I love making food for friends. It’s probably one of the greatest joys in my life. When I cook for someone, it’s like I’m offering up a little box of love that I designed and created just for them. I try to think about what kind of foods they like, their dietary preferences and then I like to get a little creative with it. There are two parts about the process that I truly love – getting creative designing the dish and watching the face of the person I made it for when they try it for the first time. Oh yeah, it’s also pretty killer if they go back for seconds.
The biggest compliment I get is when a friend asks for the recipe. This doesn’t happen as often as you might think, even though they are always complimenting the food. Maybe they don’t enjoy cooking as much as I do (oh, the travesty!) or perhaps they’d just rather I make it for them (and I gladly comply). But when someone asks for the recipe, I know that means they love it so much that they want to share the love with someone else. When this happens, I feel like I have hit the jackpot!
With the Labor Day holiday coming up this weekend, there will be countless cookouts and celebrations and they usually require bringing a potluck dish to share with friends and family. You will find a plethora of burgers and dogs, potato salads, macaroni salads, broccoli salads and, well, more salads! Salads are great but if your cookout is already stocked full, it’s time to think outside the box… Or maybe inside it, actually. This recipe is a twist on the traditional corn muffin made with a box of corn muffin mix and a few additional ingredients.
I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love a good corn muffin. And, who doesn’t love pesto to boot? These muffins are delightfully savory, sweet and tangy and you won’t have to spend all morning in the kitchen preparing them. Each bite packs a punch of rich tomato and basil pesto flavor. They’ll even go great with all those salads. This is one of those delightful recipes that will get your friends savoring your cooking skills. Don’t worry; you don’t have to tell them how easy it was… unless, of course, they ask for the recipe.
Sun-dried Tomato Pesto Corn Muffins
www.barbaracooks.com
Servings: 9 • Size: 1 muffin • Weight Watcher Points+: 3*
Calories: 144 • Fat: 5g • Carbs: 22g • Fiber: 2g • Protein: 3g
Sugars: 6.5g • Sodium: 377g • Cholesterol: 27mg
*Nutrition facts based on using a Jiffy corn muffin mix with 1 egg and fat free milk
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces julienne cut sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
- 2 Tablespoons fresh basil leaves
- 2 cloves garlic
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2-4 Tablespoons water
- 1 (8.5 ounce) package of corn muffin mix (like Jiffy)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Combine the sun-dried tomatoes, basil leaves, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a food processor or mini blender like a Magic Bullet. Process/blend on high until mixture forms a rough paste. Continue blending, adding water a Tablespoon at a time, until it starts to become creamy, but retains a paste-like texture. Set aside.
Mix the corn muffin mix according to package directions and stir in the sun-dried tomato pesto.
Prepare a muffin tin with 9 cupcake liners. Fill each halfway with the muffin mix. Bake 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.