Healthy Recipes

The key to healthy eating is making your food taste good. Homemade recipes easily surpass what you find in the market.  Making your own homemade pesto recipe will remind you how good food can taste when you start from scratch.  The best time to make pesto is when you have access to a large amount of fresh basil leaves.  Check around, most folks are only happy to share from their garden, especially if they get some pesto in return.

We make our pesto using a food processor, it is quick and easy.  You will be amazed at how fragrant your kitchen will become once you start this.  It has become a favorite family memory at our house, along with apple pie and chocolate chip cookies.

Pesto has a tendency to turn brown once it is made.  It order to minimize it, you will need to keep a layer of olive oil across the top of the pesto.  We keep it in a small jar in the refrigerator for several months.  It will loose it’s pungency the longer you keep it, but it will still be good.  As you take some out of the jar, push down the pesto back to a flat surface across the top and add more olive oil.

Healthy Recipes Ingredients

2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons pine nuts
3-4 cups of fresh basil, packed in the measuring cup
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Healthy Cooking Instructions

Wash and dry the basil leaves, set aside.

Have your olive oil measured and ready to pour.  Set aside.

With the blade running in the food processor, drop in the whole garlic cloves.  Allow to process until finely chopped.

Add the salt and pine nuts through the feed tube and process until the nuts are also finely chopped.

Open the lid of the processor and scrape the sides of the work bowl. Add the basil leaves.  Place the lid back on and pulse until the basil is mostly chopped.

Start processing and drizzle in the olive oil  through the feed tube.  Stop once the basil mixture becomes a thick paste.  Open the lid and scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add the cheese and pulse a few more times to complete the mixing.

Use immediately or transfer to small jars, smooth the surface with a spoon and cover completely with a layer of olive oil to prevent browning.

Spaghetti Squash Recipe

When you have a ton of basil in your garden, it is only natural to whip up some homemade pesto.  Now that you have your herbal treasure, you will need some inspiration in the kitchen.  Finding healthy recipes for pesto is easy.  Aside from a classic pasta dish and maybe some stuffed mushrooms, where do you go next on your healthy eating  quest?  Another wonderful pesto dish can be made with spaghetti squash, a vegetable that you are probably passing right by in the market.  Spaghetti squash needs to be re-discovered now that everyone is looking for low carb healthy recipes.  You will not miss the pasta at all in this easy recipe.  We are using the microwave.  You know it is easy now.  In addition, you will get to experience the transformation this vegetable goes through.  It is pretty amazing. You must see it to believe it.

Healthy Recipes Ingredients

1 spaghetti squash
3-4 Tablespoons pesto
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
freshly ground black pepper

Healthy Cooking Instructions

To cook the squash, pierce it in a half a dozen places with a small knife.  This will prevent the squash from exploding in the microwave.

Place on a dish or pie plate on top of a few sheets of paper towel.  Microwave for 10-12 minutes.  Turning once over once or twice.

Allow to cool a bit, so it is easier to handle.  Slice lengthwise.

Scoop out seeds and discard them.  Now the fun begins.

Using a fork, start to scrape the flesh towards the middle.  It will come apart in shreds.  Continue with both halves until you have shredded all the squash.

Place in a large bowl, add the pesto and some olive oil. Toss gently.

Sprinkle the cheese and black pepper.  Toss again.

Can be served a  main dish or on the side.  This also reheats well.