Veggie Pesto Bowl

I ate this dinner in approximately 41/2 minutes. I inhaled it. It was delicious.

I modified the original recipe for the pesto, which is here.

I didn't modify much of the original recipe for the vegetables, which is here.

Making pesto wasn't as hard you might think it would be, with it's fancy name and all. You just pulverize some garlic, some toasted pine nuts, some basil, more basil, and a splash of olive oil and water to top it off. Not hard. Don't buy the kind in the jar, make your own.

You could add walnuts instead of pine nuts. Add flavored oils instead of olive oil. You could have family pesto night where you make a bunch of kinds and everyone tastes them all and votes on their favorite! That would be so fun if you had kids or foodie friends over for a cocktail party. I pretty much just cook for Chris and I at the moment.

Pesto:

1 1/2 Cups of Basil Leaves, Packed

2 tbsp Minced Garlic

2 tbsp Toasted Pine Nuts

1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 tbsp Parmesan Cheese (the real stuff!)

1 large pinch of Salt

1/4 cup of water

Blend the basil, garlic, and nuts in the food processor. It should be chunky. Then thin out the pesto with the oil and blend. Add the water little by little until you reach the desired texture. Blending in between additions of water.

Viola! Pesto. Delicious.

Veggie Bowl:

16 Purple Potatoes

2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

5 Scallions Sliced

3/4lb Shelled Peas (I used frozen)

1 large bunch of Asparagus cut into 1/2" pieces

1 can of Cannellini Beans

Salt and Pepper to taste

4 tbsp Pesto

I boiled the potatoes. I think they would be really good in this recipe if they were roasted, although, that would add some extra oil.

Saute the scallions in the olive oil. I liked the scallions instead of onions, I don't normally cook with scallions but they add a subtle flavor and the green color was great in the green bowl of vegetables.

Add the peas and asparagus. Add a little water. Cook the vegetables for a little while, not too long or else they get mushy.

Add the beans when the vegetables are half way cooked.

Stir together and add salt and pepper.

Serve the vegetables in a bowl with the potatoes cut into quarters. Top with 1 tbsp of pesto.

Happy Vegetarian Eating!