Basil is an incredibly fragrant herb that also happens to be heart-healthy, full of valuable antioxidants and high in minerals like iron, calcium and magnesium.
I got sick of it last year when I was on my raw cleanse, because I made this delicious raw marinara sauce all the time and basil-ed myself out.
Now, I feel ready to have basil again – and I couldn’t resist its aromatic scent last week at the farmers market. After using it in a couple of dishes, I wanted to preserve the goodness, so I made a freezer-friendly pesto.
This basil pesto is tangy, sweet and economical, since I used sunflower seeds instead of pine nuts. If you want to add a cheesy flavour, you could toss in a tablespoon of nutritional yeast (I’m not a pesto purist, so please forgive me if what I’m suggesting is sacrilege to you).
I froze my pesto in a couple of small containers, but you could use ice cube trays and then pop them out to add instant flavour to sauces and dressings. Eat this along with crackers or veggies, as a sandwich spread, or as a pizza sauce. I’m definitely going to reserve some of mine for my quick tortilla pizza.
What other ways do you use pesto?
Love desserts? Me too! That’s why I wrote an e-book about how to make them healthy. Take a peek here.
Basil Pesto
Adapted from Making Love in the Kitchen
gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, vegetarian, vegan, five ingredients or less
1 lightly packed cup of basil
scant 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 large garlic clove
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp salt, or more to taste
Toss all ingredients into a high-speed blender or food processor and blend away. Stop to scrape down the sides as necessary.
Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
I love home made pesto – the smell and colour are incredible!
Pesto is the besto! I like to put it on fish for a nice light topping.
What are the chances we both post pesto on our blogs the week??? Must be the fresh air out here in Vancouver! So glad I found you from Making Love In The Kitchen!
Great minds think alike, I guess.