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.