Roasted Red Pepper Pesto

Oh my gosh I love pesto!  I never did much research on it, so never really understood why it always came in such a tiny jar, but cost so much.  Well, I also love roasted peppers, so decided to make roasted red pepper pesto.... and thus had to do my research.  WOW - are pine nuts expensive!!  Now it makes sense.

However, while doing my research, I realized that many recipes have alternative nuts... almonds, cashews (also expensive), walnuts.  Pretty much saw all the nuts, except peanuts..... Shoot!  I needed an excuse to buy those glass jars of peanuts that my grandpa used to eat ~ I love salted peanuts!  Anyhoo - - I settled on combining a few recipes that called for almonds - and my budget was happy.

In this endeavor, I also learned how to roast my own peppers.  Yay me!!  Here's how I did it....

1) Cut, seed, gut 3 red bell peppers....  laid them skin side up on a pizza pan. (Apparently was supposed to use a cookie sheet - however I do not have one, as I am HORRIBLE at making cookies, so I don't buy cookie sheets.  hehehe.)

2) Placed the peppers about 8 inches from the top of my oven, & put my setting to broil.  Let them broil roughly 15-18 minutes, until they were a bit soft and charred, and smelling delicious.

3) Put them all in a ziplock bag and let them steam for about 10 minutes.  After.... this is what I had....

Now.... time to make my pesto!!.... 

INGREDIENTS:

3 roasted bell peppers

1 pkg of fresh basil

1/4 C slivered almonds (I used just a bit more than this, maybe)

1 tsp minced garlic

1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese (or in my house.... "shaky cheese")

S & P to taste

Squirt or 2 of oil (to get things moving)

DIRECTIONS:

1) Place all ingredients (except oil.... for now) in my Ninja food processor.

2) Blend while slowly adding the oil, to get things moving.  

It's that easy and delicious!!  

Well.... I had a reason for making this pesto - I wanted to make a fancy (dare I say, gourmet) sandwich for supper tonight.  In the end - I'd say it was a complete success!! 

IN THE SANDWICH:

French loaf - cut diagonal & toasted with garlic butter & parsley

Crispy bacon strips

Italian marinated then grilled chicken breast strips

Hefty layer of spinach leaves

Mild Cheddar cheese slices

 Top & bottom insides of sandwich smothered in my red pepper pesto

..... Then all of it in the oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese and heat through.  

I'm SO proud of this sandwich.... I'll pat myself on the back for this one.

YUMMY!!!