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Recipes with Basil

November 03, 2009
By Eileen Goltz

It’s that time of year when I’ve got to get a handle on cleaning up the plot of land I loosely call my garden. The tomato plants are pretty much picked clean and the peppers are gone (not that they were ever there to any great extent). My sunflowers are just a memory and the raspberry bush is just, well one big overgrown mess that needs to be pruned within an inch of its life. The one thing, however, that still keeps on giving and giving and giving are my herbs, more specifically my basil plants.

Basil is native to India and Asia and has been a part of their culinary history for more than 5,000 years. It’s also a key ingredient in a lot of Mediterranean dishes. For the most part basil plants have beautiful green leaves that give off a wonderful aroma. It’s part of the mint family and it’s an excellent source of vitamin K, iron, calcium and vitamin A.

There are lots and lots of varieties of basil and some of the most popular are lemon basil, cinnamon basil, anise basil and clove basil, and opal basil, which has purple leaves, is one of my favorites. You should look for evenly colored leaves with no sign of bruising, wilting or yellowing. All fresh herbs should be carefully washed then wrapped in a damp paper towel, then placed in a plastic bag and can be stored in the refrigerator up to 4 days after it’s picked.

Basil's unique flavor allows it compliment the flavors of lamb, fish, poultry, beans, pasta, rice, tomatoes, cheese and eggs. It also really works well in conjunction with ingredients like garlic, thyme and lemon. It’s outstanding in soups, stews and sauces. It’s always best to add the fresh basil (and or any other herb) near the end of the cooking process, so they can impart their maximum flavor. Herbs tend to lose their full bodied flavor the longer they are cooked.

Basil is one of the main ingredients in one of my favorite recipes, pesto, so please try my very simple recipe, I’m sure you’ll love it. If pesto isn’t what you had in mind when thinking basil, I’m sure the rest of the recipes will do the trick. All the recipes are fabulous with fresh basil and very very good with the dried stuff.



BASIL AND ORANGE CHICKEN (meat)

This is wonderful over wild rice

8 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/3 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
3 tablespoons oil

Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Place them in a sealable plastic food storage bag. Pour the orange juice, oil, honey and basil over the chicken, tossing to coat; seal tightly. Marinate in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 hours, turning the bag occasionally. Preheat oven to 350. Drain, saving the marinade. In a skillet brown the chicken on both sides but don’t cook thoroughly. Place the chicken in a 9X13 glass baking dish. Pour the saved marinade over the chicken. Bake for 25 minutes or until tender. Serve hot or cold. Serves 8


PESTO (dairy)

The amounts are not exact but it’s always good.

approx. 4 cups fresh basil (washed well, loosely packed)
2 to 4 teaspoons minced garlic (to taste)
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 to 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 to 1/2 cup pine nuts

Place the leaves in the bowl of a large food processor (you may have to do this twice if the bowl isn’t big enough). Process until the leaves have been chopped quite a bit but aren’t too mushy. Add the garlic and pulse again. This part is important, with the food processor running, adds the olive oil one tablespoon at a time through the opening. Turn the machine off frequently and scrape down the sides. Add the parmesan cheese and pine nuts and pulse again until you get the consistency you want. Some prefer a coarser pesto coarse, others a more pureed consistency. Place the pesto in an air tight container but place a piece of plastic wrap to keep it from turning brown. It will keep up to 2 weeks. Makes approx 2 cups. Great over noodles with chicken or fish


BEAN SALAD WITH BASIL VINAIGRETTE (pareve)

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
1 can navy beans, drained and rinsed
1 can red beans, drained and rinsed
1 red onion, chopped
2 stalks of celery, diced thin
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1/2 cup sliced water chestnuts
8 basil leaves, chopped

Dressing
1 teaspoon minced garlic
15 to 20 basil leaves, minced
2 sliced green onions
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped pecans

In a large bowl combine the garbanzo, black, navy and red beans. Add the onion, celery, water chestnuts, red pepper and basil. Toss to combine and set aside. In another bowl combine all the garlic, basil, green onions, salt, pepper, mustard, vinegar, oil and nuts. Whisk the dressing together (the dressing can be made in a blender or food processor). Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to let the flavors blend. Serves 8.


ROASTED GARLIC BASIL SAUCE (pareve)

8 large garlic cloves
2 zucchini
1 1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup packed fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves
1 cup water
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 425. Wrap garlic cloves tightly in foil. Cut zucchini into 1/4-inch-thick slices and season with salt and pepper. Put foil-wrapped garlic and zucchini on a baking sheet and roast in middle of oven until garlic is tender and zucchini is pale golden, about 15 minutes. Unwrap garlic and cool. Have ready a bowl of ice water. In a saucepan of boiling water blanch basil and parsley 10 seconds and drain in a sieve. Refresh herbs in ice water to stop cooking and drain in sieve. Sauce ingredients may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and kept separately, covered and chilled. In a blender blend garlic, zucchini, herbs, water, and lemon juice until smooth, about 1 minute, and season with salt and pepper. Makes about 1 1/2 cup.



THAI PEANUT AND BASIL DRESSING (pareve)

This recipe calls for Thai basil, if you can’t find it use 'regular' basil.

2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons oil
2 1/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 to 1 chili, diced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped basil (Thai or other)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
pinch salt

Combine everything in a bowl and whisk together. Taste for salt. Makes 1 cup. This recipe can be doubled or tripled. This is great over noodles, grilled chicken or salad


STRING BEAN CHICKEN WITH BASIL FRIED RICE (meat)

1 1/2 lb. boneless chicken, cut in strips
1 1/2 to 2 cups string beans, cleaned
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon of chili paste or 1 chopped jalapeno chili
4 cups cooked rice
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoon sugar
25 to 30 basil leaves

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil then stir fry the chili or chili paste and garlic for 1 to 2 minutes until just starting to get soft. Add the chicken, green beans and onions and stir fry until meat is almost done, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the rice, soy sauce, sugar and basil leaves; stir fry for an additional 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is hot throughout. Serves 4 to 6.



BASIL QUINOA SALAD WITH ASPARAGUS (pareve)

2 cup water
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/2 cups quinoa
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 pound asparagus
3 Tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, diced
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup sliced green onions
2 to 3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
2 to 3 chopped tomatoes

Steam the asparagus until it is just crisp tender. Cool immediately and cut into bite size pieces. Set it aside. In a sauce pan bring the water to a boil. Add the soy sauce and quinoa. Cover and return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Place quinoa in a mixing bowl and the olive oil and toss to coat. When the quinoa has cooled to room temperature, add then the asparagus, lemon juice, red peppers, basil and green onions. You can add more soy sauce it you like. Serve on chopped lettuce and top with chopped tomatoes.


BREAD MACHINE TOMATO BASIL BREAD (dairy)

This recipe was sent to me by a reader about 10 years ago and it’s just as great today as it was the first time I made it.

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/4 cup water (70° to 80°)
2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 teaspoons dried minced onion
1-1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cups flour
1-3/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

In bread machine pan, place all the ingredients in the mixing container in this order, flour, milk powder, sugar, salt, minced onion, basil, marjoram, thyme, olive oil, and tomato paste. Place the yeast in the dispensing section. Select basic bread setting. Choose crust color and loaf size according to bread machine directions (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed). Makes one loaf.


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