Carrot Pesto Cucumber Boats

Dishes are just a bit fancier when they have an edible vessel. Take stuffed peppers, stuffed mushrooms, quinoa salad in an acorn squash, taco salads in a tortilla shell bowl, etc. This recipe is no exception and up to this point I hadn’t ever used a cucumber as a vessel for a recipe, but it works great.

One of the ways that you can significantly reduce your food budget is to make your own snacks. We’ve featured a few recipes already (Homemade Crackers with Sage and Cayenne, Olive Oil and Sea Salt crackers, Flatbread with Garbanzo Flour) that keep you out of the cookie/cracker/chip aisle at the grocery store where we know a TON of money is spent and you stray the most from your grocery list. It’s a whole lot of cravings and eye candy there, so best to stay away.

We decided to find a healthy snack that would work for a family or to bring to a dinner party/tailgate that was more creative than chips and dip, wings or sandwiches. So, we tweaked a pesto and hummus recipe to include carrots instead of the beans and unsalted mixed nuts instead of pine nuts, since we’re trying to cut down the cost. Here’s the recipe:

Carrot Pesto Cucumber Boats

Ingredients

• 2 Large Cucumbers
• 1 Large Carrot
• 2 Small Garlic cloves
• 10 Fresh Basil Leaves
• 1/8 Cup of EVOO
• 1/2 Cup of Unsalted Mixed Nuts
• 1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Seeds
• Sea Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions

1. In a blender or food processor, place carrots, garlic, basil, olive oil and mixed nuts.

1. Blend until smooth, stopping to push mix down with a spatula.

1. Peel strips off of the cucumber skin and cut off the ends.

1. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds with a spoon.

1. Scoop filling into the cucumber boats and slice into 1.5″ pieces.

1. Sprinkle generously with sesame seeds and serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.