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Creamy Basil Feta Pasta

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Summer to me is lots of fresh herbs. Mint, basil, rosemary, parsley, all of the good things. No matter where. Whether it is in salads, as a garnish, on toast, in drinks, in pesto or in pasta. It is just a sign and part of summer. So fresh, so tasty. But, as good as pesto is, here we are gonna switch things up a little bit and make an extremely easy, 10 minute pasta dish! No, that’s not a typo, it actually only takes 10 minutes (maybe 15 max)!

What does summer mean to you? Laying at the beach, toasting barbecues and summer parties, going for a swim? To me it is lots of sun, good times and fresh food! Definitely! That is why I love herbs so much! I love how they add so much freshness to every single dish you add it in. Also they just add such a nice flavour!

Are herbs healthy?

Definitely! It honestly is very surprising to some! In most kitchens you will find some sort of herbs. Some prefer them in a fresh form to add them to dishes or as a garnish and some have them in their dried form. I personally prefer the dried form for seasoning because they are more intense in flavour but I always have fresh herbs on hand for garnish. Also they make pretty much everything look nice.

Back to the point. Herbs actually are super healthy. Their are extremely high in vitamins, minerals but also fibre. Some even have a decent amount of protein. The great thing about them is that it is so easy to add them to anything to give all of your meals an extra nutrient boost.

How to add more herbs to your diet

This part I believe is really easy. One of my favourite ways is to add it into salads. Like adding a little bit of mint and basil to your salad not only makes a great flavour but also adds a bunch of vitamins. Other ways are to stir is into sauces like into tomato sauce, into stir fries, here cilantro would work amazing, when marinating something or just make pesto out of it. All of these ways are super easy.

Is this sauce like pesto?

No, but also yes. So it is kind of similar but also different. What is pretty much the same is the strong basil flavour. But we are not using parmesan cheese and pine nuts and loads of olive oil. So basil as a base is same. Instead of parmesan cheese we are using feta. If you do not know, feta is a cheese made out of sheep’s milk. It originated in Greece and still is very popular these. It is a firm cheese but has a rather „light“ and fresh taste. So as said, it is a firm cheese but when you blend it up it becomes very creamy.

We still, also use a little bit of olive oil to add some flavour but not as much as in pesto. No nuts in here, which pesto does have. What is „new“ here, which is not usual in pesto is that we add some greek yoghurt. The greek yoghurt adds some creaminess and makes it really good.

How to make the sauce & substitutes

Well, that’s the easiest thing ever. Blend it all up, that’s it. First only the basil, which allows it to become very fine and smooth. Then we add the feta and lastly, some salt, olive oil and greek yoghurt. Also reserve some water from the boiling pasta and add it again when combining the pasta with the sauce. This really is key to making a super creamy sauce and to allow it to combine it well.

If you do not do feta, you can use cream cheese instead. I would recommend using one from goat though, because I believe that the flavour just goes in better harmony with the basil but regular one works too. If you do not have greek yoghurt on hand, you can use some regular yoghurt or half the amount and substitute it for cream cheese.

When to have it & meal prep

I LOVE this as a quick and easy lunch or dinner. It is perfect for a large number of people because it is super easy to make and very versatile. If you want, you can also add some grilled chicken or prawns on top, which also is really tasty.

I would not recommend it for meal prep just because I personally do not like reheated pasta and it only takes very little time anyway. If you do not mind reheated pasta, you can totally meal prep it. Or you just meal prep the sauce, this works really well.

I hope that you like this recipe and enjoy it all throughout summer !

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Creamy Basil Feta Pasta

A great summer pasta. Not like your pesto but much better. And easier. 10 minutes, 6 ingredients. Super good.

Course dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine Mediterranean
Prep Time 5 Minuten
Cook Time 10 Minuten
Total Time 15 Minuten
Servings 4 servings
Calories 732 kcal

What you will need

  • 500 g spaghetti
  • 300 g feta
  • 100 g basil about 3-4 large handful
  • 100 g greek yogurt
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • some dried tomatoes

How to

  1. Bring a large pot with salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Before draining the pasta reserve one cup (about 200ml) of the pasta water.

  2. While the pasta is cooking add the basil to a food processor, until it is very finely chopped. Then add the feta and blend again until a creamy consitency is reached. Last add the olive oil, greek yoghurt and a pinch of salt. Add at least half of the reserved pasta water and blend again.

  3. After draining the pasta add it back to the pot along with the sauce. If it still is too thick and does not combine well, add some more pasta water.

