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Chilled Zoodle Salad with Herby Buttermilk Ranch

26 Monday Sep 2016

Posted by BakedNorthwest in Healthy, Main Dish, Meatless Monday, Salad, Vegetarian

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Tags

basil, buttermilk, carrots, feta, garlic, olives, ranch, red onion, tomatoes, zoodles, zucchini, zucchini noddles

When I wasn’t making loaf after loaf of my new go-to zucchini bread, we were eating this salad. On a hot summer day, the last thing I wanted to do was make zucchini lasagna or stir frys…and this zoodle salad is so adaptable it solved all of our problems. Here we have the basic version with a homemade, herby buttermilk ranch, but we ate this salad many times with store bought dressing (don’t tell anyone) and it was still amazing. Add different toppings, throw on some grilled chicken, just about anything works!

I found the secret to this salad was chilling the zoodles for at least an hour. It made them extra crunchy and took out some of the moisture so you didn’t have a soggy zoodle salad. Move over, lettuce…zoodles make summer salads more fun.

Recipe
Chilled Zoodle Salad with Herby Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
By Baked Northwest
Serves 2

Ingredients

For the Salad:

  • 1 medium zucchini, spiralized into “zoodles”
  • 1/2 cup sliced black olives
  • 1/2 cup shredded carrots
  • 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1/2 cup red onion, sliced
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • salt and pepper

For the Herby Buttermilk Ranch Dressing:

  • 1/2 cup of buttermilk, shaken
  • 3/4 cup mayo
  • 3/4 cup plain greek yogurt
  • 3 green onions, chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
  • juice from 1/2 lemon (about 2 tbsp)
  • 2 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 clove of garlic, roughly chopped
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 2 tsbp siracha (if you want to add some spice)!

Directions

Make your zoodles:
Using a spiralizer (I have the Paderno Spiralizer), make your zucchini noodles: I use the small spaghetti-sized blade for this salad, but the thicker noodle blade works great too! Lightly blot dry your zoodles with paper towels and place them in an airtight container, and refrigerate for at least an hour. I find refrigerating the zoodles takes some of the moisture out and ends up giving your salad a nice crisp crunch. You do not want a soggy salad! You can make your zoodles the night before and store in the fridge until you are ready to use them.

Make the herby buttermilk ranch:
Place all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer the dressing to a container, cover, and refrigerate for at least an hour to let the flavors develop.

Assemble your zoodle bowl:
   Place the red onion in a small bowl and add the tablespoon of white wine vinegar. Add a little bit of salt and pepper and let stand while you assemble the rest of the salad.
Divide the zoodles in half and place on 2 bowls or plates. Add half of your toppings to each bowl; the carrots, olives, tomatoes, feta, and onions. Serve with the herby buttermilk ranch and enjoy!

 

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Ham and Leek “Empanadas”

18 Tuesday Nov 2014

Posted by BakedNorthwest in Easy, Main Dish, Sandwiches, Weeknight Meals

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Argentina, basil, cheese, creme fraiche, Empanada, Empanadas, gruyere, ham, Leeks, parmesan, puff pastry, spinach

Ham and Leek Empanadas

Empanadas fall into one of the best categories in the universe : Carbs stuffed with deliciousness. Usually cheese, meat, and whatever else your hungry little heart desires.

A few years ago when I visited Annica in Argentina, we ate a lot of Empanadas. Some were filled with steak, peppers, and cheese…others with cheese and green olives, ham and pineapple, beef and raisins…there were a lot of great combos.  Continue reading →

Blackberry Goat Cheese Bites

30 Saturday Aug 2014

Posted by BakedNorthwest in Appetizers, Easy, Entertaining

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

basil, blackberries, blackberry, goat cheese, heavy cream, honey

Blackberry Goat Cheese BitesBlackberry season is hands down one of my favorite times of the year. Around here, you pretty much walk outside and it’s free berries EVERYWHERE! It’s hard not to get a little giddy when you think of how much a bucket o’ berries would cost you from the store or farmers market.Blackberries!Nothing feels more like summer to me than picking blackberries. It’s almost always August, it’s HOT out, but at the same time you know summer is coming to a close, and you have to relish in the last few weeks. My blackberry picking love is hard to explain, but it really is one of my favorite things. Continue reading →

Fresh Herb and Tofu Curry

29 Thursday May 2014

Posted by BakedNorthwest in Seattle, Soups, Vegetarian

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baby corn, bamboo shoots, basil, broccoli, carrots, cilantro, coconut milk, curry, fish sauce, garlic, green beans, lemongrass, mint, mushrooms, peppers, shallots, sriracha, tofu, yellow curry

