Tuna Guacamole in endive leaves

Tuna Guacamole is great dish for an appetizer, snack, or impromptu little meal. I know it may sound a bit strange, but trust me, it’s yummy! And it takes less than five minutes  to make — especially if you start with a high-quality, freshly-made, store-bought guacamole.

INGREDIENTS

Freshly-made guacamole (homemade or store bought)
Canned tuna, flaked with a fork
Freshly squeezed lime juice
Thinly sliced green onions (green part only)
Chopped fresh cilantro
Fish sauce
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Leaves of Belgium endive or Butter  lettuce
Diced red onions
Diced red bell pepper

DIRECTIONS

Place the guacamole into a bowl and then mix in the tuna. Then add, according to your taste: lime juice, green onions, cilantro, fish sauce, salt, and pepper. Mix it all up; taste and adjust seasoning.

• Take a leaf of endive and partially fill it with a dollop of Tuna Gaucamole. Garnish with finely diced red onions and red bell peppers. Serve!

- OR  -

• Place a small scoop of Tuna Guacamole into leaf of Butter lettuce and top that with the red onions and red bell pepper. Wrap the lettuce around the mixture and enjoy!

FOOD SHOPPING NOTES

Tuna:  I really like the Wild Planet Wild Albacore Tuna. It’s pole-caught, high quality tuna, that is “highest in omega 3 and low in mercury.” And, it’s  canned without added oil or water in BPA-free cans! It’s a premium product for a premium price, but it’s a good value when you buy through Amazon Subscribe & Save (which is what I do)!

Fish Sauce: Tra Chang Brand Fish Sauce is my current favorite. It is made from anchovies, salt, sugar – and nothing else. I bought a 25-ounce bottle for just a few dollars at one of our local Asian supermarkets. For a side-by-side comparison of popular fish sauces, see the blog post, Thai Fish Sauce Taste Test. Note: All fish sauces are sky-high in sodium, but the Tra Chang Brand is lower in sodium than most. And, you don’t need to use a lot to get a great flavor hit!

Red Bell Pepper: Because red bell pepper is on the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen Plus list (in 2013), I only buy organic red bell peppers.

Enjoy and be healthy!
~ Leni

Cioppino On The Cheap

Cioppino is one of my favorite foods. But until recently I only made it on special occasions. That’s because this delicious main dish fish soup was just too expensive for everyday meals.  However, on a recent ordinary cold spring Sunday, I was craving something warm and just couldn’t get Cioppino out of my head. So I set out to find the best ingredients for an awesome Cioppino on the cheap.

To save some cash, I didn’t include lobster, crab legs, or clams.But I used lots of mussels.  In place of  fish fillets, I used Trader Joe’s frozen boneless and skinless Mahi Mahi  Pieces, for which I paid only $4.49 per pound.

My Cioppino On The Cheap turned out absolutely great! A keeper! Hope you like it too!

Recipe note:
This recipe is adapted from Giada De Laurentiis’ Cioppino recipe. Her recipe was a great guide to ingredients and timings.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1/2 onion, chopped
2 large shallots, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons organic tomato paste
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced organic tomatoes in juice
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups clam juice
1/2 cup water
1 bay leaf
1 pound wild caught mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1/2 pound uncooked shell-on very large shrimp
3/4 pound Trader Joe’s frozen Mahi Mahi Pieces, cut into large bite-size chunks
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the fennel, onion, and shallots, and saute until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and saute for about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Add tomatoes with their juices, wine, clam juice, and bay leaf. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the flavors blend, about 20 minutes.

Add the mussels to the pot. Cover and cook until the mussels begin to open, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and mahi mahi. Simmer gently until the fish and shrimp are just cooked through, about 5 more minutes. Stir gently. Discard any mussels that do not open. Season the soup, to taste, with salt, if desired.

Ladle the soup into individual bowls and top each bowl of steaming Cioppino On The Cheap with chopped parsley.

Food shopping note:
Clam juice: I really  like Bar Harbor Clam Juice. It is not too salty, like many of the other brands of clam juice.

Enjoy and be healthy!
~Leni

I learned about Dr. Greene by listening to a podcast on the People’s Pharmacy. The link to that podcast, Dr. Greene’s TED talk, and Dr. Greene’s website and books — are all given at this link to the People’s Pharmacy page.

