DiBruno Bros in Philly

Ever go to DiBruno Bros in downtown Philly? It's at Chestnut and 18th St. They make some pretty amazing food! I discovered this salad last summer and have figured out on my own how to make it. It's actually a small round pasta!

ISRAELI (Pearl) COUSCOUS

1 cup Israeli Couscous
1-1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp Canola Oil
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup toasted almonds
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 diced red pepper
1/4 cup dried apricots, cut into quarters
basil or cilantro leaves (whichever you prefer)

Saute couscous in oil for a minute or two. Add curry, salt and pepper. Toast for a minute or two. Add water and bring to a boil - reduce heat and simmer 10 min covered.

Add remaining ingredients except for basil (or cilantro) and almonds. Stir those in just before serving. I just throw in a handful of basil or cilantro. I mostly use the basil in the summer when I grow it and cilantro in the winter that I purchase at the store. Give it a try!

About 4 servings. Serve warm, cold or at room temp. Great with grilled chicken or fish.

DELISH!

Bellissimo!

Beautiful Sun Sugar and Sun Gold tomatoes out of our garden made this wonderful dish. I also added some fragrant Basil from the garden as well. Serve this over small sliced toasted baguette with a "schmear" of cream cheese or better yet, Goat cheese! The original recipe comes from Better Homes and Gardens and calls for mint instead of basil.

SLOW BAKED TOMATOES WITH GARLIC AND BASIL

1-1/2 lb cherry or grape tomatoes
1/4 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
7 cloves garlic, peeled, split lengthwise
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 to 2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Wash and drain tomatoes. Pat dry.

In 2 quart baking dish place tomatoes in single layer. Pour EVOO so they are coated and there is a thin layer of oil on bottom of dish. Toss in garlic, salt and pepper.

Bake, uncovered, for 45 to 60 minutes or until skins split and soften but tomatoes retain their shape.

Serve, hot, warm or at room temp. Spoon or mash over slices of toasted bread and serve with goat cheese.

Notes: After they cooled I added the fresh basil and I also chopped the garlic small. DELISH!

Homemade Basil Pesto!

I made my own Basil Pesto today. The basil was out of our garden. It is soooo good. I'm thinking I might take what is left over after I make dinner and mix it with some cream cheese and serve it with crackers! It is absolutely wonderful....I won't be buying pesto anymore. I found the recipe on line.

The recipe comes from Pickyourown.org

2 cups basil, packed
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts (I used walnuts)
3 garlic cloves
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil

Put everything except for the EVOO in your food processor. Pulse until it forms a paste. Begin to add the EVOO. I added a little salt and pepper at the end. DELISH!