It’s that time of year again! Temperatures are warming up; flowers are in bloom & fresh produce is growing & in season at New England’s Farmer’s Markets!

I’m thrilled to announce, that for the second year, Pestos with Panache is participating in SoWa Open Market, located in the South End of Boston, MA.

Pestos With Panache experienced an overwhelmingly successful novice season, so much so, that we’ve decided to increase our participation in SOWA’s 2011 season. The SoWa Open Market is Boston’s original Indie Art & Design Show with food purveyors that purport that same level of Indie creativity for the palate!!

Pestos With Panache is scheduled to participate in SOWA marketplace all weekends through October 31st, with the exception of Memorial Day Weekend. SoWa Open Market Food & Produce Market is located at 500 Harrison Ave in the South End of Boston. Check out directions provided by SoWa Open Market here. Our booth hours are Sunday’s,10:00am-4:00pm.

We look forward to seeing you taste our “Pestos…..Like You’ve Never Imagined”!

Scrumptiously,

Lauren

“Pestos with Panache by Lauren has all-natural, preservative free products. The pestos keep well in the freezer for up to two years and the company boasts a number of zany, creative flavors”

“The Fig & Gorgonzola Pesto, though, was deep and delicious, and I can’t wait to try some of the other fruity flavors. I can imagine lots of creative uses for them, including (of course) palmiers!”

Read the full review and get Willow Bird Baking’s recipe for Heart Shaped Palmiers with Pestos with Panache here.

The Red Hook Initiative’s mission is to work to “confront and affect the consequences of intergenerational poverty through an approach that offers support in education, employment, health and community development. RHI believes that social change comes from within individuals. ”The Biggest Weight Loss Challenge” is a call to action for Red Hook residents to take ownership of their health & wellness.

Women & Men ages 18 and up, who live in the Red Hook Houses, signed up for the challenge! These participants were divided up into two teams & will be weighed biweekly to access team progress. Over the course of the “Saturday Kick-Off”, a dedicated staff of doctors, led by Svetlana Ten, MD, Director of Pediatric Endocrine Fellowship Program & Pediatric Endocrine Divisions of Infants & Children’s Hospital of Brooklyn at Maimonides & SUNY Downstate/ Assistant Professor of Pediatrics SUNY Downstate, along with volunteers, collected height, weight & BMI data. The health assessments were thorough & immediately shared with the participants. All of the news was not good news. Several cases of diabetes that had been previously undetected were diagnosed. Coming to terms with the diagnosis of diabetes, along with the lifestyle changes that need to be made as a result, is a tall order. These health assessments proved just how imperative this program is to the health & wellbeing of the residents of Red Hook.

Over the next 12 weeks, I will be teaching cooking classes featuring a new healthy recipe each week. In addition to nutrition counseling & cooking classes, challenge members will be participating in exercise activities such as Zumba classes, walking and dancing groups, & aerobics. This is truly a unique challenge to make a direct impact on the lives of our neighbors, & hopefully will extend for future generations.

Join me each week as I share my own healthy lifestyle tips & recipes with the Biggest Weight Loss Challenge participants for the next 12 weeks! I’m thrilled to be a part of this worthwhile cause. Our first, of twelve, healthy cooking classes was held last night. We made healthy Baja Fish Tacos with a Cabbage Slaw, which knocked everybody’s socks off! We are off to a great start…….

What I’ve found along my quest for health & wellness, is that the support of other people on the same journey, makes all of the difference. Whether your sharing weight loss tips, tricks, healthy food options, or going to Zumba together, it’s that collective voice, that keeps you going, when the hankering for Chinese take-out, becomes all too much to bear! I witnessed a great deal of that comradore last night & it inspired me inside & out.

Baja Fish Tacos

Marinade

1. 1/4 cup canola oil
2. 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
3. 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4. 2 teaspoons lime zest
5. 2 cloves garlic, minced
6. 1/2 teaspoon cumin
7. 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
8. 1 teaspoon seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay™
9. 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
10. 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste
11. 1 pound tilapia or mahi mahi fillets, cut into strips

Dressing

1. 1 (8 ounce) container light sour cream
2. 1/2 cup adobo sauce from chipotle peppers
3. 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4. 2 teaspoons lime zest
5. 1/4 teaspoon cumin
6. 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
7. 1/2 teaspoon seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay™
8. salt and pepper

Toppings

1. 1 package of whole wheat wraps(Damascus Bakery Brand) 7 grams of fiber
2. 3 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
3. 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
4. 1 small head cabbage, cored and shredded
5. 2 limes, cut in wedges

