Hazelnut Pesto

I bought a bouquet of basil at the Boulder Farmers’ Market. When I picked it up, I knew it was large. When I got it home, the enormity of this bouquet really struck me. What’s a gal to do with so much basil? Pesto, of course.

I had raw hazelnuts in the house, so I decided on hazelnut pesto. I’d never made it before, but walnut pesto is great, so hazelnut pesto should be great, too. And, it is.

First, I roasted a couple cups of hazelnuts in the oven at 200 degrees until they became fragrant. Reminder: PAY CLOSE ATTENTION WHEN ROASTING NUTS! You turn your back for a second and they burn…

When they were cool, I peeled off the skin.

Then it’s all quite simple. I peeled some garlic from the market, washed the basil, found my olive oil.

It took four batches in my mini food processor, plus a little sea salt and freshly ground black peppercorns, and I have multiple meals-worth of pesto.

Finally, I filled two ice cube trays to freeze my pesto so I can enjoy the flavors of the summer harvest in the fall or winter. When I thaw my little pesto cubes, I’ll add some grated parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

Walnut Pesto

This is the best time of year because fresh produce is finally growing in Colorado. I have a basil plant at home, so now I can start making fresh pesto in a pinch.

I put a cup of walnuts, a cup of basil, 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, some sea salt, crushed black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil in my food processor, and in a minute had pesto. Perfecto!

Turkey Meatloaf, Roasted Garlic Smashed Potatoes, Parmesan Peas, and Mushroom Gravy

I know, I know, I know… I need a better camera. This doesn’t really look incredibly appetizing, but it was. Roasted garlic smashed potatoes, parmesan peas, and Turkey Meatloaf in Mushroom Gravy.

Here’s a photo of some roasted garlic, which is easy to make. Peel off some, but not all, of the skins on a bulb of garlic. Chop off the very top, place in a baking dish, and cover in olive oil. Cover the whole thing in foil and bake at 375-400 for 45 minutes or so.

Maple Shallot Salmon

This meal is Maple Shallot Salmon, brown rice with a Maple Shallot Dressing, and parmesan peas (a personal favorite of mine). I marinated the Salmon for 30 minutes prior to baking it at 375 for 20 or so minutes. I also decided to make plain brown basmati rice so I could use whatever was left over to make home made rice milk. So, I made a dressing to pour over the baked fish and cooked rice. Finally, my favorite veggie dish- boiled peas in freshly grated parmesan cheese. I could eat these peas every day.
Salmon Marinade Ingredients:
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 TB freshly grated ginger
  • 2 TB soy sauce
  • 1 TB water
  • 1 tsp Aleppo pepper (which you can find at Savory Spice Shop)
  • 2 green onions, chopped
I prepared the marinade in a small bowl and poured it evenly over my cold-water-washed, dried, and de-boned salmon that was sitting on a foil-covered flat baking tray. I preheated the oven to 375 and let the salmon soak in some flavors. Right before it went in the oven, I poured the juice of 1/2 lemon on top.
Meanwhile, I prepared some brown basmati rice, which took 45 minutes or so. I usually add something to flavor the rice as it cooks, but, making rice milk with the leftover rice prohibited that. Instead, I made this dressing to drizzle over the meal.
Maple Shallot Dressing Ingredients:
  • 1 TB soy sauce
  • 1 TB maple syrup
  • 1 TB toasted sesame oil
  • 1/2 TB dried ginger (fresh will work, of course. Just use a little less than dried.)
  • 1 TB dried shallots (I bought mine, like ALL of my spices, from Savory Spice Shop)
  • 1 green onion, chopped
  • juice from 1/2 lime

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A Bolder Table is a place where I bookmark my favorite recipes for later along with some occasional musings. It's my personal digital recipe compilation... Let's say it's my cookbook. Thanks for stopping by! -Megan
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