Special Summer Pesto

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 0 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Makes about 2 cups or 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
• ¼ cup parsley
• 3 cups greens such as spinach, kale, chard or beet greens, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup pine nuts or chopped walnuts, lightly toasted
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 small or 1 medium tomato cut in rough pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Optional: ½ cup tofu or mayonnaise

Instructions

1. Blend all ingredients except the tomatoes in a food processor or blender.
2. Add the tomato pieces and olive oil and process until it is a sauce.
3. Add tofu or mayonnaise and blend well if you want a “creamy” pesto.

Serving Suggestions:

• Most people eat pesto as a sauce for pasta; you can use regular or lower-carbohydrate pastas. Remember to cook your pasta only until it is “al dente.” Try mixing a small portion of tortellini with a big helping of roasted vegetables and a dollop of pesto sauce.
• Mix some pesto with cooked white beans or hummus (Middle Eastern dip made with garbanzo beans and sesame paste).
• Fill raw or pre-cooked bell peppers halves with pesto.
• Toss cooked vegetables with some pesto and wrap in a warm tortilla.
• Serve pesto as a sauce for fish or shrimp. (See Prawns with Pesto Sauce.)
• Use pesto as a spread for a warm sandwich of roasted chicken or vegetables.
• Pesto makes a tasty and colorful sauce for pizza, alone or mixed with tomato sauce.
• Use pesto as a dip with whole grain crackers or cooked or raw vegetables.
   

Nutrition at a Glance (per serving)
Calories: 120
Total fat: 10g
Saturated fat: 2g
Total carbohydrate: 4g
Dietary fiber: 2g
Protein: 6g