Creamy basil pesto dip from scratch

Mmm, don’t you just love fresh basil? It’s definitely one of my favourite herbs and I’m pretty sure I could eat pesto for months and not get sick of it—especially fresh, homemade pesto! Perhaps the only thing I love more is sushi, which I’m munching on while writing this lunchtime update.

I wish I could say that this basil was from my own garden, but alas I seem to be struggling to coax anything to grow except for my two gorgeous zucchini plants. Ah well. Summer has been taking its time arriving in Australia, so perhaps there is time yet for oodles of home-grown veggies and herbs!

This basil pesto dip was so easy to whip up before having guests over, and tasted great the next day too. The best part is that it isn’t made from pre-made pesto, so you have control over all of the ingredients and can adjust them to your taste. Enjoy!

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Edited: November 6th, 2011

Chilled Corn & Bean Salad with Chicken

This chilled corn and bean salad with chicken is a result of one of those nights when you have some stuff in your fridge and it just kind of sits there and stares at you, and you know that you have to eat some of it but you aren’t sure what, how, or why. You wouldn’t think that this is a problem that I face frequently, but it happens more often than I enjoy. However, once you hone in on a couple ingredients and skim through a cookbook or two (or ten), some really yummy dishes can result!

If you’re stuck for dinner one night or want a recipe that’s pretty fail-safe, give this a go! It’s pretty quick and cost effective besides.

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Edited: September 22nd, 2010

Lemon Allspice Cookies

These gorgeous little cookies are crisp and fresh, with a delicate amount of spice balanced wonderfully by the tart lemon. I’ve been making them since I was a wee teen, and I actually remember the day I clipped the recipe out of what was likely a Canadian Living magazine, and taped it to the inside of the cabin cookbook—the family cookbook which I now call my own. And since then, I’ve messed them up a few times, too—forgetting the egg, the baking powder, or both! And surprisingly, they’ve still worked out wonderfully. So perhaps I should call these “fool-proof” cookies!

These lemon allspice cookies can be made fresh, or the dough can be rolled and kept in your freezer as icebox cookies for when you need them. Enjoy!

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Edited: September 6th, 2010

Baked Lemon Pudding

Lemons lemons lemons! This is another Thrifty Kitchen recipe, and one which I was able to whip up when we had a few guests over for dinner and had plenty of mouths to feed. It’s as simple as whipping a few ingredients together and combining with egg whites. The lemon makes this dessert neither too sweet nor too heavy; just smooth and simple and a great way to finish off a meal such as a Roasted Veg Tortilla Stack or perhaps after a curry.

This dessert is part way between a pudding and a cake, which is quite a treat. It’ll be golden and cake-y on top, but smooth and saucy on the bottom. Serve with a dollop of the lemon spread you’ve already made, or with some custard, cream, or even some full-fat yoghurt. Yum!

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Edited: July 11th, 2010