Enjoy and be healthy!

Peace,

Leni

INGREDIENTS

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Garlic
• Fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

Peel the garlic and trim off the end close to the root where bacteria are likely to hide.

In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, process the garlic until it’s very finely minced.

Pour some olive oil into a glass dish (not plastic). Then pour some water into a slightly larger glass dish. Take the dish with the olive oil and place it into the dish with the water. Now you have a water bath for gently heating your olive oil! Note: The water in the larger dish should reach only up to the the level of the olive oil (in order to keep the water from sloshing into the oil when you move the dishes).

Place the olive oil in its water bath and then into your microwave; heat it on the medium or high setting. Let it get hot, but do not let it boil. The amount of time time it took at the high setting to heat the small amount of olive oil that you see in the photo was 30-40 seconds.

Put a few spoonfuls of the finely minced garlic into the hot oil; mix.

Add the lemon juice; mix.

Let the garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice mixture sit in the water bath for 10 – 15 minutes.

STORAGE

Store in refrigerator for up to a week.

FOOD SAFETY TIP –  Before you head to your kitchen, please read this Food Safety Tip!

When you combine garlic and oil, you create an environment in which botulism (a deadly food-born bacteria) can grow. According to the University of Colorado Extension Service, to prevent the possible growth of botulism when mixing oil and garlic, you should always “add an acidifying agent such as lemon juice or vinegar to the recipe at the rate of one tablespoon per cup of oil.” Also you should “discard infusions after one week, or sooner if apparent cloudiness, gas bubbles, or foul odor develop.

USES FOR HOMEMADE GARLICKY OLIVE OIL

I reach in my refrigerator for this wonderful Homemade Garlicky Olive Oil whenever I want to:

• Add both garlic and oil to a recipe, for example, when making a Fresh Herb Sauce.
• Add flavor to a simple sautéed food, for example, a piece of fish or a vegetable, such as Beet Greens. Just top the sautéed beet (or other) greens with Homemade Garlicky Olive Oil. And..by adding the garlic to your food AFTER cooking, you can’t burn the garlic ᕙ(`▽´)ᕗ!

LOVE THIS OLIVE OIL – Laconiko Olive Oil!
By chance I stopped by a booth where Laconiko 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oilwas featured. I tasted it  and loved it – as did the judges of a recent international olive oil competition! I was hooked! So I spent the next 20 minutes talking to the two brothers whose family produces this olive oil in Greece. Having just read the book, Extra Virginity – The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil, I had so many questions about the quality and nutrition of their product. They had the answers! Of course, I purchased a bottle of their wonderful extra virgin olive oil right then and there! I chose a 500 ml-bottle of this olive oil and it cost $20.00 – a good price for a great oil. When we have finished this bottle, I plan to go to one of the local stores that carries this brand of olive oil and bring them my empty bottle (washed out with water and baking soda) and then I’ll get it refilled with fresh olive oil from the barrel where it’s stored. So it will be really FRESH olive oil! And…this time I think I’m going to try their Rosemary Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I know it’s fabulous because I tasted it  when I was at their booth and I’m sure it will be great for making Homemade Garlicky Olive Oil.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OLIVE OIL
Olive oil is a fascinating subject. Really! Here are a my favorite web resources

• The Truth in Olive Oil (from author of the book Extra Virginity) - This link takes you to the page: Buyer’s Guide to Olive Oil in North America – a great resource.
• Ultra Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil - The new standard for the best olive oil. (The Laconiko Olive Oil I mentioned above is one of them!)

Enjoy and be healthy!

Peace,

~Leni

HERBS and GREENS (fresh)

• Flat leaf parsley (Italian parsley)
• Cilantro
• Dill
• Tarragon fronds
• Oregano (Dried oregis good! In fact, I prefer dried oregano; it’s less overpowering.)
• Basil  or Thai basil
• Thyme
• Chives
• Green onions
• Mint
• Fennel fronds (green feathery tops of fennel)
• Arugula
• Spinach
• Watercress

LIQUIDS

Acidic Liquids

• Fresh lemon juice
• Fresh lime juice
• Fresh orange juice
• Vinegar

Not Acidic Liquids

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Avocado oil
• Coconut milk

THICKENERS

• Nuts (My favorites include: pine, walnuts, pistachios, cashews, pecans, macadamia)
• Avocado
• Hard-cooked egg yolks
• Cooked or canned (drained) artichoke hearts or bottoms
• Feta cheese
• Goat cheese
• Ricotta cheese

FLAVORINGS

Umami - (also known as the 5th taste) makes food taste richer, meatier, and more savory.

