This might seem random, but stay with me here…
Food waste is really bad for the planet. I’m planning a post that digs into this more, but it takes a lot of energy and natural resources to grow our food, which has an obvious environmental impact. Plus, food that ends up in landfills creates methane and contributes to global warming.
I try really hard to reduce our family’s food waste, and I will be the first to admit that I struggle with “specialty ingredients.” You know the ones you buy just to add a tablespoon to a recipe, and then wonder what you’re supposed to do with the rest of it. (Looking at you, buttermilk)
One of our favorite recipes is a Caprese-style chicken panini that I made up. Sourdough, pesto, mozzarella, tomatoes, a little bit of balsamic… you can’t go wrong!
If you’re like me, you always end up with a little bit of leftover pesto. So I always make sure I have the ingredients ready to make a complementary recipe within the next few days of the paninis. They’re like sister recipes… I need to think of a better name.
Here are my go-to pesto recipes:
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- Toasty Pesto Gnocchi from Hello Fresh – as a bonus, this one is vegetarian if you’re doing the Meatless Monday thing
- Arugula Salad with Pesto Shrimp from FoodieCrush – with canned beans in my pantry and frozen shrimp, I’m almost always able to whip up this delicious salad that even my husband and 9 year old approve of
- Ravioli with pesto – No real recipe here, but a bag of frozen ravioli and some fresh cherry tomatoes are perfect with a spoonful of leftover pesto
- Stir some pesto into mayonnaise and spread on a turkey sandwich. Yum!
- 30 minute Caprese Chicken from DeLallo – I listed this last because it’s almost just like the panini, just without the bread. But it’s really a great recipe, so it’s worth including here for sure.
It’s a simple concept, but I always feel better knowing my ingredient won’t go to waste.
Do you have an ingredient that you only use for one purpose?