Basil Oil

We are a big bread-eating family around here. To accompany pasta dishes, soups, etc., I often make a loaf of foccacia bread or buy some crusty bread to break and dip in marinara sauce or olive oil. I recently saw an idea for infusing olive oil with basil to use as a dipping oil. Since I'm still bursting at the seams with my basil bounty, I thought I'd share.

Basil-infused Olive Oil

1 cup olive oil

3 stems of basil (no need to use the leaves even, just stems)

In a saucepan, warm the olive oil over low heat. Add the stems and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Serving suggestion: In a shallow plate, drizzle enough olive oil to cover the surface. Top with fresh cracked pepper and Italian seasoning. Use it to dip crusty bread. Yum!

Best Burgers Ever

We've been experimenting with all of our garden veggies and herbs a lot around here, and this is, by far, our favorite experiment. I made some sliders with basil and chives, and they're a hit. Here's how:

Best Burgers (Sliders) Ever

1 lb ground beef

1 bunch basil

1 bunch chives

handful of mozzarella cheese

2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper

Dump everything into a bowl, and mix by hand until everything is evenly distributed. I use Rachael Ray's tip to divvy up the meat. She presses it into the bottom of the bowl and scores it with her hand to get an even amount of meat into each burger. I made 6 small patties because a normal-sized burger is too much for me. Grill on each side to your desired doneness, and enjoy! I served these with grilled onions, colby-jack cheese, and on homemade buns (recipe can be found here).

The many, many leaves of basil

My basil plant (bush!) is out of control. It's grown to 2 feet high and is as big around as a beach ball. I've harvested basil just about daily to encourage it to grow wider and not tall and stalky. I've made everything from my basil chicken previously posted to marinaras, spaghetti sauces, lasagna, and everything in between. I've given it away and, ultimately tossed some which grossely conflicts with my pioneer tendencies. =)
Anyway, my sister had the best idea for a way to preserve the fresh basil. She suggested chopping it and freezing it in ice cube trays. I did, and it worked perfectly! I used my first few cubes in dinner last night. Just clean it, chop it up, spoon it into ice cube trays, cover it with water, and freeze. You can do this with any fresh herbs. Freeze mint into ice cubes, and use it to cool off iced tea. Freeze fresh cilantro, and use it for your salsas. The possibilities are endless.
Thanks for the great tip, Amy!

Creamy Basil Pesto Chicken

My basil plant in the garden has gone crazy. In the past years I've let it get too tall and stalky, and the basil is useless. So I'm trying to harvest it regularly so it continues to do well. I wanted to create a dish that was mainly basil since it's one of my favorite flavors. Just as I don't follow patterns well in sewing, I highly prefer to just dump and throw things into a pot instead of following recipes. Wonder what that says about me. =) The problem is, when I love something I've created, I often forget what I did the next time I want to recreate it. So I'm trying to be better about writing things down. This was dinner last night, and I loved it. If you're a huge basil fan too, try it out and let me know what you think.

Creamy Basil Pesto Chicken

3-4 Tablespoons of basil pesto (recipe to follow)

1-1/2 cups of half and half (you could use heavy cream or even milk instead)

1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 chicken breasts

kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preheat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add butter and olive oil. Meanwhile salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breasts. Saute them in the skillet for 6 minutes on each side or until cooked through. In a mixing bowl, combine the pesto, half and half, cheese, and salt and pepper. Pour into the pan, and let cook over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens (approx. 5 minutes). Serve over your favorite pasta (I used 1/2 box of penne cooked al dente).

Alicia's Basil Pesto

Huge bunch of basil (probably about 2 cups)

1/4 cup chopped pecans

2 garlic cloves

kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

olive oil (approx. 1/2 cup)

In a food processor, pulse basil, pecans, garlic, and 1/4 cup olive oil until finely ground. Add olive oil to your desired consistency. Then season with salt and pepper to taste.

You can use this pesto on pasta, to marinate chicken, or spread on crusty bread. You can add flavors as you wish to make it spicy, sweet, or more garlicy. =)