Symphony of Flavours

Symphony of Flavours

I don't normally post "meals", but this one came together so beautifully both in flavours and visual impact. I confess I have been watching a lot of Masterchef lately, and it is inspiring me!
The meal above is pan-seared chicken with parsley-chimmichurri jasmine rice, cauliflower and corn puree, and a peach/red onion and cilantro salsa.

Cauliflower-Corn Puree: The puree was the starting point for me and I built the meal around it. In the blender: one whole cauliflower, broken into florets and steamed until tender. One can of corn (yes, fresh would be even better!) sautéed first in a pan with a few nobs of butter, one clove of garlic and a pinch of salt. About a cup and a half of cream/milk mixture, scalded. Add about half the cream/milk at first, then adding just enough to make a puree (you don't want to turn it into soup!).
Pulse in blender until smooth, adjust seasoning.  Silky and so flavourful!!

Chicken:  Breasts seasoned simply with garlic, thyme, salt and pepper, sautéed over medium high heat to get nice colour.

Rice: I was concerned that the plate would look too monotone so I whipped up a parsley chimmichurri and stirred that in to the Jasmine rice, along with some chopped fresh parsley.

Chimichurri: Chopped parsley, toasted walnuts, a touch of cilantro, a touch of chilli sauce, olive oil,  touch of lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Place all in blender and blend until smooth.

Salsa: Diced peach, red onion, and fresh coarsely chopped cilantro,  tied together with a touch of olive oil, fresh lemon juice and salt.

I LOVE fruit salsas to go along with chicken and fish, and will use whatever fruit I have on hand: mango, peach, nectarine, apple, etc  I will also sometimes use parsley in place of the cilantro, and sometimes add corn...It becomes a beautiful bright note on the plate, and adds some wonderful texture as well.

Another "Favourite Thing"

Two words: Parsley Pesto. Not a new idea, but a great one.

After Thanksgiving, I ended up with a big bunch of parsley that didn't get used because the sore ran out of squash, so I couldn't use my squash recipe...what to do with it?

Parsley has been unfairly relegated to the "garnish" corner of the kitchen! A sprig here, a sprinkle there, decorating the plate, bringing a splash of colour with no expectation nor appreciation of the fabulous flavour it possesses.
I am not providing a recipe per se, as you are all smart/wise/inventive/experienced enough to either track down any basic pesto recipe, or have already made pesto yourself (likely with the classic, Basil).
Wing it.  It is hard to screw up.


My ingredients (this time, and next time they may vary):
Bunch of flat-leaf spinach
4 cloves garlic
About 1/2 cup toasted almonds
About 1 cup olive oil (extra virgin if you can)
Salt and Pepper

I used my NutriBullet to whip these up. It took a bit of doing, but got there. I didn't add enough olive oil to begin with and so it had trouble combining, but once the ratio was correct everything combined and the almonds pulverized perfectly. (Those of you with food processors would not have a problem)

It is the flavour that is outstanding. Bright and fresh and "Umami"/savoury. Gorgeous. And the colour! WOW!
I used it first on the lasagna I made the other day, mixed in with the ricotta (and pureed cauliflower : shhh, don't tell the kids!), and also dolloped on top of the lasagna when re-heating.
Another day I had it spooned on top of baked Sole fillets, stirred into cooked rice, spread on the inside of a grilled cheese, tossed with lightly sauteed zucchini as a side-dish... The possibilities are all there, and the flavour just elevates whatever you pair it with...except desserts, according to my favourite cookbook, "The Flavour Bible". (Get it, it's good)

Buy some. Whip it up. Toss it with anything.
Put the rest in a small jar and pour enough olive oil to just cover the top to retain the gorgeous colour, Store in fridge.