Elizabeth N.
Herder of cats
Did you know that there are as many versions of pesto as there are combinations of green herbs and nuts? I am currently enjoying chicken-veggie pasta with a basil-sunflower seed pesto. YUM YUM YUM. Here's the basic concept, play with this and enjoy!
1. Get out the food zapper/processor. I have a little cheap 1.5 cup one I got at Aldi just for doing this. Well, this and mangling a lot of fresh garlic at once.
2. Pick your fresh herb, but only one kind at a time unless or until you become a pesto genius. The classic choice is basil. Get a big old bunch of it because it will be zapped to a small fraction of its leafy volume. Wash if you must, make sure it gets very dry, and pick the leaves off the stems. Stuff the leaves in the zapper.
3. Pour some EVOO into the zapper and zap till the leaves are all bitty. You might have to add a little more EVOO and slide the leaves off the sides a time or two.
4. Add a little handful of your nuts or seeds of choice. I don't like the traditional ones, oh crap what are they called?....for anything but pesto, so I never bother buying them. I think the nice little green type pumpkin seeds are a perfectly good substitute. Zap some more till the seeds or nuts are bitty. Maybe add a little more EVOO.
5. Add truly vast quantities of either fresh garlic or jarred garlic, the kind that has to live in the fridge. Zap some more. Grind in some fresh pepper here too.
6. Plop this goo into a bowl and IMMEDIATELY put your zapper parts in wash water, cuz this stuff turns to very strange concrete if left out overnight. Three guesses how I know this. Add a nice big handful of grated Romano, Parmesan or similar cheese. Stir. It should be kind of thick and gooey at this stage.
Now you can store it for a day or two or use it the same time. You can freeze it in little portions for later use. Easy peasy and you look like a gourmet genius. Herbs that work well, remember only one at a time unless you really know your stuff: Basil, cilantro, parsley, oregano, rosemary, maybe sage if you love fresh sage that much. Nuts/seeds: Almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc...... You can zap your herbs, nuts and oil and not add cheese, too. Think cilantro, pecans and some lime juice with your EVOO and garlic. This stuff makes great sauce. Another way to use it is mix with your favorite vinegar (I've used both balsamic and rice wine vinegar) and maybe some more oil for salad dressing. Voila, another way to add yummy fat!
1. Get out the food zapper/processor. I have a little cheap 1.5 cup one I got at Aldi just for doing this. Well, this and mangling a lot of fresh garlic at once.
2. Pick your fresh herb, but only one kind at a time unless or until you become a pesto genius. The classic choice is basil. Get a big old bunch of it because it will be zapped to a small fraction of its leafy volume. Wash if you must, make sure it gets very dry, and pick the leaves off the stems. Stuff the leaves in the zapper.
3. Pour some EVOO into the zapper and zap till the leaves are all bitty. You might have to add a little more EVOO and slide the leaves off the sides a time or two.
4. Add a little handful of your nuts or seeds of choice. I don't like the traditional ones, oh crap what are they called?....for anything but pesto, so I never bother buying them. I think the nice little green type pumpkin seeds are a perfectly good substitute. Zap some more till the seeds or nuts are bitty. Maybe add a little more EVOO.
5. Add truly vast quantities of either fresh garlic or jarred garlic, the kind that has to live in the fridge. Zap some more. Grind in some fresh pepper here too.
6. Plop this goo into a bowl and IMMEDIATELY put your zapper parts in wash water, cuz this stuff turns to very strange concrete if left out overnight. Three guesses how I know this. Add a nice big handful of grated Romano, Parmesan or similar cheese. Stir. It should be kind of thick and gooey at this stage.
Now you can store it for a day or two or use it the same time. You can freeze it in little portions for later use. Easy peasy and you look like a gourmet genius. Herbs that work well, remember only one at a time unless you really know your stuff: Basil, cilantro, parsley, oregano, rosemary, maybe sage if you love fresh sage that much. Nuts/seeds: Almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc...... You can zap your herbs, nuts and oil and not add cheese, too. Think cilantro, pecans and some lime juice with your EVOO and garlic. This stuff makes great sauce. Another way to use it is mix with your favorite vinegar (I've used both balsamic and rice wine vinegar) and maybe some more oil for salad dressing. Voila, another way to add yummy fat!
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