I am obsessed with basil. Every year I plant way too much. I want to make sure I have enough to make a batch of pestoon any given day of the summer. In fact, I have plenty to share with my friends too. I leave my kitchen scissors on my back porch steps and give them “cutting rights.” I never tire of it. I love it on pizza, in pasta, with tomatoes—basically on everything!
The best time to cut basil is early in the morning, before or at sunrise. It is less likely to wilt and will keep for several days in water.
When it’s growing faster than I can use it, like it is this summer, I make a big batch of pesto and freeze it in ice cube trays for another day. It’s an easy way to have a homemade sauce when you are short on time.
So let’s get started!
Place these simple ingredients into a medium-size mortar. With a pestle begin to gently massage the basil …JUST KIDDING!!! It does make a pretty picture though, doesn’t it?
What you will really need is a food processor, so get it out now. For this recipe I use a standard-size food processor. When I’m making a quick batch to eat right away, I cut the recipe in half, or sometimes thirds, and use my “mini-chopper” food processor. It makes for a quick and easy cleanup.
Are you happy now? It doesn’t get much easier than this.
Leslie’s Basic Pesto
Makes 12 (1 1/4-inch) square ice cubes or 2 ¼ cups
6 “fists full” of basil leaves (about 6 cups)
3 cloves garlic
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup pine nuts, toasted
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup olive oil
Place all ingredients in the bowl and pulse several times until thoroughly combined and finely chopped, scraping the sides down of the bowl if needed.
Any ice cube tray will work, but this unique rubber ice tray is from Target, $9.99, target.com
With a small spoon, fill pesto into ice cube tray. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place into a freezer ziplock bag. Store in freezer until ready to use.
Note: Once the pesto is frozen, you can remove the cubes from the tray and keep them in the freezer bag. This will free up the tray to make more!
Learn from Leslie: For a quick pasta dish, simply remove a pesto cube (1 per serving of pasta) from the freezer. It will thaw in a few minutes, but if you are in a hurry, microwave for 20 seconds or until it is thawed. Drop into hot pasta and toss. Delicious and easy!
Place all ingredients in the bowl and pulse several times until thoroughly combined and finely chopped, scraping the sides down of the bowl if needed.
With a small spoon, fill pesto into ice cube tray. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place into a freezer ziplock bag. Store in freezer until ready to use.
Here’s a weeknight, company-worthy dish to make with some of your homemade pesto. You will only need 1/2 cup to make Chicken and Spinach Pesto Pinwheels. See recipe below.
Chicken and Spinach Pesto Pinwheels
Serves 4
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Wax paper
½ cup Leslie’s Basic Pesto
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 ½ to 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
Kitchen twine
Parchment paper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place chicken breasts between 2 sheets of wax paper. With a meat pounder, flatten chicken breasts to ½-inch thickness.
Spread 2 tablespoons of pesto evenly on each chicken breast and top with spinach, dividing it evenly.
Toothpicks may be substituted for the twine, but I think the twine makes them hold their shape perfectly.
Beginning at one end of the chicken breasts, roll tightly, and secure with two pieces of kitchen twine.
Dip into eggs, then Panko, and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes until golden brown. Slice into 4 to 5 slices, removing the kitchen twine before serving.
Pictured here with angel hair pasta and Nanny’s Red Sauce from Liquid Gold post.My favorite summer arrangement!I still have a few books left in the basement. If you need a gift or two go to Buy the Book on this post, or to my website at lesliespartydiaries.com
My favorite recipes start with simple ingredients.
After attending a lovely dinner party, I am always inspired to entertain again myself. Last weekend Jon and I went to watch the National Championship game and eat dinner with close friends Elizabeth and Tom. She had her dining table set and a true home-cooked meal from start to finish. After I tried each mouthwatering dish, I asked where the recipe came from. She commented every time,
Oh, that’s old school.
Some of the best recipes are old school techniques, simply reinvented. A cream sauce, sometimes called a white sauce, is the foundation for so many recipes. And believe it or not, it doesn’t have any cream in it at all! You probably have the ingredients in your refrigerator and pantry now. Once you master this basic sauce, the possibilities are endless!
This creamless sauce can dress up a simple vegetable and is not as heavy as you might think. A 1/4 cup serving is only 89 calories. (Thanks, Beth, for using your expertise to calculate this for me! It comes in handy having a sister who is a registered dietitian. You will be seeing more of her!)
Leslie’s Basic Cream Sauce
Makes 2 ½ cups
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
½ cup Cheddar cheese, grated
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
Melt butter at medium to medium-high heat in a heavy saucepan, such as a Le Creuset. Add flour; whisk continuously until combined. Gradually add milk until it is all incorporated. Continue stirring at medium heat until mixture begins to thicken, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Add cheeses, salt, and white pepper. Cover to keep warm until ready to use.
