Basil Pesto: Fish Pasta

An easy to prepare Basil Pesto Fish pasta.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup Basil leaves
• 2/3 cup Walnuts
• 4 pieces Garlic gloves
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup Grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 pinch salt
• 3 tablespoons Olive oil, for grilling
• 4 pieces Tilapia fillet
• 8 cups Whole Wheat pasta, cooked

Method

Basil Pesto:

1. Combine basil, walnuts and garlic in a food processor or blender and blend until ingredients are chopped finely. It may be necessary to clean up sides two to three times to get everything chopped evenly.
2. Add oil slowly (1/3 cup at a time) and blend. Add remaining oil and blend.
3. Transfer mixture to a bowl and add parmesan cheese. Stir to mix.
4. Taste and add salt only if necessary.

Basil Pesto Fish Pasta:

1. Reheat pasta in salted hot water and set aside.
2. Coat fish with 1 tablespoon pesto and grill both sides until done. Transfer to paper towel to drain oil from fish.
3. Slice fish into strips.
4. Combine pesto and pasta. Top with fish strips and serve.

Chicken and Mushroom Pies

A tested way to bake a chicken and mushroom pie.

Ingredients

• 500 g. chicken thighs, cut into 2 cm. dice
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 3 tsp. butter
• 1 leek, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 150 g. Swiss brown mushrooms, sliced
• 3 tsp. dry white wine
• 2 tsp. plain (all-purposed) flour
• 250 ml. chicken stock
• 125 ml. cream
• 2 tsp. chopped parsley
• 1 tsp. finely chopped sage
• 2 sheets butter puff pastry
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Procedure

1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan and cook the chicken in two batches over high heat for 3-4 minutes each batch, until lightly browned but not cooked all the way through. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon.

2. Melt the butter in the same pan and cook the leek and garlic over low heat for 6-8 minutes, or until soft. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 6-8 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan. Add the wine and boil for 2-3 minutes, or until nearly all the wine has evaporated. Sprinkle the flour over the top, stir for 1 minute, then add the stock and cream. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and the sauce has reduced and thickened. Season to taste, remove from the heat and cool. Stir in the parsley and sage.

3. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees Centigrade. To make individual pot pies, divide the mixture among four 315 ml. ramekins. Cut four 12 cm. rounds from the pastry, brush the ramekins rims with a little beaten egg, then place the pastry lids on top. Press the rims down firmly to seal. Cut out the pastry scraps and decorate the tops , if you wish brush with egg and cut three steam holes in each pie with a sharp knife. Bake on the bottom shelf for 15-20 minutes, until the pastry is golden.

Prep. Time: 25 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Serves 4