Tag: fresh herbs

Best Homemade Gremolata Recipe

The best homemade gremolata recipe is whatever version you love. Maybe you have multiple favorites. Or maybe you’ve never tried gremolata.

Bowl of Gremolata

Gremolata is a condiment, or more descriptively, it is a fresh herb seasoning mix. It’s zippy, delicious, and easy to change up with different ingredients.

The best homemade gremolata recipe brightens anything you pair it with, from tofu and veggies to fish or chicken. I put it on burgers, eggs, and my personal favorite: avocado toast. Bring on the yum!

Best Homemade Gremolata Recipe on Avocado Toast

I make my salads sing by mixing it in fresh greens and other veggies. My friend Tabitha ate her sample bowl as its own salad. I’ve even used it as a salsa and dip with tortilla chips or crackers. That’s just how tasty it is!

Ingredients for Best Homemade Gremolata

It takes tofu steaks from tasting decent to tasting absolutely delicious.

Tofu with Best Homemade Gremolata on top

Gremolata is the ultimate flavor booster. It’s like a sister to pesto or a cousin of chimichurri. And it is deceivingly simple to make.

Classic Gremolata: 3 Ingredients

  • 1 cup parsley leaves, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic (or to taste), minced
  • Lemon zest

That short list sums up all that’s needed for a basic gremolata.

Parsley, garlic and lemon

From there, you can add or change things up in any way you see fit. It may not technically be a gremolata with the changes, but that’s just semantics.

Traditionally, gremolata is served on top of the veal dish, Ossobuco, but honestly, I’ve never had that dish.

Gremolata Variations (Mix In Ideas)

The beauty of gremolata is how adaptable it is. The first time I made it, I used mint instead of parsley. I had an abundance and wasn’t about to let it go to waste. As I prepped and chopped the ingredients, I fell in love with gremolata before I even tasted it. It smelled amazing!

Overhead shot of Best Homemade Gremolata

Soon I was dreaming up dozens of variations. The first was to add crunch and heat.

Almonds for Gremolata

Then I did a basil version.

Herb Lovers Gremolata Variations

Followed by a mint/parsley combo. The ideas kept coming. The possibilities are endless.

Best Homemade Gremolata

Gremolata Variations

Trust me. Gremolata can breathe life into anything blasé. Beyond the parsley, garlic, and lemon, these are some of the ingredients I’ve experimented with and enjoy the most. Use them to add dimensions to the classic gremolata, or to completely re-imagine it.

  • mint, cilantro, basil, tarragon, or any fresh herb
  • peanuts, pine nuts, pistachios, pecans, or sunflower seeds
  • chives, shallots, or scallions
  • dried fruit, honey, or agave
  • radishes or jalapenos

That all said, my go-to remains the recipe I share below. It features mint, garlic, almonds, spring onions, red pepper flakes, and extra virgin olive oil. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Cyndi

 

Savory Butternut Squash Carrot Pie

This Butternut Squash Carrot Pie is a savory dish you can savor all winter long. It is comfort food at its finest. It’s also vegetarian. The squash and carrot filling is flavored by cumin, butter, salt, and pepper. Its topped with caramelized onions and fresh sage.

At the 2013 Minnesota State Fair, this recipe stood out to us…from Susan Gran, winner for “best savory pie” (Pillsbury contest). Try it out. We did. And wow!

Here’s what it looks like before you put it in the oven.

You can even do individual portions in cupcake tins. Just bake it for less time of course.

Mini Squash & Carrot Pies

 

And here I walk you through some of the main steps. I made the filling a day ahead and doubled the batch. I had a good feeling about this one.

bowl of squash

First I chopped up the squash and carrots and got them roasting.

bowl of carrots

I used butternut squash but acorn or even pumpkin would work well too, depending on your tastes.roasted squash and carrots

You toss the squash and carrots with olive oil, salt, pepper and one of my favorite spices, cumin. (I also added cayenne, because heat is a close friend of mine.) You can make the caramelized onions ahead of time too.

Delish Dinner Party Main Dish

Once the squash and carrots were roasted, I pureed the filling with the other key ingredients. If you don’t have a food processor, try a stick blender instead. At this point I put it in my fridge for my dinner party the next day.

When party time came I rolled out my pre-made pie crust and made a full-size pie. Depending on the size of your squash and carrots, you may have extra filling. You can also do cut-outs for mini pies. We did and it worked like a charm.

This butternut squash carrot pie is a colorful recipe, with the vibrant squash contrasting with the fresh sage on top.

Butternut Squash Pie close-up

There were no leftovers, but the minis would have made terrific to-go lunches. Guess I will have to make them again! And soon. You should give them a try too.

Watch for more savory dishes in the coming months. You can search our site for your favorite ingredients or filter recipes by category here.

Bake it great!

-Cyndi