Basil Ideas

I have a very healthy basil plant; actually, two! A Thai basil plant on one side of the house and an Italian basil plant on the other. They are both growing so well that I needed to come up with some ideas for using it.

Of course, pesto, like MagicKitchen.com’s Spinach Mushroom Lasagna With Light Pesto Sauce and Pesto and Cheese Flatbread  is always a great idea, and I did that, although with pecans instead of pine nuts, for a rich, decadent taste.

I also did stuffed basil leaves: put a little piece of goat cheese on a piece of basil, drizzle it with extra-virgin olive oil or a little liquid honey, and sprinkle with finely chopped pecans or walnuts. Wow.

If you have some Thai red Curry paste and a little coconut milk, mix those together to taste and heat it up. Add chicken broth to thin a little, then toss in some shrimp or diced chicken. Cook till done, and add a handful of chopped Thai basil- serve over rice.

Epicurious has this great recipe for Tomato, Mozzarella & Thai Basil Crostini.

Basil is amazing on a light cheese pizza. A thin crust, a drizzle of good olive oil, a thin layer of flavorful cheese like smoked  provolone, some sliced roma tomatoes – bake until done and sprinkle with fresh basil.

Basil butter- process basil, butter and fresh garlic in a food processor to taste. Put tablespoons-full on a cookie sheet and freeze. Once frozen, put into a plastic freezer bag. Use it on top of steak, to flavor vegetables, to flavor a sauce, or to fry eggs.

Melody, MagicKitchen.com blogger