Pesto, low carb diet, now what?

[bethzaring]

I just made my first batch of pesto and don't know what to do with it. Since we are still following a low carbohydrate diet, my mainstays are out.

I have tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. It seems like it would be a gloopy mess to cut up the tomatoes and stir in pesto.

Any ideas for how to eat my beloved pesto without pasta?

[Dawgluver]

Maybe try it with spaghetti squash, or make some zucchini "noodles" with one of those spiralator gadgets.

I've frozen pesto in ice cube trays, then stored in a plastic ziplock. A chunk or two is nice in soups and stews.

[GotGarlic]

+1 other on the frozen pesto cubes.

I did a Google search for "stuffed vegetables with pesto" and got a lot of good recipes: https://www.google.com/search?q=stuf...les+with+pesto

You could mix chopped tomatoes and diced mozzarella with pesto and stuff cucumber cups or baby bell peppers.

[Steve Kroll]

With tomatoes and mozzarella, it sure sounds like you have a Caprese Salad waiting to happen. Just serve it over the sliced tomatoes and cheese.

We eat pesto on all kinds of vegetables and meats. Just think of it as a condiment rather than a sauce.

[GotGarlic]

Steve's post reminded me - I have a German cookbook (in English - a gift from a former exchange student) and it has a recipe for caprese fish; I think you could also do it with chicken breast cutlets.

Caprese Fish

1 medium zucchini, sliced
4 tomatoes, sliced
8 slices mozzarella cheese
Basil leaves or about 1/2 cup pesto
2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
4 mild white fish fillets such as mahi mahi or cod
2-3 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400F.

Spread a little oil in the bottom of a baking dish. Arrange half of the zucchini, tomatoes and cheese in the dish in an overlapping pattern. Spread half the basil or pesto over the vegetables and cheese and sprinkle with half the Italian seasoning.

Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper to taste and place place the fillets on top of the vegetables and cheese. Drizzle with a little oil. Layer the rest of the ingredients in the same way on top of the fish.

Put the dish in the oven uncovered and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Variation: Use chicken cutlets instead of fish.

[bethzaring]

Thanks all for the great ideas. I'm doing roasted zucchini tossed with pesto and chopped tomatoes and mozzarella cheese stuffed in green peppers for dinner tonight. I've got the zucchini and peppers in the garden.

[bethzaring]

And I'm going to the freezer to thaw some fish for tomorrow nights dinner!!

[Aunt Bea]

Try tossing it with steamed cauliflower and or chunks of boneless skinless chicken breast. Serve it hot on day one and cold with some grape tomatoes, cucumbers, etc... on day two.

[Cooking Goddess]

Ooo, Aunt Bea, I like your idea.

Originally Posted by Steve Kroll

With tomatoes and mozzarella, it sure sounds like you have a Caprese Salad waiting to happen. Just serve it over the sliced tomatoes and cheese...

Yup, you could just drizzle it over the tomatoes/cheese as if it were Balsamic vinegar. To make an even heartier, meal-type dish, you could probably grill slabs of zucchini, then alternate tomato and mozzarella down the length. Flourish with your pesto, and maybe a light snow shower of Parmigiano or Romano.

[Zereh]

I like to slather it on chicken. When the chicken is just about done I add a slice of tomato and then cover with mozzarella. Bake a bit longer until the cheese is melty-gooey.

You can also slice a pocket in uncooked chicken, stuff it with pesto and cheese, and then bake

Pesto in eggs is good!

It's also the perfect way to dress zucchini "noodles".

[CWS4322]

Lettuce wraps. As the dip for raw veggies - mix it greek yogurt and serve with raw veggies. As the topping on roasted veggies.

[Whiskadoodle]

I like pesto with (grilled) chicken.