Day 329 Pasta with Pesto Veggies

Pasta with Pesto Veggies

8 Ounces Pasta, cooked and drained
1/4 Cup Veggie Stock
1 Carrot, peeled and chopped
1 Parsnip, peeled and chopped
2 Celery Stalks, chopped
1 Cup Green Beans, chopped
1/2 Onion, Chopped
1/4 Cup Pesto Sauce
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Sunflower Seeds
Nutritional Yeast for garnish

1. Heat stock in a skillet.  Add the veggies and cook until they are soft.  Mix in the pesto and olive oil.  Continue cooking for 5 minutes.  Mix in the seeds.

2.  Add the veggies to the pasta and mix well so that the sauce covers all of the pasta.  Serve with nutritional yeast sprinkled on top.

Pairs well with  2003 Domaine Grand Veneur Chateauneuf du Pape

Soundtrack Spotify's Friendsgiving Playlist

Day 257 Roasted Vegetables and Pesto Pizza

Roasted Vegetables and Pesto Pizza

Pesto

1 Cup Total Parsley, Basil and Rosemary
1/4 Cup Pine Nuts
1 Tablespoon Nutritional Yeast
2 Cloves Garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 Cup Veggie Stock
1/4 Cup Olive Oil

Pizza
1 Zucchini, diced
1 Yellow Squash, diced
1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1 Cup Shitake Mushrooms, sliced
1/2 Cup Veggie Stock
4 - 6 Whole Wheat Pita Bread

Ingredients

1.  Preheat Oven to 400 F.  Mix all the veggies on a baking tray and pour the stock over.

2.  Roast 15 minutes in the oven.

3.  Add all of the pesto ingredients to a food processor.  Process until well blended.

Pesto Sauce

4.  Spread the pesto on the pita rounds.  Top with roasted vegetables.

5.  Broil in the oven until browned.

Soundtrack DGC Rarities Vol. 1 - Various Artists

Day 119 Dill Pesto

Dill Pesto

This has a stronger, more herbal taste than traditional pesto.

1 Bunch Dill
1 Cup Cilantro
1/4 Pine nuts
3 Cloves Garlic
Juice of 1 Lemon
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Cup Nutritional Yeast
1/2 Cup Olive Oil

Place all ingredients except olive oil in a good processor.  Process till well blended.  While the machine is running, add the olive oil.  Pesto should be thick and creamy.

Goes well with pasta.

Soundtrack Enter Shikari - Take to the Skies

Day 83 Parsley Pesto

Parsley Pesto

Most pesto sauces are very similar to make, but have variations in the ingredients.  In January, I showed an Arugula Pesto.

1 Bunch Parsley, cut into thirds
4 Cloves Garlic, sliced into quarters
1/2 Cup Pine Nuts
2 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
1/4 Water
Juice of 1 Lemon
Salt and Pepper to taste
Hazelnut Oil

Before adding the oil

Place all ingredients except the oil in a food processor fitted with a steel cutting blade.  Process to combine.  Slowly add the oil through the feed tube while the processor is running.  The amount of oil will depend on your use.  For a pasta sauce, the pesto should be thick.  To use as a pizza sauce or sandwich spread it will need to be creamy.  Makes enough for 2 pizzas.

Goes will with pizza.

Soundtrack - Underworld Awakening - Motion Picture Soundtrack

Day 26 Polenta with Beans and Pesto

Polenta with Beans and Pesto

Beans
3 Small Carrots, chopped
1 Sweet Onion, chopped
1/2 Cup Mushrooms
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 Turmeric
1/3 Cup Vegetable Broth

Onions and carrots ready to cook

Place broth in skillet.  Add carrots and onion.  Cook until soft.  Add mushrooms and beans.  Cook on medium until all ingredients are hot.  Add the spices.  Cover and cook on low until the broth is absorbed.

Beans and veggies ready to serve

Pesto
3 Cups Basil
1 Cup Arugula
1/4 Cup Walnuts
1/4 Nutritional Yeast
3 Garlic Cloves
Juice of 1 Lemon
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 Cup Walnut Oil

Add all ingredients to the foods processor.  Pulse a few times.  With the motor running, stream the oil into the processor.  Mix until all ingredients are well incorporated.

To serve, cut a slice of warm polenta in half.  Top with the bean mixture, then with the pesto.  Refrigerate any left over pesto.

Pesto ready to process

Pesto ready to serve

Goes well 2013 Pouilly Fuisse

Sountrack Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

Day 11 Pesto Pizza

Pesto Pizza

Dough

1 Cup Rye Flour
1 1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
3/4 Brown Rice Flour
1 Cup warm Water
1 Tablespoon Yeast
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Safflower Seed Oil

1. Pre heat oven to 475 with a baking stone inside.  Sprinkle yeast on top of warm water and let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes.

Dough is ready to use

2.  Add rye, brown rice and 1 cup of all purpose flour to a food processor fitted with a plastic dough mixer.  Add salt and mix well.  Add the oil and yeast water.  Process until a ball forms.

3.  Roll dough out on a flat surface with the 1/4 all purpose flour.  Roll to desired thickness for a pizza.  Transfer to a oven peel with a piece of parchment paper covering the surface.  Crimp the edges.

Pizza

1 Cup Pesto
1 Onion, sliced
1 Cup Grape Tomatoes, halved
12 Green Olives, sliced
2 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast

1.  Spread the pesto over the surface of the dough.

2.  Scatter the onion, tomatoes and lives on top of the pizza.  Sprinkle with nutritional yeast.

Oven ready pizza

3.  Transfer to oven and cook 20 -30 minutes.  Return to peel and slice.

Soundtrack - Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear
Wine - 2005 Chassagne Montrachet from Bernard Morey

Day 4 Pesto Pasta

Pesto Pasta

1 small package pasta (penne or macaroni style)
1/2 cup pesto
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
onion, chopped
carrot, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
Large can artichoke hearts
Salt if needed

1. For the pasta, I used a quinoa/brown rice blend, but any type will do.  Boil the pasta according to the package directions.

I used a home made arugula pesto that was heavy on the garlic

2.  Place olive oil in a medium skillet.  Saute the onions, garlic and carrot.

3.  Dump the can of artichokes in a colander to drain.  Cut or tear into small pieces,  When the pasta is tender, dump in the colander over the artichokes.  The water will heat up the artichokes so that they will not need to be cooked.

4.  Place pasta and artichokes in the pan used for cooking the pasta.  Add the sauteed veggies and the pesto.  Stir well. Add salt if needed. The pasta is ready to eat.

Soundtrack Ween - Live at Stubbs

Wine - Essay Chenin Blanc

Goes well with the Haricot Verts and Mustard Vinaigrette and Quinoa with Brussel Sprouts