Emotional Eater Deals With Crummy Day Through Kitchen Therapy

I am not going to get into why my day was crummy. I couldn't wait to just get away from school to go home and do some cooking. I'd been hankering to try this cheap and easy recipe for cilantro pesto, found on Simply Recipes:

Cilantro Pesto

2 cups, packed, of cilantro, large stems removed
1/2 cup blanched almonds
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 teaspoon chopped and seeded serrano chile
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 cup olive oil

Put all ingredients except oil in food processor until blended. With food processor running, slowly add the oil in a steady stream. Add more oil as needed for your use. (Makes 1 cup).

The Wiz decided to use my serrano chile for a hockey puck (it was kind of sad really, I knew she'd end up with the chile oil in her eyes or mouth or something and would be in misery so finally I took it away from her and threw it away) so I used ground ancho chiles instead. Then I mixed the pesto with some whole grain penne pasta, threw in some grilled chicken and caramelized onions and garlic. I added plenty of fresh-cracked pepper and topped the whole thing with some hard sheep's cheese. Was very yummy and Shad and I enjoyed it with one of our favorite wines--Bonny Doon's Syrah Sirrah. If you decide to try the recipe, try mixing the pesto with chicken in tacos, or mix it in with cottage cheese to make a dip.