Fresh basil leaves – Oh the possibilities!
4 Sep
At the farmer’s market last week, I grabbed 1 bunch of basil for $2. Then I realized that I’d have to use it up before it went bad. Would I be able to use it all up before the fragrant colorful greens transform into mushy brown stuff? (Side note: I did find a trick to keeping herbs fresh longer but it was too late by the time I got around to it. 
)
So the race was on. I was determined to win. Against time, that is.
In the course of a week, I’ve managed to incorporate basil into my breakfast, lunch AND dinner. Awesome. =) So delicious!
For breakfast, I had:
Whole wheat Lender’s bagel with cream cheese, tomatoes, and basil
For lunch:
Whole wheat baguette with prosciutto, fresh mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, basil. Drizzled in Extra Virgin Olive Oil, then fresh cracked black pepper
And for dinner:
Pesto with grilled chicken over pasta
I will post the last recipe since it involves more than just slicing stuff. 
Recipe: Pesto with grilled chicken over pasta
Pasta
For this recipe, I used 1/2 of 1 box of pasta shells. Cook according to package instructions. Set aside.
Simple Grilled Chicken
2 pounds of chicken breast
3 cloves of minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Slice chicken breast into cubes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Over low heat, add garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Make sure the heat is low so that the garlic does not burn.
3. Add chicken. Increase heat to medium and cook until chicken is cooked through.
From Simply Recipes
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.
2. Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Makes 1 cup.
Because I don’t have a food processor, I thought I could get away with using a small blender, namely, one of these. Um. Guess again. It was NOT a pretty sight and I wouldn’t do it again!! I couldn’t get all the stuff on the top to go near the grinding lid since it sits upside down. In the end, I got through it and ended up with yummy pesto!
I have no more basil lying around. I win!!
