Farfalle with Basil Pesto

Ingredients:

·         1 Box of whole wheat Farfalle Pasta (or any other short grain pasta)

·         2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed (you can substitute this with other fresh herbs!)

·         1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese

·         1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

·         1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts

·         3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced

·         Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Procedure:

1.      Cook pasta according to package

2.      Meanwhile, combine the herbs and the nuts in a food processor, then pulse a few times. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.)

3.      Add the garlic, amd pulse a few times more.

4.      Slowly drizzle in olive oil while the food processor is on, until it’s a creamy paste. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula.

5.       Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

6.      Drain the pasta, and serve with the pesto warm or at room temp. garnish with basil, tomatoes and cheese. Enjoy!

Safiha ( syrian Pizza )

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sized onion, diced
• about 3/4 cup parsley, minced
• 1 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon of ground pepper
• 3 medium sized tomatoes. diced
• 1 lb ground beef

Procedure: 

1. preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
2. Add diced onions, parsley, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and mash with hands in a strainer over a plate.
3. Add in tomatoes and mix gently, allowing the juices to go through the strainer.
4. Add in ground beef, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and mix so that the mixture is evenly distributed.
5. After flattening dough into medium individual pizza's, grab a handful of the mixture, spread the mixture gently all over the pizza, then start pressing it down onto the dough. Remember that ground beef decreases in size when baked, so be generous with the amount of mixture that you add. 
6. place in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until bottom is golden brown. 

    

Coconut Espresso Fudge

Hey Guys! I know you must think I'm crazy for post a fudge recipe on Homemade... and Secretly Delicious since it's not a very healthy snack. Nevertheless, every once in a while you need to satisfy that chocolate craving. And rather then eating store bought fudge with ingredients you can't even pronounce, try our Coconut Espresso Fudge. I've changed up the recipe so that it over all contains no added sugar and less fat. Also, if you are not a fan of coconut or Arabic espresso is not available to you, then by all means add your own flavors! Hope you enjoy ;)

Ingredients:

• 1 can fat free sweetened condensed milk
• Dark chocolate chips
• Semi-Sweet chocolate chips
• Arabic Espresso
• Shredded coconut

Procedure:

1. Place a sauce pan on the stove but do not turn on the stove. Pour the condensed milk in the sauce pan and add in one cup of dark chocolate chips and one cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips.
2. Turn the stove on to medium and the let the chocolate melt. Once it is completely melted, turn off your stove and add 1 Tbsp of Arabic espresso, and 2 cups of shredded coconut. Mix all the ingredients well.
3. Line the bottom of a 9 inch square baking pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick spray. Then pour in the fudge and smooth out the surface. Let the fudge cool to room temperature then place it in the fridge for 3 hours.
4. Once it has fully hardened, cut the fudge into small peices of your desired size and serve.

Grilled Greek Pizza

Ingredients:

Dough:

·         4 cups All-purpose flour

·         12 Oz warm water

·         1 Tbsp dry active yeast

·         2 tsp sugar

·         1 Tbsp Vegetable oil

·         1 tsp salt

Toppings:

·         2 Tomatoes, thinly sliced

·         5 Mushrooms, thinly sliced

·         1 cup Olives, Pitted and halved

·         2 cups Leeks, roughly chopped

·         1 cup Feta cheese, crumbled

·         Sauce (tomato, pesto, olive oil…get creative!)

·         2 Cloves of Garlic, minced

·         Dried Basil, Thyme and Oregano (any blend of spices is fine)

·         Salt and Black Pepper.

Procedure:

1.      On a clean, smooth counter, pour 4 cups of flour. With your fingers, make a wide well in the middle of the flour.

2.      In the well, add the water, yeast and sugar and stir the mixture with your fingers without breaking the walls of the well. Wait for a few minutes, then add the oil and the salt.

3.      Slowly, start to mix the flour into the water mixture. When the water mixture becomes solid enough so that it won’t separate, break the walls of the well and bring the dough together. Do not worry if there is some access flour on the counter, it will be absorbed by the dough in the kneading process.

4.      To knead the dough, push the dough away from you with your palms, fold it back over and repeat. Do this for 30 seconds.

5.      Form the dough into a ball and put it into a bowl with some oil or flour under it so that it won’t stick. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and put it in some place warm, like the microwave or oven. Leave the dough to rise for an hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

6.      While the dough is rising, prepare the rest of the ingredients such as your vegetables, the feta cheese and your spices. Also have the grill ready to use.

7.      When the dough is ready, roll it out on a floured counter and divide the dough into balls the size of your fist, then let them rise for another 20 minutes.

8.      Roll each dough ball out into about 6 inches in diameter. (They don’t have to be perfect).

9.      Place them on an oiled grill on medium heat and don’t move them until one minute, or until small bubbles form. Flip and grill for just 20 to 30 seconds and remove from heat.

10.  Spread your favorite sauce, pesto, or olive oil over the grilled dough and sprinkle the spices, salt and pepper on top according to your taste.

11.  Spread all the prepared veggies in the way you like them, and then sprinkle the crumbled cheese.   

12.  In a preheated toaster or oven on medium heat, place the pizzas in for 30 seconds just until the cheese melts. Enjoy!

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