Pesto Risotto with Roasted Zucchini

      Another killer recipe from Isa Chandra.  This one is for company.  It actually went over incredibly well with one of the biggest carnivores that I know.  He ate this along side Whole Food's Creamed Kale recipe with nothing but rave reviews and talk of how full he had become!  This recipe is definitely a keeper!  I used the leftover Spinach and Basil Pesto I had made last week and didn't add any extra on the top.

Pesto Risotto with Roasted Zucchini from Post Punk Kitchen

Sweet Potato Pesto Flatbread (Spinach & Basil Pesto Recipe Included)

     This may not look beautiful, but it was mighty tasty if you're a big sweet potato lover like me!  I was in a hurry and wanted to make dinner with what was in my fridge.  I knew I wanted to include the pesto I made earlier this week (recipe below), spinach and sweet potatoes.  I also knew that I was not in the mood for pasta.  Then this was born!
     Since this was my own experiment, feel free to mess with changing ingredients as well!


Ingredients


Pillsbury Crescent Rolls (not very healthy, I know, I would have used flatbread or pitas, but we were out)
2-3 cloves garlic chopped
1/4 red onion chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 cup baby spinach
1 handful cherry tomatoes (sliced into thirds)
1 large sweet potato (cooked in the microwave until fork-tender)
2-3 fresh basil leaves (rolled and sliced)
sea salt & freshly ground pepper (to taste)
1-2 tablespoons pesto


Directions


     Following the crescent roll directions, preheat oven to 275.  Heat a pan over medium heat, add olive oil and cook the onions for a couple minutes.  Add the garlic and cook until they are starting to brown.  Add the sweet potato flesh (scoop it out of the skin and into the pan).  Use the back of a wooden spoon to mash it up as you add and heat it up.  Add the pesto and mix.  Add the spinach and tomatoes and stir until mixed.
     Unroll the crescents trying to keep two large rectangles together.  Roll out one rectangle at a time in order to bind the dough together and smooth over the perforated parts.  Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray and place the rectangles on it.  Bake until the bottom is starting to turn golden brown (~6 minutes in my oven).  Remove them from the oven and flip them over.  Bake for another 2 minutes.
     Meanwhile, begin toasting the slivered almonds in a pan over medium heat.  Shake the pan or stir the almonds frequently to ensure they toast evenly.  When they are starting to brown, remove and set aside.
     Remove the crescent roll rectangles from the oven and top with the sweet potato mixture.  Gently spread the mixture across the bread.  If it is dry, drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and some freshly cracked pepper.  Bake for another 10 minutes or so.    Remove from the oven and top with almonds and basil.  Enjoy!


Spinach & Basil Pesto

Ingredients

1/3 cup pecans & 1/3 cup walnuts (because that’s what I had and didn’t want them to become stale, almonds or pine nuts would work too)

1 cup (packed) basil leaves removed from the stems

3/4 cup spinach leaves

5 garlic cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste)

A generous amount of freshly cracked pepper

Enough drizzled olive oil to get the consistency correct (if I had to guess, maybe 1/2 cup)

1/3 cup nutritional yeast (for the cheesy taste)

Directions

     Toast whatever nuts you’ve decided to use in a pan over medium heat, shaking frequently until fragrant (2-3 minutes)

     Pour nuts into food processor and process until they become fine crumbs.  Then add the garlic cloves and process until relatively smooth.  
     Now add basil, spinach, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper and some oil (about 1/4 cup).  Process until blended, then judge the consistency.  If it’s turned into one large clump, keep it running while drizzling in more olive oil.  Stop and taste check while looking for a nice spreadable paste consistency.  Add more olive oil, salt or pepper as needed.

     Now enjoy on toasted pita bread, flatbread, pizza, sandwiches or pasta!

Classic Vegetable Fried Rice

An easy classic meal, also a great way to use ingredients you probably already have on hand! Tonight's dinner was a big hit with John (who ate every vegetable without a complaint!). This recipe was inspired by Gina from Skinny Taste, who's recipe can be found here. I had some different vegetables on hand and left out the eggs to keep it vegan. Here is the recipe that I followed, but feel free to be creative!

If you're looking for a fool-proof method to use when cooking your brown rice, follow Gina's directions found here.

Ingredients:

2-3 cups cooked brown rice

2 shallots finely chopped (or onions)

1/2 green bell pepper chopped

1/2 red bell pepper chopped

2 carrots shredded

5 green onions chopped

1 cup edamame (frozen is fine)

~1-2 tablespoons oil

~2 tablespoons soy sauce

salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

First make sure that you have everything chopped, measured and ready to go. This will cook in no time and you will want to be busy moving everything around in your wok. Heat a wok to a pretty high heat, it will take a couple minutes. Then add your oil, chopped shallots, bell pepper and shredded carrots. Move these around while they cook for 1-2 minutes. Then add the edamame and green onions. Cook these for about 2 minutes, stirring very frequently. When everything looks heated through, add your cooked brown rice, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Make sure that everything is heated through, then check the taste. You might want to add more salt, pepper or soy sauce.