Three things to make with pesto

Healthy eating often comes down to having healthy options available when you are hungry or craving something. Having your home-made pesto on hand gives you several healthy options.

...But once you make your own pesto though…it’s hard to go back to a store bought version,...

BASIL PESTO

Ingredients

-2 cups packed fresh basil leaves

-100 g pine nuts, roasted

-1/2 lemon (juice and zest)

-~15 cl extra-virgin olive oil

-100 g freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

Combine the basil, lemon juice/zest and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth.

Season with salt and pepper and add the cheese.

Tips & Tricks

-I make this usually in big batches and freeze it. Freeze in ice cube trays, and then store frozen pesto cubes in plastic freezer bags for up to 6 months

-If you want to make this a less outspoken flavor you can use half basil leaves and half baby spinach leaves

1 PREPARATION - 3 LUNCH/DINNER IDEAS

ARUGULA SALAD WITH PESTO AND SMOKED SALMON

Ingredients (4 portions)

-handful of cherry tomatoes or 2 chopped tomatoes 

-1 can or fresh artichoke hearts, quartered

-2 cups baby arugula

-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

-2 tablespoons pesto sauce

-2 slices of smoked salmon, cut in pieces

Directions

1.Add tomatoes and artichoke hearts to a bowl with the pesto and red wine vinegar and let marinate for a few minutes

2. Serve marinated vegetables with arugula salad and smoked salmon

ZUCCHINI BASIL SOUP

Ingredients (4-6 portions)

-2 tablespoons olive oil

-1 onion, chopped

-1 tablespoon chopped garlic (I use microplane zest to do this fast)

-4 tablespoons of basil pesto

-1 kg zucchini’s cut in rounds

-1 liter of chicken or vegetable stock

-salt and pepper to taste

-Parmesan cheese (optional as a garnish)

Directions

1.Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Cook the onion, garlic and zucchini’s slowly for 10 minutes, or until the zucchini’s are lightly browned and softened.

2.Add stock and simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered. Remove from the heat and add basil

pesto and mix with an hand-held mixer.

Serve with salt and freshly ground black pepper and sprinkle over some Parmesan, to taste.

QUINOA SALAD WITH PESTO, CHERRY TOMATOES, PINE NUTS AND PROSCIUTTO

Ingredients (4-6 people)

-200 g uncooked quinoa

-6 tablespoons home-made pesto

-handful cherry tomatoes, cut into 2

-50 g pine nuts, roasted

-100 g prosciutto

-100 g rucola salad

Directions

1. Prepare the quinoa. Follow directions on packaging: usually 2 cup water to 1 cup of

quinoa.* Set aside to completely cool.

2. In a large bowl toss the cooled quinoa with pesto, cherry tomatoes, pine nuts  rucola

and prosciutto or other dried ham or bacon.

Season with salt and pepper and some lemon zest (optional)

3. You can make this a vegetarian salad and skip the prosciutto and add some extra

veggies like roasted peppers or steamed green asparagus.

                 

*I usually take 1 ½ cup of water to 1 cup of quinoa to avoid the quinoa being mushy.

Need Some Healthy Easter Brunch Ideas?

GREEN JUICE

Ingredients (~4 large juices)

-1/2 pineapple

-handful of kale leaves (optional)

-2 handful of spinach

-3 sprigs of fresh mint leaves

-1/2 cucumber – no need to peel

-piece of ginger (~1 cm ~depending on how spicy you want it) – no need to peel it if you are using a slow juicer

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a blender or slow juicer.

