shrimp marinates, prepare these toppings.


  • Rinse and pat dry 1 cup baby spinach leaves
  • Slice 1 medium red onion to your preferred thickness
  • Prepare 1 cup halfed pitted Kalamata Greek olives
  • 1 six ounce box of Uncle Ben's Wild Rice
  • Homemade Pesto (prepared yesterday)



Place the shrimp on skewers & on the grill until opaque...or if you are like me, until they are a little crispy. I have a gas grill and usually have the heat between 350-400 degrees. While the shrimp are grilling, prepare the rice. The rice and shrimp should then be ready at about the same time.

I heat up flour tortillas either briefly on the grill if you like them slightly crunchy or in the microwave on High for 20 seconds (4 slices individually divided by paper towel) if you prefer the tortilla soft.

Then let your family or guests design their own. I start with a warmed tortilla, topped with the pesto, then the spinach, then wild rice, some red onion, olives, shrimp...and wrap! This dish has bold flavors ranching from hot and spicy to sweet and tangy...a fun dish for warm weather. I then serve a variety a sliced sweet bell peppers on the side.



]]><![CDATA[Welcome to Susanne's Tiny Kitchen]]>Sat, 07 Jun 2014 20:56:00 GMThttp://selusca.com/intermission/welcome-to-susannes-tiny-kitchen

Homemade Pesto:

I started growing my own basil several years ago when I realized how expensive fresh basil and pesto were in the produce department at the grocery store. I happened upon the AeroGarden online. Since I live in an apartment in Wisconsin, my options for growing herbs are limited. Growing outside is ideal in warmer climates but not when your Spring, Summer, and Autumn fall on a Wednesday...the rest of the year being super cold. I ordered one AeroGarden and quickly got hooked on the speed and ease of growing indoors with these planters. I now have 3 of them, growing fresh lettuce, cilantro, dill, parsley, basil, rosemary, even tomatoes year round. It is so wonderful growing fresh, preparing, and then eating the same food you have just harvested.  I am no farmer but maybe just a little more self-sustainable.

Here is one of my staple recipes that I prepare 1-2 times a month. I am including where I buy some of the ingredients and the local pricing. As a single working parent, I am always living on a tight budget and even tighter schedule, so I have included "generic level brand" ingredients I use to fit my pocket book and time frame. This sauce will keep in the refrigerator for about a week, or you can freeze it for 3-6 months. If you intend to freeze the batch, do not add the cheese until you have thawed it and ready to use.

Ingredients:

In a food processor mix the following items until they form a paste:


  • 1/2 cup pine nuts ( I buy a 1.5 pound bag of Kirkland brand from Costco for $30 which will last for months - keep refrigerated)
  • 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (another item I tend to purchase at Costco, 2 liter of their brand for $15)
  • 6 cloves of fresh minced garlic or 2 tablespoons (Costco Kirkland 48 ounce Minced California Garlic for $5)



Slowly add while processor is on:


  • 4 cups of packed basil leaves ( I use my homegrown basil. I grow Genovese, Anise, and Lemon Lime Basil...mixing the types depending on taste and harvest)
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese  (Costco Cello Grana Padano 1 lb jar for $9)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 packets Truvia sweetener


Next...Homemade pizza using your Pesto Sauce

]]>