• Anchovies and anchovy paste
• Fish sauce
• Soy sauce
• Worcestershire sauce
• Tomato paste
• Sun-dried tomatoes
• Marmite
• Vegemite
• Kimchi (made with Napa cabbage, also known as Chinese cabbage)
• Miso
• Olives
• Capers
• Parmesan cheese
• Seaweed fresh or dried (including the popular roasted seaweed snacks)
• Mushrooms, especially shiitake
• Green tea leaves (I haven’t tried adding green tea leaves in fresh herb sauces yet, yet but it might work!)

Other flavorings

• Garlic (fresh)
• Mustard (prepared or powder)
• Ginger (fresh)
• Turmeric (fresh or dried). [One of my favorite spices! To learn more, see the blog post: Why turmeric?]
• Shallots
• Preserved lemons
• Lemon zest (from organic lemons)
• Lime zest (from organic limes)
• Orange zest (from organic oranges)
• Salt – Try different varieties!

Spicy hot (optional)

• Cayenne pepper (ground)
• Red pepper flakes
• Aleppo pepper
• Black pepper (freshly ground)
• Paprika, including: Hungarian, hot, smoked
• Hot peppers, including: Serrano, jalapeño, Thai, etc.

FOOD SAFETY TIP –  Before you head to your kitchen, please read this Food Safety Tip!

When you combine garlic and oil, you create an environment in which botulism (a deadly food-born bacteria) can grow. According to the University of Colorado Extension Service, to prevent the possible growth of botulism when mixing oil and garlic, you should always “add an acidifying agent such as lemon juice or vinegar to the recipe at the rate of one tablespoon per cup of oil.” Also you should “discard infusions after one week, or sooner if apparent cloudiness, gas bubbles, or foul odor develop.”

FREEZE what you don’t eat!

A great way to store extra fresh herb sauce (or for that matter, leftover portions of any liquid) is to freeze it in silicone muffin pans. For details, see the post, Silicone Muffin Pans – a Kitchen Staple – but not for baking!

CREATE and SHARE!

Here are the links to the fresh herb sauces / pestos found on this blog:

• Artichoke Lemon Pesto
• Arugula Pesto
• Cilantro Chutney (Indian)
• Charmoula (Moroccan)
• Basil Pesto(Italian)

I hope you have fun creating your own fresh herb sauces! And I would be very happy if you decided to share your creativity with us by posting a comment about your recipe!

Thanks!

Enjoy and be healthy,

~ Leni

Red Cabbage Cole Slaw

Not long ago I was at Whole Foods and enjoyed a sample of Tessemae’s All Natural Lemon Chesapeake Salad Dressing. It was delicious – with a familiar yet special flavor. So I bought a bottle even though it cost about $5.00 per 10 ounces. My husband, Charles, went wild over it! So I set about to recreate it in my kitchen. After countless tastings, Charles finally said “that’s it; it’s great!”  And that’s how we came up with this Old Bay Salad Dressing recipe.

We have enjoyed this dressing a lot – in fact, it’s become our go-to salad dressing:
- mixed with sliced cabbage to make cole slaw
- over greens
- over artichoke and tomato slices

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil|
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (Do not omit! See food safety tip below.)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon Dijon or brown mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Food shopping tip: Old Bay Seasoning comes in at several sizes:
- 6-ounce size — available at Amazon online or in supermarkets.
- 24-ounce size  (great price!)– available at Amazon online or in Costco stores.

DIRECTIONS

Place all ingredients into a bowl or tall glass container and using a whisk, mix well.

Time-saving tip:  In order to dirty as few dishes as possible, I make, serve, and store this dressing in one tall glass container, specifically this  21-ounce “working glass.” Before storing in refrigerator, I just pop one of these matched lids onto it.