GRAVLAX/SALMON WITH VEGETABLE RELISH

Ingredients (~10 portions)

-10 slices of gravlax or smoked salmon

-Vegetable relish

         -handful of diced peeled cucumber

         -handful of diced celery

         -handful of finely diced red onion

         -handful of finely diced red bell pepper

         -1 tablespoon capers, drained and rinsed

         -1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

         -juice of 2 lemons

         -3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

         -5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

         -dash of fresh pepper and sea salt

         -handful chopped fresh herbs (chives, mint, cilantro, basil   leaves, flat-leave parsley)*

*not all ingredients are required to make relish

Directions

1. Prepare relish: mix all the ingredients for relish, cover and refrigerate at least for 2 hours before using.
2. Assemble plate : place 1 tablespoon of vegetable relish on a plate and place a piece of rolled up slice of salmon on top of the relish.

Tips & Tricks :

-You will have plenty of vegetable relish to add to other dishes : bread, salad, fish, chicken, etc.

-You can keep the relish for up to a week in the refrigerator

SPRING VERRINE WITH TZAZIKI, QUINOA, PEAS AND BACON

Ingredients (~8-10 verrines)

-1 cup uncooked quinoa

-dressing for quinoa

-3 tablespoons olive oil

-2 tablespoons lemon juice

-1 tablespoon honey

-1 teaspoon ras el hanout

         -pinch salt and pepper 

-2-3 cups peas

-1 shallot, chopped

-150 g cubes of panchetta or bacon, cooked and crumbled

-1/2 cup of chopped fresh mint

-1 garlic clove, grated or finely minced

-1 teaspoon of ras-el-hanout (Moroccan spice mix)

For the tzatziki

-1 cup Greek yoghurt

-1 cucumber, seeded, finely grated and drained

-1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

-1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

-sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Recipe

1. Cook the quinoa: Follow the directions on the package and let it cool down (usually a 2 to 1 ratio – I usually start with a 1,5 to 1 ratio to avoid it being mushy). Once cooked, mix the quinoa with vinaigrette
2. Prepare the peas: Bring a pot of water to a boil and turn off the heat. Add the peas and cover until bright green (this avoids that the peas ‘wrinkle') ~2-3 minutes.
3. Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onion for a few minutes at medium heat, add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add peas, fresh mint and pancetta/bacon and bring to taste with pepper and salt.
4. Prepare the tzaziki: Whisk together the yoghurt, cucumber, lemon zest and dill. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Assemble the verrine: Add one layer tzatziki, one layer quinoa and one layer pea/pancetta mixture.

Tips & Tricks

-You can make these in advance. The verrines stay good for several days in the refrigerator.

GREEN ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH PEAS AND BREADCRUMBS

Ingredients (4-6 portions)

-1 tablespoon olive oil

-1 large onion, diced

-1 garlic clove, sliced

-1 leek, chopped

-1 sprig of fresh thyme

-1 large (1-pound) bunch asparagus, tips reserved for garnish, the remainder sliced

-1 cup (~200 g)  of green peas, fresh or frozen

-4 cups (~1 liter) of vegetable stock

-salt/pepper to taste

-1 tablespoon of cream (optional)

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat and add onion, leek, garlic and thyme sprig. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are soft (~3 minutes).
2. Stir in 4 cups of vegetable stock, sliced asparagus (not the tips). Bring to a boil and lower heat and simmer until asparagus are very tender, about 15 minutes. 

Add peas and simmer for another 3-5 minutes.
3. Remove the thyme sprig and mix the soup with a  (hand)blender. Pour mixed soup back into the pot, add asparagus tips and cook for a few minutes.
4. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a few asparagus tips and some cream (optional).
5. Serve with breadcrumbs, crostinis with goat cheese or Parmesan crackers.

EXOTIC FRUIT SALAD WITH PASSIONFRUIT COULIS

Ingredients (~4-6 portions)

-3 kiwis, peeled and cut into chunks

-1 mango, peeled, stone removed and cut into chunks

-2 oranges, juiced

-8 passionfruits, cut passionfruit in 2 and scoop out the pulp

-1 vanilla bean, split the pod lengthwise into two halves and scrape out the oily seeds from the inside

-1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

-1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped

Directions

Assemble all the ingredients in a pot and stir well to combine all the flavors. Let marinate for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator before serving.