Tag Archives: pesto

Pesto Paninis Two Ways

15 May

Mushroom-Pesto-Panini-1

These paninis were a play on the most unbelievable tomato mozzarella sandwich that I picked up from Whole Foods in Boulder. It had the most incredible pesto mayo. You could eat with a spoon, honestly. Being the healthy person that I am I decided to make my own without the mayo. I whipped up some of my pesto, pulled out the Griddler and voila, paninis! The paninis two ways is a result of Michael’s strong dislike of tomatoes. He had the panini with the portobello mushroom, spinach and onions, while I had the tomato, spinach and onion version. I kind of wish that I had added a mushroom to mine because it would have been out of this world.

Spinach-Tomato-Onion-Panini-2

Ingredients:
Makes 2 sandwiches
2 slices tomato
1 grilled portobello mushroom
1 cup fresh baby spinach
1/4 red onion, sliced thin
Fresh mozzarella, sliced
Choice of bread
pesto

Directions:

  1. Heat a grill pan, Griddler or panini press to medium heat.
  2. Spread the pesto on one half of the bread. Top with two slices of tomatoes (if using), mozzarella, 1/2 cup of spinach, mushroom (if using), and onion. Spread pesto on the other half of the bread.
  3. Place the sandwich on the Griddler or panini press and close. Cook until the cheese is melted. If using a grill pan, grill until there are grill marks on the bottom piece of bread and then flip the sandwich over. Grill the second side until the cheese melts

    4. Mushroom-Pesto-Panini-2

    As always, enjoy!

    Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Spaghetti Squash with Pesto and Beluga Lentils

9 May

Spaghetti-Squash-Pesto-1

via Green Kitchen app

This meal was the first time that I’ve had spaghetti squash and it definitely won’t be the last. It is a great alternative to pasta which can be so heavy. Michael didn’t love the squash but he said that it wasn’t horrible because of the pesto. I decided that I would use my pesto instead of the parsley pesto that the original recipe called for.

Spaghetti-Squash-Pesto-1

The one part of the meal that was surprisingly good were the lentils. I had never had beluga lentils before but they are really good. They are a bit firmer and a little stronger in flavor than other lentils. However, I felt they added a nice flavor and texture to what could have been an otherwise boring meal.

Spaghetti-Squash-Pesto-3

Tags: , , , , ,

Tagliarelle with Pesto Sauce and Roasted Green Vegetables

2 Apr

Pesto-Vegetables-Side

This was my first attempt at making pesto and I totally lucked out that it worked! I haven’t had pesto in years and I had forgotten how much I like it. I made this dish two ways but forgot to take pictures of the first version which had cauliflower instead of pasta. The cauliflower version would also work well as a side dish.

Pesto

Ingredients:
2 cups basil leaves
2-3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup parmesan
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup olive oil
1 package pasta or 1 head cauliflower
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Combine the first five ingredients, salt and pepper in a blender.
  2. Blend until well combined.

For the Pasta Version:

  1. Cook the pasta according to package.
  2. Drain the cooked pasta and transfer the pasta to a bowl. Add the pesto and toss well.
  3. Sprinkle with parmesan and pine nuts and serve.

For the Cauliflower Version:

  1. Cut the cauliflower in florets.
  2. Bring a pot of water to boil and add the florets and cook until tender.
  3. Drain the cauliflower and toss with the pesto.
  4. Sprinkle with parmesan and pine nuts.

Pesto-Vegetables-Top

As always, enjoy!

Tags: , , , , , , , ,