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Classic Pesto Recipe

Well…. look who we have here. You were having a good day and volunteered to host a party for your friends. But you don’t know how to cook! How are you going to feed a crowd without leading them on to your culinary faux pas?

You’ll be well on your way to “Wowing” your guests if you just follow these few simple steps and trust your instincts!

Mise En Place

Us Culinarians have a term in the kitchen. It’s called “Mise En Place” and it is very important for any chef to be successful in the kitchen. First, lets go over what ingredients you need (which is a delightfully small quantity) and which substitutes might be acceptable to make your own pesto creations.

The Base

The base of a pesto is typically the following:

  • Basil

  • Pine Nuts

  • Parmesean

  • Olive Oil

A pro-move would be breaking this down a step further. So a “pesto” is essentially just a combination of herbs, nuts, cheese, and fat. If you wanted to get a little crazy you could substitute some of the basil for carrot stems and use almonds or even bread crumbs in place of the pine nuts. BOOM! you have a dish that is now uniquely YOU!

BUT, as much as you love your friends, their connoisseurship doesn’t involve food, so it’s best to start with the classics to keep things moving nicely.

The Process

Simple blend together your basil and pine nuts while slowly adding an olive oil drizzle. Once the sauce begins to thin out and looking like a pesto, begin to add the cheese, and black pepper to taste.

ENJOY!

Keep spreading love, good people!

Best,

Chef Jake

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Spaghetti Squash & Turkey Meatball Recipe

This versatile root vegetable is known for its uniquely stringy texture and traditional squash flavor. Follow along for a healthy spin on spaghetti & meatballs.

Hey friends,

Fall is here! That means squash of all varieties can be found in grocery stores across America. Today, we’re going to talk about a type of squash you’ve probably already heard of before. Spaghetti Squash. This versatile root vegetable is known for its uniquely stringy texture and traditional squash flavor.

For our recipe, we took an Italian staple, “Spaghetti & Meatballs”, and lightened it up a bit for a feel good alternative to a carb heavy classic. Just follow these easy steps below to make this delicious dish!

Yields: 4-6 Servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 Spaghetti Squash

  • 1 Package of Ground Turkey

  • 1 Can Crushed Tomatoes

  • 2 Tbsp. Tomato Paste

  • 1 Sweet Onion

  • 2 Tbsp. Minced Garlic

  • 1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice

  • 2 Tbsp. Honey

  • 3 Tbsp. Salt

  • 2 Tbsp. Pepper

  • Red Pepper Flakes, to taste

  • Bonus: 2 Tbsp. Calabrian Chili Pepper Powder, if you have it

For the sauce:

  1. Dice half of the onion. Reserve other half for turkey meatballs

  2. Place onions in lightly oiled pot on medium high heat. Sweat onion

  3. Add the can of crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, minced garlic, honey, half the salt and pepper, and Calabrian chili powder, if you have it. Mix together and taste. Adjust seasoning to taste.

  4. Once sauce begins to bubble, adjust the heat and bring sauce to a very gentle simmer. Allow to cook, stirring occasionally so sauce doesn’t burn the bottom of the pot.

  5. When ready to eat, add lemon juice and mix in.

For the meatballs:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 Degrees Fahrenheit.

  2. Grate other 1/2 onion into a bowl.

  3. Mix ground turkey with 1/2 the salt, pepper, and grated onion. Add any additional seasonings to taste.

  4. Make approximately 3 oz. meatballs. Rolling in your hand, then placing on a sprayed cookie sheet.

  5. Place cookie sheet in oven and cook for 15-20 minutes.

  6. Once the meatballs have browned, remove from the oven and add to the sauce to finish cooking.

  7. Turn pot up to medium and cook while spaghetti squash finishes cooking

For the squash:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 Degrees Fahrenheit.

  2. Cut Spaghetti squash in half. Scoop out the seeds and season with EVOO, pinch of salt & pepper.

  3. Place squash in a baking dish cut side up. Wrap the dish in aluminum foil and place in the oven for 20 minutes. Then remove foil and cook for additional 30 minutes.

  4. Remove from oven and allow to cool enough to handle.

  5. Once cooled, grab a fork and scrap the spaghetti-like inside of the squash into a bowl.

Assemble all of your ingredients, top with parmesan and/or red chili flakes and enjoy!

Keep spreading love, good people!

Best,

Chef Jake

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