  4. Divide onto the plates and garnish with extra feta, dried tomatoes and fresh basil.

    Enjoy!

Happy cooking,
Enjoy,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière

Oven Baked Lemon Honey Feta

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Crispy and creamy cheese, lemony twist, honey tomatoes and tangy capers. Maybe with some baguette to dip everything up? Sounds pretty good – at least to me! 20 minutes, perfect for anyone, vegetarian, and pretty healthy too! This makes a perfect light lunch or a decent and quick weeknight dinner.  

I am a huge fan of feta cheese. I think it is a great addition to so many things such as pasta, eggs, on top of salads or bowl, or whatever. It just adds the finishing touch and takes everything next level. Especially in summer it is such an amazing food because it is a little fresh so it adds a summer twist to every dish. 

What is it like?

In summer when my uncle goes to Greece every year he always brings me a giant block of feta and it is like a dream. Then we´ll have Greek salads pretty much every day. They are just so simple in summer and take literally 10 minutes to make. This dish is pretty similar. Think Greek salad but baked. And without cucumber. It has very similar ingredients, tomatoes, feta, olives, herbs, olive oil. It is just a little different as it does not contain cucumbers (because baked cucumbers? I don’t know) and some lemon zest, which is like the best thing ever here. Plus some honey ad breadcrumbs to make it crispy and tangy. 

When you bake it and soak up the remaining sauce after with a baguette it just tastes sooo good! It is fresh, sweet, just super good. But my fvorite part of this dish is that the feta is turned into a creamy cheese but with a crispy crumble top and you just put a piece of it on some bread and have that creaminess and sweetness and crispyness all together in your mouth. 

But how do you actually make it?

Really easy – you take the feta cheese and place it in a baking dish. Throw some cherry tomatoes, olives and capers in and some grated lemon zest. You sprinkle some breadcrumbs on top and drizzle honey, olive oil and lemon juice. Place in the oven for 10 minutes and voila – there you go, done! This is how simple it is. That is so great! That simple but so flavorful! Honestly so good. 

When and for who?

This dish also is great for people with intolerances because you can use gluten free breadcrumbs if you can´t have gluten and feta cheese is not made out of cow´s milk but out of sheep’s milk, which means even people with intolerances can enjoy that. I would not recommend it for meal prep because then you loose the creaminess and crisp but I do not believe that this is necessary because it only takes 15 minutes!

I hope that you will make and enjoy this dish whenever you want! It is as good in winter as it is in summer so it really is up to you when you make it!

Happy cooking!

Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière

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Oven Baked Lemon Honey Feta

15 minute, tangy, sweet and fresh baked feta with a crispy crust and sweet tomatoes. Ideal dish for a light lunch or a quick dinner.

Course dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine greek, Italian
Prep Time 5 Minuten
Cook Time 10 Minuten
Total Time 15 Minuten
Servings 2 servings
Calories 325 kcal

What you will need

That is what you will need:

  • 1 block Feta Cheese (150g)
  • 1 handful cherry tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp olives
  • 1 tbsp capers
  • zest of half lemon
  • juice of half lemon
  • 1-2 tbsp breadcrumbs
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • some thyme
  • some rosemary
  • some sea salt
  • some baguette and salad to serve with

How to

That is how it works:

  1. Preheat the oven to 240C or Grill.

  2. Place the feta on a baking tray or into a baking dish. Add the cherry tomatoes, capers and olives. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs, lemon zest and some sea salt on top.

  3. Drizzle to olive oil, honey and lemon juice and place the herbs on top.

  4. Put in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.

  5. Serve with some fresh beguette and some salad.

    Enjoy!

Caramelized Pecan and Fig Salad

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We’re are in the middle of October which means that we are in the middle of fig season. One of the best seasons ever, I believe. They are juicy, soft, sweet, and they have such a pretty color! Plus they are so versatile I believe! They go well on so many things! Add them to your French toast, on top of a yoghurt bowl, dried in granola, serve them with cheese, add them into salads or Buddha bowls, or even grill them to serve as a side. The options are endless! 

But a fig is not necessarily a fig. There are small ones and there are bigger ones. I really like the small ones on top of yoghurt for example because they are just perfect in size and you can always eat the skin! With the bigger ones, I prefer using them in salads or as a snack. But if you want to consume them with the peel, make sure to buy organic ones. If you don’t then I would not recommend eating the skin! 

