Recipe Of The Day: The Classic Pesto

Over the weekend we got a few tweets asking us just what is Pesto and how hard it is to actually make. Pesto is a sauce that originates in Genoa, Italy and traditionally consists of crushed garlic, basil and Pine nuts, blended with olive oil & Parmigiano Reggiano. These days, crushing the nuts by hand and using a mortar and pestle is a bit much for some people so the recipe is widely made in a food processor or blender.

When I was in Culinary School, I was amazed at how quickly one of my Chefs would pull together a quick Pesto a few of his choice students were allowed to snack on after the madness of the day had subsided.

The great thing about Pesto sauce is that it goes with A few fresh ingredients that pull together rather quickly and can be added to quite a few different dishes. Try mixing it directly into the pot you boiled your pasta in (after draining it of course,) drizzling over minestrone for a garnish, sprinkled over sliced beef steak tomatoes, the possibilities are endless.

Whatever you do, enjoy it, cause it is truly one of life’s treasures.

Ingredients

2.5 Cups Packed Fresh Basil Leaves

3 Cloves Garlic (if your familiar with roasting Garlic, roasting the garlic first, allowing it to cool down, then incorporating it into this recipe makes it that much more amazing.)

¼ Cup Pine Nuts

1 TBS Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

2/3 Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Divided

Kosher Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste

½ Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

Combine the basil, garlic, pepper flakes and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.

Add 1/2 cup of the oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth.

Season with salt and pepper.

If using immediately, add all the remaining oil and pulse until smooth.

Transfer the pesto to a large serving bowl and mix in the cheese.

This is a recipe that can be frozen, If freezing, transfer to an air-tight container and lightly drizzle the remaining oil over the top, but do not stir it in. Also only stir in the cheese if your going to be using the Pesto right away. That way the cheese will keep its crisp flavor.

Freeze for up to 2 months.  

Thaw and stir in cheese, when ready to use again.

National Hot and Spicy Foods Day

The beginning of the year is home to a great holiday that many people celebrate daily without evening knowing it. National Hot & Spicy Foods Day, is a Holy Day in The Supreme Plates offices and we make sure to eat as much deliciously spicy foods as we can. Starting off with a super condiment, known to make millions of dish delicious and even more backsides angry at their owners, Sriracha should be coveted like fine wine on this day.

For those unclear on just what we are talking about, Sriracha Sauce, is the name of one of the greatest sauces known to mankind. Srircha is named after the seaside city of Si Racha, in central Thailand where it was first produced for local seafood restaurants. The distinct taste of chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt have dominated the Asian market here in the United States since its inception in 1980. This puree version is primarily produced by Huy Fong Foods this is different from the Thai paste from which it takes its name.

Traditionally a tangy, sweeter sauce with a lot of kick from chiles, it’s thick texture make it perfect for just about any application.

From sushi, pizza and BBQ to soups, pastas and chow mein dishes, Sriracha is truly a unique flavor enhancing condiment that deserves to on every table or fridge in the United States.

Due to its ingredients, Sriracha does not need to be stored in the refrigerator as some people tend to believe. Available in almost every Supermarket in the Asian foods aisle and of course in your local Asian Market or online at Huy Fong.com

Pick up some today and put it on whatever your eating tonight. We promise it will taste good. Check the Recipes below for some great ideas as to where you can use Sriracha Sauce while making a memorable meal at home.

Recipe of The Day: Beef & Pineapple Lollipops w/ Spicy Cilantro Sauce

Recipe of The Day: Spicy Corn Fritters

Recipe of The Day: Shrimp Scampi & Garlic Toast

Homemade Chocolate Sauce (National Bittersweet Chocolate Day)

With people finally taking control of what they eat, where they eat at and just what ingredients they are putting into the food they make at home, it is nice to see people reaching out for recipes they are unclear on how to master.

Chocolate is very temperamental, literally. If it is overheated it may seize resulting in whitish chocolate sauces / coatings or an unsmooth texture that looks like poo on a plate. Chocolate sauces are a great thing to tackle because once you have this skill down, you can create flavored chocolate sauces and then apply them to your favorite fruits and other dishes leaving your guests amazed at your culinary skills.

For the most part the recipe is very simple, when you start using different juices (coconut, lime or whatever you decide) it really plays with the final results and produces some of the most amazing chocolate flavors you will have ever tasted.

Take your time and this will come out just fine.

Enjoy National Bittersweet Chocolate Day!

(click read more for the quick & easy recipe)

National Spaghetti Day - Pasta Bolognese Made Easy

Today is National Spaghetti Day. Now we here in The Supreme Plate are lovers of carbs especially when they come in the form of great pastas drenched in sauces that truly need no help from the starch other than to help sop it all up. If you know how to make a good sauce from scratch, your already a few steps ahead in the game of life.

Bolognese is a meaty sauce that has a tremendous amount of Earthy flavors that once cooked down is a meal all unto itself. Add a quality piece of bread or some pasta and your set to go. You can change the falvors around however you like by adding more of one meat and less of another just make sure that you don’t get too lean of a cut, you want a little fat to help break down the proteins and give the dish that much more flavor.

The recipe for the pasta is a simple pasta recipe that can be applied to numerous dishes and cooks up rather quickly so make sure you don’t overcook your pasta.

Enjoy.

(click read more for the entire recipe)

Bella Pepper All Natural Sauces

I don't know what is is about The Supreme Plate and our quest to consume some of the hottest sauces on the face of this Earth. I caught a few reviews on other various media outlets about Bella Pepper and the different types of marinades and finishing sauces they produce and was quite impressed. Then it just so happened that we received our very own package of their Bella Diavolo Extreme Heat & Bella Forte Hot sauces and we figured it was time to bust out some Fajitas and test out their products.