MAKE A PESTO TODAY!

If you have something green, seeds,

garlic and a chopper you have pesto.

It goes on almost anything, needs no heating or cooking.

This is the beginning of the season where you will find so many fresh and even local greens for your pesto.  The traditional pesto calls for basil, garlic, pine nuts and parmesan cheese.  Use this only as your guide, in fact I substitute everything except for garlic - that and olive oil are the only constant ingredients.

Consider a bunch (handful or a 2 cup measure) of parsley, basil, cilantro, kale or spinach. Depending on your taste any one of these will do wonderfully!

My family loves garlic, so when I make a pesto I add at least one to two heads of garlic. 

Instead of pine nuts I add what I have in the cupboard.  I have used sunflower seeds, almonds or pumpkin seeds.  The combinations are delightful and the tastes are surprisingly delicious!!

The basics

one head of garlic

one tablespoon of salt

1/4 - 1/2 cup of olive oil

a bunch of green herb

1/4 - 1/2 cup of seeds or nuts

In a food processor mince garlic and salt to taste, add  1/4 cup of your choice of seeds.  

Chop until just blended.  Now add a the parsley (or basil or kale or ...) and while chopping slowly drizzle the olive oil in.  Depending on how thin you like your pesto you may add more oil.  

As well,  you may chop the seeds less depending on your taste. 

A coarse grind with less oil will make a thicker pesto.

The combination of seeds, green and yes, even oil (as long as you do not heat the pesto you can use flax oil instead) make for over 20 pesto variations.

Pesto is tasty on pasta, rice, baked potatoes, salad greens, chicken, roasted vegetables ... the list is limited only by your imagination.

Pesto is a nutritional power pack of essential fats, iron, zinc, protein, fibre, calcium and other vitamins and minerals.

A complete power house food indeed!

Easy, Fast and Delicious!!

Enjoy

 

One Dish Dinner

Finally, spring is here and the warm weather is upon us.  

In the kitchen this means more fresh vegetables and fruits.  Gone are the crock pots and oven meals that create even more heat in the already warm kitchen.  Warmer weather usually means easy light meals.  This is a perfect time to move away from heavier winter foods to lighter fare like salads with added easy protein like beans, tuna, chicken or egg.  

A fast and excellent way to satisfy your taste buds, time restrictions, waist line and nutritional needs all in one quick easy delicious meal is The Salad.

Think of your salad as your main course.

The salad box is an assortment of washed ready to use mesculin mix ( a variety of salad greens).  Start with a very generous handful of pre washed mesculin mix.  To the salad add shredded or sliced carrots, beets and diced cucumber.

Now you add the protein.  This could be last night's bbq'd chicken cut up in pieces or a boiled and chopped egg or maybe a can of tuna.  My tried and true salad dressing is equal amounts of lemon juice and flax seed oil to which i add crushed garlic and sea salt.

The salad is that simple and hugely satisfying!!

Remember - Greens + protein + dressing = great meal