This delectable diabetes-friendly recipe for Creamy Carrot Top Pesto served with Grilled Carrots utilizes all parts of the carrot and is delicious as spring itself.
When people describe a dish as “diabetes-friendly” my mind wants to translate it as “boring and flavorless”. But that isn’t the case with this recipe for Grilled Carrots with Creamy Carrot Top Pesto created by the celebrity chef Devin Alexander, from the TV series, The Biggest Loser.
Whether you’re managing diabetes, want to lose weight, or be fit while eating delicious meals, weight-loss expert Devin Alexander assures you, “You Can Have It!” in her 9th cookbook.
Devin developed more than 125 easy, delicious, diabetes-friendly recipes that prove eating well doesn’t mean giving up the comfort foods you love. A bonus is that her recipes do not require fancy equipment and come together easily while making you look like a seasoned healthy chef.
I recently met Devin at a meet and great media luncheon at Melissa’s Produce. She talked candidly about her culinary secrets, tips, and techniques, which helped contestants on The Biggest Loser show, lose weight.
Here are a few of her recipes I sampled.
L-R THAI LIME QUINOA SALAD, DIJON ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS, JAVA LONDON BROIL, PARMESAN GARLIC SQUASH FRIES
And this, one of my favorites, had the most unique flavor from, you guessed it, the Creamy Carrot Top Pesto.
GRILLED CHICKEN SANDWICH WITH CREAMY CARROT TOP PESTO & ROASTED RED PEPPER
It gave an ordinary chicken sandwich a refreshingly bright taste of spring.
Other recipes I made at home:
This recipe for Sweet Papaya Slaw comes together quickly when you purchase pre-shredded cabbage.
This salad holds up well if you make it in advance.
And because I like a little sweet fix, I made Devin’s recipe for Apple “Fries” with Creamy Peanut Butter Dip.
This is a perfect after-school snack for the kids or light party fare.
Today’s Recipe: Creamy Carrot Top Pesto
Devin says this Creamy Carrot Top Pesto is almost more of a dip than a traditional pesto. It is also an excellent sandwich spread, a unique dip for your party veggie platter, and so much more!
Start with fresh ingredients.
Devin suggests that you always wash your herbs-and that you dry them well! For optimal results, you want to follow recipes as written, and if you try to chop wet herbs, your yields could be way off. Wet basil leaves, for instance, will be much denser in a measuring cup than dry basil leaves. When making this creamy pesto, extra moisture will make it watery.
I cooked the carrots on the grill in a little olive oil and pepper, but you could roast them in your oven at 425 degrees for 8 minutes, flip, and continue to bake for 6-12 minutes more. Spoon Creamy Carrot Top Pesto on a plate and top with carrots for a beautiful presentation.
It is also delicious on grilled bread.
SKINNY DIPPING IN THE RAW
Whether you use this as a dip, sauce or a traditional pesto, this recipe will win-over most proclaimed carrot haters. Give it a try.
Creamy Carrot Top Pesto
This Creamy Carrot Top Pesto is almost more of a dip than a traditional pesto. It is also an excellent sandwich spread, a unique dip for your party veggie platter, and so much more!
Ingredients
- 2 cups loosely packed fresh carrot leaves plucked from stems), roughly chopped about 1 ounce
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves about 3/4 ounce
- 1 teaspoon freshly minced garlic
- 3/4 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon reduced sodium salt substitute
Instructions
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Place the carrot tops, basil, garlic, yogurt, Parmesan, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and salt substitute in a food processor fitted with a chopping blade. Process the ingredients until they are smooth. Can take up to 5 minutes, so be patient.
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Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
You Can Have It! cookbook features practical tips, easy to follow techniques, affordable ingredients, and delicious meals ideas, making it the cookbook for anyone who cares about their health (whether they have diabetes or not!)
…and then, she paused for thought.
You make everything look so appetizing Cathy! I can’t wait to try some of these recipes.
Thanks Sophia, this one has your name written all over it. 🙂
Wow, really nice post. Inspiring. I would love that brussels sprouts recipe too!
Thanks Nan. I think somebody posted that recipe… I will check for you.
Thank you, love healthy food blogs. 🙂
Ooooo! Gonna try this one for sure, this is awesome!
Let me know what you think Shannon.
What a great idea. I know they’re edible, those carrot tops, and this sounds like one of the best ways I’ve heard of to use them. Will try it, for sure.
Thanks Susan, I wish it was my idea LOL. It is such unique recipe. I just made guacamole with it as well and turned out amazing.
I could eat that papaya slaw with every meal. GREG
Papayas are not always my favorite fruit, but they were perfectly ripe and paired so well with the spicy slaw.
I’ve only given carrot tops to our bunnies when we still had them. Boy, did they love them! Your book reviews are always so thorough and fun, Cathy! Of course, your photography does the author a huge favor!
I don’t use carrots nearly enough, thanks for highlighting this recipe. 🙂
Lucky bunnies! Thank you Christina I appreciate your kind words. I don’t use carrots as often as I should either, which is strange because I love everything about them.
You always plate everything so beautifully… that I always want to try it… when I might normally pass on this food! So pretty!
Thanks Cheri, it is a dish worthy of trying, even if you don’t think you like cooked carrots. 🙂
This looks so delicious, and such a pretty plate ~ low calorie too…a definite winner!
I think this would be a winner recipe for professed carrot haters! LOL