Also, these working glasses (with lids), in both the 14- and 21-ounce sizes, are available at Williams-Sonoma online. And in our local store, you can even buy individual working glasses with matched lids.

STORAGE

Refrigerate for up to one week.  Olive oil will harden when it gets cold, so when you remove the dressing from the  refrigerator, you will need to let it come to room temperature before serving or put it in microwave for 10 seconds on high. Whisk to re-mix.

Time-saving tip: I have found that the warmest part of my refrigerator is the door. So I store this dressing in the refrigerator door and then it takes less time to warm up to room temperature.

FOOD SAFETY TIP -  Before you head to your kitchen, please read this Food Safety Tip!

When you combine garlic and oil, you create an environment in which botulism (a deadly food-born bacteria) can grow. According to the University of Colorado Extension Service, to prevent the possible growth of botulism when mixing oil and garlic, you should always ”add an acidifying agent such as lemon juice or vinegar to the recipe at the rate of one tablespoon per cup of oil.” Also you should “discard infusions after one week, or sooner if apparent cloudiness, gas bubbles, or foul odor develop.

Enjoy and be healthy!
Peace,
~Leni

This simple artichoke pesto is, honestly, pretty bland — and that’s a good thing! It means you can customize this pesto to your liking and add it to lots of foods. (At the end of this post, I have listed some of my favorite ways to use this pesto.)

Artichokes contain prebiotics. I tend to think of prebiotics as food for probiotics – the good bacteria in your gut. But it’s a little more complicated than that. According to the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP): “A prebiotic is a selectively fermented ingredient that results in specific changes in the composition and/or activity of the gastrointestinal microbiota, thus conferring benefit(s) upon host health. (Gibson et al. 2010. Food Science and Technology Bulletin: Functional Foods 7 (1) 1–19.)”

For credible scientific information about prebiotics and probiotics, see:

• Prebiotics: A Consumer Guide for Making Smart Choices 
• Probiotics: A Consumer Guide for Making Smart Choices 

INGREDIENTS

1, 12-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, cooked according to package directions, drained
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
grated rind of one organic lemon
1 clove garlic
1/4 teaspoon of salt

DIRECTIONS

Place all of the ingredients into the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until a smooth paste forms.

Store in the refrigerator for up to a week. Freeze what you will not use up in a week.

FOOD SAFETY TIP –  Before you head to your kitchen, please read this Food Safety Tip!

When you combine garlic and oil, you create an environment in which botulism (a deadly food-born bacteria) can grow. According to the University of Colorado Extension Service, to prevent the possible growth of botulism when mixing oil and garlic, you should always “add an acidifying agent such as lemon juice or vinegar to the recipe at the rate of one tablespoon per cup of oil.” Also you should “discard infusions after one week, or sooner if apparent cloudiness, gas bubbles, or foul odor develop.”

FREEZE IT!

A great way to store extra fresh herb sauce is to freeze it in silicone muffin pans. For details, see the post, Silicone Muffin Pans – a Kitchen Staple – but not for baking!

OTHER FRESH HERB SAUCE  RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE

• Arugula Pesto - REALLY easy to make!
• Cilantro Chutney (Indian) – Everybody loves this one.
• Charmoula (Moroccan) – Totally amazing! Adds a lot of pop to the food!
• Basil Pesto(Italian) – A great standby.

WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH THIS ARTICHOKE LEMON PESTO? 

• Use this Artichoke Lemon Pesto recipe as a starter to make something even more flavorful

ARTICHOKE LEMON PESTO + grated Parmesan Cheese + chopped fresh flat leaf (Italian) Parsley .

• Improve any salad dressing

ARTICHOKE LEMON PESTO + your favorite Italian salad dressing.

• Create a delicious thick and creamy salad dressing

ARTICHOKE LEMON PESTO + fresh squeezed orange juice + dried oregano (fresh would be too overpowering) + fresh garlic (minced fine) + salt. Makes a great salad dressing. Try it on greens and top with pecan halves. Amazing! I served this dressing (without the garlic) at the lunch I made for my mom on her 89th birthday. She loved it! Personally I like this dressing with the garlic in it, but for those like my mom who don’t like garlic, it’s great without it too.

Enjoy and be healthy!

