While we navigate our way through this strange and difficult time we’ve heard from many of you that you are cooking as a way to stay busy, be productive and find enjoyment. At Sweet Basil we know that new culinary adventures are possible every day. For all of these reasons we have put together for you our customers, a group of menus and recipes from our archives. From a variety of our favorites, these are simply for you to pick and choose to try new yummy recipes.
We encourage you to experiment, use the ingredients you have, don’t be bound by the specifics (unless you’re baking) if there are ingredients you don’t have or don’t care for. We’re hoping you’ll have fun, and maybe give us feedback about recipes you’d like to see going forward.
This is our first group of menus and recipes, we will post more in a week or so. While we are in stay-at-home mode, you can get in your kitchen and have some fun!
Menu 1:
Creamy Tomato & Basil Soup Oven-roasted Salmon with Martini Sauce Green Beans with Pecans Orzo Risotto Cinnamon Ice Cream
Menu 2:
Crisp Romaine with Orange-Cumin Dressing Sesame Steak & Scallion Kebabs Coconut Rice Roasted Vegetables with Balsamic Syrup Lemon Olive Oil Cake
Menu 3:
Bean & Cheese Nachos Chicken & Green Chili Enchiladas Mexican Street Corn No-Bake Key Lime Cheesecakes
Menu 4:
Butter Lettuce Salad with Blue Cheese & Walnuts Tri-Tip Sirloin Roast Pesto Pasta with Potatoes & Green Beans Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies
Menu 5:
Salad of Balsamic Dressing, Apples & Cheese Turkey Stroganoff with Noodles Steamed Broccoli Strawberry Ice Cream
MENU 4
BUTTER LETTUCE SALAD WITH BLUE CHEESE & WALNUTS – 8 Servings
Dressing
3 TBSP red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, pressed through garlic press
⅛ tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp salt
1 pinch crushed red pepper
1 tsp fresh basil, chopped, or ¼ tsp dried basil
1 tsp fresh oregano, or ¼ tsp dried oregano
2 TBSP grated Parmesan cheese
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salad
½ cup toasted walnuts
4 heads of butter lettuce, rinsed and patted dry
¼ lb crumbled blue cheese
Cracked black pepper
- Make the dressing: Add the vinegar to a food processor. With the motor running, add the garlic, black pepper, salt, red pepper, basil, oregano, and grated Parmesan through the feed tube. With the motor running, drizzle in the oil. (Can be made up to 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring dressing to room temperature and whisk before using.)
- Toast the walnuts: Place the walnuts in a small sauté pan. Place the pan over medium heat and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, about 2 minutes, until just fragrant. Remove from the heat.
- Assemble the salad: Tear the lettuce into pieces and place in a large bowl. Add enough dressing to lightly coat the greens and toss. Arrange the salad on chilled serving plates or a serving platter. Sprinkle with the cheese and toasted walnuts. Top with cracked black pepper. Drizzle with additional dressing if desired.
HERB RUBBED TRI-TIP SIRLOIN ROAST – Serves 6
1¼ TBSP paprika
1 TBSP kosher salt
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp ground cayenne pepper
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried thyme
2 TBSP olive oil
1 (3-lb) tri-tip sirloin roast
- In a small bowl, mix the paprika, kosher salt, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, and thyme. Stir in the olive oil and allow the mixture to sit for about 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Place the roast on the prepared baking sheet, and cover on all sides with the spice mixture.
- Roast 1 hour in the preheated oven, or to a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees. Let sit 15 minutes before slicing.
PESTO PASTA WITH POTATOES & GREEN BEANS 4 servings
Pesto
2 cups firmly packed basil leaves
3 TBSP pine nuts or walnuts
1 garlic clove
Kosher salt and black pepper
½ cup olive oil
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Pasta
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 oz baby potatoes, cut into ½-inch slices
8 oz green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths
8 oz penne pasta
- Make the pesto: In a food processor, combine the basil, nuts, garlic, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Process until very finely chopped. With the machine running, gradually add the olive oil in a steady stream and process until smooth. Turn off, add ½ cup Parmesan cheese and pulse a few times to combine.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt, then add the potatoes. Boil for 4 minutes, then add the green beans and boil for another 4 minutes or until tender. Using a skimmer, remove the vegetables to a serving bowl and keep warm.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook, stirring frequently, until al dente (7-10 minutes). Set aside ½ cup of pasta cooking water and drain the pasta.
- Add the pasta, pesto, and Parmesan to the cooked vegetables in the bowl. Toss well, adding the reserved pasta water as needed to thin the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE BROWNIES Makes 20 brownies
Fudge brownies
½ cup unsalted butter
8 oz coarsely chopped semi-sweet chocolate, or semisweet chocolate chips
1¼ cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
Raspberry cheesecake layer
8 oz cream cheese, softened
¼ cup sugar
1 egg yolk
¼ cup seedless raspberry preserves/jam
Raspberries for topping
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom and sides of a 11×7-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. Set aside.
- Allow the cream cheese to soften as you prepare the brownies.
- Make the brownies first: Melt butter and semisweet chocolate in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes. You may also place the chocolate/butter mixture in the refrigerator to cool to room temperature faster.
- Stir sugar into cooled chocolate/butter mixture until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. Whisk in the vanilla. Gently fold in the flour and salt. Pour batter into prepared pan, reserving ¼ cup of batter.
- Make the cheesecake swirl: With a hand-held mixer on medium speed, beat the softened cream cheese, ¼ cup sugar, egg yolk, and raspberry preserves in a medium bowl until completely smooth, about 1 minute. If you’d like a pinker cheesecake layer, add 2-3 drops of red food coloring. Dollop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture on top of the prepared brownie batter. Drizzle with the last ¼ cup of brownie batter. Glide a knife through the layers, creating a swirl pattern. Press a few raspberries into the top.
- Bake brownies for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out almost clean – which may be shorter or longer. Just keep your eye on them and test with a toothpick. Cover the pan with foil after 20 minutes to avoid the top from browning too much and too quickly. Allow brownies to cool completely before cutting into squares, at least 4 hours.
Make ahead tip: Brownies stay fresh stored in the refrigerator for 1 week and may be frozen up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.