Pesto Herb Roasted Potatoes

What is up people! What. Is. Up. Ok so I went on a little hiatus last week. With being finished with school and not going back until September, I gave myself a little time to regroup, ground myself, and prioritize. I also have a new found love for all things potatoes. I see sliced potatoes all over the web and I decided to create something a little different. Pesto Herb Roasted Potatoes! I love pesto, I love herbs, and I love potatoes. It’s a triple win all around. And if you’re anything like me, you’re going to absolutely LOVE these.

I have exciting news coming your way in the next couple of months on projects I can’t yet discuss but cannot wait to share it with you! Think big people, like really big.

One thing I can share with you right now is the relaunch of my Healthy Dessert App, NeuroticMommy 2.0. This is going to be so amazing, you will wish you can just dig right in with your cyber spoons and forks. The developer and myself came up with a unique format that will be easy to share my dessert recipes with you. Desserts are not or don’t have to be the enemy! I love desserts so I made my favorite ones healthy and vegan for you to enjoy. I will let you know when the new version is available for download. And yes, obviously chocolate cake will be involved. I love you all that much! ❤️

Let’s get back to these beauties, shall we? Red jacket potatoes are my go to for anything I make potatoes. No one knows this, but they are actually quite high in Vitamin C. Yes, vitamin C, I know right, who woulda thunk it. They are an immune booster, naturally gluten and fat free, support healthy blood pressure, and improves cell function because of it’s iron content. Iron plays a crucial role in assisting oxygen utilization for neural development and overall cell function throughout the body. One red jacket potato contains approximately 6% of the recommended daily value of iron. We all need iron but especially if you’re plant based, vegan or plan on becoming either of the two you need to be educated and make smart decisions in your diet. You have to know how to replace your essential vitamins and minerals with the vegan options and you should know how your body specifically absorbs things. For instance, you may be taking a vitamin B12 supplement but not gaining the benefits from it because your body needs B12 in the liquid form that goes under your tongue, directly into your blood stream. These are all important things to know when going vegan and plant based.

Potatoes for dayzzz 😍

Don’t discard the skin! That’s where a lot of the nutrients are in red jacket potatoes. The skin is loaded with fiber, B12, potassium, and iron. With red jacket potatoes half of the fiber is found in the skin and we know fiber is a good thing. Potatoes tend to have a bad rap, but they’re not the bad guy. They have actual health benefits that shouldn’t be overlooked. My suggestion is to always buy organic when budget permitted. They make meals in abundance and that last long. Buying non organic potatoes can leave you open to eating an abundance of pesticides which is what we don’t want. Because potatoes grow in the ground the soil they are in is extremely important. Whatever’s in that soil, will be in that potatoes, so if it’s filled with gmo’s and is round up ready, you might not want to stick a fork in it. Remember, you are what you’re able to digest and even the smallest amount of toxins can wreak havoc on the good ole bod.💃

Incredibly Flavorful 🌻

I stuffed these lovelies with an herb pesto. And nope, no cheese involved, these are 100% vegan and oh so delicious. They look like mini steaks but they’re even better. The pesto isn’t traditional pesto as I used spinach, almonds, fresh thyme and parsley as the base. It’s a fun way to switch things up and I even thought about using this pesto on my Vegan Green Goddess Griller sandwich. I mean how bomb would that be right!?

I used my small food processor for this because using the bigger one wouldn’t allow it to break up and become a creamier texture. I recommend using a small processor and/or blender for this or maybe even something like the bullet of some sort this way you won’t lose a lot of the ingredients by the force of the heavy duty bigger kitchen appliances.

Wooowzers 💚

How beautiful is that color! So green and vibrant, you just know it’s good for you. So here’s what you’ll need: spinach, fresh thyme and parsley, shaved almonds, salt/pepper, vegan butter, hemp seeds, basil, fresh garlic, and garlic/onion powder. Totes amaze. Give it a good blitz in the processor and viola…vegan healthy finger licking pesto!

You’re going to be so amazed at how it tastes like it has parmesan in it but doesn’t. I can gets tricky like that. LOL 😉

Amazingly Healthy 🌿

To put it all together is easy and a little messy but worth it. When you’re done washing and slicing your potatoes, drizzle them with extra virgin olive oil. When you’re done preparing the pesto take tablespoon amounts and rub generously on each potato filling in the slices. Place parchment paper on the baking sheet or baking dish you’re using and place potatoes in there. You can adjust seasonings to your liking. In or on the pan add on more fresh thyme, parsley, salt/pepper. You can also add other vegetables like carrots, onions or celery to make a nice big serving of a roasted vegetable medley. Even cauliflower would be awesome. All roasted veggies are awesome. Ok so anyway, once you have each potato covered and filled with pesto bake for an hour on 425F. Midway, cover the potatoes with foil so the tops don’t burn. The potatoes should be nice and tender, a fork should be able to go right through one so if they are still not ready at the hour keep them in longer. However, I believe an hour will be just fine. Once they are done you can take the leftover pesto and rub more on the outsides of each potato. If you were able to keep yourself from eating the leftover pesto by the spoonful after. I know I had a hard time. I gets cray like that. LOL No one is looking, well ok maybe my husband but he doesn’t count.

This dish is really quite something. You get a full serving of vegetables, a vegan cheesy pesto, and happy full tummies. My son is 4 and absolutely loved how “cheesy” and “buttery” these were. Make them as your main or as a side, even keep them as a snack. 3 of these potatoes, fully loaded are about 220 calories. So 3 potatoes a serving, if you count calories, which I know a lot of people do.

I hope you’re as excited about this as I am because it ain’t no fun if potatoes can’t get none. 🍴haha

Print Recipe

Yield: 12-14 potatoes

Pesto Herb Roasted Potatoes

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Enjoy these oven baked pesto herb filled roasted potatoes that are completely heart healthy and naturally gluten and fat free! It's a triple win!

Ingredients:

Vegan Pesto Filling

• 1/4 cup vegan butter, melted
• 2 cups spinach
• 1/2 cup shaved almonds
• 2-3 branches of fresh thyme
• 1/2 cup parsley
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp dried basil
• 1 tbsp hemp seeds
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• salt/pepper to taste

Potatoes

• 12 to 14 red jacket potatoes, washed and sliced
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• extra fresh thyme and parsley for the pan or baking sheet

Directions:

1. To make the pesto add all ingredients to a small processor or blender and blitz until all ingredients are well incorporated. Adjust seasonings to your liking or if need be.
2. Preheat oven to 425F and line a baking sheet or dish with parchment paper.
3. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on the bottom of the pan or dish.
4. Clean potatoes and slice them. Not too thick and not too thin, as shown in the pictures.
5. Roll potatoes around in the extra virgin olive oil.
6. Rub and fill each potato with pesto generously.
7. Place on baking sheet or in baking pan, add extra fresh thyme, parsley, salt/pepper, and bake for 1 full hour.
8. At 30 minutes cover with foil so the tops do not start to burn.
9. Once potatoes are done you should be able to stick a knife or fork right through them. They will be crispy on the outside but soft and tender on the inside.
10. Remove from oven and when serving, smear more vegan pesto on the tops and sides of potatoes.
11. You can top potatoes with more fresh thyme, parsley, and almond shavings.
12. Serve immediately and Enjoy!

• Potatoes keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Extra pesto will last up to a week in an air tight container.