Tag Archives: pesto

Cauliflower Pesto Linguine

09 Tuesday Apr 2013

Posted by in Main Dish, Pasta

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

, , , ,

cauliflower pesto

I’ve never been a big fan of cauliflower by itself…Finding different ways to make it delicious though, seems easy…IMG_6178

This recipe sounds super fancy, but it’s a breeze. I’m in love with my Smitten Kitchen Cookbook.IMG_6172

Recipe
Cauliflower Pesto Linguine
From The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

  • Salt
  • 1 small head or 1/2 large head cauliflower, trimmed of leaves, cored, and cut into large chunks
  • 1 garlic clove (I used about 3, which lead to extreme garlic breath, use at own risk)
  • pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup almonds or pine nuts, toasted and cooled
  • 1 ounce chunk Parmesan cheese, plus more for passing/sprinkling
  • 4 sun dried tomatoes (dry variety)
  • 1 tbsp drained capers
  • few tbsp fresh parsley leaves
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 to 1 tsp sherry vinegar
  • 1 lb linguine

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add a pinch of salt, then the linguine. Cook according to the package directions. Drain and keep warm, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.

Meanwhile, cut the cauliflower into chunks, placing them in the food processor as you work. Pulse to form couscous-like crumbs; transfer to a mixing bowl.

Toast the almonds or pine nuts in a small, dry skillet over medium-low heat until fragrant and lightly browned, shaking them as needed to avoid scorching. Cool, then place in the food processor. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes, then transfer to the food processor. Coarsely chop the cheese and add to the food processor, along with the garlic, capers and parsley. Pulse to form a coarse bread-crumb consistency, then add the mixture to the cauliflower in the bowl, along with the crushed red pepper flakes.

Stir in the oil, 2 teaspoons of the vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to form a pesto-like mixture. The yield is about 3 3/4 cups.

Add the pasta and toss to coat evenly, then add as much of the reserved pasta cooking water as needed to create the desired consistency. Taste, and adjust the seasoning, adding the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar as needed.

Divide among individual wide, shallow bowls. Serve right away.

Experiments worth elaborating on: Gnocchi with Avocado Pesto

23 Thursday Aug 2012

Posted by in Chicken, Easy, Main Dish, Pasta, Sauces, Uncategorized, Weeknight Meals

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , ,

gnocchi with avocado pesto

I think I have to call this an “experiment” because there is more I want to do with this recipe in the future – it’s definitely something you can elaborate on. Like several other recipes on this blog, I got this one from Oprah’s “Recipes to Commit to Memory” article from March 2012. It’s not really a recipe, no measurements or anything, you just kind of throw it together. I didn’t think this was going to turn out that well (I’ve had some interesting pesto experiments in the past) but it was great! I really can’t wait to try to improve on it even more in the future.

Gnocchi with Avocado Pesto

Rough Recipe – Gnocchi with Avocado Pesto

From O Magazine

 

Ingredients

  • 2 ripe avocados
  • 2 cups loosely packed basil
  • handful of any nut (I used almonds, but next time I will try walnuts or pine nuts)
  • splash of lemon juice
  • drizzle of olive oil
  • water, as needed
  • salt/pepper
  • store bought gnocchi

In a food processor or blender, combine 2 ripe avocados with 2 cups loosely packed basil, a handful of any nut, a splash of lemon juice, and a drizzle of olive oil. Blend until smooth, adding water as necessary. Season with salt and black pepper, then toss with cooked store-bought gnocchi.

In the future, I think I will add grated parmesan to the pesto and see how that fares. This time around, I just added the grated parmesan over the finished dish and it was totally necessary. I also added some chicken sauteed with onions and tomatoes, which also added a little more flavor and protein.

Baked Pesto Chicken

27 Monday Feb 2012

Posted by in Bloggerific, Chicken, Easy, Main Dish, Weeknight Meals

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

Whenever I feel like I need to eat healthier, I head on over to Kalyn’s Kitchen for inspiration on low carb, south beach style recipes. Her food has never disappointed, and I am happy to be finally sharing one on Daily Deliverables.

Baked Pesto Chicken. Only 3 ingredients. Doesn’t get much easier than that.

Super Easy and Cheesy!!!

Of course, I usually cancel out the healthy factor by adding bread, beer, wine, or all of the above to the mix. And probably extra cheese. No one was around to stop me…

Pesto chicken and some crusty bread

This recipe is SO easy. Start by spraying some non-stick spray in a pan and then adding a layer of pesto…

spray pan with nonstick spray. Coat bottom of pan with a layer of pesto.

Lay your chicken on top of the pesto. I always buy Costco’s convenient chicken tenders. I also buy Costco’s convenient jarred Pesto…This is because I once had an incident with homemade Sage pesto that I don’t like to discuss.

lay chicken tenders flat in the pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

The hilarious thing is I seem to lay out the step-by-step photos on the easiest recipes I post.

Cover chicken with remainder of pesto.

Don’t forget to cover the pan with foil before placing in the oven! These don’t take as long to bake as larger chicken breasts, they only took about 20 minutes before I took them out to flip them over.

ready for a generous sprinkling of cheese...

I have this weird thing where I have to flip things that go in the oven to “even them out.” OCD, yes. But I don’t flip everything. It would be pretty ridiculous if I had to flip items like pizza in the oven…

cheese added, ready to go back in the oven.

Recipe

Baked Pesto Chicken by Kalyn’s Kitchen
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients: 
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 8 – 12 boneless chicken tenders
salt and fresh ground black pepper for seasoning chicken
1/2 cup basil pesto
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 375F. Trim all visible fat and tendons from chicken pieces, then cut each chicken breast lengthwise into 2 or 3 pieces. (If you are using chicken tenders, no cutting necessary!)

Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray, then spread 1/4 cup basil pesto over the bottom of the dish. Lay chicken strips over the pesto, then spread 1/4 cup more basil pesto over the chicken.

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake the chicken for 20-25 minutes, just until chicken is barely firm and cooked through. (Don’t cook too much at this point, or the chicken will be overcooked by the time the cheese is melted and browned.)

When chicken is barely cooked through, remove foil and sprinkle chicken with 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese. Turn on your broiler. Put dish back into the oven without foil and cook 5 minutes more, just until cheese is melted and until you get to desired browned crispiness.Serve hot. There will be some flavorful juice in the bottom of the dish when this is done, and if you are like me you will throw low carb out the window and serve over pasta or grab some crusty bread for dipping. Other options include brown rice, quinoa, or cous cous.