Sunday, September 27, 2009

Kids in the Kitchen ~ Basil Pecan Pesto


Well, the ball didn't exactly bounce our way yesterday, so it looks like I won't be leaving the house on this beautiful Sunday. We really did plan to go to church this morning, win or lose, but we didn't get home until 2:30am. I knew God would understand if we slept in.

Coach is in for a long day at the office, so I figured now was a good time to tackle the garden that just won't quit. I picked a ton of basil this morning, surveyed the pantry to see what ingredients we had on hand, and proclaimed that today we would make Basil Pecan Pesto in mass quanities. The kids were thrilled because they know pesto making = lime squeezing/tasting and loud appliance usage, two things they love to hate.                                                                                 
I don't really have a tried and true pesto recipe. As with most things I make, it's a pinch of this and handful of that. Pesto is incredibly easy to make and almost impossible to mess up. You can easily change things up and still create something super yummy. Sometimes I use basil, sometimes I use baby spinach, sometimes I use both. Pecans are usually my nut of choice, but I've also used the traditional pinenuts, walnuts, almonds and even sunflower seeds.

Here's what we used today...


Basil Pecan Pesto


4 handfuls of basil leaves (rinse well and dry)
4 cloves of garlic
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup toasted pecans
juice of one lime
salt
black pepper
red pepper flakes
olive oil
    Toss basil, garlic, cheese, pecans and lime juice into a food processor or blender. Begin to process and slowly add olive oil to desired consistancy. Add salt, black pepper and red pepper to taste. Store pesto in refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for future use.


     *To freeze: I put pesto in quart freezer bags, press out any air bubbles and freeze flat. It's easy to break off however much I need and toss the rest back into the freezer. Freezing in ice cube trays also works well.

     Now what do I do with all those cucumbers?!

     ~Gridiron Girl

    3 comments:

    jmac said...

    Hey Cbabes!!! Just saw this and came to see what's going on in your world..When I saw all the green on this post, I just knew it was going to be about saralantro!! STILL laugh about that one!!
    Miss ya, girlfriend. Will be nice to catch up with you here........love ya more than dirt!!

    Katy said...

    Janna, You're a truly talented blogger and I'm loving catching up with yours! Gonna bookmark it now and check in regularly! Thanks so much for the sharing!!!

    Annie said...

    I love basil and pesto so much. I made a huge batch about 2 weeks ago with our last plant from the garden. I also enjoy making cilantro pesto with walnuts. That's yum!

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