Need ideas for bumper crop of basil

[ECS44]

I have a ton of genoa basil, thai basil, and spicy purple basil comming in faster than I can keep up with. While I adore pesto, I need some other ideas. Can anyone point me to your favorite basil recipes? Thanks!:rolleyes:

[cedeetee]

Thanks for asking the question. I looked at my basil this weekend and thought the same thing. I hope you get some good recipes for the bumper crop.

[Beth]

With a little mint and sugar or lime juice to taste, it's great with fresh pineapple and/or melon. In balls or chunks, you have an unusual salad. Chop and add a pepper and you have salsa for chicken or fish.

Anything with tomatoes -- especially with fresh mozzerella -- as a salad with or without cucumber slices, on brushetta, on a pizza.

I have some recipes I may be able to type for you later --

Basil Jam made with tomatoes and Basil Conserve with green tomatoes, white wine, lemon and pine nuts -- both from Gourmet Preserves

Purple Basil and Orange Jelly from Fancy Pantry

I think I also have a Basil Bean recipe -- pickled -- don't know if you're up for canning any of these.

[Canice]

I like this one a lot - Thai basil makes all the difference!

Thai Chicken with Mushrooms, Green Beans and Basil
From Food & Wine Magazine, March 2002

1-1/2 Tbsp. oyster sauce
1 Tbsp. Asian fish sauce
1 tsp. sugar
2-1/2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
1/2 pound green beans, cut into 2-inch lengths
3 scallions, white and light green parts only, cut into 1" lengths
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast cutlets, pounded thin and cut into strips
1/4 pound small mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
1/2 cup drained canned baby corn, cut into l" lengths
2 large jalapeños - halved, seeded, and thickly sliced lengthwise
1 loosely cup torn basil

1. In a small bowl, mix the oyster sauce with the fish sauce and sugar.
2. In a wok, heat 1/2 Tbsp. of the oil over high heat until smoking. Add the green beans and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer the beans to a plate.
3. Add the remaining 2 Tbsp. of oil to the wok and heat until smoking. Add the scallions, garlic and salt and stir-fry until the garlic is lightly golden, about 45 seconds. Add the chicken in 3 batches, waiting a few seconds between additions, and stir-fry until the chicken just barely turns white, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, corn, jalapeños and beans and stir-fry until the vegetables are crisp-tender, 2-3 minutes. Add the oyster sauce mixture and stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through, about 2 minutes longer. Stir in the basil, transfer to a platter and serve.

Notes: I used the entire scallions, 4 cloves garlic, the whole can of baby corn, and closer to 3/4 pound mushrooms- I prefer shiitakes here.

[BJennif]

I really like the Basil Shrimp with Feta and Orzo, if you do a search on that title it will come up....It is easy, tastes great, easy to increase or decrease the amount made and easy clean up since you make it in the foil bag. You can also make it in a glass pan with plain old foil on top too if you don't want to spring for the bags! I also second the salad...I love fresh tomatoes, salt and pepper them, put a basil leaf on top and some sliced prov. or mozz. I think you could also dry your crop in the oven on low heat....I have heard of that being done with parsley. Lucky you, my basil plant died this year. :(

[KathrynY]

Lynn B's White Pizza from the March 2004 issue is very good, and uses a whole cup of basil. You can find the recipe here (http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?threadid=54504&highlight=white+AND+pizza).

[blazedog]

The Basil Shrimp mentioned earlier is fantastic and easy to make ahead and pop in the oven later.

I do an improvised saute of chicken, mushrooms, garlic, onion, canned artichokes and lots of basil added in the end when I don't want to think too much :D

I got the following recipe from the BB and have made it several times when I've scored the Thai Basil -- it really makes the dish.

Thai Mango Chicken Stirfry

1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 TB Thai fish sauce
2 TB mango nectar or light coconut milk
2 TB orange juice
1 TB peanut butter
1/2 tsp hot chili paste

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1 inch chunks
1 TB cornstarch
1 TB cold water
1 TB vegetable oil
1 TB chopped fresh ginger root
2 cloves garlic , minced
4 green onions chopped
1 1 inch piece of lemongrass (optional),tender part only, smashed and finely chopped
1 onion chopped
2 sweet red peppers in 1 inch pieces
1/4 lb mushrooms thickly sliced ( i left these out )
2 mangoes peeled cut into 1 inch chunks
1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro, thai basil or mint or a combination


In a small bowl whisk together hoisin through chili paste

In a large bowl toss chicken with cornstarch and water to coat
Heat oil in wok or non stick skillet - add chicken and stirfry until chicken about 3/4 cooked through

Add ginger, garlic green onions and lemongrass and stir fry until fragrant, about 30 sec
Add onion and red peppers stiry 2 minutes
Add mushrooms and cook for 1 minute.