Learn from Leslie: For a milder version, use less white pepper, or add it a little at a time to taste.
Melt butter at medium to medium-high heat in a heavy saucepan, such as a Le Creuset.
Add flour; whisk continuously until combined. Gradually add milk until it is all incorporated. Continue stirring at medium heat until mixture begins to thicken, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Add cheeses, salt, and white pepper. Cover to keep warm until ready to use.
Talk about a crowd-pleaser! Skillet by Le Creuset, Williams-Sonoma, williams-sonoma.com
With the egg craze that seems to be everywhere now, I thought it was the right time to post this asparagus recipe. It’s filling enough to be a light supper or comforting lunch but also a beautiful side to accompany ham—or any meat. It even looks elegant in a cast-iron skillet!
Easy Elegant Asparagus
Serves 4 to 6 as a side dish
1 pound asparagus, trimmed
1 recipe Leslie’s Basic Cream Sauce
3 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
Homemade breadcrumbs (see recipe below)
The best way to keep asparagus fresh is in a glass or jar filled with an inch or two of water in the refrigerator.
Place a vegetable steamer basket in a medium Dutch oven. Fill pot with just enough water to reach the bottom of the basket. Bring water to a boil; place asparagus into the basket, cover, and steam until tender when pricking with a fork (about 5 minutes).
The handle on the steamer basket makes it effortless to remove the hot vegetables in one easy step.
Remove asparagus from Dutch oven (in the basket), and place into a bowl filled with ice water to stop the cooking process. Remove asparagus from the basket, and pat dry on a paper towel. Set aside. (This step can be done in advance.)
First layer, check. (By repeating the ingredients in a second layer, it ensures plenty of Leslie’s Basic Cream Sauce with each serving.)
In a baking dish or ovenproof skillet, arrange half of the asparagus in the bottom of the pan. Top with half of Leslie’s Basic Cream Sauce and half of the chopped hard-cooked eggs; repeat with remaining asparagus, sauce, and eggs. Top with 1 cup of homemade breadcrumbs.
Broil until hot and bubbly and lightly browned. Serve immediately.
Homemade Breadcrumbs: In a food processor, combine 2 or 3 slices of bread, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Process until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
I use my mini chopper for this task. The cleanup is a piece of cake!I like to make a big batch and keep it in the freezer ready to go. That’s one step checked off the list! It’s also a great way to make use of slightly stale bread.
Learn from Leslie: You may not use all of the sauce, but it reheats nicely. Leslie’s Basic Cream Sauce recipe can also be cut in half if desired. Personally, don’t mind a little extra!
One of my childhood favorites, originating from the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, is the Legendary Kentucky Hot Brown. If this was ever on a menu, it was all mine!
This knife-and-fork sandwich is a quick and easy weeknight meal, and impressive enough for company when serving a smaller crowd.
A few simple ingredients and an ovenproof dish are all you need to make this classic recipe.
Kentucky Hot Brown
Serves 4
4 slices white bread, cut in half diagonally
1 to 1 ½ pounds sliced turkey
1 recipe Leslie’s Basic Cream Sauce
8 tomato slices
¼ cup grated Parmesan
8 slices of cooked bacon
In individual ovenproof dishes, assemble in this order: bread, turkey, cream sauce, tomato slices, and Parmesan cheese.
The base of this delicious sandwich is a toasted piece of white bread.
Broil until hot and bubbly and lightly browned. Serve with two slices of bacon, crisscrossed on top.
Serve with a small salad for an easy weeknight supper. Guaranteed to please! Ovenproof dish from Sur La Table, surlatable.com
Lastly, here’s a way to sneak a green vegetable into your family’s diet. One bunch of fresh broccoli goes perfectly with the homemade cream sauce to make a delicious Broccoli Mac-and-Cheese. Pasta is always a family favorite.
Broccoli Mac-and-Cheese
Serves 8 to 10 (maybe more!)
2 cups twist-style pasta (8 ounces)
1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets (about 3 cups)
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups whole milk
2 ½ cups sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon dry mustard
¼ teaspoon white pepper (or to taste)
½ teaspoon salt (and more to taste)
½ cup Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
Boil pasta in a large pot according to directions until al dente. Strain and return pasta to the pot. Set aside.
Steam the broccoli in vegetable steamer basket for 5 to 10 minutes or until tender when pricked with a fork. Plunge into ice water; allow to cool. Remove from ice water to a clean dishtowel or paper towels; pat to absorb excess moisture. Set aside. (This step can be done a day in advance; and refrigerate until ready to use.)
The ice-cold plunge stops the cooking process and allows the broccoli to remain a bright green.Pat, pat, pat….
Melt butter in a medium saucepan; add flour, and whisk until combined. Gradually add milk, and continue to cook until thickened, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add Cheddar, half of the Parmesan (¼ cup), and the next 4 ingredients.
