Pesto is the best-o!

What I Used for Inspiration:

Basil that was on its last leg

Having recently returned from a week-long vacation, I took a peek in my fridge to see what foods were on their last leg and needed to be consumed pronto. Surprisingly, some organic basil I had washed about a week and a half ago was actually still viable! But I knew it hadn't a ton of life left in it, and I surely couldn't consume a whole pack of basil over the weekend.

What to do, what to do...

One trick I use over and over is that if something's going a bit funky and developing brown spots, puree it! No one would ever know... ;)

So I look at my sad, sad basil, and remember I have some pine nuts in my pantry...but not enough to make pesto I thought! Oh no! Not to worry, walnuts came to the rescue. Olive oil is always on hand, so I streamed some of that in while my mini food processor was whirling around. To keep it light, I went easy on the oil and added some left-over chicken stock. After a taste I knew it needed salt and lemon juice. Sha-bang! Pesto in a flash! Although it doesn't have any parmesan cheese in it (didn't have any), it still tastes fab.

Some might shy away from pesto because of its caloric content, but I assure you this is one of the most nutrient-dense things you can make. Basil contains essential oils and other compounds that function as antioxidants, and they may also contain anti-cancer, anti-viral, and anti-microbial properties. Pine nuts are full of unsaturated fats and also provide B-vitamins and a bit of protein. Similarly, walnuts add some protein to the mix and are an excellent vegetarian source of omega-3 fatty acids. The king of oils, extra virgin olive oil, plays a prominent role in pesto--it binds everything together while lending even more heart-healthy unsaturated fatty acids. The nuts and oil make pesto pretty caloric, so feel free to lighten it a bit by substituting some of the oil with chicken or vegetable stock.

At 90 calories per tablespoon, pesto isn't typically thought of as a "healthy" food, but remember how it contains lots of healthy fats--you're getting a lot of bang for your caloric buck! Still, it's best to limit the intake and only use it as a condiment or accent to a dish.

With that said, here's my recipe for:

Pesto a presto!

1 bunch basil, thoroughly washed and dried

Handful of pine nuts

Handful of walnuts

1/2 C olive oil

1/2 C or so of leftover chicken stock

Lemon juice

Salt

Whiz the basil and nuts in a food processor. While the machine is running, drizzle in some olive oil until the mixture is thick. Then, if you have it, throw in some chicken stock--by this point the mixture should be spoon-able (not too thick, not too runny). Add some lemon juice and salt to taste and voila! Parm cheese can of course be added--I happened to not have any on hand. But if you do add cheese, wait to season the pesto with salt at the very end (it most likely won't need any since parmesan cheese is pretty salty).

Serve the pesto on some toasted bread (crostini), mixed with pasta, or on top some chicken.