When life gives you lemons, make a delicious chef-worthy meal.
If we’ve learned anything through this pandemic, it’s to find a little for ourselves. If that means a nap, a bath or therapy in the kitchen, or even just binging Netflix – I don’t judge! But for me, I like to do all of the above. And then some.
I have always enjoyed time in the kitchen, but as a Gemini, I get bored making the same meals over and over, so finding time to be creative in this tiny slice of heaven in our NYC apartment has been a godsend. See, turning life’s lemons into a lemony marinade. I always love pesto, but thought, what else can we do with this? Stay with me…
Pesto/Lemon Marinade
**note that this is perfect for a tofu marinade. In fact, I recommend doing a marinade for tofu because it absorbs the flavor so when you bake it, it explodes with flavor in your mouth.
- 4 tablespoons of Barilla Creamy Genovese Pesto
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped garlic
- 2 large lemons, zested and juiced (about 1/2 cup juice)
- 1 cup olive oil (or I use avocado oil)
- salt and pepper to taste
- red pepper flakes dusting (optional)
Extra:
- 2 cups of rice, cooked
- pan of roasted veggies (I usually just use frozen veggies or whatever is fresh laying around the fridge)
- Drain and dry your tofu, then cut into cubes.
- Add all the tofu cubes into a large mouth mason jar and pour the marinade in over top. Place the lid on top and give a little shake then refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- While the tofu is marinating, add your veggies to a pan and roast in the oven and then start your rice to boil. Once the rice is done, add half the jar of Barilla Creamy Genovese Pesto to it and mix well.
- Pull out the veggies, and then add the tofu to the oven to bake on a greased pan. Bake for at least 35 minutes at 350 or until the tofu is as baked/hardened as you prefer.
Viola! and serve with a splash of the marinade overtop. Enjoy. You just make yourself a flavorful meal that could be served in a vegan NYC restaurant with minimal effort. Pat yourself on the back.
About Barilla Creamy Genovese Pesto
Note, this is not a #vegan recipe.
This Barilla Creamy Genovese Pesto is imported from Parma, Italy, and it’s made with fragrant Italian basil and freshly grated Italian cheese.
To preserve the natural color of basil and the fresh aroma of Italian Cheese, Barilla minimizes the handling of ingredients and rapidly prepares their recipe in as little as three hours from the start of ingredient preparation to the tightening of the lid.
Where to purchase: Target (SuperTarget), Publix, Stop & Shop (Super Stop & Shop), Meijer, ShopRite, Hy-Vee, Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, and more. To find a store near you, visit momsmeet.link/barillalocate.
I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) to use and post my honest opinions. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links.
