Roasted Cauliflower with Basil 烤花椰菜

My goal in the kitchen has always been consistent - to simplify cooking as much as possible, yet the kind of quick and easy cooking that yields the best possible flavors.


This year, our small-space garden has transformed from a previously "vegetable-centric" garden to one predominant with herbs and chili. Basil, thyme and rosemary are three herbs that has grown quite well in our garden space. In addition, basil is very easy to propagate by "cuttings", so naturally we had more than enough basil to spare for what my cooking (or rather, my pesto) can accommodate.

As the essential oils e.g. eugenol in basil are highly volatile, it is best to add the herbs near the end of the cooking process, so it will retain its maximum essence and flavor.

Okay, to step out of the pesto-zone, I am going to try something else today, with basil.

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Pesto Pita Bites 青酱脆饼

Finger-friendly snack bites that will definitely please a crowd and even better, make a crowd envious of this homemade pesto. These pesto pita bites are one of the easiest hors d’oeuvres to make, and they are delectable.


This Italian oil-and-herb sauce with basil's flavonoids and volatile oils - eugenol and rosmarinic acid, boost brain production of dopamine and serotonin therefore lifting up your mood. Basil is also a good source of vitamin K and manganese.


The other healthy ingredient in this pesto is walnuts. This pesto sauce is packed with Omega-3 good fats. Walnuts is a terrific source of protein, but it may not be easy to unlock the energy from the nuts as they are covered in phytates. Phytates is an indigestible plant compound that inhibits our enzymes from fully digesting nuts. By soaking the nuts in purified water overnight, you will rinse away phytates and make the nuts, including the key energy-booster nutrients, more digestible.

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Basil Walnut Pesto 罗勒/九层塔核桃青酱

The basil in our garden (picture, left) is flourishing beautifully, and it is just one basil plant. We will call it "the parent basil" for now. As he read that basil is easy to propagate from cuttings, he also tried to propagate two or three other basil plants from the cuttings of the parent basil.

"Stop!" was what I told him - to not propagate the basil as I do not use basil very often in my cooking.

Meantime, while the newly propagated basil plants are still rooting, I gotta find more ways to use the parent basil before it is "taken away" by winter in a few months time.


Without question, one of the easiest ways to use up the abundance of basil is to make pesto. I have shunned away from the expensive pine nuts and opted for walnuts for this pesto.

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Container Gardening - Herbs, Chili, Watercress

At almost the same time August last year, there was a variety of tomato plants and vegetables e.g. kale and Swiss chard growing in our backyard. After a year, some minor changes have taken place and this is the current garden update.

Due to the lack of full sun for long duration especially at the raised bed location, we have cut down on the growing of leafy green vegetables this year, and shifted our growing efforts to container gardening: fruits such as blueberries and pomegranates, vegetable/fruits e.g. watercress, different types of chili, and herbs such as basil, rosemary and thyme.

Herbs - basil, rosemary, thyme

These basil, rosemary, thyme are not grown from seeds, but bought as potted herbs from the nursery. They have survived and flourished. Herbs such as basil and rosemary have also been propagated successfully via stem cuttings.

For all of our chili plants, we have caged them as what you would do to a tomato plant, and have netted around the cage to prevent birds from eating the chili. The use of a reflective pinwheel also works to minimize pests and to prevent birds from eating the chili.

Thai Dragon Chili - bought as a plant from the nursery without fruits. It is now fruiting nicely and some chili have turned red with time.

Dragon Chili

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Watermelon Basil Salad 西瓜九层塔沙拉

I spotted yellow-flesh watermelon in the Asian grocery store last week and could not resist as I have not had yellow-flesh watermelon for a long time. Also known as Yellow Crimson, yellow-flesh watermelon is also popularly known as 小玉西瓜 in Taiwan.

Ok. Great. Now I have two watermelons at home (before buying the yellow-flesh watermelon, there is already another watermelon at home!) - maybe I can do something different?

The other ingredient that I have in excess right now is fresh basil (in a pot) which I bought from Whole Foods Market, a couple of weeks back.



In my mind, I wanted to combine watermelon and basil in a salad and as I searched the Internet, the recipe from Chef Marcus Samuelsson stood out - just what I was looking for in terms of availability of ingredients and ease of execution.

Watermelon, fresh basil, extra-virgin olive oil, salt and ground black pepper were called for.  I left out the olive oil and the salad was still as refreshing and bright.


Watermelon Basil Salad - 西瓜九层塔沙拉 - this is really a super simple salad combining the taste of sweet (watermelon), spice (black pepper), freshness (basil), balanced with just a little salt.

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Black pepper basil beef - Lemony, peppery, vanilla and a symbol of love

I do not blog about herbs as often as plants and vegetables in WHB. This time, I'm going for
herbs in Weekend Herb Blogging (WHB) is at #107 at Kalyn's Kitchen. A common herb , fresh or dried, found in our kitchens - BASIL. There is already an abundance of knowledge and facts shared about basil, so how about some myths and folklore?

There are some ancient herbalists claimed that basil damaged the internal organs and the eyes while others argued that basil was good both as a condiment and for a variety of medical purposes. including relieving flatulence. These are just two opposing school of thoughts argued in herbal medicine through the years. Oh...most of us love basil, isn't it? We aren't going to believe anything with no scientific hardcore evidence. We will continue to like basil and use them appropriately in our dishes.


In folklore as in medicine, basil also has a reputation for both evil and good. Evil as in associated with the legendary reptile known as basilisk, whose breath and glance could kill. Good, as a symbol of love, cherished as a protection against witchcraft.


Black Pepper Basil Beef
Ingredients:
-Beef sirloin (slice and fillet against the grain)
-Handful of fresh basil
-Black pepper

Marinate:
-2tsp oyster sauce
-1tsp dark soy
-1tsp sesame oil
-1tbsp black pepper
-cornflour
-egg

Directions:
1. Marinate beef slices for at least 2hrs in the fridge.
2. Heat pan with oil at low-medium heat. Add in marinated beef and stir fry beef slices over medium-high heat till athey start to turn color
3. Add basil leaves to beef and complete cooking about 2mins
4. Dish up and serve immediately

In cooked recipes it is generally added at the last moment, as cooking quickly destroys the meal. In other food cultures such as in Taiwan, fresh basil leaves are added into thick soups (羹湯, pronounced geng tang). They also eat fried chicken with deep-fried basil leaves.

The Thais also use basil in stir-fries eg. in a dish like Kai Pad Bai Kaprow- Thai Basil chicken.


What are the basil flavors in this? Lemony...peppery...vanilla

Good basil flavor and fragrance, well-balanced with the black pepper marinated beef.
It's so yummy! You must try this. You don't have to get your ingredients from any specialty store.

Tag: basil beef, basil, beef