I got a lot of parsley and butternut squash to use so this is what I thought up today. If you have a Paderno Spiral Slicer it will be pretty easy to fettuccini cut the squash. I used the fettuccini size cuts and not the smaller spaghetti cut. Everything came out delicious…You might want to give it a try. It is slightly hard to do perfect because the squash noodles go from raw to over done and squishy. Serving size is difficult to judge here because it depends on the size of your squash and how much that you want to eat. Is this a meal for you or a side dish? My guess is that the average smaller sized butternut squash will make 4 side portions.

Ingredients for around 4 servings

1 butternut squash – (I used a smaller sized squash) peeled and cut into thirds (see photo)

2 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon course sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup parmesan cheese – shredded

1 cup parsley leaves (packed tight) – chopped

1 large lemon – the fresh squeezed juice and zest

1 1/2 oz anchovies in oil

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 Tablespoon garlic confit (when you buy bags of garlic slice the heads across in half drizzle heavy with olive oil, cover and roast in 350 degree f oven about an hour. Squeeze cloves out of head with oil and blend smooth) This will taste much better than raw garlic that can turn bitter.

1/4 cup scallions – sliced thin

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 oz dried apricots – chopped

3 oz toasted walnuts – slightly crushed

Directions

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees f.

Cover a baking sheet (or sheets) with parchment paper.

Spiral cut the butternut squash and put in a large mixing bowl.

Add the olive oil and salt and pepper to the squash. Mix to distribute.

Spread out the squash noodles on baking sheets.

This goes into the oven for around 10 minutes or until you are satisfied. Ovens do differ and you might want a couple minutes less.

While the squash is cooking make the pesto.

Blend together the parmesan, parsley, lemon juice, lemon zest, anchovies with oil, balsamic, garlic confit, scallions, red pepper flakes. When ready to serve this mixture suits in the bottom of serving plate. Top with noodle cut squash and top with apricots and walnuts.

ENJOY!

I was gifted with many bunches of parsley so I got on a roll with parsley recipes. I made chipotle lime chili chimichurri, parsley pesto and tabbouleh salad so far. (BTW they all came out FORKING Delicious) I had around a cup of leftover rice and peas from a Caribbean take out. You can add a cup of regular rice or any grain you like for something similar. Then I got the idea to change it up a little and made another sort of tabbouleh salad but with added jerk spices. My GOSH this came out FORKING AMAZING!!!! This recipe makes around 4 servings. Chopping up 2 packed cups of parsley is a lot of work. I have no idea on how Mediterranean Restaurants serve all that tabbouleh.

Ingredients for around 4 servings

2 cups parsley leaves – packed tight and well hand chopped

1 English cucumber – seeds removed – small dice

1 small red onion – fine chopped

1 Tablespoon fresh thyme – chopped

3 red jalapeño peppers – fine chopped (or to taste…red one look pretty and usually are never too hot)

1 cup prepared rice or another grain

2 limes the fresh squeezed juice and all the zest

3 garlic cloves – ground to paste

1 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon course sea salt (or to taste)

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 Tablespoons honey

1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Directions

In a large mixing bowl add the parsley, cucumber, onion, thyme, jalapeño, rice or grain, lime zest and mix.

In a small mixing bowl add the lime juice, garlic, allspice, black pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, salt, oil, honey, paprika, cumin cayenne and brown sugar. Mix well. Pour dressing on salad and mix well. Chill a few hours or over night. Adjust seasonings if necessary.

Enjoy!

I was gifted with many bunches of parley. So far I made tabbouleh, parsley pesto, chipotle lime chimichurri, Jamaican jerk inspired parsley salad (like tabbouleh but jerk flavored). Now here is sun-dried tomato and walnut parsley pesto. Everything I made with parsley is delicious so far. Had no idea that parsley can be so great! Portions are difficult to judge because you will use a lot if you are using this pesto to dress pasta. But you will only use a little if you are spreading this on bread. I think it will be at least 4 pasta servings and 8 or more servings for bread.

Ingredients for around 6 servings

4 cups parsley leaves – packed tight hand chopped fine

3/4 cup crushed walnuts

1 teaspoon garlic confit – fresh garlic might turn too strong (roast garlic cloves in olive oil covered for about an hour at 350 and blend…..I make a big bath every time I buy a bag of garlic)

3 oz sun dried tomatoes – chopped

1 cup parmigiano reggiano – shedded

1 Meyer lemon – zest and fresh squeezed juice

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon course sea salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

optional – a splash of Calabrian chili oil (or Calabrian peppers)

some water or oil to thin to desired consistency

Directions

All above ingredients get blended together. Thin with water or oil to desired consistency. Adjust salt and pepper.

Enjoy on pasta or bread or convert to a dressing.

I didn’t know that I like Nam Prik until recently. Nam Prik is a Thai Chili, Lime, Fish Sauce that is usually based with tamarind. I looked up on how to make the sauce. Mine is pretty basic but based with mango that goes really well with fish. Then I read another recipe where they marinated the fish and then used Nam Prik, I didn’t have the ingredients to do their marinate so I came up with something else that is also delicious. This recipe is only two servings.

