Okay, so I'm definitely NOT qualified to be the next food network star, but I do like trying new things to cook and I enjoy watching the food network to get new ideas. Every time I watch the channel I'm always in the mood to make something a little more gourmet. One thing I've been wanting to try is pesto from scratch. We finally bought some fresh basil yesterday and so I made it tonight. It wasn't bad for my first time. To me it tasted like something I would get at
The Olive Garden. I'm realizing I'm a big fan of pine nuts! I mixed chicken, basil, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and salt/pepper together with quantities of each based on taste. Here was the result:
The flavor was amazing, but I still need to work on getting the texture right. I didn't want to use very much olive oil to try and keep it on the healthier side, so it was a little dry. Trevor came up with the idea of possibly using plain yogurt along with the oil. I tried a little bit with the sauce and it wasn't half bad. I'm going to try that in the future and see how it goes.
The flavor was amazing, but I still need to work on getting the texture right. I didn't want to use very much olive oil to try and keep it on the healthier side, so it was a little dry. Trevor came up with the idea of possibly using plain yogurt along with the oil. I tried a little bit with the sauce and it wasn't half bad. I'm going to try that in the future and see how it goes.
8 comments:
That looks excellent. Pine nuts are great, too.
Your plate looks great Lindsay! (Or should I say "presentation"?)
I have never tried pesto, but have an herbaphobic family. I should try it when I am out next. Olive oil is a healthy oil though, it is also really good for your body. I just know I could not put yogurt in mine (for personal reasons...) Experiment and see what you like next time. Basil is easy to grow in a window. You could grow it in your apartment and do a pesto sauce on your wraps, sandwiches...
I totally agree with you, Sarah, that olive oil is good for you, but I just didn't want to add TOO much oil. I was trying to watch our calorie intake. I don't think I should cut the oil out completely, but I was trying to figure out maybe a lower calorie alternative and still have it be a really moist sauce. When I tried it, I could hardly taste the yogurt, but I understand your reservations toward the idea. If you have any other ideas to make it moist I would welcome any ideas!
That looks sooo good! That's awesome that you are experimenting like that. I can't wait till you come back to Utah and we can have your family host the family dinner :)
That looks delicious. I love trying new things like that. Especially when it's just the two of us trying it out, so if it flops...no one knows and we can have Cheerios. :) But, yours was definitely a hit!
Lindsay, on the Food Network website, you can type in the recipe and then "low-fat" version on the left of the screen. They had 13 for pesto when I clicked there yesterday.
Thanks Sarah! I'll have to look into that!
MMMM I love pesto, your plate looks delicious! When I am in the mood for pesto spaghetti, I buy the Knorr brand pesto sauce mix and toss it with spaghetti...delicious! I am glad you are doing it on your own tho, its a lot more fun that way.
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