Add the cream sauce and broccoli to the pasta. Stir to combine. Place in a lightly greased 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and Panko.
To avoid messing up another pot, I combine the pasta, sauce, and broccoli in the same pot I used to cook the pasta.Any 2-quart ovenproof baking dish will work. Sometimes I do individual servings in my mini cast-iron skillets.
Broil until hot and bubbly and lightly browned.
Serve immediately.
Learn from Leslie:Any larger shaped pasta, will work like sea shell or rotini.
There’s only one word to describe this dish: Yum! Pottery by Earthborn Pottery at earthbornpottery.net. Also available at The Cook Store at thecookstoremtnbrook.comI would love to hear from you. Don’t be shy about making comments or asking questions. I love getting mail! Leslie
I often have trouble remembering someone’s name, but I never forget a good meal, whether in a restaurant or in someone’s home.
In the early ’90s, while I was on staff at Southern Living magazine, I remember going to dinner with friends at Chris and Idie Hastings’ house. Although it’s been almost 30 years ago, I can remember the meal they served.
Chris prepared a whole fish (I think snapper), stuffed it with fresh herbs and lemon slices, and tied it up with kitchen twine, and cooked it on the grill, of course. It was beautiful and delicious. The side dishes were simply prepared silver queen corn and lady peas. Idie made a homemade loaf of peasant bread, which she baked in a clay cloche. ( I owned one the next day.) We finished off the night with a warm peach cobbler right out of the oven served with a scoop of ice cream. Unforgettable.
One of the reasons I wanted to write Leslie’s Party Diarieslast year and now my blog, DearPartyDiary.com, was to encourage people to take the time and confidence to entertain those they love and make fond food memories for life. There are few better memories.
To me nothing is more soothing than a warm bowl of soup off the stove and a savory, homemade bread.
This is the creamiest non-cream soup I’ve ever tasted.
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Makes 2 quarts
1 large butternut squash, cut into 1-inch pieces, or 30 ounces of precut (4 to 5 cups)
1 onion, cut into 8 wedges
4 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon honey
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 (14.5-ounce) cans low-sodium chicken broth
3 to 4 slices of good bread, cubed and toasted
Garnishes: ground nutmeg and pomegranate seeds
Squash can be confusing if you don’t buy it a lot. The butternut squash is pale peach with an elongated pear shape.Removing the skin from a butternut squash is not an easy task. If you see a butternut squash precut it is worth every penny—and almost worth driving to store #2 or #3 to find!
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
I love a recipe that comes together easily with little mess. Roasting the onions, garlic, and squash together in one pan makes for a quick cleanup.
Place squash, onion, and garlic on a large baking sheet; drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat completely. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes until tender.
Place roasted vegetables in a blender. Add honey, nutmeg, and chicken broth, gradually. Blend until smooth.
This soup is so delicious and creamy—you’ll feel like you could open your own restaurant.
This soup can be made ahead and refrigerated or warmed and served immediately.
Serve with toasted bread cubes, and garnish.
For the toasted bread cubes: Remove the crusts from several slices of multi-grain bread; cut into squares. Spray both sides with butter-flavored cooking spray. Toast for 10 to 15 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Serve with soup.
1 large butternut squash, cut into 1-inch pieces, or 30 ounces of precut (4 to 5 cups)
1 onion, cut into 8 wedges
4 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon honey
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 (14.5-ounce) cans low-sodium chicken broth
3 to 4 slices of good bread, cubed and toasted
Garnishes: ground nutmeg and pomegranate seeds
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place squash, onion, and garlic on a large baking sheet; drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat completely. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes until tender.
Place roasted vegetables in a blender. Add honey, nutmeg, and chicken broth, gradually. Blend until smooth.
This soup can be made ahead and refrigerated or warmed and served immediately.
For the toasted bread cubes:
Remove the crusts from several slices of multi-grain bread; cut into squares. Spray both sides with butter-flavored cooking spray. Toast for 10 to 15 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Serve with soup.
It doesn’t take any time to make a homemade crouton.I love to serve this in espresso cups as a starter. It’s a nice change from a normal appetizer and it can be passed easily. (Note: if passing to sip, I omit the croutons.)
Leslie Likes: Dave’s Killer Bread
Easy Drop Biscuits
Makes 2 dozen
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup cold butter
1 ½ cups whole milk
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut the cold butter into smaller pieces to incorporate it quickly into the flour mixture.Don’t worry if there are a few clumps of butter here and there. What’s not to love about a little pocket of butter?
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender until crumbly. Add milk a little at a time, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.
I use two teaspoons to drop the sticky dough onto the baking sheet.
Drop with two teaspoons onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve immediately.
