Avanti Cafe Musings: pesto

Showing posts with label pesto. Show all posts

Thursday, March 16, 2017

Pesto Potatoes & Peppers w/ Clams :: Chef Mark Cleveland @ Ready.Chef.GO! ::

Ready. Chef. GO! Pesto Potatoes & Peppers w/ Clams

Chef Mark Cleveland

Microwave power level 8 for 5 1/2 to 6 mins or 450 oven or 25 to 30 mins

2 servings per 1 bag

1/2 Pound Small Potatoes, boiled

1/4 Pound Sweet Peppers

2/3 Cup Pesto

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 Pound Clams

1 Small Lime

Cut the potatoes & peppers into bite sized shapes & toss w/ the pesto & salt & pepper to taste. Load into bag. Top w/ fresh clams. Slice the small lime and arrange around the clams, on top of the potato pesto mix. Seal the bags for sale.

REHEATING INSTRUCTIONS: Microwave power level 8 for 5 1/2 to 6 mins or 450 oven or 25 to 30 mins, until the clams are open. Let rest for 2 mins before opening the bag.

NOTE: Ready.Chef.GO! bags allow for excellent texture in the microwave & fast high heat cooking in the oven. The results are always succulent & tender. You’ll taste the difference. Rotate a variety of pesto flavors, potatoes & peppers. Make this dish a rotating feast for the eye. Use all sorts of peak season vegetables & seafood. This classic version has craveability potential with customers picking it up weekly.

POINT OF SALE DISPLAY: Build this display as an ongoing enticement. This version w/ golden potatoes, sweet peppers & classic Genovese pesto starts the promotion. Along side showcase weekly variations with flavored pesto, heirloom potato, seasonal vegetable & seafood options. Add fresh salad fixings w/ dressings, breads, croutons, salad vegetables, fruits & nuts. Add a full selection of great fresh bakery breads, both whole & sliced loaves with signage saying “Take home a loaf of fresh bread to soak up all these seafood pesto goodness in each bag.” Display other gourmet seafood products like smoked salmon and cured fish as well as charcuterie. Market w/ fresh crisp gourmet sodas, juices & ice teas. Add a display of fresh fruit, gluten free & light desserts.

Eating Healthy & Delicious is a Win Win Win Situation!

Eat, Live & Party Well

Blog post by Chef Mark Cleveland

Avanti is the longstanding leader in organic, sustainable, local, flavorful cuisine in Orange County, CA.

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Saturday, April 16, 2016

Gala Spinach Pesto :: Chef Mark Cleveland @ Hungry Harvest ::

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 20 mins

Servings: a generous quart

When you get the oven extra HOT, might as well do everything in it. We bring out the savory sweet umami flavors of roasted citrus, gala apples & Bartlett pears with a high heat roast & create a fresh clean Gala Spinach Pesto.

Amount	Measure	Ingredient	Prep Method
1	Medium	Lemon	Peel reserved
1	Large	Navel orange	Peel reserved
1	Medium	Apple
1	Medium	Pear
1 ~ 2	Small	Onions

Set the oven to 550. Spray a pizza or sheet pan & load on the sliced onion, cored apple & pear & the peeled citrus cut side down. Put the pan into the HOT oven and set a timer for 15 mins.

1 ~ 2	Bunches	Fresh spinach	About a quart to 1 ½ quarts
		Orange & lemon peels	Optional
1/3	Cup	Cashews	Roasted, unsalted
¼	Cup	Evoo
1	Cup	Water
½	Teaspoon each	Sea salt & black pepper
1	Clove	Garlic	Optional
1	Small	Hot chili	Optional
1	Cup	Fresh basil leaves	Optional

Load your powerful blender with the spinach, citrus peels (opt), cashews, water, salt & pepper, evoo and optional garlic or chili if using.

When the fruit is roasted, add it to the blender jar, nice and hot, on top of the spinach mixture. Squeeze in the citrus juice. The residual heat will slightly cook and tenderize the spinach. I used chili today, but no garlic or basil. The fresh flavor of the roasted fruit & spinach is spot on & the tropical cashews accentuate the fruit.