Ingredients for two servings

2 meal sized white fish filets

2 Tablespoons canola oil

1 cup shallots – sliced extra thin on a mandolin

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon anise seeds

1/2 teaspoon garlic confit

1/2 cup mango – puree

1 1/2 teaspoon garlic confit

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 hot red pepper – minced

1 1/2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar

1 lime – juice and zest (optional save some zest to sprinkle on top)

1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce (preferably Red Boat Brand)

2 Tablespoons fresh mint – torn or chopped

2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro – torn or chopped

fresh crushed sea salt to taste

fresh ground black pepper to taste

2 Tablespoons olive oil to spray on pan and fish (guessing around 2 Tablespoons)

2 Tablespoons butter

Directions

Heat up the canola oil on medium high heat in a sauce pan. When the oil is hot add the shallots. Keep cooking till the shallots are caramelized. Take out heat and add the ginger, turmeric, anise and garlic confit. Mix well. Leave out on counter till cool. Get out the fish and lay them on big pieces of plastic wrap. When the marinade is cool you can pat the mixture evenly over the fish. Wrap the fish in the plastic wrap. Marinate in the refrigerater 4-5 hours.

While your fish is marinating make the Mango Nam Prik.

You need around 1/2 cup of pureed mango. That might be one-three mangos depending on their size. The pureed mango gets mixed in a small bowl with the garlic confit, ginger, hot pepper, vinegar, lime juice, some or all zest, and fish sauce.

Now it’s time to cook the fish. (you can do this in either fry pan or oven) I think a fresh fish is better in a fry pan but a fish from frozen comes out better in the oven.

Spray the fish and either fry pan or baking sheet with olive oil.

If you are doing it in the oven pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Put your fish on oiled baking sheet and top each fish with dabs of unsalted butter.

Your fish stays in the oven till cooked threw. Timing will differ. In my oven this took 15 minutes.

Serve the fish splashed with mango nam prik fresh mint and cilantro and salt and pepper to taste.

It’s FORKING Delicious!

I never would have thought up parsley pesto before. But I got gifted with a bunch of parsley so I did parsley pesto and man it’s a FORKING PLATE LICKER. Can’t judge how many servings too well because you will use a lot on pasta or only small amount as a spread. I’ll guesstimate around 8-4 servings.

Ingredients for around 4 servings

4 cups parley leaves (packed)

1 cup parmigiano reggiano – shredded

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon garlic confit (when I buy bags of garlic I cut the heads across in half drizzle well with olive oil, cover, and roast at 350 around one hour, blend cloves and it is a delicious sweet mild garlic paste.)

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1 teaspoon course sea salt

Instructions

Blend

Enjoy!

I’m always looking for new ways to do beets. I came across Gordon Ramsey’s recipe for Beets Wellington. I didn’t have most of the ingredients that he used so I made up my own way to do it including the pastry…(and my pastry came out extra delicious too!). This recipe make about 6 portions.

Ingredients for around 6 portions

1 cup flour + more for dusting – pastry

1/4 teaspoon sea salt – pastry

1/4 teaspoon baking powder – pastry

8 Tablespoons sweet butter cut into pats – a colder than room temperature – pastry

1/4 cup cream cheese – pastry

1 lb beets – trimmed and peeled (I had three beets)

2 cups red wine vinegar

1 cup red wine

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

1 oz. scant star anise

1 Tablespoon mustard seeds

1 Tablespoon sweet better – duxcelle

10 oz mushrooms – chopped small – duxcelle

1 small leeks – trimmed – sliced extra thin on a mandolin – small chopped – duxcelle (If desired reserve around a Tablespoon of leeks for finishing pastry)

2 garlic cloves – ground to paste – duxcelle

1 teaspoon dried thyme – duxcelle

optional – 2 Tablespoons smoked mushroom powder – www.SunValleyHarvest.com – duxcelle

sea salt – to taste – duxcelle

ground black pepper – to taste – duxcelle

3 rice paper wrappers (you need one wrapper for each beet)

I Tablespoon everything bagel seasoning – for sprinkling on the pastry.

1 beaten egg yolk

non stick spray

Make the pastry.

Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Use an extra large fork or pastry masher to hand cut up the butter pats in the flour mixture till the butter is around the size of peas. Stir in the cream cheese and give it a few kneads. Dust the dough with flour and roll it out and fold it into thirds. Leave this chill in the refrigerator until ready to use. Cover with plastic wrap.

Braise the beets.

Beets go in a sauce pot with vinegar, wine, water, sugar, star anise, and mustard seeds. Give it a stir and bring to boil and then reduce to simmer and continue simmering until beets are fork tender. (You will need to add more water to the pot as the water goes down) Depending on the size and freshness of your beets timing will differ……could be less than 30 minutes and could be more. When beets are done remove them from the braising liquid. Set beets to the side and cover with plastic wrap.

Make Duxcelle

Melt butter in a sauce pan on medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and leeks and cook till slightly brown. Lower heat to medium low and add salt and pepper. Cook till all the liquid is evaporated. Add thyme and smoked mushroom powder (if using). Blend and set to the side.

Wrap beets with duxcelle and rice paper.

Rice paper gets pliable when you set it in a bath of warm water for a second. Take the rice paper out and spread it with 1/3 of the duxcelle (or 1/4 if you have four beets). Place beet in the middle and wrap. Repeat for each beet.

Get baking sheet(s) ready for the beets. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and spray paper with non stick spray and set to the side.

Set oven to 400 degrees F and have a middle rack ready for your pans.

You pastry gets cut in thirds. One third for each beet. Wrap each beet with pastry the best you can and place on sprayed parchment lined baking sheet.

Paint each pastry with egg yolk

Sprinkle each pastry with everything bagel seasoning

If desired sprinkle each pastry with some leeks

Place sheet pan in pre-heated 400 degree F oven till pastry is golden brown and looks done. Timing will differ. Mine were done in around 30 minutes.

Enjoy!