Asian Basil Pesto

Asian Basil Pesto
Recipe found on Food.com
Makes 4 Servings

2 cups fresh Thai basil leaves
2 tbsp dry-roasted peanuts
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp dark sesame oil
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
½ tsp crushed red pepper
1 ½ tsp minced garlic
¼ tsp salt
8 oz. spaghetti
16 oz. chicken, diced and salted

Cook spaghetti per package instructions. Drain, reserving ¼ cup pasta water. In the meantime, place all ingredients in a food processor, process until smooth. Add pasta water and process again. Heat large pan over medium heat. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Add chicken, cook until no longer pink, about 6 minutes. Add pesto and pasta. Stir 3-4 minutes until thoroughly mixed and heated through.

Nutritional Information: 417 calories, 43 carbs, 10 fat grams and 38 protein grams.

Review: Wonderful, nutty and flavorful pesto! I loved all of the Thai basil and what great flavor it gave (without the calories and high sodium from other sauces/mixes). It was super easy to put together with a small blender and ingredients we already had on hand - easy peasy! I highly recommend this. And note, it reheated well, but I did have to add a dash of water before microwaving, and a dash of salt to enhance the flavors that we re lost during reheating.

Thai Basil from  Austin's garden!

Bacon-Balsamic Deviled Eggs

Bacon-Balsamic Deviled Eggs
Recipe adapted from My Bizzy Kitchen and Recipe Girl
Makes 24 appetizers

12 large eggs
4 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and chopped finely
1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1 tbsp red onion, finely grated
1 tsp granulated white sugar
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper, freshly ground

Carefully put eggs in a pot and cover with tap water until eggs are submerged with an inch of water over them. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, set a timer for 10 minutes. While boiling, prepare a bowl of ice water. When the timer goes off, remove pot from heat and use a slotted spoon to transfer one egg at a time to the cold water. Leave them alone for 7 - 8 minutes as they come back to room temperature. Once cooled, dry them and put them in a bowl in the fridge, or peel under cold water and eat. Halve length-wise. Place the cooked yolk in a medium bowl and place the white halves on a serving platter (cut-side up). Mash yolks with a fork. Add bacon, mayonnaise, onion, sugar, vinegar, celery salt and pepper. Stir until thoroughly combined. Use a piping bag with a star-shaped tip to fill egg white halves. Refrigerate, lightly covered, until ready to serve.

Nutritional Information (each appetizer): 43 calories, 1 carb, 3 fat grams and 3 protein grams. (could have 2 for a under-100 calorie snack!).

Review: Okay, so my first time making deviled eggs and my first time eating them. WOW. Where have I been? Loved the addition of bacon and the balsamic and grated onion really added a fun kick! Austin, a seasoned deviled egg eater really liked them, too. I also got to use my new cake decorator pump/piping tool - fun. I can't wait to make these again and can't get over how yummy it was. I even used the leftover on some crackers - WOW. If you like deviled eggs or want to try a new recipe - i'd suggest this one!