Blend well, starting on a slower speed and increasing to high. Make sure the pesto is well pureed. Taste and adjust seasonings. If you used salted cashews go easy on the salt until you taste the pesto. If it’s too thick add a little more water or evoo. Serve w/ the Roasted Carrots & Celery as we did here or w/ favorite pasta, roasted chicken and more.

Serve this w/ Roasted Carrots & Celery as we did for Hungry Harvest Recipes. This pesto is also superb on ravioli. Many excellent quality fresh and frozen raviolis are available now and they cook up in minutes. Let’s see how you tweak & create using these recipes as a starting point for your Hungry Harvest creativity. Please post your photos all over Hungry Harvest social media.

Eating Healthy & Delicious is a Win Win Win Situation!

Eat, Live & Party Well

Blog post by Chef Mark Cleveland

Chef Mark Cleveland has joined the team of Hungry Harvest creating recipe & culinary content for success in the kitchen with the amazing produce in each weekly Hungry Harvest box. Visit www.hungryharvest.net/recipes/ for recipes, photos & More! Follow HungryHarvest and ChefMarkCleveland on Instagram

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Roasted Carrots & Celery :: Chef Mark Cleveland @ Hungry Harvest ::

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 10 mins prep, 30 ~ 40 oven

Servings: 4 to 6

This week we’re doing pesto & high heat roasting. The pure flavor from the veggies is complemented by the umami flavors of roasted fruit & spinach pesto. Serve w/ your favorite protein. This one goes gangbusters w/ roasted salmon.

Amount	Measure	Ingredient	Prep Method
1	Head	Celery	Large dice
1	Medium	Onion	Large dice
1	Pound	Rainbow carrots	Roll cut or large dice
1	Large	Lemon	Juice & zest
1	Large	Navel orange	Juice & zest
1	Pound	Yellow summer squash	Large dice, optional
¼ ~ 1/3	Cup	Garlic cloves	Whole, peeled, about 1 head garlic
¼	Cup	Evoo	Butter, or coconut oil
½	Teaspoon each	Sea salt & black pepper	I love flavored sea salts. More flavors in every shaker

Set the oven to 550. Cut the vegetables into large dice. I like a hearty chunky vegetable roast. You can find peeled garlic cloves at your local market.

Squeeze in the lemon juice, add the zest, salt & pepper and evoo. You can use butter or coconut oil or coconut milk if you’d like. If you choose coconut milk, use about 2/3 cup. If you’re not using the orange juice and zest, add a little water, broth or dry vermouth or sherry.

If you are using the orange and the yellow squash, add them in. Stir well. You don’t need any extra liquid if using both the orange and the lemon since the veggies will create their own simmering liquid w/ the salt and citrus. I used lavender sea salt in this. Tuck in any favorite flavorings like bay leaves, hot chili, thyme, sage, cloves, etc. I kept it simple. I like the clean flavor of the fresh veggies in citrus marinade.

Stir well and pop into the hot oven, uncovered, on a rack in the upper 2/3 for the most heat. Set a timer for 20 mins. Stir well and taste. Set a timer for another 10 mins. Stir and taste again. When the veggies are almost as tender as you’d like them, remove from the oven. Remember they will continue to cook in the hot dish.

GARNISH

½	Cup	Watermelon or favorite radish	Thinly sliced
		Gala Spinach Pesto
		Edible petals	Garden herbs

Serve in a large dish garnished w/ Gala Spinach Pesto, sliced watermelon radish, edible petals.

To serve w/ wild caught Alaskan salmon, cut the salmon into single serving sizes, rub it w/ evoo, or coconut oil, sprinkle w/ salt and pepper & put into the extra HOT oven either skin side up or down. I put a lettuce leaf under the salmon skin side up. Roast 5 mins, turn off oven, set timer for 5 ~ 8 mins more.