~Leni

1/3 cup walnuts
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 – 2 peeled garlic cloves
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
zest of 1 small organic lemon (optional)
2 cups tightly packed baby arugula (5 ounces)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS Place all ingredients into the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process until finely chopped.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

A FEW OF THE MANY WAYS YOU CAN USE THIS PESTO…

• SALAD DRESSING - Bitter arugula pairs well with sweet balsamic vinegar and buttery extra virgin olive oil to make a great salad dressing!

• STUFFED MUSHROOMS 

Mushroom Caps stuffed with Arugula Pesto mixed with extra Parmesan Cheese and garnished with Parmesan Cheese

• APPETIZER SALAD – Just spoon Arugula Pesto over sliced tomatoes and avocados! Who knew healthy food could be this amazingly delicious!

• SOUP – To 1 cup of a chicken, beef, or vegetable broth/stock, add 1/4 cup Arugula Pesto. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan, if desired. Note: The soup will have tiny walnut pieces in it, and that’s a bit unusual for a soup, though quite nice, at least to my taste.  If you prefer, you can omit the walnuts in the pesto.

Some yeas ago, Edward Hamann, a culinary expert on food from the Asian subcontinent and a wonderful cooking instructor who is now at Sur La Table, taught a small group of us how to make his fabulous Fresh Cilantro Chutney (Dhaniya ki Chatni ).  I started with his amazing recipe, added turmeric, black pepper, and made a few other minor changes, and that’s how this Cilantro Sauce recipe came to be.

This delicious sauce transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary – and it’s easy to make. We love it! For a while this sauce was the new “ketchup” at our house. I served it with everything from scrambled eggs to pan fried fish, and, of course, curries. In fact, it was this Cilantro Chutney that made me want to learn more about herb sauces and led me to create the other herb/vegetable sauces on this blog: Charmoula, Arugula Pesto, and Artichoke Lemon Pesto.

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
¾ cup chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon peeled and roughly chopped fresh ginger
4 cloves peeled garlic
2 Serrano peppers, stemmed and roughly chopped, including some of the seeds
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ – ½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
3 bunches (about 7/8 pound) fresh cilantro, including all but the very ends of the stems

Note: I like to add dry ground or finely chopped fresh turmeric (and freshly ground black pepper) wherever I can get away with it. It’s so healthy! Adding 2 teaspoons of ground turmeric to this recipe does not negatively affect the taste, in fact you hardly even notice the turmeric, so why not add it?!

DIRECTIONS

Food processor

Add all the ingredients to the food processor fitted with the metal blade and process to desired consistency.

Blender

Place the ingredients into a blender – in the order given above — but do not put all of the cilantro into the blender at one time. Blend and then add more cilantro and blend again. If needed, stop the blender; push the cilantro down toward the blade; then place the cover on the blender and blend until a lovely smooth sauce results.

HOW TO STORE

• Store in the refrigerator for a few days

• Freeze in 100% food grade silicone muffin pans. When frozen, just pop the frozen “muffins” out, and place them in a plastic freezer bag; store in the  freezer for use anytime.

A FEW OF THE MANY WAYS YOU CAN USE THIS CHUTNEY (SAUCE)…

• Use as a condiment to liven up almost everything, including fish, chicken, eggs, or tofu.
• Use as a hot or cold sauce to go with almost everything.
• Mix with ripe avocado to make a lovely dip or spread. I just put some of this Cilantro Sauce-avocado mixture on slices of daikon and it was fabulous. The next time I need to bring an appetizer to someone’s party, this is what I plan to bring – it’s delicious and a great conversation starter too!
• Sauté any vegetable in olive oil and mix some of this sauce in at the end.
• By the way, I just mixed some of this sauce with some sautéed greens. Superb!
• Add to soups — bean soups, chicken soups, vegetable soups, fish soups.
• Add olive oil to make this sauce into a salad dressing!

Charmoula (a Moroccan herb sauce) is truly amazing! Packed-with fresh herb flavor, the umami of anchovies, and the bite of garlic and cayenne, it’s all you need to make the ordinary taste extraordinary.

This recipe is based on the recipe, Green Charmoula, in the New Moroccan cookbook by Murad Lahlou.

Note: I add dry ground or finely chopped fresh turmeric (and freshly ground black pepper) wherever I can. Turmeric is so healthy! So why not add it?! And, I always add black pepper too, because black pepper greatly enhances the body’s ability to absorb turmeric. After all, if you don’t absorb turmeric, you can’t benefit from it.