1. To make the marinade, whisk together the canola oil, vinegar, lime juice, lime zest, garlic, cumin, chili powder, seafood seasoning, black pepper, and hot sauce in a bowl until blended. Place the tilapia or mahi mahi in a shallow dish, and pour the marinade over the fish. Cover, and refrigerate while preparing the dressing.
2. To make the dressing, combine the light sour cream and adobo sauce in a bowl. Stir in the lime juice, lime zest, cumin, chili powder, seafood seasoning. Add salt, and pepper in desired amounts. Cover, and refrigerate until needed.
3. Preheat oven 350 degrees, remove fish from the marinade and bake fish for 12 minutes on a cookie sheet sprayed with pam or cook on the stove top in a skillet spayed w/pam
4. Assemble tacos by placing fish pieces in the center of tortillas with desired amounts of tomatoes, cilantro, and cabbage; drizzle with dressing. To serve, roll up wraps around fillings, and garnish with lime wedges

“I sliced up two boneless chicken breasts into chicken finger size and marinated it with half a tin of Pestos with Panache’s Fabulous Fig and Gorgonzola pesto and a few tablespoons of olive oil…The chicken was so flavorful from the sweet fig and tangy gorgonzola pesto.  The chicken was so moist and it was the perfect simple dinner for a Monday night.”

To read more check our Fun and Fears in Beantown’s Blog: http://funandfearlessinbeantown.blogspot.com

“I wasn’t sure how the pesto would do in the oven and while it did brown up quite a bit, it was delicious. Perfect for dipping. I think I want to spread the fig and gorgonzola pesto on everything. Welcome to my life, Pestos with Panache! Please stay for a while.”

Read more at Wearenotmartha.com

It’s often difficult to buy a unique gift for someone with a discerning palate. Pestos With Panache By Lauren will leave your foodie friends intrigued, and upon tasting, wanting more!

Since there are six unique freshfrozen pestos to choose from, our website contains flavor profiles and recipe suggestions for each flavor. So Go For It! No greater gift than providing your “foodie friends” with the opportunity to heighten their culinary creativity in their own kitchens!! You may get invited over for dinner……

Pestos with Panache Holiday Gift Box!

“Last week, I felt like I was in a cooking rut.  I rummaged through my freezer and I found a tin of Pumpkin Chilpotle Pesto that I purchased from Pestos with Panache at the Boston Food Truck Festival this past summer.  I also found a package of lean ground turkey in the freezer.  Using these two ingredients as a base, I decided to make a pumpkin and chilpotle turkey calzone.  I de-thawed the ground turkey and the tin of pesto in the fridge.  I then gathered up my ingredients – a jalapeno pepper, a log of goat cheese, one medium-sized onion and pizza dough.”

And then there’s the packaging. It’s so attractive. The pesto comes in cans with modern, sleek-looking labels and you just feel that if you use this pesto, you too will be modern and sleek. (We can always dream.)

Lauren sent me a couple to try and, boy, am I glad she did.”

Read the rest from Sue Gordon from Food Network Musings Here: http://foodnetworkmusings.blogspot.com/2010/11/can-pesto-be-fashionable-these-are.html

“‘Pestos With Panache’ is one of the best kept secrets in creating a signature dish whether it be a pasta w/ blueberry pesto or a chicken breast grilled with pumpkin chilpotle pesto.” – Joseph L.

Read the rest of the review here: http://www.yelp.com/biz/pestos-with-panache-new-york

When Jon stopped by the SoWa Market he sampled Pestos with Panache, and loved our Pumpkin Chilpotle Pesto. It’s no secret how much I adore Baja Cuisine. Indulge in Jon’s sublime gourmet squash-blossom appetizer, without crossing the border!! Below is his interpretation of Fried Squash Blossoms, wish a dash of Pestos with Panache, of course!

Pumpkin Chilpotle Fried Squash Blossoms
By Jonathan Ross-Wiley

Begin by heating 2 inches of canola or vegetable oil in a heavy bottomed pot to at least 350 degrees.
Ingredients

12 squash blossoms (pistils removed)

1 cup all-purpose flour, plus an additional cup for dredging

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 egg

3 tablespoons Pumpkin Chilpotle Pesto

1/2 cup beer

Kosher salt for finishing

While the oil is heating mix the batter ingredients until just combined. This batter should be the consistency of pancake batter. If the batter is too watery, add a bit more flour. Alternatively, if the batter is too thick in consistency, add a splash more beer or water.

Dredge each blossom lightly in the plain flour and then dip into the batter and place gently in the oil. Be careful not to crowd the blossoms in the oil. You may have to cook in batches. Cook turning once until a nice golden brown.
Drain on a rack or paper towels and serve immediately.