Pesto and Artichoke Pizza

That “30 Minute Meals” show should have been called “30 Ingredient Meals.” I watched the show a bunch of times in the past, but I had never made any of Rachael Ray’s food. The meals might have been fast, but they were always packed with ingredients I didn’t have. A few days ago I saw her make the recipe for tre colore pesto with too much stuff in it, so there was no way I was going to make it. Then I decided that I didn’t really have to do it the way she said. Why did pesto always have to be basil & pine nuts… plus all the extra stuff she added to make this particular one? I had jar of marinated artichoke hearts, so I was inspired to make my own version of pesto and artichoke pizza.

I made the “pesto” out of a leftover salad from a restaurant, and a snack pack of mixed nuts. I normally wouldn’t have even bothered to bring home half a restaurant salad, but the waiter accidentally gave me the large size that I didn’t order. And this “heart healthy” snack pack of nuts was burning a hole on the shelf because I didn’t actually like the variety.

• 2 cups leftover mixed greens with roma tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, raisins, sunflower seeds, egg, and croutons (considered removing the raisins, but ended up leaving them)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup mixed nuts
• 1 tsp juice from one of those plastic limes
• 1 tsp garlic
• small/random amount of salt & pepper

I threw all the ingredients into the blender. Then I spread the blended mixture on half a spinach lavash flatbread, grated 1 babybel light cheese wheel over it, and put on some sliced artichokes and cherry tomatoes. I put it in the toaster oven for a bit (not sure of the time… I just set it to the picture of the dark toast). It was excellent. The only thing that made it lower fat was the light cheese, but with all the oil & nuts & croutons & egg… I don’t think I could really call it 100% good for me. I would choose it any day over a boring ol salad though.