It's sunny and the cherry blossoms are blooming and the tourists are swarming down on DC...it must be spring!! After a vicious winter that made me question my sanity for ever having left California, I'm so thrilled to have warmth and long daylight hours in my life again. The changing seasons also mean that it's time for lighter, greener meals...starting with today's deliciously bright Avocado Pesto.
Pesto is traditionally made with basil, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, and olive oil. It is also traditionally amazing on pretty much any kind of carby base. I made a few adjustments to veganize and economize (did you know that pine nuts are apparently made of solid gold, judging by how expensive they are?), and added cilantro and lime to make the sauce a little lighter and more spring-like. Although apparently some people are allergic to cilantro and it leaves a really terrible, soap taste in their mouths? I feel so sorry for you, friends. If you can't stand this little herb, feel free to leave it out - just add another handful of basil in its place!
I won't lie, this pesto is not a low-calorie food in any way - avocados and almonds both contain heaping helpings of unsaturated fat. But! This kind of fat is way better for your heart and joints than the saturated fat found in olive oil and cheese, and I promise you don't have to sacrifice any of the rich, creamy flavor of regular pesto.
Avocado Pesto
Pesto is traditionally made with basil, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, and olive oil. It is also traditionally amazing on pretty much any kind of carby base. I made a few adjustments to veganize and economize (did you know that pine nuts are apparently made of solid gold, judging by how expensive they are?), and added cilantro and lime to make the sauce a little lighter and more spring-like. Although apparently some people are allergic to cilantro and it leaves a really terrible, soap taste in their mouths? I feel so sorry for you, friends. If you can't stand this little herb, feel free to leave it out - just add another handful of basil in its place!
I won't lie, this pesto is not a low-calorie food in any way - avocados and almonds both contain heaping helpings of unsaturated fat. But! This kind of fat is way better for your heart and joints than the saturated fat found in olive oil and cheese, and I promise you don't have to sacrifice any of the rich, creamy flavor of regular pesto.
Avocado Pesto
Makes about 1 cup of pesto
3 cups basil
3 cups basil
½ cup cilantro
¼ cup almonds (roasted or raw, it doesn't matter!)
3 cloves garlic
½ avocado
¼ cup almonds (roasted or raw, it doesn't matter!)
3 cloves garlic
½ avocado
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ cup water
salt and pepper, to taste
Roughly chopp the basil, cilantro, almonds, and garlic and toss them all in a blender or food processor. Remove the pit from your avocado, slice it into little cubes, and throw it to your leafy pile. Finally, add the nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and water.
Whirl everything around in the blender for 2-3 minutes - you'll probably have to stop to scrape down the sides a couple of times. Once your pesto is starting to look smooth and creamy, stop to do a taste test and add as much salt and pepper as you fancy. You may also want to add more lemon juice or water if the sauce seems unreasonably thick.
You can store the finished product in the fridge for up to a week, or seal it up in a jar and freeze until you're ready to bust out some pesto magic for pasta, pizza, roasted veggies, burgers...the possibilities are endless!
Roughly chopp the basil, cilantro, almonds, and garlic and toss them all in a blender or food processor. Remove the pit from your avocado, slice it into little cubes, and throw it to your leafy pile. Finally, add the nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and water.
The goods.
All blended up.
You can store the finished product in the fridge for up to a week, or seal it up in a jar and freeze until you're ready to bust out some pesto magic for pasta, pizza, roasted veggies, burgers...the possibilities are endless!
No comments:
Post a Comment