Two Mighty Pesto Recipes

Homemade pesto is so easy to whip up yourself, that you’ll soon be waving goodbye to the citric acid, preservatives, additives and the high-sodium hit that can accompany a large proportion of supermarket varieties.

I'm sharing a couple of pesto recipes from my brand new book Eat Clean Green and Vegetarian.

Red Capsicum and Hazelnut Pesto

WF  DF  GF  SF  VEG  VG

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 red capsicums (peppers), seeds and membrane removed, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 2/3 cup basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 2 tablespoons wheat-free tamari
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
• juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 135 g (43/4 oz/1 cup) lightly toasted hazelnuts
• 2 tablespoons cold-pressed extra virgin
  olive oil
• pinch of Celtic sea salt and freshly
  ground pepper

 Method

• Place all the ingredients in a food processor and whizz until it reaches the desired consistency.
• This pesto will keep in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Supercharged Tip

For a delicious variation, try substituting the hazelnuts with blanched almonds, or sunflower seeds and pepitas (pumpkin seeds).

Basil Pesto

WF  DF  GF  SF  VEG  VG

Makes 1 cup

Pesto with a twist! Basil is packed with iron and magnesium, which improves circulation, and the essential oil eugenol provides anti-inflammatory effects similar to that of aspirin, making it as good for you as it is delicious.

Ingredients

• 160 g (53/4 oz/1 cup) blanched almonds
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 large handfuls of basil leaves
• 80 ml (21/2 fl oz/1/3 cup) cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
• small pinch of Celtic sea salt

 Method

• Place the almonds in a food processor and whizz until fine. Add the garlic and pulse, then add the basil and whizz again. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until you have the desired consistency, then add the lemon juice, yeast flakes and salt.
• This pesto will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week and can be refreshed with an extra splash of extra virgin olive oil.