Gopi's Pesto Potatoes

This has got to be one of my favorite dishes of all time! :-) Home made pesto is great with pasta of course, but in my opinion its almost better with baked potatoes and cheese!

Ingredients

8 - 10 medium sized golden potatoes, washed and cubed into bite size chunks
2 tsp Old bay spice
1 tsp Smoked Spanish paprika powder
1 tsp Asafoetida
2 Tbsp Italian herbs
1 Tbsp Sea salt
Vegetarian mozzarella or Monterrey jack cheddar cheese, as needed

Method

Preheat oven to 380 degrees fahrenheit.
Place potatoes onto an oiled baking dish. Add 1/2 cup water. Sprinkle with the spices, herbs and salt. Bake til tender and crispy on edges.

Home-made fresh Pesto

3 cups of fresh basil leaves washed and patted dry
1 cup of extra virgin organic olive oil
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (or walnuts)
1/2 cup shredded vegetarian Parmesan cheese
2 tsp asafoetida (or to taste)
sea salt to taste

Method

Blend all ingredients til smooth. You will only need 1/3 of the pesto. Store the rest in the refrigerator in a sealed glass jar til you need it next. Guaranteed this magic green sauce wont last long!! :-)

Use a spatula to loosen the potatoes in the baking dish. Pour 1/3 of the pesto over potatoes and mix well. Sprinkle mozzarella or cheddar on top and baked til cheese is melted.

Serves approx 6. Serve hot with a salad. Finger-licking delicious!!! :-)

Linguine Pesto Delight

If you have extra left over home made pesto, here's a quick, easy and tasty lunch - great for when you are in a hurry.

Ingredients

1 pk linguine pasta
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp Sea salt
3 Tbsp home-made Pesto
2 TBSP chopped jalepeno stuffed olives (optional)

Method 

Boil linguine with sea salt and a drop of olive oil til al dente. Drain and place into a mixing bowl. Add pesto and mix thoroughly. Garnish with a baked tomatoe slice sprinkled with salt and parmesan.

Great served hot on a bed of sauteed kale with a spring greens herb salad on the side. Serves approx 6.