Skip to main content

Cilantro Pesto

The cilantro was beautiful at the foreign foods mart in Itaewon so I bought 3 large bunches, 2 large bunches of parsley, a massive chunk of ginger and then came home and made killer cilantro pesto.

Cilantro Pesto
2 large bunches of cilantro
1 large bunch of parsley
1 large handful of young green onion stems
7-8 cloves garlic
14 cherry tomatoes
1 1/3 cups whole washed almonds
1 1/2 cups olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice with pulp
1 rounded teaspoon sea salt

In the BlendTec put in the cilantro, olive oil and lemon juice and whiz. It's easier to whiz the greens bit by bit so not as much olive oil is needed - seems healthier that way. Add the parsley and whiz, then the young green onions, garlic and sea salt and whiz. Lastly add the whole almonds and tomatoes and whiz just enough to break them up and give texture and bits of separate color to the mix. And wah-lah! Serve, and expect great flavor when especially biting down into a mouthful that has distinct bits of almonds ... it's like getting a sudden burst of Parmesan cheese flavor!

Burgers too!
I also made a whole pile of burgers, and in fact, I made so much mixture that it would have taken forever to bake them in my small oven, so I made one pan of "burger" wedges.


BTW, I threw these together quickly but they have lots of food processed vegies (cabbage mostly), black-eyed peas mashed, cooked brown rice for softness and moisture retention, coarsely chopped walnuts, and a small amount of whole grains whizzed in the BlendTec to a coarse flour (quinoa, millet and black rice). They have an almost "meaty" texture and flavor. I made some in a casserole dish as if it were a meatloaf, and it really turned out great. After it cooled, I chopped it all up in large squares and froze it for times when I need a quick meal and only have time for a salad. Smart planning, I think.


Batch #2 of the cilantro pesto was made with hemp seeds along with the almonds. The hemp make the pesto seem more substantial but I also noticed that the cilantro was more subdued. I like loud cilantro flavor for some things, and this rounder flavor for others. This second batch also had a few more young green onions, and I really like the harmony of green onions and cilantro in pesto. That was a great improvement.


I love my BlendTec. It makes "cooking" so easy!
I'm getting more and more inspired by sites that are all living whole foods, that is, they are all raw and have sprouting life. I'm not quite prepared to go all raw but I'm regularly upping the percentage. Since mid-October I've been about 70-80% raw, and  I LIKE it! My muscles feel more supple, I don't feel tired during the day, and I love the bounce in my step. This is great! I'll bet I can adjust the burger recipe above to only raw food and put it in the dehydrator to "make bread". Hmm, I challenge myself ... so wait and see the results :)
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Fingernail Analysis, part III

8 Health Warnings Your Fingernails May Be Sending   Source Your eyes may be the window to your soul, but, in many ways your, nails are the window to what’s going on inside your body. Here are some common nail problems and what they mean:  Take a good look at your fingernails and you may notice subtle variations in the texture or color; white spots, a rosy tinge, rippling or bumps in the surface to mention a few. These imperfections may not look like much to you, but it’s more important than you might think to maintain healthy fingernails. That’s because to the trained eye, nails can provide valuable indications about your overall health.  Hold a hand level with your nose about a foot out from your face and scrutinize each one. Look at the grooves, curves, ridges and dips. Notice how thick or thin they are and if there are any stark differences. Are your nails are chipped or broken. Make a note of the color of the nail itself, the skin under it as well as t...
Post a Comment
Read more

80% Alkaline + 20% Acid = Balance

The Rule of 80/20: The body needs a balance of alkaline-forming and acid-forming natural vegetarian food. The following rule has evolved as a consequence of many years of research and clinical findings vis-a-vis the use of nutrition to heal disease. To replenish and sustain your proper alkaline and acid reserves, eat 80% of your foods from the alkaline-forming list and 20% from the acid-forming list. The following is an outline of the major vegetarian food groups and their chemical reaction tendencies in the body. All of the food items should be raw and organically grown (this collection of data from Hippocrates Health Institute). source ALKALINE-FORMING sprouts of small seeds, beans and most grains leafy and root vegetables vine-ripened fruits/vegetables (cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, bell peppers, etc) sea vegetables (dulse, nori, wakame) fresh food herbs cayenne pepper garlic and onions tree-ripened fruits small grains (amaranth, millet, quinoa, teff, etc) ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Avocado and Sunflower-seed Dips (raw)

Back in the day when I was juicing a lot, I had a lot of leftover veggie pulp. The juice I would drink early in the morning on an empty stomach, wow it went down well, and a couple of hours later I would put real food in my body. The veggie liquid not only hydrated my body but also filled it with nutrients. My digestion was so bad in the early days of candida, but I found this method worked for "feeding" myself. Wow, it took time! So these are veggie pulp crackers. I added some minced garlic and herb seasonings to the pulp and put them in my dehydrator. Really tasty! An avocado dip with 2 avocados, lemon juice and a touch of zest, salt and pepper.  Since I blended this instead of mashed it, I probably added a bit of zucchini to give it a bit of moisture for blending but not to dilute the dip itself.  Dehydrated tomato flakes and walnuts for garnish. Sunflower seed dip. Sunflower seeds soaked in a little water for 3-4 hours, zucchini pieces to g...
Post a Comment
Read more