Walnut Mushroom Bolognese

I found it ironic that this recipe came from a magazine called Real Simple. This recipe is anything but simple. It’s not difficult, mind you, but between toasting the walnuts, and being in need of a food processor, it cannot be made by everyone. On the plus side, it is unique and flavorful, can be adapted to suit your needs (as I did with the inclusion of fresh garlic, as well as swapping out the half-and-half for heavy cream), makes a lot, and freezes beautifully. It is wonderfully sophisticated, complex, and perfect for a cold winter evening.

Walnut Mushroom Bolognese

Adapted from Real Simple

 1 lb. cremini mushrooms

1 c. toasted walnuts

1 yellow onion, quartered

1 medium carrot, chopped

1 medium stalk celery, chopped

1 clove garlic

6 T. olive oil, divided

1¼ t. kosher salt, divided

½ c. dry white wine

1/3 c. tomato paste

2 c. vegetable stock

¼ t. freshly ground black pepper

½ c. heavy cream

1 lb. fettuccine, prepared according to package direction

Grated Parmesan, for serving

 Working in 2 batches, pulse mushrooms in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl. Add walnuts to food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic to food processor; process until very finely chopped.

Heat ¼ cup oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add mushrooms in an even layer; cook, undisturbed, until browned in spots, about 8 minutes. Season with ½ teaspoon salt, toss, and cook for 1 minute. Transfer to bowl with walnuts. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to skillet. Stir in onion mixture and ¼ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring often, until mixture is golden and almost dry, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and walnuts. Add wine; cook until absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomato paste; cook, stirring, until combined, about 5 minutes. Add stock; simmer over low, stirring once or twice, until sauce is very thick, 35 to 40 minutes. Add pepper, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and heavy cream; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

 

Toss pasta with desired amount of sauce. Serve with cheese. 

 Place any remaining sauce in an airtight container; refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

 

A.M. Delight Muffins

When I was going through my mother’s recipe box a while ago (in search of the elusive chili sauce recipe), I stumbled upon this one, cut from a magazine (from appearances, my guess would be Taste of Home), and stapled together. I don’t recall her ever making these muffins, so, muffin person that I am, thought it my duty to give them a try. I liked them!

I am not a person who enjoys sugary sweetness in the morning. While I do love a good donut — the bigger the better — along with the rest of you, I want mine in the evening, after dinner, with a cup of coffee. In which case, I found these to be the perfect breakfast muffin for me. They have a lot of flavor, thanks to the apples, carrots, coconut, and raisins, a bit of a crunch thanks to the nuts (I swapped walnuts for the called for almonds), and, despite the three-quarter cup of sugar, only have a delicate sweetness, nothing heavy or cloying. A slathering of pumpkin cream cheese on top of a warm muffin was the perfect fall breakfast.

A.M. Delight Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon allspice
Pinch of cloves
½ teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs
½ cup of vegetable oil
½ cup whole milk
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups chopped, peeled, Organic Melissa’s Granny Smith Apples
2 cups freshly grated carrots
½ cup sweetened flaked coconut
½ cup golden raisins
½  cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease or paper-line muffin cups; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, spices, and salt. In another bowl, beat eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla. Mix well; stir in dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in the remaining ingredients. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until muffins test done.

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen.

This post contains affiliate links.

Pattie’s Fresh Basil and Walnut Pesto

Last week my nephew called and asked if he could have my recipe for pesto. For the first time ever he has a small garden, and decided that he wanted to grow basil and make his own. I sent him this recipe, along with the link to this food processor (a relatively inexpensive, yet reliable machine of slightly smaller capacity), telling him that you must have a food processor in order to make pesto, and, indeed, you do! But, the expenditure, and storage space, is well worth it for something as delicious as this. If there is something that beats fresh pesto in the fall, I’d like to know what it is. I hobbled out into the open portion of my deck this morning (Did I mention that I broke my toe? Yeah.), and gathered up half of the basil. Later on, just before frost, I’ll retrieve the rest so that I can make my final batch of the year.

As I told my nephew, I don’t have a recipe, per se, just toss things together until, as my grandmother used to say, “it looks right.” I did manage to jot down what I do, and here it is. This is so good that I don’t even need pasta, I could eat it right out of the bowl.

 

There are many ways to get creative with pesto. I will stir it into mayonnaise to use a sandwich topping, put a dollop on top of soup, add some to chicken salad, or blend a healthy amount into softened unsalted butter to then spread on thick slices of French bread topped with grated cheese and run onto the broiler for a minute or two. Heaven! 

Pattie’s Fresh Basil and Walnut Pesto

2 c. packed fresh basil leaves, washed and thoroughly dried*
1/3 c. roughly chopped, toasted walnuts
1 large garlic clove
1/3 c. freshly grated Parmesan
1 t. freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ t. kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon Melissa’s Lemon Pepper Seasoning
1/4 - 1/3 cup good olive oil**

Place all ingredients EXCEPT olive oil into the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse until thoroughly ground and paste-like. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in olive oil until it reaches desired consistency. Taste for additional seasoning.

*I use a salad spinner for this
**More or less to reach desired consistency

PRINT RECIPE

If pesto is not your thing, this One-Pan 30-Minute Pasta Alfredo is sure to please.

This post is linked to:

Happiness is Homemade Sunday

What’s for Dinner Sunday

Over the Moon

Smells Good Sunday

Dishing It & Digging It

Full Plate Thursday

This post contains affiliate links.

