Pesto in a Jiffy
Fresh, flavourful, delicious and so quick and easy to make – this pesto recipe is made with a couple of secret ingredients that increases the nutritional goodness and ups the deliciousness – I love having a jar made up in the fridge - it’s so handy and has so many uses!
Every summer I grow a large pot of basil – primarily to make fresh pesto. I bring the pot inside to my sunny kitchen in the Fall and I use the leaves until the plant no longer is thriving. I would love to learn how to keep basil healthy and strong all winter long – my thyme, oregano, rosemary and chives do well – but I’ve never had luck keeping basil over the winter. Any suggestions? Luckily grocery stores sell fresh basil, often organic, either in a potted plant or in bundles of stems, so it is available throughout the year. If you are lucky at the start of the growing season, some garden supply places sell various types of basil – the popular regular sweet basil, lemon basil with its slightly tangy citrus flavour and a purple basil that has a mild licorice flavour. I’ve heard of mint basil and cinnamon basil but have yet to find those locally. I have had pots of different types of basil but usually stick to the sweet basil as I use it so often and love the flavour.
Basil is a wonderful, healthful herb. Many of basil’s health benefits come from the vitamins and minerals it contains and from the antioxidants lutein, zeaxanthin and beta-carotene – so beneficial to support eye health, blood sugar regulation and heart health. It can reduce anxiety and depression and helps support improved cognition.
Sesame seeds are one of the secret ingredients to boost the nutrition in this recipe. Sesame seeds are a rich source of non-dairy, plant-based calcium, plus contain other minerals, including copper, iron and manganese.
The optional addition of nutritional yeast adds a depth of flavour to the pesto and also increases the nutritional value. It contains VitB12 and is a complete protein containing all the 9 essential amino acids our bodies need for optimal health.
This recipe comes together in a matter of a few minutes. Make this recipe once and you’ll make it often, like I do, I’m sure!
As always, when you make this recipe, please post a photo of your Pesto in a Jiffy goodness and tag my IG account #RenataCollective or leave a comment with your thoughts!
Prep Time: 5 minutes / Cook time: No cook time / Makes: ½ cup
Ingredients
4 Cloves Garlic
2 Cups Lightly Packed Fresh Basil Leaves
¼ Cup Pine Nuts
1 Tablespoon Sesame Seeds
2 Tablespoons White Wine Vinegar – Alternate: regular vinegar or lemon juice
3 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese – grated (Use 4 if not including nutritional yeast.)
1 Tablespoon Nutritional Yeast – optional
1/4 teaspoon Herbamare or Sea Salt
A few Grinds of Pepper (or ¼ tsp ground pepper)
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Water – optional to make it less thick
How It’s Made
Peel and slice the garlic and set aside to let it work its nutritional magic!
In a small food processor (I use the one that came with my immersion blender), a blender or in a deep bowl and blend with the immersion blender, add the garlic, basil, pine nuts, sesame seeds, white wine vinegar, parmesan cheese, nutritional yeast (if using), the Herbamare and pepper. Whirl/blend until a thick paste forms. Gradually add the olive oil and whirl/blend until you have a smooth thick mixture.
I like my pesto thick. To make it less thick, add a drizzle of additional olive oil or gradually add the water until it is the consistency you want.
With a clean spoon give the pesto a taste and season with additional Herbamare, or sea salt, and additional grinds of pepper to your taste.
Use the pesto right away or store in the fridge in a labeled, dated jar for a week or two. Alternately, you can pack the pesto into ice cube trays and place in the freezer until solid. Unmold, put into a baggie and store frozen until you need pesto. Take out the number of cubes you need, let thaw if using to spread on bread, or to use with my Pesto Topped Smashed Potatoes or pop frozen right into a sauce or soup.
Enjoy!
Variations
Use walnuts instead of pine nuts. A mixture of half walnuts and half pumpkin seeds is a different twist on pesto too!
Dairy Free and Vegan: Use all Nutritional Yeast in place of the parmesan cheese.
