Pesto Chicken and Zucchini Kabobs

As my coworker Cindy says every Thursday, “It’s Friday eve!!”

Normally, on this holy of all holy days I am stoked. Only one more work day to get through till you get to relax for a full 48 hours.

Not this Thursday. Today has been filled with a new found dread. The dread of painting. Last weekend Wes and I spent a full three days painting his ceiling from poop brown to a nice white. It was awful. Seriously, horrible. But it looks amazing and in the long run will be totally worth all the sweat and soreness.

So this weekend we are gearing up for round two. Painting the walls. While I do think part two will be a little less painful, it is still going to suck.

While the paint is drying we will have to head out door for sustenance. So I’m firing up the grill with these tasty little morsels.

You will need…

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 large chicken breast, cut into about 1 inch chunks

1 zucchini, sliced about ¼ inch thick

1 yellow summer squash, sliced about ¼ inch thick

1 onion, chopped into 1 inch chunks

Homemade pesto

Salt and pepper to taste

10 wooden skewers, soaked

Start by lightly oiling and heating the grill to a medium high heat.

Season the chicken well with salt and pepper and pour about ½ the homemade pesto and set aside to marinate for about 10 minutes.

Toss the remaining pesto with the onions, squash and zucchini.

Skewer the chicken and veggies, alternating ingredients until all the chicken and veggies are skewered.

Grill the kabobs until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes a side.

Serve the kabobs hot by themselves or on a bed of rice or potatoes.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela   

Pesto Chicken and Zucchini Kabobs

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 large chicken breast, cut into about 1 inch chunks

1 zucchini, sliced about ¼ inch thick

1 yellow summer squash, sliced about ¼ inch thick

1 onion, chopped into 1 inch chunks

Homemade pesto

Salt and pepper to taste

10 wooden skewers, soaked

Start by lightly oiling and heating the grill to a medium high heat.

Season the chicken well with salt and pepper and pour about ½ the homemade pesto and set aside to marinate for about 10 minutes.

Toss the remaining pesto with the onions, squash and zucchini.

Skewer the chicken and veggies, alternating ingredients until all the chicken and veggies are skewered.

Grill the kabobs until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes a side.

Serve the kabobs hot by themselves or on a bed of rice or potatoes.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

Lately, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on the different living situations I’ve had in the last nine years since I first left home. I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve been back at home for almost two years or if it’s because my twenty-seventh birthday is just a week away, but either way it has been on my mind a lot.

Living with my parents and my brother has definitely been the most rewarding living situation I’ve ever had, but living with Lish and Jeanelle in our first post collage apartment was one hundred percent the most fun.

We were young, full of ambition and just trying to make our way in the world.

In the morning, we would get ready for work together and in the evening we would eat dinner together.

And one of our main dish components for a large majority of the things was the sun-dried tomato pesto from Trader Joe’s.

We literally had one or two containers on hand at ALL times. It was a requirement.

Which is why I think it is SHOCKING that it took me years to make it myself.

But I finally did, and I’m pretty sure it will be a new Samuels family staple.

You will need…

½ cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, plus 2 tablespoons of the sun-dried tomato oil

1/3 cup salted roasted almonds, roughly chopped

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

½ cup olive oil

1 handful fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by combining the tomatoes, roasted almonds, garlic, basil, and sun-dried tomato oil in the base of a food processor.

Blend until you create a paste.

Season well, with salt and pepper.

While the processor is on, slowly add in the remaining olive oil and blend until completely combined.

Serve as a spread, dip or as a pasta sauce.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

½ cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, plus 2 tablespoons of the sun-dried tomato oil

1/3 cup salted roasted almonds, roughly chopped

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

½ cup olive oil

1 handful fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by combining the tomatoes, roasted almonds, garlic, basil, and sun-dried tomato oil in the base of a food processor.

Blend until you create a paste.

Season well, with salt and pepper.

While the processor is on, slowly add in the remaining olive oil and blend until completely combined.

Serve as a spread, dip or as a pasta sauce. 

Grilled Grape and Oyster Mushroom Salad

All right. Before you go poo-pooing this recipe, thinking it’s all weird, lets talk about this logically.

Think of all the weird combinations of things that are totally awesome.

I bet people totally thought the first person to put peanut butter and jelly together was a total goofball.

Chicken and waffles with maples syrup I a pretty crazy idea, but people go great distances to get their hands on it.

If you haven’t had chocolate and bacon together, you are majorly missing out.

In the food world, weird works.

And this interesting salad totally entertains.

You will need…

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon celery salt

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup olive oil, plus extra for brushing the grapes and mushrooms

¼ cup almond oil

½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

½ cup celery leaves (the leaves from one head)

¼ cup salted roasted almonds, chopped

¼ cup Parmesan cheese

1 pound king oyster mushrooms, sliced lengthwise ¼ inch thick

2 cups green grapes

2 heads butter lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces

2 cups thinly sliced celery

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating your grill to a medium heat.

Take about 5 wooden skewers and soak them for a few minutes in water.

While they are soaking, combine the grapes with some salt and pepper and about 1 tablespoon olive oil. Toss until the grapes are lightly coated.

Skewer all the grapes and set them aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, celery seeds, mustard half the garlic and salt and pepper.

Gradually whisk in the ¼ cup of olive oil and the almond oil until emulsified. Or combine all in a mason jar and shake well.

Then in a mini food processor, combine the remaining garlic with the parsley, celery leaves, Parmesan and almonds and pulse until finely chopped.

Add the other ¼ cup of olive oil and puree to a chunky pesto.

Lightly brush the mushrooms with another tablespoon of oil and season them with salt and pepper.

Poke quite a few small holes in a large piece of aluminum foil and lay the mushrooms out in a single layer on top of it. 

