Artichoke and Basil Pesto

Here's a delightfully easy pesto recipe (well, all are easy), that is mighty tasty and can be used in a plethora of ways!

For instance, you could shmeer it on some garlic bread.

You could thin it out a bit (just use a bit more olive oil) and use it as a pasta sauce!

Or perhaps you just want to dip some veggies in it?

Or maybe you want to just eat it on a cracker?

What ever you choose, this is so simple and good for you, too.

What you need:

About a cup (two handfuls) of big basil leaves

1 can of artichoke hearts (about 8-9 hearts)

2 cloves of garlic

1/8 cup of pine nuts

1/2 tsp kosher salt

4 tbsp of Parmesan/Romano blend (the stuff in the cannister is fine; ideally you buy a mostly natural- e.g. you can pronounce the ingredients!)

1/8 cup of part skim ricotta cheese

A couple cranks of ground black pepper

1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

How you do it (so easy!):

Take food processor.

Take all ingredients, except for oil, and toss them in the food processor.

Pulse about 10 times until all are well blended together.

Next, with the food processor running, slowly add the tablespoon of oil.

Consistency will be thick, not too runny, such that this is more of a dip or a spread than a sauce.

Now, we froze half of this-so when I get my I want fresh pesto craving- all I have to do is open the freezer door. Plus, it makes a good amount, and there are only two of us!

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 tbsp

Amount per Serving

Calories 32

Calories from Fat 20.3

Total Fat 2.25g

Saturated Fat 0.54g

Cholesterol 1.88mg

Sodium 110.83mg

Total Carbohydrate 1.59g

Dietary Fiber 0.47g

Sugars 0.42g

Protein 1.05g

Bite sized loves.

When appetizers are served at parties, do you walk over, at a fast pace, hoping people don't notice you're the first person grabbing something good?

Well, you'll love these then. They are tiny. They are bite sized. The opportunities for the fillings are endless.

Thank you, Bakerella, for giving me the idea for this (and if you haven't tried her pumpkin pie bites....DO IT. DO IT NOW!).

It's party season after all, so tell your next host you'll bring the appetizers.

Feta and Carmelized Onion Tartlette's and Goat Cheese, Spinach, Sundried Tomato, with Pesto Tartlette's!

For both, you will need 1 package (2 rolls) of Pillsbury ready to roll pie crust (any brand will do).

Preheat the oven to 350.

Ingredients:

Feta and Carmelized Onion

1 yellow onion

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp light butter

1 8 ounce pack of light feta cheese

Goat Cheese, Spinach, Sundried Tomato, with Pesto

3/4 cup goat cheese

1 bag of fresh baby spinach

3 tbsp julienne cut sun dried tomato in oil

3 tbsp basil pesto

Directions:

Roll out pie crust so that it is a tad bit thinner than how it comes packaged.

With a 3" glass or cookie cutter, cut little disks from the pie crust.

Place each disk in a mini muffin tin, as shown.

With an egg white, brush each tartlette lightly. Your tarts are ready for their yummy fillings!

For the Feta and Onion Tartlette's

Chop up the onion and butter. Melt butter in small/medium saute pan.

Let the onions sweat, with lid on, for about 15 minutes.

Next, add your brown sugar to the onions. Cook, uncovered, for about 5 more minutes til golden brown in color.

Next assembling the tartlettes. Place a bit of feta(chopped, as shown) in each tart. Cover each one with some chopped onion. They should look like this:

and, after 15 minutes of baking, when they are done:

Next, the goat cheese, spinach, sun-dried tomato, and pesto:

Saute the spinach with the sun-dried tomato

Then, chop up the spinach mix finely.

Take each tartlette, and fill it with some spinach, then some goat cheese crumbles, and last a small dollop of pesto.

Pop in the over, 15 minutes. Delicious!

Goat Cheese and Spinach:

Nutrition Facts

Recipe Serves 24 people

Amount per Serving

• Calories 124Calories from Fat 80

% Daily Value *

• Total Fat 9.2g14%
• Saturated Fat 3.13g16%
• Cholesterol 1.63mg1%
• Sodium 162.94mg7%
• Potassium 68.54mg2%
• Total Carbohydrate 9.5g3%
• Dietary Fiber 0.43g2%
• Sugars 0.65g
• Protein 1.25g2%

• Vitamin A23.58
• Vitamin C6.03
• Calcium1.92
• Iron2.24
• Vitamin K74.38
• Folic Acid (Folate)5.83
• Magnesium2.19

Est. Percent of Calories from:

Fat 66.8% Carbs 30.6%

Protein 4.0%

Feta and Onion:

Nutrition Facts

Recipe Serves 24 people

Amount per Serving

• Calories 129Calories from Fat 69

% Daily Value *

• Total Fat 7.89g12%
• Saturated Fat 4.08g20%
• Monounsaturated Fat 0.17g
• Cholesterol 1.67mg1%
• Sodium 374.42mg16%
• Total Carbohydrate 9.73g3%
• Dietary Fiber 0.13g1%
• Sugars 1.4g
• Protein 4.68g9%

• Vitamin A0.89
• Vitamin C0.79
• Calcium0.13
• Iron0.13

Est. Percent of Calories from:

Fat 55.0% Carbs 30.2%

Protein 14.5%

Enjoy! Happy Holidays!