Pesto 8 Ways – Part Two
When the end of April arrives, David and I are ready to start our herb garden unless the weather is not cooperative. It’s not just a hobby, it’s a MUST! I can’t imagine cooking without fresh herbs. Rosemary, chives, basil, oregano, mint, parsley, sage, and others are our favorites that we grow 👩🌾👨🌾 every year. We also cultivate fruits and vegetables.
Although there’s still a few weeks before the fall season steps in, David and I will slowly start to harvest our garden by doing canning, recipes, and so on. I make Basil Lemon Butter 🧈, Tabbouleh, and Mint Jelly along with some spice blends like Italian Seasoning, Herbes de Provence, etc.
A sauce that I make annually is Pesto. It’s a great versatile condiment that can be used in pasta, over roasted vegetables, in sandwiches 🥪, bread or pizza, in salad dressings, and so on. Last year, I shared 4 amazing recipes and now here’s the second segment of Pesto 8 Ways – Part Two!
In this episode, I’m sharing my Greek, Thai, Moroccan and Picada which is the Spanish version of pesto. Like the previous ones that are Basic, Italian, Mexican and Asian, these are deliciously different, giving you an assortment of tastes to choose from. Each recipe is super easy to make and also freezes very well for later use.
When most people think of pesto, right away basil is the herb that comes to mind. Although it’s a common one for the making of this sauce, other herbs can be used instead like parsley, cilantro, spinach, kale, mint, sage, etc. The components for pesto are basically the same; herb, acid, nuts and oil. From there, it’s just a matter of letting your imagination do the rest like I did when I created these Pesto 8 Ways – Part Two recipes…
As I mentioned above, all these flavors give you a wider range to create recipes. A couple of days ago, I posted my Mediterranean Chicken Pasta and the pesto I used in this dish is my Italian one. In the near future, I’ll be sharing more recipes using the other ones so it gives you an idea on how diversified these sauces can be…
Pesto 8 Ways – Part Two as well as Part One brings you a beautiful selection to choose from. Although the Basic one is the most popular, making the others opens up new horizons of inspiration for many tasty recipes…
Bon Appétit!🍽
Here are several more healthy recipes for you to enjoy…😀
– Caponata
– Creamy Tahini Sauce
– Pisto Manchego
– Polynesian Smoothie
– Mixed Tomato Salad
– Sopa Ajoblanco ~ White Gazpacho
– Cauliflower & Celery Root Purée
and for even more sauces recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Sauces & Marinades
Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel 📽 by clicking on this link… Club Foody YouTube
Pesto 8 Ways - Part Two
Hover to scale
Ingredients
GREEK PESTO
- 1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
- 1/2 cup mint leaves, packed tips & tricks
- 2 large cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 2 tbsp. whole green olives
- 1/4 cup feta cheese
- 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice tips & tricks
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or to taste (I always use mixed peppercorns)
- 5 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, or as needed tips & tricks
THAI PESTO
- 1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, packed tips & tricks
- 1/4 cup roasted peanuts
- 2 tbsp. sweet chili sauce see Recipe
- 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice tips & tricks
- 1/2 tbsp. fresh ginger, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp. kaffir lime leaf powder
- 1/2 tsp. sesame oil tips & tricks
- 2 tbsp. canola oil, or as needed
MOROCCAN PESTO
- 1 1/2 cups fresh parsley, packed tips & tricks
- 1/2 cup mint leaves, packed
- 1/4 cup blanched slivered almonds
- 1 tsp. ras el hanout
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice tips & tricks
- 6 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, or as needed
- 1/4 tsp. ground Himalayan pink salt, or to taste
PICADA - SPANISH PESTO
- 1/4 cup blanched slivered almonds, toasted tips & tricks
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 3 slices bread
- 1 1/2 cups fresh parsley, packed
- 1 large clove garlic
- 1 tsp. Vinagre de Jerez (substitute regular sherry vinegar)
- 1/4 tsp. ground Himalayan pink salt, or to taste
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or to taste (I always use mixed peppercorns)
- 10 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, or as needed
Directions
GREEK PESTO
- In the bowl of a food processor, add basil, mint, garlic, walnuts, green olives, feta cheese, lemon juice and freshly ground black pepper. Place the lid, remove the pusher and process for 15 seconds before cleaning the sides of the bowl.
- Restart the appliance and slowly, emulsify the oil by adding it in a small steady stream; taste and adjust if needed. Yields ¾ cup
THAI PESTO
- In the bowl of a food processor, add basil, cilantro, roasted peanuts, sweet chili sauce, lime juice, ginger, kaffir lime leaf powder and sesame oil; process for 15 seconds.
- Emulsify the oil by slowly pouring it through the feed tube, stopping a few times to scrape the sides of the bowl; taste and adjust if necessary. Makes ½ cup
MOROCCAN PESTO
- In the bowl of a food processor, add parsley, mint leaves, slivered almonds, ras el hanout, cumin and lemon juice; process for 15 seconds then clean the sides of the bowl.
- Restart the processor before slowly pouring in the oil in a steady small stream; taste and adjust if necessary. Makes 2/3 cup
PICADA - SPANISH PESTO
- In a small skillet on medium heat, add almonds and toss until golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat to cool off.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, add 3 tbsp. oil and when it gets hot, add bread slices; toast both sides. Remove from the heat and when cooled, slice and cube. If the bread is not dried enough, place the cubes on a baking sheet and transfer to a 170ºF oven to dry out any moisture.
- In the bowl of a food processor, add basil, parsley, garlic, bread cubes, toasted almonds, sherry vinegar, salt and pepper; process for 15 seconds and clean the sides of the bowl.
- Emulsify the oil by slowly pouring in through the feed tube while the appliance is running; taste and adjust if necessary. Makes 1 1/2 cups
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