Tag Archives: pesto

Quick Whitefish and Vegetables

November 20, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Fish smothered in diced veggies. What a great pesto flavor shines through for using so little of it. This was an awesome meal and it is very quick to prepare !

4 servings
180 calories per serving

4 4 oz. tilapia or other white fish filets
1/4 c low fat Italian dressing, divided
1 T pesto (prepared pesto is available in the refrigerator section at your grocer)
1 green or red pepper, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 c grape tomatoes, halved
3 T chopped basil or parsley
Pepper to taste

Brush fish with half the dressing and sauté 4-5 minutes per side or until done. Remove from pan and keep warm. Add veggies, pesto, pepper and the rest of the dressing and sauté 5-7 minutes or until slightly tender. Garnish with basil or any other fresh herb.

Dinner, FiberGourmet, Italian, Pasta

Tri Color Pepper Pasta

January 13, 2011 admin Leave a comment

This has some of the best flavor you will find in a pasta dish ! The sauteed peppers and onions (much like you add to sausage and peppers) quickly impart their tremendous flavor top the pasta and you end up with a dish that completely satisfies your taste buds.

4 servings
320 calories per serving

8 oz. FiberGourmet Penne, Spaghetti, or Fettuccine (without FiberGourmet pasta, you have to add another 80 calories per serving to this)
1 T oil
1 medium onion in thin slices
1 medium orange bell pepper in bite sized strips
1 medium yellow bell pepper in bite sized strips
1 medium green bell pepper in bite sized strips
1/3 c prepared pesto
Salt and pepper to taste
1 t onion powder
½ t garlic powder
1 t crushed red pepper flakes
¼ c shredded parmesan cheese

Cook penne according to package directions. Heat oil and cook onion 2 minutes then add peppers and spices and cook 10-15 minutes or until they are very tender. Add pasta and then remove from heat and stir in pesto. Add salt and pepper and sprinkle with cheese.

Dinner, Sides, Videos

Pesto Potato Salad

September 7, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Instead of basil, this pesto is made with arugula and adds a nice tang to the salad. Sometimes instead of the yukon gold potatoes I use unpeeled new potatoes and the recipe is just as delicious !

8 servings
208 calories per serving

2 lb. Yukon gold potatoes
2 ½ c arugula leaves
1/3 c parmesan cheese, grated
1/3 c pine nuts, toasted
3 T water
2 t lemon juice
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ t salt
½ t pepper
¼ c olive oil
1 c grape tomatoes, halved

Cook potatoes covered in salted water 25 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool. Then peel the potatoes and cube them. Here is a great video on how to easily boil and peel potatoes.

In a food processor mix arugula, 1/3 c cheese, 1/3 c pine nuts, water, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper then slowly add the oil and mix thoroughly. Pour mix over potatoes and stir in tomatoes. Serve at room temperature.

Chicken, Dinner, FiberGourmet, Pasta

Pesto Chicken and Pasta

August 5, 2010 admin Leave a comment

This dish is so packed with flavor, so satisfying, so easy to make and I am so going to make it again very soon !

4 servings
200 calories per serving

½ c prepared pesto sauce
1 c fat free chicken broth
9 oz. prepared sliced chicken (Perdue Shortcuts work great here)
8 oz. FiberGourmet Fettucine noodles (without FiberGourmet pasta, you have to add another 80 calories per serving to this)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 large tomatoes, chopped

Mix pesto and ¾ c broth in a skillet and add the chicken and mix well then cover and cook on medium for 5 minutes. Cook the pasta according to package directions and toss with ¼ c broth and season with salt and pepper then add chicken mix and mix well. Garnish with chopped tomatoes.

Appetizers, Italian, Sides, Snacks

Provolone and Peppers

July 21, 2010 admin Leave a comment

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This is a great side and also a great quick appetizer. The melted cheese and pesto make such a nice accompaniment to the sweet red pepper.

8 servings
65 calories per serving

2 small red bell peppers
1 T oil
2 T basil pesto
2 oz. provolone cheese in 8 slices

Quarter peppers and remove seeds. Brush outsides with oil. Fill insides with pesto and cheese. Heat grill. Grill peppers 5-7 minutes or until cheese is softened. You can also broil these for a few minutes if you do not have a grill.