Add mangoes and sauce .
Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes
and chopped herbs and remove from heat.


makes 4 to 6 servings

[ECS44]

Wow! Thanks for all the ideas!

[sassysu3]

Last year I was faced with a similar situation and I made batches of pesto to freeze for later use! YUM! I also froze the fresh leaves separately on a baking sheet, and then put them in freezer bags to use crumbled up in various recipes.
CL has a very good pesto recipe *somewhere*:p
Duh! I just reread your original post regarding pesto...what can I say...I'm blonde! :o

[kristalsnow7]

This recipe doesn't use that much basil, but it is very delicious!

GRILLED HALIBUT WITH LEMON-BASIL VINAIGRETTE



2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil or 3 teaspoons dried
2 teaspoons drained capers


4 5- to 6-ounce halibut steaks (about 3/4 inch thick)

Whisk lemon juice, olive oil, crushed garlic cloves and grated lemon peel in small bowl to blend. Stir in 2 tablespoons fresh basil and capers. Season vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 hour ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat) or preheat broiler. Season halibut steaks with salt and pepper. Brush fish with 1 tablespoon vinaigrette, dividing equally. Grill or broil halibut steaks until just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer fish to plates. Rewhisk remaining vinaigrette; pour over fish. Garnish fish with remaining 1 tablespoon basil and serve.

Serves 4.

Per serving: calories, 224: fat, 10 g; cholesterol, 45 mg; sodium, 125 mg.

Bon Appétit
July 1995

Cooking for Health

[Sarah45]

I have a recipe somewhere for Chicken Salad with Basil and Parmesan. DH loves it. I think I got it from allrecipes but here's the recipe.

---------- Export from PDACookbook

Title: Parmesan and Basil Chicken Salad
Categories: AllRecipes, Chicken, Repeat, Salads

2 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup chopped fresh basil
2 cloves crushed garlic
3 stalks celery, chopped
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 Season chicken with salt and pepper. Roast at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 35 minutes, or until juices run clear. Let cool, and chop into chunks.
2 In a food processor, puree the mayonnaise, basil, garlic, and celery.
3 Combine the chunked chicken, pureed mixture, and Parmesan cheese; toss. Refrigerate, and serve.

Note: I don't puree, just chop up ingrediants and mix together like normal chicken salad.

[Beth]

I do love that Shrimp with Feta and Orzo. If you have a sautuese or everyday pan (the kind with two half-loop handles and not a long one) yuo can make it in that instead of a foil pouch -- work just fine.

I'm going to try the Thai Chicken and Mango stir-fry -- sounds perfect for the summer and somehow I missed it before.

If anyone is interested in the basil jam/conserve ideas, let me know. I don't want to type them up if there's no interest in canning with the basil (but I'm tempted to try the jelly myself -- will post a review if I do).

[bobmark226]

Originally posted by Sarah45
I have a recipe somewhere for Chicken Salad with Basil and Parmesan. DH loves it


Thank you, Sarah, I think you just solved my dinner problem (with slight reduction in mayonnaise, natch!). And the chicken is already cooked, too.

BOB

[lorilei]

This is a great recipe, albeit not necessarily low-fat.

Italian macaroni And Cheese, With Sausage, Sun-Dried Tomatoes & [lotsa] Basil

Macaroni Ingredients:
1/2 lb. bulk hot Italian sausage
1 1/2 t prepared Oriental chili paste
(Note: There's just really no substitute for this, because it has such unique qualities. Most grocery stores carry a type of Oriental chili “sauce” in their Oriental sections. Many Korean Restaurants, however, serve and sell a really good Red Chili “paste”. Most “Oriental Groceries” carry this same Red Chili Paste, too.

5-6 sun-dried tomatoes, diced
1-2 T olive oil
1/2 lb. macaroni, cooked
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup freshly make bread crumbs
Vegetable oil cooking spray


Cheese Sauce
2 T butter
2 T flour
1 1/2 cups milk or non fat half and half
1 cup grated white cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste


For The Macaroni Cheese Sauce:
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.

Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until bubbly but not brown, about 2 minutes.

Add the hot milk, continuing to stir as the sauce thickens.

Bring to a boil and add salt and pepper to taste.

Lower the heat and whisk in the cheese. Cook stirring, 2 to 3 minutes more.

For The Macaroni Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Grease a 1 1/2 quart casserole with oil spray.

Cook sausage in a pan over medium-high heat. Drain off grease.

Stir in the chili paste.

Put the cooked macaroni, sausage, tomatoes, and basil into the casserole. Pour the cheese sauce over it and mix gently. Spread the crumbs over the top and spray with vegetable oil.

Bake, uncovered, until the top is browned and the sauce is bubbling, about 30 minutes.

Serves 4
(from New Italian Recipes)

___________________________________

And here's a favorite shrimp recipe of mine -- really pretty served on a bed of rice with even MORE basil, lemon, & parsley.


2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 lemons, juiced
3 tablespoons coarse grained prepared mustard
4 ounces minced fresh basil
2 tablespoons mined red peppers
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt to taste
1 pinch white pepper
3 pounds fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined

In a shallow, non-porous dish or bowl, mix together olive oil and melted butter. Then stir in lemon juice, mustard, basil, peppers, and garlic, and season with salt and white pepper. Add shrimp, and toss to coat. Cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat grill to high heat. Remove shrimp from marinade, and thread on skewers.

Lightly oil grate, and arrange skewers on grill. Cook for 4 minutes, turning once, until done.


__________________________________________________ _

And, just in case you end up making mounds of pesto... here are some great concepts for using it all up!!

[list=1]
Combine it with low-fat cream cheese with a bit of garlic, and sundried tomatoes...great as a spread for crostini, or as a sandwich topping with cucumbers/tomatoes/etc.
Toss pesto with white beans and vidalia onions, serve this concoction hot on a bed of fresh spinach.
Mix pesto with vegetable broth, toss in whatever veggies you have in the fridge with some pasta... and oila! soup.
Find the juiciest beefsteak tomato you can...slice in half, slather with pesto, broil till bubbly. messy, but with a good quality tomato--- more than worth the mess!
Fill mushroom caps with pesto plus a cheese (the pesto cream cheese mixture in #1 is good for this) sprinkle with bread crumbs and broil.
Pesto and potatoes: On baked potatoes, swirled into mashed potatoes, mixed into homefried potatoes, used as a dipping sauce for French fries. Use instead of mayo for potato salad.
Blend the pesto with vinegar and oil, or your favorite vinaigrette, and use as salad dressing
Thin it and use as a marinade for tofu, potatoes and veggies, then grill.
Use it for garlic bread filling or smear over homemade bread before it comes out of the oven as a glaze
Sliced ripe tomatoes layered on a plate with pesto, and fresh waterpacked mozzarella.
[/list=1]

[hollysmom]

Some alternative PESTO thoughts...

I made up a bunch of pesto and froze it in ice cube trays then took the cubes and put them in a ziploc bag. When I want to flavor something, but don't want a real 'pesto' sauce, I toss in a cube.

Pesto or pesto cubes would make good Christmas presents!

SSM

[hAndyman]

that uses lots of basil, from Charlie@Gail's; it's very flavourful, and helps use up zucchini as a bonus!


CONCIA OF ZUCCHINI

3 medium green zucchini -- about 1 pound
3 medium yellow zucchini -- about 1 pound
1/4 cup virgin olive oil
6 medium cloves garlic -- peeled and finely minced
2 bunches fresh basil -- chiffonaded (finely sliced) to yield 1 cup
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
a porcelain or glass deep dish pie pan

Trim green and yellow zucchini at both ends and slice lengthwise into pieces 1/4-inch thick. Heat olive oil in a deep flying pan until just smoking. Cook 5 or 6 pieces of zucchini at a time until golden brown, turning once, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove pieces and drain on paper towels. Continue with remaining zucchini until finished.
In a mixing bowl, lightly stir together garlic, basil, salt and pepper until well mixed. Place several pieces of zucchini on bottom of pie dish until base is covered. Sprinkle zucchini with I to 1-1/2 tablespoons herb mixture as evenly as possible and spritz with 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar. Continue layering zucchini and herb mixture until zucchini is finished and cover with plastic. Refrigerate 2 hours before serving. To serve, remove piece by piece and serve over freshly grilled bread.

Cheers! Andy