Last year I hosted my very first Thanksgiving Dinner at our house. Just a small dinner with our daughters and their families. So, at age 55, I began searching for turkey recipes. Yes, I have roasted turkeys before — the very simple kind, rubbed with …
Pan-Seared Ribeye with Garlic Butter is a delicious and easy recipe to try when you want a special melt-in-your-mouth steak. My husband gave this 5 stars! When it comes to choice beef, ribeye steak ranks right up there with the best. It really needs no …
Herbed Parmesan Spread aka Boursin is a delicious recipe to make this holiday season. It’s easy to make and incredibly flavorful. Serve it with your favorite crackers for holiday entertaining or at a Christmas tea party.
Other ways to use it is to add to your favorite mashed potato recipe or serve over a hot seared rib-eye steak. Yum!
Simply put, Boursin cheese (fancy cheese) is a soft, creamy, buttery cheese flavored with herbs and garlic. It was first created by Francois Boursin, a Frenchman in 1957, but is now widely available in the US. This homemade version is every bit as good. Try some and see for yourself!
Gather your tools and ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
Using a cutting board and chef’s knife, peel and mince the garlic clove. Using a small zester, finely grate the parmesan cheese.
In a food processor, combine the minced garlic, softened butter and cream cheese, and grated Parmesan cheese. Pulse until it starts to come together.
Add in the dried herbs: chives, parsley, dill weed, basil, ground thyme, and freshly ground black pepper. Pulse until everything is mixed well.
Using a rubber spatula, transfer the cheese mixture to a small serving bowl or form it into a ball.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours to let the ingredients meld with each other.
You may store this fancy cheese spread in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Makes 1 1/2 cups.
I like to bring this spread to room temperature before serving for easy spreading. Serve with your favorite crackers.
If desired, place homemade Boursin in a decorating bag and pipe onto crackers. Perfect for an afternoon tea party!
See more Appetizers Here. Browse Holiday Entertaining Ideas Here.
Kansas-Style Herbed Pasty are not what some consider traditional Cornish pasties. They have more meat and seasonings, and we like them with a brown gravy. Apparently, the Cornish immigrants brought the pasty into Michigan’s iron mills in early 1800’s. Cornish Pasties (meat pies) are said …
Here’s an easy recipe for homemade French Bread with Dipping Oil. It’s delicious alone or if you’re going for a more elegant dining experience, try making the dipping oil. Our family loves this bread and dipping it in spiced oils. Buttery tender bread with a …
I love making homemade pasta, and this Fettuccine with Pesto dish is a summer favorite. Fresh, light, nutty, and so flavorful.
Pesto is a great way to use your basil and parsley when they are lush and in full season. I like planting my herbs in pots where I can readily access them near my kitchen.
If you don’t make your own pasta (and I have to ask you WHY not?) or simply do not have the extra time, I highly recommend De Cecco Semolina Pasta, which is a good alternative.
Homemade pesto is so easy to make and can easily be adapted to fit your available ingredients. Do you have more parsley than basil? That’s okay. Just make sure you use 2 cups combined. Or simply use two cups of parsley. Or 2 cups of basil. I’ve even seen recipes that use mint and tarragon.
If you don’t have pine nuts in your cupboard, you may use sliced almonds, pecans, English walnuts, macadamia nuts, or even pistachios. See this amazing recipe for Pasta with Pistachio Pesto Here.
While I highly suggest roasting your own garlic, you may also substitute canned minced garlic in it’s place. You’ll simply disregard the first recipe steps of roasting the garlic in oil and salt, and replace it with 3 tablespoons minced garlic.
Want to use linguine instead of fettuccine. Go ahead. Or spaghetti. Of course. It’s your dish and it’s your decision! It will be great! If motivated to make your own pasta, see my Homemade Recipe Here.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Gather your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
Using a fine-edged grater, grate the fresh parmesan. Set aside until the end of the recipe.
Cut the tops for the garlic and wrap each in tinfoil, drizzling each head with 1 tablespoon olive oil and seasoned with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Roast until softened, 45 minutes. Allow to cool.
For a Quick and Easy Adaptation of this Recipe, use canned minced garlic. Of course, baked garlic adds a wonderful taste dimension to this recipe, but canned minced garlic also works. I’ve used both and both versions are quite yummy!
Squeeze the roasted garlic into a food processor.
Add pine nuts, fresh parsley and basil, and red pepper flakes. Process to make a paste. While machine is running, add 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil. Scrape pesto into a serving bowl.
In a large pot, bring water to boil, adding a tablespoon of salt to the water. Cook fettuccine to al dente.
Using tongs, move pasta to the bowl of pesto and gently fold to mix.
Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add a little pasta water to the dish if it seems too dry.
Adding pasta water is a wonderful way to enhance your Italian sauces, whether a tomato sauce or a pasta dish such as this one. It will add flavored liquid to a dish, or it could also be used to help thicken a dish due to the starch in it.
Sprinkle with grated Parmesan to serve.
This recipe will serve 4-6 people.
This Fettuccine with Pesto dish pairs well with pork loin and a salad. Try my Stuffed Pork Tenderloin Recipe Here.
See more Pasta Recipes Here. Browse Italian Dinner Ideas Here.
Serve Cheesy Bread Sticks the next time you make Spaghetti and Meatballs or your favorite pasta dish. Our family loves this recipe and there are never any leftovers. In fact, we sometimes call dibs for the last piece. (Fighting at the table is not allowed.) …
I have been making Steamed Potatoes with Parsley for years. They are so tender and buttery. One of our family’s favorite recipes. (Recipe modified with new photos on 2/6/22.) Put this dish together in minutes and microwave. Quick and Easy. A perfect weeknight side dish …
