Arugula Pesto

I'm having a moment with Pesto. It's always been my favorite of all the condiments and lately I CANNOT STOP. We always, always, always had homemade pesto on hand growing up and I used to find the small spoons out of the silverware drawer and sneak tastes.

Pesto for breakfast, pesto for lunch and pesto for dinner please. 

For breakfast on eggs and avocado, for lunch on a lettuce wrap and for dinner on naked burgers with a giant slice of ripe tomato and fresh mozzarella. The main components are something green, something nutty (NUTS), a little garlic and a lot of olive oil. Many recipes call for grated parmesan but I've been leaving that out and not missing it one bit- making it Paleo and Whole30 friendly, too! This also makes it better for freezing if you make a bigger batch and don't sneak it by the spoonful straight from the fridge. 

Arugula gives this pesto a spicy and nutty punch alongside the usual suspects of basil and olive oil. I opted for walnuts and added fresh lemon juice to brighten it all up. Pesto forever!

Arugula Pesto

1 cup fresh basil leaves

2 cups baby arugula

2 cloves garlic

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

olive oil

juice of 1/2 large lemon

salt + pepper to taste. 

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the garlic and nuts until finely chopped. Add the arugula and basil. While the processor is going, add the olive oil in a slow drizzle, until you reach the desired consistency. Finish with fresh lemon juice and pulse a few more times. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Cobb Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

This salad is, by my standards, perfect. Crisp arugula and lettuce topped with fresh vegetables, grilled chicken, creamy avocados and a bonus- crispy bacon. Tossed together with a light vinaigrette, it's a salad that leaves you feeling satisfied. 

Mark and I both LOVED this and agreed that it needs to make a regular appearance on our dinner menus! Chicken for me, bacon for him and everything else that we love all tossed together.

Here's a healthy salad recipe to start your week off in the best way!

Cobb Salad with Basil Vinaigrette
recipe from Against All Grain

Chicken-
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, crushed
salt + pepper

Basil Vinaigrette-
1/4 cup Pour Olive Aged Dark Balsamic or red wine vinegar
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1/3 cup Pour Olive Basil Extra Virgin Olive Oil or other good olive oil
1 Tbsp. honey
2 garlic cloves, crushed
6 basil leaves, chopped
salt + pepper

Salad- 
Romaine lettuce, chopped
Arugula
tomato, chopped
avocado, chopped 
artichoke hearts, chopped
hard boiled eggs, sliced
avocado, diced
bacon, crumbled
grilled chicken, sliced

Marinate chicken for at least 4 hours or overnight. Grill on medium heat on a grill pan for 8 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 170 degrees on the thickest part.

For the dressing, place all ingredients in a bowl, minus the olive oil and mix together. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until well incorporated.

Assemble salads individually. Serve sliced grilled chicken on the top and finish with a drizzle of dressing.

Lemon Basil Cookies

Last night I enjoyed a lovely evening with some of my best friends. Sometimes, there is nothing better than a girls night to renew and refresh your spirit! I have missed these girls so much and nights like these are one of the many reasons why my heart is so happy to be back in The Queen City. 

A girls dinner always calls for dessert and I was happy to whip something up to enjoy after our wine, appetizers and Meredith's incredible Autumn chopped salad! I knew that I wanted to make something light and refreshing so I started with a little lemon. I made a homemade lemon sorbetto but wanted something else to go with it. I spotted a fresh bunch of basil that had been sitting in my fridge neglected for a few days and then a lightbulb went off. I grabbed some more lemons, browsed a few recipes and my lemon basil cookies were born! They are soft and slightly chewy with bright citrus notes and hint of basil. The flavors are light and yield a creation barely sweet enough to even be considered a cookie. A perfect pairing to the lemon sorbetto and a sweet ending to a wonderful night, if I do say so myself.

Lemon Basil Cookies

2 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
4 Tbsp. butter, room temperature
1 1/4powdered sugar, plus more for rolling cookies prior to baking
1/4 cup lemon juice (about 1.5 lemons, juiced)
Zest of one lemon
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, very finely chopped
3 egg whites

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix together butter and powdered sugar until mixture is creamy. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, and basil. Mix until just incorporated.

