Recently we have been pesto eating fools. Not the pre-made store bought variety, mind you, but our own, green goodness, organic, made from scratch, wonderful pesto. The recipe is easy:
Jalapeno/Basil Pesto
2 Cups basil leaves, packed.
1/3 Cup organic, unsalted pine nuts (or whatever kind of nuts you have on hand)
1/2 Cup organic, extra virgin olive oil
1/2 Cup organic, freshly grated parmesan/reggiano
3 cloves fresh, organic garlic, minced
2 large organic jalapeno peppers; chopped
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1. Combine basil leaves and pine nuts in food processor, blend. Add garlic and jalapeno peppers; pulse a bit more until blended.
2. Slowly add olive oil, blend. Add cheese, salt and pepper to taste.
Note: If you are sensitive to spicy foods, simply omit the peppers. We live in Texas, so we like the added pop.
This is an incredibly healthy and versatile dish. First you have the fresh basil, which retains all of its vitamins and nutrients being so fresh and raw. Add to that the power of raw garlic, benefits of olive oil, protein of nuts....it truly is a superfood. And completely raw, meaning it retains all its nutrients.
Not only does it taste amazing, has incredible health benefits, and it easy to make, but this food is very, very versatile. We have used is as a dip for crackers and pita breads, a sauce for pastas, a marinade for veggies and (for the carnivores among us) poultry and seafood. It can be used on pizza dough, combined with breadcrumbs for a filling for mushroom caps, and even spread on toast and topped with sundried tomatoes for a lovely breakfast (I actually had this this morning- it was delicious!).
And, in the end, if you are anything like me, you have grown A LOT of basil this season. This is a delicious and healthy way to make use of all that green goodness!
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