INGREDIENTS

Note: I love Charmoula and keep playing with this recipe. So the recipe you see here may change from time to time. 

2 cups very tightly packed fresh cilantro (thick stems removed)
1/2 cup very tightly packed cup fresh Italian parsley (most of the stems removed)

1-2 tablespoons diced preserved lemon 
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 ounces anchovy fillets (drained and rinsed briefly under cold water)
7 cloves garlic (peeled and stem ends removed)
1/4 cup capers (drained)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

4-6 ounces frozen artichoke hearts

Comments about ingredients:
Preserved lemon: The chart at the top of this post lists preserved lemon rind but I have since found that I prefer to use the whole preserved lemon – rind and pulp – without the seeds. If you don’t have preserved lemon, you could use some lemon zest (from organic lemon) plus a bit more lemon juice, to taste.

Artichoke hearts: I have made this Charmoula many times, but recently when I tasted the final result, the preserved lemon was overpowering and the sauce was thinner than usual. For inspiration on how to doctor up the charmoula that was staring at me from my food processor, I turned to my earlier post, How to Create Fabulous Fresh Herb Sauces and chose artichoke hearts from the list of possible thickeners. So I grabbed a bag of Trader Joe’s frozen Artichoke Hearts; cooked them according to package directions; added some cooked artichoke hearts to the food processor and gave it a whirle. Wow, the result was fantastic – better than ever!  From now on, I’m making Charmoula with artichoke hearts!!!

 FOOD SAFETY TIP –  Before you head to your kitchen, please read this Food Safety Tip! When you combine garlic and oil, you create an environment in which botulism (a deadly food-born bacteria) can grow. According to the University of Colorado Extension Service, to prevent the possible growth of botulism when mixing oil and garlic, you should always “add an acidifying agent such as lemon juice or vinegar to the recipe at the rate of one tablespoon per cup of oil.” Also you should “discard infusions after one week, or sooner if apparent cloudiness, gas bubbles, or foul odor develop

DIRECTIONS

Blender: Place all ingredients into a powerful blender (such as a Vitamix or Blendtec) and process to desired consistency.

Food processor: Place all ingredients, except the extra virgin olive oil, into the work bowl of a food processor fitted a metal blade and start to process. While the food processor blade is turning, pour the olive oil into the work bowl and process to desired consistency.

STORAGE

• Refrigerate: Cover and refrigerate for up to a week.
• Freeze: A great way to store extra fresh herb sauce (or for that matter, leftover portions of any liquid) is to freeze it in silicone muffin pans. For details, see the post, Silicone Muffin Pans – a Kitchen Staple – but not for baking!

MANY WAYS TO USE CHARMOULA!

• Serve charmoula with fish, pork, lamb, or chicken that’s baked, broiled, or sauted.
• Mix charmoula with chopped organic spinach (I use frozen spinach). Serve with eggs in the morning!
• Mix with canned tuna or salmon and plenty of diced celery and onions. Makes a really sophisticated fish salad (sans mayo).
• Stuff charmoula under the skin of chicken before cooking! Then pass the charmoula at the table.
• Saute fish, for example monkfish, in olive oil, and then add charmoula during the last minute of cooking. Pass the charmoula at the table.
• Add olive oil and fresh lemon juice to charmoula for a great salad dressing.
• Mix charmoula with mashed avocado for a sensational dip.
• Mix charmoula with bite-size pieces of cooked new potato for a great potato salad.
• Mix charmoula with chopped salad of your favorite veggies plus some fresh mozzarella cut into bite-size pieces.

Chopped Salad (cucumber, tomato, bell pepper, avocado) and bite-size pieces of mozzarella cheese mixed with Charmoula

• And here’s yet another way to use charmoula: Mix charmoula into an unalted chicken or vegetable stock, add some cooked veggies, and you have a fabulous fresh herb soup! Serve hot or cold.

Other fresh herb sauces / pestos found on this blog:

• Artichoke Lemon Pesto
• Arugula Pesto
• Cilantro Chutney (Indian)
• Basil Pesto(Italian)

Enjoy and be healthy,

~ Leni