Figs have a great nutritional value too! When fresh they are really low in calories, but have a quite high fiber content! They help reducing the blood pressure as they increase the potassium in your body. Also, they are high in calcium, which is an essential Mineral. When dried, they are higher in calories but also in fiber, with incredible 9g per 100g serving. So if you want to add some sweet or chewiness to your next granola, or just snack in something sweet with nut butter than grab some figs next time, either dried or fresh with some nut butter and you have a delicious and filling snack! 

Onto the next highlight of the salad; the caramelized pecans! I am a huge fan of pecans, I lottery eat them on anything! I love the flavor and the crunch! Nuts in general are packed with protein, vitamins and healthy fats! They are a great addition in nutritional value and crunch to almost any dish! Yoghurt, salads, stir fry’s, curries, you name it! Caramelized First nuts is incredibly simple and only requires 3 ingredients! The nuts themselves, some honey or agave, and a pinch of sea salt. I like to prepare them in a non – stick pan as I believe that it is easiest and quickest. 

It is as simple as adding all the ingredients to the pan and heating it up. At first it will seem as there was too little honey as it will only stick on a few nuts, but as soon as it heats up it will get more liquid and it will cover all the nuts. They work great on a salad as they add sweetness but I also think that they go along very well with cheese or yoghurt. I like the pre make them in a batch in the beginning of the week and them add on on several different dishes throughout the week. If you are not a fan of pecans they can be substituted them for any other nut. Walnuts and almonds would work great, hazelnuts do work too but I would not recommend using cashews since they already have a sweet touch and are rather soft so I would not recommend using them. 

The dressing for the salad is really creamy and delicious. It is not loaded with tons of calories like conventional store bought ones. It is made out of Avocado, Greek Yoghurt, Dijon Mustard, honey, Tahin, anchovies Lemon Juice and Vinegar. I know that it sounds like a lot of ingredients but it is totally worth it! It is an oil free dressing. Just blend all of the ingredients up and you will end up with a delicious creamy dressing! 

To add the finishing touches coat the spinach in the dressing, cut up some dogs, crumble feta cheese and add the walnuts on top! It is an amazing side dish in Fall with some roasted meat or to enjoy along a bowl of pasta! It contains a lot of fall ingredients, which I love since it is a great way to enjoy all the seasonal and regional food! 

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Caramelized Pecan and Fig Salad

A delicious side dish to incooperate all of the delicious fall foods!

Course appe, Salad, Side Dish
Prep Time 15 Minuten
Cook Time 3 Minuten
Total Time 18 Minuten
Servings 4 servings
Calories 153 kcal

What you will need

For the Salad:

  • 3 handful Baby spinach (baby spinach preferably)
  • 2 Figs
  • 25 g Pecans
  • 2 tsp Honey
  • 40 g Feta Cheese

For the Dressing:

  • 30 g Avocado
  • 2 tbsp Greek Yoghurt
  • 1 tbsp Tahin
  • 2 tsp White Vinegar
  • 1/2 juice Lemon
  • 1 Anchovie
  • 2 tsp Mustard
  • 1 tsp honey

How to

That’s how it works:

  1. Add all of the ingredients for the salad into a small blender. Add maybe about 1,5 tablespoons of water to start out. Blend it up. It should be creamy but runny. If it is too thick, feel free to add a little more Tahin or water in order to thin it out. Add a generous pinch of salt and set aside, best in the fridge.

  2. Add the nuts into a small nonstick pan. If you do not have one it is not a huge problem but if you have the option, use a non-stick one. Add the honey and a pinch of salt into it. Don’t worry if the honey will only stick onto a few nuts. Heat it up on medium high, constantly stirring. As soon as it gets hot the honey will get more liquid and coat all of the nuts. Once that happened, take the bits out of the pan and set aside. 

  3. Toss the spinach with the dressing and separate it onto 4 bowls. Cut up the figs and add them on top. Crumble the feta. Finally, add the caramelized pecans on top and serve! 

    Enjoy! 

Seed Coated Beetroot Balls

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Need some inspirational recipes for pink food? Then you have to try these sesame coated beetroot balls! Packed with so much flavor, a great texture, fluffy and soft, a beautiful pink color and coated in crispy seeds. Served in a bed of hummus and salad and topped of with some crumbled feta! Isn’t Fall a great season? With all the good seasonal food? At least I think so! 