Herb and Tofu CurryOne of my later-in-life food discoveries was yellow curry. I had never really had it, or thought to order it, until my first job out of college. We ordered a lot of takeout…one of the places down the street was the diviest looking joint ever. Like, I would never go in there on a whim. BUT we had a “house account” there where we didn’t even have to use a credit card, they would just send us a bill in the mail…weird, right?Herb and Tofu Curry

Continue reading →

Chilled Strawberry Soup

11 Sunday May 2014

Posted by BakedNorthwest in Easy, Entertaining, Healthy, Smoothies & Shakes, Soups, Vegetarian

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basil, greek yogurt, mint, olive oil, pepper, riesling, strawberries, strawberry, sugar, white wine

strawberry soupIs this one of the weirdest things you haver ever heard of? Strawberry…soup? Ok, it’s probably not the weirdest thing…but still. Not your everyday soup. However, this soup is quite tasty and I highly recommend making it under several different circumstances:

  1. It’s sweltering hot outside and you want something chilled and refreshing.
  2. You are hosting a fancy summer soirée and want to look creative and awesome.
  3. If Gazpacho (aka cold tomato soup, ugh) just isn’t your thing.
  4. There are tons of strawberries in your kitchen, and you are looking to do something “different”.
  5. You are hosting a “ladies only” event…This doesn’t really strike me as a soup a lot of dudes would be into. I’m thinking bridal shower, mother’s day brunch, baby shower…However, maybe not baby shower, since this soup has WINE in it. Which brings me to…
  6. GIRLS WINE WEEKEND. This really doesn’t have to be soup, it can pretty much be a smoothie and the best way to start a wine-filled weekend…A totally healthy breakfast alternative to mimosas or Bloody Mary’s…Because why not be smart when boozin, better to stick with one type of alcohol all day!*

So now that it’s clear I am very excited about the Riesling in this soup, I feel it’s best to put a disclaimer out there that in about a month I will be doing a day in NAPA for a joint Bachelorette party with my favorite girls! Since moving I miss everyone terribly, and I booked my flight pretty much the second the dates were set in stone. For whatever ridiculous reason, making this soup made me reallyreallyEXTRA excited for the upcoming girls wine weekend.

Strawberry Soup

*Drink responsibly. It is recommended to eat something with your breakfast booze, like a f*ckin bagel.

Recipe
Chilled Strawberry Soup
adapted from Southern Living
makes about 4 cups

Ingredients

  • 3 cups fresh sliced strawberries, washed with stems removed
  • 1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt 
  • 1/2 cup Riesling or other sweet white wine
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • Garnishes: olive oil, freshly ground pepper, sliced fresh strawberries, fresh mint and/or basil

Directions

  1. Process 3 cups sliced fresh strawberries, Greek yogurt, Riesling, and sugar in a blender or food processor until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Cover and chill 2 hours. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, freshly ground pepper, chopped fresh mint, and sliced fresh strawberries.

 

Meatless Monday | Grilled Green Tomato Caprese

14 Monday Oct 2013

Posted by BakedNorthwest in Appetizers, Entertaining, Grilling, Healthy, Meatless Monday, Salad, Side Dish, Vegetarian

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Tags

balsamic, basil, brown sugar, caprese, garlic, green tomatoes, grilled, mozzarella

Oh Hey. Sooo I know Green Tomatoes are kind of a “Summer” thing…But here in the Northwest…I still have tons of Green Tomatoes on my plants. I did get some ripe ones out of my summer…but some didn’t quite mature. But that’s okay…Because!!!Green Tomato CapreseFun times with Green Tomatoes! A recipe that is a bit healthier than Fried Green Tomatoes…These Grilled Green Tomatoes made into a Caprese Salad!Grilled Green TomatoesI like this recipe because it is waaay easier than Fried Green Tomatoes. Just marinade them in a little saucy sauce, throw em on the grill…and add mozzarella and basil! We took the extra step to melt the mozz under the broiler, but this recipe is great with fresh cold mozzarella as well!Grilled Green Tomato Caprese

Recipe
Grilled Green Tomato Caprese
serves 8 as an appetizer or side
adapted from Southern Living

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar (we used regular, it was still delish)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 4 medium-size green tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 2 lb.)
  • 1 (16-oz.) package fresh mozzarella cheese
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

Directions

  1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl or baking dish, stir. Add tomatoes and cover, letting chill for at least 1 hour.
  2. Preheat grill to 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat. Remove tomatoes from marinade, reserving marinade. Grill tomatoes, covered with grill lid, 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until tender and grill marks appear.
  3. Arrange alternating slices of warm grilled tomatoes and mozzarella cheese on a large, shallow platter. We put our dish under the broiler for a minute to melt the cheese a little bit, it’s great both ways! Drizzle with reserved marinade; season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with basil.