If you are not going to eat immediately, which I highly suggest, allow to cool on a wire rack.Easy Drop Biscuits can be made in advance and frozen. (Note: it’s best to split before freezing if you plan to fill them with ham.) Remove from freezer, add thinly sliced ham, and warm before serving.They are also delicious with plain old honey.
10 Live and Learn Party Tips
Chop onion and garlic before you shower.
PREP! Chop, measure, and prewash anything and everything and have it ready to go.
Avoid bell or long sleeves on party night. They will drive you crazy. I prefer three-quarter sleeves or sleeveless for cooking.
Run the load of last-minute dishes in the dishwasher, and unload before guests arrive. Start empty!
Designate the coat and bag area on the front end, before they are strung out all over your house in messy piles lining the walls.
Empty all trashcans.
Never run out of alcohol.
Nothing chills a party in a bad way than running out of ice. Have an extra bag or two in a cooler or the freezer.
Be sure all doors are well lit and welcoming. The last thing you want is an ambulance at your house during a party—not festive.
Change your shoes before the final cleanup at the end of the night. Your feet will thank you the next day!
Be sure to subscribe so you won’t miss next weeks food gifts, gift wrap ideas, and fabulous finds for stockings and more!
I would love to hear from you. Don’t be shy about making comments or asking questions. I love getting mail! Leslie
I don’t mind serving the same meats or mains over and over again, but when it comes to the side dishes, I like to change it up a bit. Here are two of my most recent favorite side dishes. Both are simple and impressive—with five ingredients or fewer.
These Hasselback-style potatoes are a Swedish version of a roasted potato. It takes its name from the Hasselbacken Hotel Restaurant in Stockholm, Sweden. The name makes me think of David Hasselhoff—from Baywatch—I can’t help it! It’s silly, I know.
Baywatch Potatoes
Serves 6
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 large Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced Hasselback style as directed below
Kosher salt
Toppings: sour cream and chives
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Melt butter in a small microwaveable bowl; stir in olive oil. Set aside.
Place potatoes, one by one, in the bowl of a serving spoon, slicing in 1/8th of an inch increments, stopping when knife hits the spoon. (The spoon prevents the knife blade from going completely through the potato—leaving it intact at the base.)
The metal of the spoon prevents any slipups with the knife.
Brush a 2-quart baking dish with the melted butter mixture. Place sliced potatoes in the baking dish. With a basting brush, brush the potatoes with the butter mixture; sprinkle generously with kosher salt. Bake for 30 minutes; remove from oven, and baste with remaining butter mixture. Return to the oven for an additional 35 to 40 minutes or until brown and crispy. The baking time may vary slightly, depending on the size of your potatoes.
Brush the potatoes with butter and olive oil mixture before baking; sprinkle generously with kosher salt.The potatoes should be the size of a large egg.
6 large Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced Hasselback style as directed below
Kosher salt
Toppings: sour cream and chives
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Melt butter in a small microwaveable bowl; stir in olive oil. Set aside.
Place potatoes, one by one, in the bowl of a serving spoon, slicing in 1/8th of an inch increments, stopping when knife hits the spoon. (The spoon prevents the knife blade from going completely through the potato—leaving it intact at the base.)
Brush a 2-quart baking dish with the melted butter mixture.
Place sliced potatoes in the baking dish.
With a basting brush, brush the potatoes with the butter mixture; sprinkle generously with kosher salt.
Bake for 30 minutes; remove from oven, and baste with remaining butter mixture.
Return to the oven for an additional 35 to 40 minutes or until brown and crispy.
These are delicious with a steak dinner. Depending on the size of the potato, allow 1 to 2 per person. Pottery by earthbornpottery.net.
Both of these beautiful and tasty sides are even more attractive because they don’t break the piggy bank.
I like to think of the overall look of the recipes on the dinner plate. The Blistered Tomatoes are a nice, colorful addition to a plate of mostly brown food.
How cute are these?Simple ingredients make this recipe a snap.
Blistered Tomatoes
Serves 3 to 4
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups (1 pint) of cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped, fresh basil
Balsamic glaze, to drizzle
Salt and red pepper flakes to taste
In a heavy skillet (I use my cast iron), heat olive oil to medium-high. Add tomatoes to hot oil, and jiggle often. After about 5 minutes the tomatoes will begin to shrivel.
To stir, simply jiggle.
Continue to cook 5 more minutes or until some of the tomatoes begin to pop open.
Drizzle with balsamic glaze, and top with fresh chopped basil. I serve this right out of the cast-iron skillet.I like the thickness and richness of the balsamic glaze, but a good quality balsamic vinegar can be substituted.Balsamic Glaze is available at most grocery stores; look for it with the vinegars.
Learn from Leslie: If you have any leftovers, the tomatoes are a treat to serve over pasta.
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