Beetroots are such a healthy vegetable. They are packed with fiber and loaded with vitamin B9, which helps to form the DNA and RNA and helps the protein metabolism. Moreover they contain good amounts of manganese, potassium and Vitamin C. Also, they are great for vegetarians and vegans because of their high iron content. 

Beetroots are also proven to have numerous health benefits. When consumed they can control your blood flow levels, lower blood pressure, and increase your exercise performance! They help preventing cancer and are really low in calories. If all of this information hasn’t convinced you yet to try it than maybe look at that color! It’s so pink and pretty! 

The only reason why I did not cook with beets very often was because I did not know how to prepare them! I always thought of them being really difficult to prepare but actually they are really simple! You can either boil them, or steam them or bake them. I prefer baking the most because you can put it into the oven for about 50 minutes and don’t really have to leave an eye on it. It is so incredibly simple, I don’t know why I haven’t realized this earlier. Really missed out on something. 

After the little chunks have been baked, they just need to be combined in the food processor with a few other ingredients to get a doughy consistency. If you do not have a food processor you can just combine all the ingredients with a potato masher or a fork, simply bake the beets for a little bit longer! Form the balls, and roll them in the seed mixture. The seeds are really nutritious too and add an extra kick of protein to the balls, as well as some crunch. Think falafels but with beetroot and baked. 

If you feel like turning in the oven for just two servings isn’t worth it, than I have good news for you! Firstly, you can meal prep beets on the weekend so you have them in several dishes throughout the week, and secondly, you can make these balls in a big batch and freeze them (without baking). Whenever you need them, just take them out of the freezer and bake them in the oven and voila! 

I love to serve them on a bed of hummus because I am a hummus addict but if you prefer something else, Greek yoghurt for example would be really great too, or even some mashed avocado. On top some crumbled feta, it adds some freshness and I think the combo of beets and feta cheese is just bomb. Of course, if you prefer a vegan option, you can leave that out but if you are not vegan, I would definitely recommend to add it on top. 

Also, what I love to eat it with is some homemade focaccia. It basically is pizza, but only drizzled with some olive oil and fresh thyme. So good! If you don´t have the time or patience to make homemade focaccia, baguette, naan, or pita definitely works to. Or if you want to keep it low-carb, then leave the bread out!

I really enjoy making this recipe in fall because I believe that it is a healthy and funny way to switch up the game when preparing beetroots. It is not too hard but tastes amazing! I hope you like it and if you do so, I would really be thankful if you could leave a comment. Also be sure to tag me on Instagram with @uneptcuisiniere or #unepetitecuisiniere so I can see it! Happy fall, and I hope tht you will enjoy it!

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Seed Coated Beetroot Balls

A really delicious and nutritious way to add a twist onto your classic beet preperation.

Course brunch, lunch, Main Course
Prep Time 15 Minuten
Cook Time 1 Stunde 5 Minuten
Total Time 1 Stunde 20 Minuten
Servings 2 people
Calories 438 kcal

What you will need

  • 5 beets
  • 1 white onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 60 g Quinoa
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
  • 2 tsp herbs de provence (or any other herb-based seasoning
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp chia seeds
  • 3 tsp sesame seeds
  • 2 tsp bread crumbs
  • 1 tbsp olive
  • 3 tbsp hummus
  • 1 big handvull salad lambs lettuce or arugula or spinach works best
  • 40 g feta cheese
  • some more olive oil to drizzle on top
  • some focaccia or pita to serve

How to

That is how it works:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Peel the beets and cut them into 1cm sized chunks. Layer them out on the baking tray, generously salt, and let them bake in the oven for about 50-60 minutes. After that time peek in with a fork. The beets should still have a little grip, and should not be too soft becaus eotherwise the mixture will be too soggy later on. Meanwhile cook the Quinoa according to the package instructions!

  2. Once baked add them into a large food processor. Add the 2tbsp of breadcrumbs, the cornstarch, salt quinoa, and the herbs. Pulse until combined and a crumby texture is created.

  3. Take the mass and form small balls. If you have, take an ice cream scoop and evenly portion them out into about 6 even sized balls. In a small bowl mix the seeds and the breadcrumbs. Roll the formed balls in the mixture so they are covered. Place them on a baking tray and drizzle with the olive oil. If you have an oil spray, you can use this.

  4. Bake them in the oven for 10-12 minutes, until crispy. Spread the hummus onto two plates. Top with the salad. Add the beetroot balls on top and spinkle with the crumbled feta cheese. Drizzle some more olive oil and serve with some focaccia or bread. Enjoy!