It's been a week since I started my new diet (Ideal Protein). I love it because it forces me to cook every night of the week - 8 oz of lean meat and 2 cups of vegetables. So before I get stuck in a rut, and revert to the same ole chicken and steamed broccoli (although that would make meal planning pretty easy!), I decided to learn a few new preparation techniques and try out a concoction or two to transform my basic dinners into something magical. I'm not a huge fan of sweet sauces, and glazes were out because I have to limit the amount of sugars I consume. So after a brainstorming session (flipping through every culinary magazine I could get my hands on) I settled on pesto.
Now basil pesto in and of itself is pretty awesome - fresh herbs, heart-healthy olive oil, antioxidant-rich garlic - but it has one ingredient that I can't stomach (on my diet), pine nuts. Without nuts I was worried there would be something missing, so I substituted the nuttiness of one ingredient, for the acidity of another, lemons! Adding the lemon to my pesto made my already-delicious sauce transform into a mood-altering party on a plate. I used mine on chicken, but I can't wait to see how it tastes on broiled fish & veggies - yum!
So here's a quick lesson on pesto, and in 5 minutes or less you'll have an exiting dinner! Presto!
Grilled chicken with lemon-basil pesto
Ingredients
30-40 basil leaves
10 cloves of garlic
zest & juice of two small lemons
salt & black pepper
5-10 TBS olive oil based on desired thickness
Directions
- Place basil, garlic, lemon zest & juice in blender
- Drizzle in olive oil as you blend
- salt & pepper to taste
- You can adjust the oil & garlic based on your preferences - just remember, a little goes a long way!