Cilantro Basil Pesto
Growing up in California I was spoiled by all of the fresh produce and the long growing season. As a child some of my best memories were going to our local farmers market every Saturday with my dad. In the summer when basil was in season my dad would pick it up fresh on Saturday morning and make pesto for our family dinner. So pesto for me is one of those things that brings me back to my childhood. It's a dish that I loved growing up that I want my kids to enjoy and love as well. It's delicious, and serves well as a topping for meats and veggies. Just today actually I had some halibut for lunch with huge spoonful of pesto on top yum!
My dad always made pesto the conventional way with pine nuts and parmesan cheese. Over the years I have experimneted using different nuts, adding cheese as well as making it without cheese. This version is one I came up with because of my love for cilantro! Cilantro is full of nutrients and very detoxifying for our liver. Instead of pine nuts I use walnuts which you can easily sub out for another nut if you prefer. Macadamia nuts would be a delicious substitution. My kids eat pesto with spaghetti squash and many times we add some chicken as well for a full meal. Play around and add this to some grilled veggies, different meats, or just mix it with some spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles as a nice side.
Servings: Makes approximatley 1 cup
Ingredients:
- 2 cups Fresh Basil
- 2 cups Fresh Cilantro
- 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/4 cup Walnuts
- 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
- 2 garlic Cloves
- 1/2 TBSP fresh squeezed lemon juice
Directions: Wash and dry cilantro and basil. Cut the leaves and add them to a food processor. Add the olive oil and remaining ingredients and pulse until completely blended and no large leaves or pieces of garlic are present. Serve immediately or store in fridge up to a few days for later use.