Greek Salad with Walnuts & Grapes

During my weekend of frenzied salad making (seriously, my salad spinner got the workout of its life), one of the taste-tempting salads that I made was this Greek Salad. I am a big fan of the Greek Salad and, even though traditionally Greek Salad does not have lettuce, mine always do. This time, for a change of pace, I added a couple of nontraditional ingredients in walnuts and grapes. I love the Muscato grapes this season, so used a trio of colors in the salad. I enjoyed it so much that I don't think I will ever make a Greek Salad again without including grapes.

I served it on these darling glass leaf plates that, sadly didn’t show up against the colorful fall fabric. You can find them here. They come in green, gold, and orange; I bought two of each. Try this delicious salad, and let me know what you think.

Greek Salad with Walnuts & Grapes

1 head Romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
1 cup cubed English cucumber
1 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, halved
1/2 cup broken walnuts
1/2 cup sliced red onion
1/2 cup Melissa's Muscato grapes, quartered
1 teaspoon capers
1/2 cup feta

Dressing:
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine salad ingredients in a bowl and toss with dressing.

To make dressing put all ingredients into a bullet blender, and process until emulsified.

PRINT RECIPE

This post is linked to:

What’s for Dinner Sunday

Happiness is Homemade Sunday

Cooking & Crafting with J&J

Amaze Me Monday

Busy Mondays

Make it Pretty Monday

Celebrate Your Story

Inspire Me Tuesday

Reader Tip Tuesday

Tuesdays with a Twist

The Scoop

Dream, Create, Inspire

This post contains affiliate links.

Pesto for the Resto

Let me begin this post by saying that I haven't been getting a lot of sleep. As a consequence, I have days where I am absolutely goofy from the lack of it. This afternoon while I was making this pesto, I started thinking about Jerry Seinfeld (Please don't ask me why pesto made me think of him, I have no explanation for that.), specifically about the episode on the generic holiday called "Festivus" ("for the rest of us"). 

Because this pesto is made with toasted walnuts (as I am not a particular fan of pine nuts in pesto and surely am not alone), I thought that this should be referred to as "Pesto for the Resto." (Lack of sleep. I warned you.) I don't think anything beats toasted walnuts in pesto, despite pine nuts being traditional. They have such an earthy, woodsy, warm taste that so beautifully enhances the fresh basil. Try it and you will surely agree.

Pesto for the Resto

¼ cup garlic cloves

1/3 cup walnuts, toasted

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

4 ounces fresh basil leaves

½ cup olive oil

¼ - ½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1-1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Place garlic and walnuts into the work bowl of a food processor and process until blended. Add cheese and basil and process until combined. With machine running, slowly drizzle in olive oil. Lastly, add salt, pepper, and lemon juice, and pulse to combine. Keeps in the fridge for two days, freezes for 2-3 months.

PRINT RECIPE

This post is linked to:

Inspire Me Tuesday

Tuesdays At Our Home

Tickle my Tastebuds
Two Cup Tuesday

Tutorials and Tips Tuesday

Homemaking Party Tuesday

Foodie Friday & Everything Else

How to Make a Seasonal Salad

There is no secret to putting together a tasty and elegant seasonal salad that will delight your family any night of the week, and impress your guests on weekends. It is, essentially, nothing more than a thoughtful layering of seasonal ingredients and topping with a dressing to complement.

Not a day goes by that I can't assemble a pretty salad. It helps, I think, that I always keep a variety of fresh greens on hand, as well as an assortment of nuts (stored in the freezer to maintain freshness), a package or two of Melissa's French Country-Style Red Beets In Balsamic Vinaigrette, and have, in my repertoire, a variety of dressings both savory and sweet. If you get into the habit of doing the same, assembling a salad will become second nature. If making your own fresh dressing doesn't fit into your busy schedule, feel free to purchase two or three good ones. Many bottled dressings are excellent, with long shelf lives when properly stored in a cool pantry before opening, or a fridge thereafter.

Here is my method of assembly, from bottom to top:

Fresh greens (spinach, spring mix/mesclun, romaine, Boston, or red leaf lettuce)

Vegetable (beets, cucumber, mushrooms, red onion, peas, sprouts)

Fruit (use whatever is in season - melon, berries, orange slices, mango, apple, pomegranate seeds)

Cheese (feta, bleu, Gorgonzola, Parmesan)

Nuts (toasted pecans, toasted walnuts, toasted hazelnuts, peanuts, pepitas, sunflower seeds)

Simply select one or more item from each category, layer from the bottom up, and top with the dressing of your choice. Poppy seed and vinaigrette dressings are my favorites for this type of salad, but a creamier type such as ranch, Caesar, or creamy Italian work well too.

The salad pictured contains romaine lettuce, cubes of Athena melon, cubed beets, crumbled blue cheese, toasted walnuts, and poppy seed dressing. I store my salad dressings in icing bottles so that I can squeeze it onto the top of the salad in delicate little stripes. It is so easy, and quite impressive.

When you use this little formula for making salad it is easy to make one or ten by just lining up chilled plates and layering ingredients. Try it yourself, and be bold in choosing your layers. It is as much about fun as it is about experimentation and taste. 

This post is linked to:

Home and Garden Thursday

Full Plate Thursday

Friday Finds

Show and Tell Friday 

Friday Unfolded

Friday Frenzy
Fridays Flash Blog
Simple and Sweet Fridays

Foodie Friday & Everything Else

What To Do Weekend 
The Weekend re-Treat