Tabbouleh, Pesto, or Tabbouleh Pesto?

I wanted a pesto sauce, usually made with basil leaves.  You cannot get two cups of fresh basil anywhere I know of around here unless you grow your own, which I have tried and failed at.  I don't have a green thumb.  People tell me it's easy to grow.  They don't know me.

So then I was thinking of Tabbouleh, which is made from parsley, vegetables, mint and lemon juice usually and served with wheat bulgar.  I went back and forth in my mind until I finally concluded I wouldn't be happy unless I came up with a Tabbesto, or Pestabbouleh, or something like that.  I'm just not sure what to call it, but it was good.  That's what counts.

So call it what you like, but try it.  If you want it more "saucy" like a pesto you could run it in your food processor.  I just chopped the parsley with a knife roughly and added the rest. 

                      

                             Tabbouleh Pesto

2  cups  Italian parsley, chopped roughly

3/4 cup  parmesan cheese

3/4 cup  extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup  sunflower seeds, roasted and salted, chopped

1 tablespoon  minced garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients, stirring together well.  Store in fridge to use.

Description:

  "A cross between Tabbouleh and Pesto to use with zucchini pasta, or cauli-rice, or spaghetti squash for a great mid-eastern salad"

Yield:

  "2 cups"

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(4 servings)Per Serving: 492 Calories; 50g Fat (88.8% calories from fat); 9g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber

                     
Mideastern Zucchini Pasta Salad

2  medium  zucchini, made into sphagetti "pasta" noodles with a spiral slicer, or if you don't have one sliced into noodles with a vegetable peeler
1  cup  Tabbouleh Pesto,  *see above
5  ounces  cherry tomatoes, cut into fourths
4  green onions, chopped


1. Squeeze as much water as you can get out of the zucchini pasta by putting it in a cotton towel and twisting and sqeezing until you get as much out as you can.  Or you can salt it and let it sit in a strainer for a while until the water comes out.  I prefer the first way, since it is quicker and doesn't add salt.  Both ways gets about as much out.

2. Mix zucchini pasta together with Tabbouleh Pesto, tomatoes, and green onions.  Toss together well and serve.  Add some more parmesan or feta cheese if you desire.

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(4 servings) Per Serving: 271 Calories; 25g Fat (80.1% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 8mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1 Vegetable.

Serving Ideas : Try this with cauli-rice instead of zucchini pasta, or spaghetti squash