It’s summer so that means it’s time to get creative with our summer cooking. Light and easy is what summer is all about and that should translate to the kitchen. If you haven’t noticed, it’s kind of hot outside. (Well at least where we live it’s pretty hot.) I couldn’t think of anything because I had my head trapped in some cookbooks. When I finally shut the books and went to the store, my mind opened up with lots of possibilities…and then all I wanted was pea pesto and mustard greens.
Maybe it’s because my favorite color is green, but this is just what I wanted and it’s pretty yummy. I also wanted something pretty quick.
- 1 16oz bag frozen peas, defrosted
- 1 8oz can diced tomatoes, drained.
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
- 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flake
- Make sure the peas are defrosted before starting this and you’ll need a blender or food processor.
- In the food processor, combine, the peas, garlic, cheese, salt pepper and red pepper flake. Blend until smooth.
- Stir the mixture with a spoon and then blend again, this time adding the oil in gradually.
- Mix for about 30 seconds.
- The mixture is now done and you can add in the tomatoes.
- Serve two tbsp of the mixture with pasta or rice.
I served our pea pesto with penne pasta with a side of sauteed mustard greens. I think it the pea pesto goes perfectly with the mustard greens because it balances the spicy bite from the greens. Plus, the greens are filled with all types of nutrients that we need. Remember your food should fuel you, not fill you!
A little bit goes a long way with this stuff, so enjoy it!
The best thing about this meal is you can choose to warm it up or you can eat it cold. It’s light, cool and filling which is exactly what I wanted for this week.
What do you like to eat when the weather warms up?