Tomato Basil Soup

15 Monday Oct 2012

Posted by BakedNorthwest in Easy, Entertaining, Healthy, Main Dish, Side Dish, Soups, Weeknight Meals

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Tags

basil, chicken broth, garden tomotoes, garlic, onion, thyme, tomato

Homemade tomato basil soup, with a dollop of ricotta and some sourdough to dip.

Upon tasting this fresh homemade tomato basil soup, I thought to myself, “why haven’t I made this before?!?”

Fresh & Natural ingredients simmer together to make this soup.

It’s a question, after some un-publishably bad recipes, I wish I was asking myself more often. I recently had some high hopes for a vegan pumpkin bread, but it didn’t hold a candle next to my mom’s buttery non-vegan bread. Another disappointment was a favorable biscuit recipe on Pinterest that everyone seems to love, but I found I was trying to convince myself they were sooo good I wanted to go back for more.

Once the roasted tomatoes are added, it starts looking more like a soup instead of a chunky stew…And your house will start to smell really good.

Anyways, bombed-recipes tangent aside, I’m glad I’ve redeemed myself with this classic! Ina never fails. I love her. I am so excited to never buy canned tomato soup again. I’m already dreaming about how good this is going to taste tomorrow at lunch. Cause you know, most soups are always better the next day.

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup to your desired thickness. Ina uses a food mill to make a very chunky soup, but I don’t own one. This option still worked wonders.

Recipe
Tomato Basil Soup
Barely adapted From The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
Makes 6-8 Servings

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise (I used a variety of tomatoes from my garden)
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons good olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 (28-ounce) canned plum tomatoes, with their juice
  • 4 cups fresh basil leaves, packed (I didn’t use quite this much basil, maybe only 2-3 cups)
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (I used dried thyme)
  • 1 quart chicken stock or water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss together the tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the tomatoes in 1 layer on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes.

In an 8-quart stockpot over medium heat, saute the onions and garlic with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the butter, and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes, until the onions start to brown. Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, and chicken stock. Add the oven-roasted tomatoes, including the liquid on the baking sheet. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Use a hand/immersion blender to lightly puree the soup. Make sure the immersion blender is at least an inch deep and close to the bottom of the pot – you don’t want soup exploding everywhere! Taste for seasonings. Serve hot or cold with grated parmesan, a dollop of ricotta, or crusty bread. Just about anything tastes good paired with this soup!

Tomato Basil Tart

30 Sunday Sep 2012

Posted by BakedNorthwest in Bloggerific, Easy, Main Dish, Weeknight Meals

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Tags

basil, cheese, easy, eggs, heirloom tomatoes, parmesan, puff pastry, ricotta, tomato, tomatoes

The easiest tomato basil tart you’ll ever make. Ok, it’s more like a pizza.

It’s almost October. It’s fall. Summer is over.

YET

Only a small portion of the bounty. As it turns out, I like to store my “summer” tomatoes in a festive winter bucket.

My tomato plants finally decided to ripen and give me TONS of tomatoes! After spending 2 months thinking all of my tomato plants had failed, Mother Nature apparently decided to give me some encouragement.

It is so ridiculously late in the season and I am little unprepared and blown away. So this super easy cheese, tomato, basil tart was the first thing I made. It’s essentially a pizza without tomato sauce, a spinoff of the classic margherita pizza, if you will.

Recipe

Tomato Basil Tart

from Polwig.com

  • 1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed
  • 1 cup of cherry tomatoes
  •  1 cup ricotta
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tbs chopped basil (more for garnish)
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • salt and pepper
Directions
Grate the Parmesan Cheese and chop the basil. Place two eggs in a bowl and whisk.
Add 1 cup of ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan, 2 tbs basil to the eggs and mix well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Slice the tomatoes to your liking. Place 1 sheet of puff pastry on a work surface and roll out to get rid of the fold marks. Once puff pastry rolled out to desired size, transfer to a baking sheet. Using your fingers, fold in a crust around the outer edges of the tart, about 1/4-1/2 inch. Use a fork to imprint onto the crust.

Spread the cheese mixture around and top with tomatoes.