Dinner, FiberGourmet, Pasta

Tomato Fettucine with Spinach Sauce

June 1, 2010 admin Leave a comment

The sauce in this recipe is much like a mild, creamy spinach pesto and that made it just wonderful in my book 🙂 This was such a rich and satisfying dinner or you could have a smaller portion and have it as a side to a chicken or fish dinner. The sauce would be just as good on unflavored fettucine but the tomato element really was a nice flavor combination.

8 servings
255 calories per serving

10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and drained well (place in a colander and press down with your hand)
1 c shredded parmesan cheese
¾ c 2% cottage cheese
½ c skim milk
1 T oil
1 clove garlic, minced
¾ t oregano flakes
½ t pepper
¼ t salt
¼ t red pepper flakes
2 10 oz. packages FiberGourmet tomato flavored fettucine (without FiberGourmet pasta, you have to add another 120 calories per serving to this)

In a food processor, process spinach, parmesan, cottage cheese, milk, oil, garlic, oregano, pepper, salt and red pepper until smooth and evenly green. Pour into a pan and heat on medium. Cook pasta according to directions and serve with the sauce.
SOUTH OF THE BORDER

Appetizers, Italian, Sides, Snacks

Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms

May 28, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Another installment of stuffed mushrooms ! The pesto flavor really comes through and makes these a success story. Much easier than chopping stems and cooking sausage…these come together very quickly and are a great appetizer, snack, or side dish.

12 servings
50 calories per serving (1 serving = 2 mushrooms)

24 baby portobello mushrooms
1/3 c part skim ricotta cheese
3 T pesto (available in the refrigerator section of your local market)
2 t whole wheat flour
2 T grated romano or parmesan cheese
1 T breadcrumbs
Pam

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with Pam. Remove the stems from the mushrooms and place the mushroom caps on the baking sheet with the stem side facing up. Mix the ricotta, pesto and flour. Spoon the mix evenly into the mushroom caps and press down. Combine the parmesan and breadcrumbs and sprinkle on top of the mushrooms. Press down lightly. Bake 15-20 minutes or until browned.

Dinner, Sides, Vegetables

Presto Pesto Green Beans

March 28, 2010 admin 1 Comment

The pesto flavoring on these beans is subtle but it definitely gives it enough of a kick for the beans to be tasty and interesting !

2 servings
41 calories per serving

4 oz. green beans
1 T pesto (bought in the refrigerator section of your market)

Steam beans 5-6 minutes or until tender. Toss with pesto.

Lunch, Sandwiches

Pesto and Mozzarella Grilled Cheese

March 3, 2010 admin 2 Comments

Grilled cheesy sandwiches – they make it on this ‘diet’ plan of mine and I am so happy about it ! To make them more sensible, use low fat cheeses, add flavor in the way of herbs, and be sure to use Pam and buttery spray. And then off you go – the variations are endless and here is a great Italian inspired one.

6 servings
285 calories per serving

1/4 c low fat pesto
12 1 oz. slices sourdough bread
12 3/4 oz. slices part skim mozzarella cheese
6 1/4 inch thick slices tomato
18 large basil leaves
I can’t Believe It’s Not Butter spray
Pam

Spread 1 t pesto on each slice of bread. Top 6 slices of bread with a cheese slice, a tomato slice, 3 basil leaves, and another cheese slice. Top with remaining bread slice. Spray outsides of sandwiches with at least 5 sprays per side. Heat skillet on medium heat and spray with Pam. Add sandwiches, as many as will fit in a batch. Cook 2-3 minutes each side or until cheese is melted. You can use a Panini press here and the cheese will melt even nicer 🙂

Kid Friendly, Lunch, Sandwiches, Turkey

Turkey Paninis

February 26, 2010 admin 2 Comments

Turning a regular sandwich into a Panini makes it much more special – and all you are doing is grilling it up and pressing it a bit to melt down all the contents really well. A have a Panini pan that goes right on the stovetop – I also have a George Foreman type grill, but I like doing it stovetop better.

4 servings
257 calories per serving

2 T fat free mayo
4 t pesto (get the prepared version from the refrigerator section of your grocer)
8 1 oz. slices sourdough bread
8 oz. deli turkey (low fat Sara Lee or Hormel prepackaged works great here)
2 oz. thinly sliced provolone cheese
8 slices tomato
Pam
I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray

Combine mayo and pesto and spread 1 T on each of 4 slices of bread. Top each slice with turkey, 1.2 oz. cheese, 2 tomato slices and the rest of the bread. Preheat grill pan and spray with Pam. Spray each sandwich with a few spritzes of the ICBINB Spray and add sandwiches and cook 3 minutes per side.