While mixing on medium speed, slowly add flour and baking soda mixture to the mixing bowl. The cookie dough will be crumbly- that's okay!

In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites until light and fluffy. Gently fold egg whites into cookie dough, this will moisten the dough. Form the dough into a ball and refrigerate for an hour or stick in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Using a regular sized spoon, scoop out dough and roll into a ball. Roll each ball in powdered sugar and flatten with your hands. 

Place cookies on a greased baking sheet or parchment paper. Bake 11-13 minutes. Serve with an additional dusting of powdered sugar and lemon zest if desired.

Bon Appetite: Favorite Summer Meal

My idea of a perfect summer meal is something that can be assembled in minutes and includes garden fresh produce with lots of color and flavor. Jenn is hosting a recipe exchange today and since I just enjoyed this favorite Summer dish with my family this weekend, I thought it was just perfect timing! I've shared this one before, but I can't help but always go back to it. This Summer pasta dish makes me feel all kinds of happiness inside and it just tastes better when its eaten at my parents' house. (especially when the pasta is homemade)


Juicy garden tomatoes, freshly picked basil and sauted garlic tossed with good olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper tossed on a bed of linguine or paparadelle pasta. You all know how I feel about the tomato basil marriage. This is also the kind of recipe that is impossible to mess up. It really is a perfect summer meal. 

Pasta with Tomatoes & Basil

1 lb. linguine or paparadelle pasta
Several ripe tomatoes, diced into medium sized pieces
1/2 cup fresh basil, chiffonade
Fresh garlic cloves (minced)- I use several, around 4-5, but adjust this to your taste
Good olive oil
Splash of red wine vinegar
Salt & pepper
Romano cheese, for serving


Dice tomatoes into medium sized pieces, and place in a large bowl. In a heavy bottom sauce pan, saute garlic and olive oil (a few swirls of the pan) until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Pour warm oil & garlic mixture over tomatoes. Add basil, salt, pepper and a splash of red wine vinegar. Let this sit and marinate for at least 30 minutes.


Cook pasta according to the instructions on the package. Drain and toss with tomatoes and basil. Serve with freshly grated Romano cheese. Red pepper flakes kicks it up a notch, too!


Click on over to Jenn's blog hop to find others' favorite summer recipes or share one of your own!

Roasted Eggplant and Tomatoes + Lemon Basil Pesto

Just look at the goodness on this plate. After discovering this eggplant recipe that was repinned on Pinterest over 100,000 times, my sister Natalie and I were inspired to make an eggplant and tomato creation of our own. We roasted the eggplant, sliced up some juicy tomatoes and with the fresh basil from my mom's garden, we made a quick lemon basil pesto to brush on each layer. 

Simple and fresh. Just like summertime food should be.

Roasted Eggplant and Tomatoes + Lemon Basil Pesto

1 eggplant, sliced

2 large tomatoes, sliced

1 cup basil leaves

1 clove garlic

Juice of one lemon

1/8 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling and brushing

Salt and pepper, to season

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Slice eggplant and line on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and let the slices sit for at least 15 minutes. You will see tiny water droplets form on the slices- this removes the bitterness from the eggplant. Pat dry with a paper towel.

Brush each slice with olive oil on either side and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes.

To make the pesto, place basil, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Adjust taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice, and consistency with more olive oil.

Slice tomatoes, and arrange on a platter, alternating with slices of eggplant. Top each eggplant slice with a teaspoon of pesto. Finish with fresh cracked pepper and a drizzle of olive oil over the entire platter.

Pure Summer Love

Summer is officially here, although I feel as though it's been with us for the past two months. Besides bright toenail polish, Carolina coast vacations and summer dresses galore, summer brings with it a whole lot of fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs that make their way into the kitchen and onto the breakfast, lunch and dinner plates. Farmer's markets are popping up everywhere and the produce in the grocery store looks extra juicy. Healthy cooking is truly at its best when Summer arrives.

I tossed together my favorite summer pasta recipe last week- it's pure happiness in a pasta bowl. This recipe was posted back in 2009 and is a Nido family staple. It never goes out of style. There is nothing better than fresh tomatoes, basil and garlic tossed with fresh paparadelle or linguine, otherwise known as the holy trinity.

Happy Summer!