This week I decided to use the massive amounts of basil that I got from last weeks share. Unfortunately, I am not completely happy with the results but will share the recipes for those who may do a better job than I did.
Garlic Basil Shrimp
First, I made Garlic Basil Shrimp. This dish was ok but could use flavor. My one mistake (which is hard as a beginner) is that I did not have dry white wine and decided to substitute. I read that you can use white wine vinegar and dilute it with water. In retrospect, I probably should have used chicken stock or veggie stock for more flavor. I also did not have red pepper flakes, rather just the spice so it didn't really sit in the dish.
We threw this dish over white rice.
The dish itself turned out ok and my taste tester boyfriend actually finished his bowl but he agreed it needed more flavor! He added sesame sauce to his.
Basil Pesto
The basil pesto also didn't turn out quite right but I think on the right dish it may be ok. We are in love with the Cilantro Pesto recipe from a few weeks ago, so this is tough competition.
My problems/solutions:
First, pine nuts are expensive! Who knew? I should have stuck with walnuts. They taste great and are much cheaper.
Second, this is the first time I ever blanched anything and I am still not sure if I did it correctly. If you don't know how to blanch, the recipe explains how to but it's not as simple as it seems. You are supposed to throw a handful of basil into boiling water for two seconds then scoop it out and immediately put it into cold water. I found it difficult to scoop everything quickly. And then my cold water would get warm after dipping hot basil into it.
Finally, make sure you chop your pine nuts like the recipe says. I thought the blender would get it all, but it didn't. Oopsy.
We didn't actually eat the pesto but I froze little packets of it for future dishes.
No comments:
Post a Comment