Bake in a 400 deg oven for 20 minutes until risen and golden.  Sprinkle with Fresh basil. Then pair with a glass of wine!

Experiments worth elaborating on: Gnocchi with Avocado Pesto

23 Thursday Aug 2012

Posted by BakedNorthwest in Chicken, Easy, Main Dish, Pasta, Sauces, Uncategorized, Weeknight Meals

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

avocado, basil, gnocchi, lemon, nuts, olive oil, parmesan, pesto

gnocchi with avocado pesto

I think I have to call this an “experiment” because there is more I want to do with this recipe in the future – it’s definitely something you can elaborate on. Like several other recipes on this blog, I got this one from Oprah’s “Recipes to Commit to Memory” article from March 2012. It’s not really a recipe, no measurements or anything, you just kind of throw it together. I didn’t think this was going to turn out that well (I’ve had some interesting pesto experiments in the past) but it was great! I really can’t wait to try to improve on it even more in the future.

Gnocchi with Avocado Pesto

Rough Recipe – Gnocchi with Avocado Pesto

From O Magazine

 

Ingredients

  • 2 ripe avocados
  • 2 cups loosely packed basil
  • handful of any nut (I used almonds, but next time I will try walnuts or pine nuts)
  • splash of lemon juice
  • drizzle of olive oil
  • water, as needed
  • salt/pepper
  • store bought gnocchi

In a food processor or blender, combine 2 ripe avocados with 2 cups loosely packed basil, a handful of any nut, a splash of lemon juice, and a drizzle of olive oil. Blend until smooth, adding water as necessary. Season with salt and black pepper, then toss with cooked store-bought gnocchi.

In the future, I think I will add grated parmesan to the pesto and see how that fares. This time around, I just added the grated parmesan over the finished dish and it was totally necessary. I also added some chicken sauteed with onions and tomatoes, which also added a little more flavor and protein.

Always Perfection @ Auntie Tricia’s

21 Monday May 2012

Posted by BakedNorthwest in Boozy, Easy, Entertaining, Healthy, Main Dish, Salad, Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

basil, bourbon, Chicken, cucumber, feta, garbanzo beans, herbs, lemon, lemon chicken breasts, manhattan, middle eastern vegetable salad, mint, pita bread, tomato

Probably one of my favorite things is being invited over to my Aunt Tricia’s house. She is the Master Entertainer, her husband is the Ultimate Bartender, and her dogs are always ready to “clean” the dishes for her…if you know what I mean!

She always executes the perfect menu and everyone always has so much fun. Needless to say, I’m pretty proud to be related to her, and I hope one day I will be able to entertain like she does.

Below is a look at last week’s dinner…Recipes included!

Recipe
The Perfect Manhattan

Fill cocktail shaker 1/2 full with ice.

  • 2 shots knob creek bourbon
  • 1/2 shot red vermouth
  • dash of bitters…there are all sorts of flavors out there these days…
  • Shake 10 times and strain into a frozen martini glass. (I leave a little water on the glass before freezing, so I get a nice frost on the glass)
3 Luxardo brand cherries on a pick.  Add and enjoy!
Both Recipes below are from Ina Garten’s How Easy is That? Cookbook.

 

Recipe
Middle Eastern Vegetable Salad

Ingredients

  • 10 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
  • 1 pound ripe tomatoes, seeded, cored, and 1/2-inch-diced
  • 1 hothouse cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded, and 1/2-inch-diced
  • 1 can or jar (12 to 16 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
  • 1/3 cup julienned fresh basil leaves
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup good olive oil
  • 8 ounces good feta cheese, 1/2-inch-diced
  • Toasted pita bread, for serving

Directions

Place the scallions, tomatoes, cucumber, chickpeas, parsley, mint, and basil in a large salad bowl and toss to combine.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Pour the dressing over the salad, tossing gently to coat all the vegetables. Add the feta, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss gently. Serve the salad with the toasted pita bread.

Recipe
Lemon Chicken Breasts

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup good olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons minced garlic (9 cloves)
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on (6 to 8 ounces each)
  • 1 lemon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic, and cook for just 1 minute but don’t allow the garlic to turn brown. Off the heat, add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt and pour into a 9 by 12-inch baking dish.

Pat the chicken breasts dry and place them skin side up over the sauce. Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Cut the lemon in 8 wedges and tuck it among the pieces of chicken.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, until the chicken is done and the skin is lightly browned. If the chicken isn’t browned enough, put it under the broiler for 2 minutes. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the pan juices.

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