Making homemade pesto is SO easy - I wish I did it more.
The beauty of a pesto (besides it’s vibrant green hue) is that there are numerous variations to try. A traditional italian pesto uses basil, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan and good olive oil. Try using different nuts, herbs and oils to add some variety. It’s simple:
This time, I passed on the cheese and it was just as awesome. Sunflower seeds are packed with heart healthy polyunsaturated fats and…they’re uber cheap. It’s a win-win.
I tossed this pesto with some orecchiette pasta, sautéed cherry tomatoes, onions and more garlic, and topped it with some scallion. I love me some orecchiette - the little caps serve as sauce pockets, drenching each bite with loads of flavor.
Sunflower Seed Pesto
Makes ~ 1 cup
1 cup basil leaves
1 cup spinach leaves
1/2 cup roasted, unsalted sunflower seeds
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup sunflower oil
salt and peper to taste
squeeze of lime to preventing browning
Place first 4 ingredients in blender, vitamix or food processor and pulse until chopped. Slowly drizzle oil until you achieve desired consistency. Add salt, pepper and lime juice to taste. (I added a bit of water to get the mixture moving)
Per TBS: 85 calories, 9g fat, 1g saturated, 3g polyunsaturated, 4g monounsaturated, 1g carbohydrate, 1 g protein
Great source of vitamin E, vitamin K and manganese (a mineral required to fuel antioxidant activity in the body)
Welcome! The Fresh Beet aims to inspire us all to get creative in the kitchen and to enjoy it. In addition to recipes, here you will find dietitian approved discussions on nutrition as well as personal events from my wonderful world of food.
Ashley Galloway
