In the Kitchen With Jesse and Sabrina McLeod

 in Favorite Recipes / Now Magazines by

These recipes were contributed by Jesse and Sabrina McLeod, a Burleson resident, and originally appeared in the BurlesonNOW August 2015 issue.

Fresh Basil Pesto 

  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
  • 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
  • 3 medium-size garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese, freshly grated
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  1. Combine basil with nuts in a food processor and pulse a few times. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times before adding the basil.) Add garlic. Pulse a few more times.
  2. Slowly add olive oil in a constant stream, while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add grated cheese and pulse again, until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
  3. Serve with your favorite bread, toast or crackers as an appetizer or toss with gnocchi, pasta or grilled, diced meat as an entrée.

 

Pasta Carbonara

  • A 10-minute meal that tastes gourmet.
  • 1 lb. smoked bacon, diced
  • 1 white onion, diced
  • 4 Tbsp. butter
  • 2 tsp. black pepper (divided use)
  • 1/2 lb. spaghetti, cooked
  • 3 oz. chicken stock
  • 7 eggs
  • 1 oz. heavy whipping cream
  • 1-2 cups Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
  1. Combine the first three ingredients in a skillet, cover with a lot of pepper and sauté.
  2. Add cooked spaghetti to skillet and cook until all the butter and bacon grease has absorbed into pasta.
  3. Add chicken stock and stir.
  4. Break eggs into a bowl. Add whipping cream. Break the yolks and mix a bit, but do not whip.
  5. Take skillet off fire. This way, when adding eggs they will not scramble.
  6. Constantly stir until pasta is fully coated.
  7. Add Parmesan and additional pepper to taste. Serve while hot and steaming.

 

Japanese-style Sesame Green Beans

  • 1 Tbsp. canola oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
  • 1 lb. fresh green beans, washed
  • 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
  1. Warm a large skillet or wok over medium heat until hot. Pour in both oils. Place whole green beans into skillet, stirring to coat them with oil. Cook until bright green and slightly browned in spots, about 10 minutes.
  2. Remove from heat, stir in soy sauce, cover and let sit 5 minutes.
  3. Transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

 

Sesame Ginger Chicken

  • 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. honey
  • 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted
  • 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
  • 2 green onions, with tops, cut into thin strips
  1. In a small bowl, combine the first four ingredients; set sauce aside.
  2. Pound chicken breasts to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into cubes. Marinate in sauce for 2 hours.
  3. Toss chicken and soy sauce mixture in a wok. Cook cubes until nicely browned all over and slightly sticky with the sauce.
  4. Garnish with onions.

 

Smoky Popcorn

A light, s’morish dessert.

  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • 1/2 Tbsp. stevia
  • 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 1 bag microwave popcorn
  1. Put first three ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl. 
  2. Pop the popcorn.
  3. Heat butter with stevia and paprika until fully melted. Add to bag with popcorn; toss until fully coated.
  4. Pour into a bowl and enjoy.

 

Spicy Pork Dumplings

Dough:

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for sprinkling
  • 1 cup water
  • Kimchi Spice:
  • 3 Tbsp. crushed garlic
  • 1/2-inch ginger, peeled and crushed
  • 4 Tbsp. fish sauce
  • 8-10 Tbsp. ground red pepper
  • 1/2 Tbsp. sugar

Filling:

  • 1 lb. ground pork 
  • 2 Tbsp. Kimchi Spice
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil (for cooking)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • Dipping Sauce:
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup rice vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp. Chinese chili garlic sauce (Sriracha)
  • 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
  1. For dough: Put flour in a medium bowl. Add water in a steady stream, stirring until a raggy dough forms, almost flaky yet with enough consistency that it stays together. Turn out onto a work surface and knead about 5 minutes, until smooth. Sprinkle the dough with flour; cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let stand for 15 minutes.
  2. For kimchi spice: In a small bowl, combine garlic with ginger, fish sauce, red pepper and sugar. Mix well and set aside.
  3. For filling: In a large bowl, knead pork with kimchi spice, egg and salt. Set aside.
  4. Line a baking sheet with wax paper; sprinkle with flour. Also sprinkle work surface with flour. Divide dough into balls. Sprinkle with flour. Roll out each ball to form 3 1/2-inch circles. Brush off excess flour.
  5. Spoon 1 Tbsp. of filling onto the center of each circle. Bring up the sides of the wrapper; press and pleat the edges to seal in the filling. Lift each dumpling by the pleated edge, and transfer to the baking sheet. Press down lightly to flatten.
  6. In a nonstick skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. oil. Arrange half of the dumplings in the skillet, pleated edge up. Cook over high heat between 1 to 2 minutes. Once bottoms are lightly browned, add 1/2 cup of water, cover and cook about 5 minutes, until the filling is cooked through. Uncover and cook another minute, until the bottoms are well-browned. Transfer to a plate and cook the remaining dumplings.
  7. For dipping sauce: In a small bowl, whisk soy sauce with rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce and sesame oil. (Can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days.) Serve with warm dumplings.