One problem, though.
I didn't have all the ingredients. And it was POURING outside. So a trip to the store to pick up pine nuts and fresh parmesean was not in the plans. I improvised, though, and it turned out GREAT!!! Check it out!
(My Version) Lemon-Basil Pesto (adapted from this recipe)
Ingredients:
- 1 PACKED cup of fresh basil
- 1 cup of fresh lemon-thyme, oregano, and rosemary mix (I didn't have enough basil to make 2 cups)
- 3 LARGE (or 4 regular) garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup almonds
- 1/3 cup walnuts (again, I didn't have 1/2 cup pine nuts, but these two friends worked just fine)
- 3/4 cup parmesean (whatever kind you get your hands on...I used the grated kind you put on pizzas and spaghetti)
- 1 lemon, juiced
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Directions:
- Wash and dry all your herbs. I don't have a salad spinner (yet), so I used paper towels...and my hands. (Lots of shaking and squeezing...I really need a salad spinner).
- Pack all your ingredients into a blender and blend. Blend those ingredients until they are creamy smooth (took me about 3 minutes).
- Use immediately, refrigerate for SOON-to-be-used purposes, or freeze (in ice cubes trays) for future use.
This made me about 1 3/4 - 2 cups. I needed 1/2 cup for the Pesto Chicken mentioned above.
How did my picky children like it? Oh man! They loved it. I mean, the kind of love where they asked for seconds and then licked the plate. For Reals, they really did. I don't know if it was the chicken recipe (which, btw, I used feta instead of mozzarella...delish!!), or if they were just starving, but they liked it!
I served it with some steamed mixed veggies and this Whole Wheat Couscous I got from Big Lots (LOVE this stuff and am now using it instead of rice)
And I liked it too. I'm a bit of a picky pesto person. Sometimes it's just too "green" tasting to me or too salty or just "eh". But I liked this. I'm looking forward to comparing it to the original recipe soon!
Happy Cooking, everyone!
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