Place the mushrooms and the grapes on the grill.

Cook the grapes for about 3 minutes a side. Just until they are lightly blistered.

Cook the mushrooms just until they are tender and lightly browned. About 5 minutes.

Remove the grapes and mushrooms from the heat and toss them in a bowl with the pesto.

Lay the lettuce out on a large platter and toss the leaves with half the dressing.

Top the lettuce with the mushroom and grape mixture.

Drizzle the remaining dressing on the celery.

Finally, top the salad with the celery and serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Grilled Grape and Oyster Mushroom Salad 

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon celery salt

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup olive oil, plus extra for brushing the grapes and mushrooms

¼ cup almond oil

½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

½ cup celery leaves (the leaves from one head)

¼ cup salted roasted almonds, chopped

¼ cup Parmesan cheese

1 pound king oyster mushrooms, sliced lengthwise ¼ inch thick

2 cups green grapes

2 heads butter lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces

2 cups thinly sliced celery

 Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating your grill to a medium heat.

Take about 5 wooden skewers and soak them for a few minutes in water.

While they are soaking, combine the grapes with some salt and pepper and about 1 tablespoon olive oil. Toss until the grapes are lightly coated.

Skewer all the grapes and set them aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, celery seeds, mustard half the garlic and salt and pepper.

Gradually whisk in the ¼ cup of olive oil and the almond oil until emulsified. Or combine all in a mason jar and shake well.

Then in a mini food processor, combine the remaining garlic with the parsley, celery leaves, Parmesan and almonds and pulse until finely chopped.

Add the other ¼ cup of olive oil and puree to a chunky pesto.

Lightly brush the mushrooms with another tablespoon of oil and season them with salt and pepper.

Poke quite a few small holes in a large piece of aluminum foil and lay the mushrooms out in a single layer on top of it. 

Place the mushrooms and the grapes on the grill.

Cook the grapes for about 3 minutes a side. Just until they are lightly blistered.

Cook the mushrooms just until they are tender and lightly browned. About 5 minutes.

Remove the grapes and mushrooms from the heat and toss them in a bowl with the pesto.

Lay the lettuce out on a large platter and toss the leaves with half the dressing.

Top the lettuce with the mushroom and grape mixture.

Drizzle the remaining dressing on the celery.

Finally, top the salad with the celery and serve. 

Spinach Pesto

Greetings from New York City!

After a crazy busy trade show in Vegas, I headed home for a whopping sixteen hours before hopping on a plane to the east coast.

Sixteen hours. Just enough time to wash the only pair of jeans I wear, catch up with my parents, kiss my boyfriend and get a good night sleep in my own bed.

To many, this intense schedule might seem a bit much. But for me, it is just confirming that leaving my old job and starting fresh was one thousand percent the right choice.

I feel like I’m starting to live the life I was always meant to live.

Sometimes you have to go out on a limb to get what you want.

So get wild in your life. And in the kitchen.

If you aren’t quite ready to get wild, maybe just mix it up a bit.

You will need…

3 cups spinach

3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

¼ cup pine nuts

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by toasting your pine nuts in a small pan over medium heat just until they are lightly browned. About 5 minutes.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the garlic, pine nuts, spinach and cheese.

Blend until completely combined.

Slowly add in the olive oil until it is a fine paste.

Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Spinach Pesto

3 cups spinach

3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

¼ cup pine nuts

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by toasting your pine nuts in a small pan over medium heat just until they are lightly browned. About 5 minutes.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the garlic, pine nuts, spinach and cheese.

Blend until completely combined.

Slowly add in the olive oil until it is a fine paste.

Season with salt and pepper and serve. 

Sundried Tomato and Pesto Rotini

Tomorrow is the big day.

The big day that I’ve been dreading.

After work tomorrow, I’m heading home to attempt the real deal. A three tiered wedding cake. The exact wedding cake I will be making come the middle of September.

Instead of doing a bunch of baby practice cakes, I decided I just needed to give the real deal a chance.

And chances are good there will be more than one kink I will have to work out.

But no matter how ugly that thing looks, I know it will taste good.

If you are in the area and hungry for sweets on Sunday, stop by.

In the mean time, here is a recipe I KNOW will work out.

You will need…

1 package penne or rotini pasta

½ cup fresh pesto

1 cup goat cheese crumbles

½ cup sundried tomatoes

3 cups arugula

1 lemon, juiced

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by boiling a large pot of salted water.

While the water is boiling, chop your sundried tomatoes into small bite sized pieces.

When the water has boiled, add in the pasta and cook to the package instructions.

Before you drain the water, make sure to take out 2 cups of the starchy pasta water and set it aside.

Drain the pasta and add it back to the pot.

Add in the pesto, goat cheese, arugula and 1 cup of the pasta water. Add in more water if it isn't becoming sauce like.

Stir everything well so that it makes a light sauce.

Toss in the sundried tomato and the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

Combine completely and serve hot.

 

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Sundried Tomato and Pesto Rotini

1 package penne or rotini pasta

½ cup fresh pesto

1 cup goat cheese crumbles

½ cup sundried tomatoes

3 cups arugula

1 lemon, juiced

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by boiling a large pot of salted water.

While the water is boiling, chop your sundried tomatoes into small bite sized pieces.

When the water has boiled, add in the pasta and cook to the package instructions.

Before you drain the water, make sure to take out 2 cups of the starchy pasta water and set it aside.

Drain the pasta and add it back to the pot.

Add in the pesto, goat cheese, arugula and 1 cup of the pasta water. Add in more water if it isn't becoming sauce like.

Stir everything well so that it makes a light sauce.

Toss in the sundried tomato and the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

Combine completely and serve hot.