May 2012 Archives | Basil DiariesBasil Diaries

Surf’s up: Recharge with whole wheat penne pasta with sautéed vegetables and goat cheese recipe

29. May 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Dinner, Pasta, Vegetarian

This Memorial Day weekend, Peter and I took a day trip to Santa Cruz, where I took my second surfing lesson. But first, let’s back it up a bit and find out how this all started.

Like anything Peter puts his mind to, he goes for it 110 percent. For example, 8 years ago, the kid from Miami decided he was going to learn to snowboard. Now he’s “shredding double black diamonds” in Tahoe, every weekend through the winter.

Last year, despite never touching a surfboard for 30 years, he decided he was going to learn to surf. Suddenly our home turned into a surfer’s paradise. Peter and his new obsession passion somehow managed to acquire TWO surfboards in less than 3 days. We’ve got boards, wetsuits, magazines, videos, and all the etcs. If there was a “Wife of the Year” award, I should win it.

Like any good husband, he wanted to include me in his new endeavor. My first lesson was more comical than successful. I spent a lot of time battling waves and sea creatures – I was bit by a crab that wouldn’t let go of my foot. After two hours in the frigid Northern California waters, I thought, “Okay, maybe this sport isn’t my thing.”

Peter catching his first wave last year

As the months went by, Peter’s continued enthusiasm rubbed off on me, and I decided to give it a second try.

Seriously Delicious Lentil Tacos

25. May 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Dinner, Gluten-free, Lunch, Mexican, Vegetarian

I recently accepted a position as an intern with La Cocina. La Cocina is a non-profit incubator that provides technical assistance (and commercial kitchen space) for low-income women and immigrant entrepreneurs who are launching, growing and formalizing food businesses. I’m only a week in and it’s such a rewarding (and yummy) experience helping these entrepreneurs. I guess it’s easy to work when you’re talking about and doing what you love.

In addition to helping the program participants, I am part of the team that promote’s the annual San Francisco Street Food Festival. Last year the festival drew 80,000 attendees from the Bay Area. It is a celebration of great street food, true entrepreneurial spirit and the vibrant communities here in the Bay Area. All of La Cocina’s 30+ participants attend the festival alongside well-known SF eateries like 4505 Meats, A16, Commonwealth, Creme Brulee Cart, Three Twins Ice Cream, and many more.

With all this street food talk, of course cravings for my favorite street food were kicking in. My all-time favorite street food is the classic taco. Most food trucks or street food vendors will offer you four choices: carnitas, carne asada, pollo, and veggie. My preference is slow-cooked carnitas (or pork) with all the juices!

Since eating these meat-filled tacos aren’t exactly the epitome of “health food,” I’ve come up with a version of my own.
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A Gluten-Free Dinner Recipe With Staying Power

18. May 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Dinner, Gluten-free, Vegan, Vegetarian

My first quinoa post! I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to write about quinoa since I make it every other day for dinner! I think quinoa has gained enough popularity that most people are also cooking this in their own homes on a regular basis.

If you didn’t already know, quinoa is a complete protein so it will help keep you fuller, longer. It is the only grain that is considered a protein.

This meal also has a lot of staying power due to the beans and kale. I added a dressing to punch up the taste, but feel free to use whichever dressing is your favorite.

Finally, kale is great for detoxing. Kale provides a comprehensive support for the body’s natural detox system. New research shows that isothiocyanates (ITCs) found in kale can help regulate detox.¹

It is also packed with antioxidants, which help neutralize harmful free radicals in the body. Some research suggests kale helps reduce the risk of certain cancers.
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Mother Day’s Weekend with Mom’s Homemade Pasta Recipe

14. May 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Celebrations, Cooking for a crowd, Dinner, Pasta

I was very lucky to have my mom in town this Mother’s Day. We were not able to celebrate Mother’s Day together these past two years because of the long distance between us, so this year was extra special. To celebrate, we decided to make my grandmother’s homemade pasta, pasta sauce, and meatball recipe (aka “homemades”).

It might sound odd to some, but yes, a native Filippina can make some killer pasta. When she married my Italian father, she promised his mother she would take care of him – and that meant making homemades for all special occasions.

Making homemades with my mother has been a tradition for as long as I can remember. This is definitely a tradition I look forward to sharing with my children in the future.

Mom’s Homemade Pasta Recipe

Pasta Ingredients
Serves 8 people

Note: Read the entire recipe all the way through before you begin! This can be made a day in advanced. You will need 2 people to prepare the pasta.

4 cups of flour (set aside an extra cup for kneading and drying the pasta)
8 large eggs
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp water
pinch of salt
1 pasta maker machine (I have the Imperia Pasta Machine. You can buy one here.)

Directions

1. Before you start making the dough, prep your cooking area by laying table cloth on your kitchen table. You will also want to anchor your pasta machine to the kitchen table, too. Caution! This process gets messy!

2. Start by creating a volcano shape with the flour. Crack 8 eggs in the middle of the flour and add olive oil, pinch of salt, and water. Beat eggs, olive oil, salt and water with a fork before combining with flour. Combine flour and mixture with your hands. Knead until the mixture is well incorporated. While you are kneading the dough, add flour throughout the process. Form the dough into a ball and cover with a large bowl and let it sit for 30 minutes.

3. After 30 minutes, shape the dough into a loaf. One by one, cut an inch of dough and ring through the widest setting (#10) of the pasta machine. Lay the flattened dough out on the tablecloth you prepared on your kitchen table. After the entire loaf of dough has been wrung through the pasta machine, let the pasta dry for 10 minutes. More »