“I’ve never met a problem that cheese couldn’t solve…”
I have a great love affair with cheese, I didn’t always, though. As a kid, I hated it, I would only eat it on pizza, period. No mac and cheese, no cheeseburgers, nothing. I didn’t know then the delicious potentials of cheese, of truffle cheese and brie, Parmesan and smoked Gouda. My mouth is watering while typing this, so let me stop.
The good thing about cheese is that many of them are low in carbs and high in fats, which means they’re acceptable on the Keto diet! My favorite cheese is fresh Mozzarella, but a close second is Parmesan. With its bold flavor and crisp texture, Parm is one of the more versatile cheeses, and I like to throw it in a BUNCH of dishes I make, just to add a little oomph. I’ve been meaning to make homemade Parmesan crisps in the oven for snacking, but I haven’t had the time. Maybe in the future… I’ll let y’all know how it goes.
This week’s recipe is less about the cheese as a solo act, and more about what it brings to the table in a recipe. There’s all kinds of stuff you can make with some good Parm, its melody harmonizes well with so many flavors, but this week, we’re focusing on herbs. Specifically, basil. If you haven’t figured it out yet, I’ll go ahead and reveal the recipe for this week:
Spinach Basil Pesto
It’s a simple recipe, and common this time of year. As a matter of fact, I recently watched a video on five different things to do with Basil that said to me, “Think outside the Pesto.” But I don’t want to.
I was first introduced to this delicious sauce-spread after college, actually. That’s right, I went almost 19 years never having enjoyed this sweet-savoriness of garlic and basil. Don’t cry for me, I ate very well up until that point, but when I tasted it for the first time, in a chicken farfalle pasta with blistered grape tomatoes, I definitely had the feeling of where-has-this-been-all-my-life. I had to have it. I must’ve eaten it once a week for about 3 weeks before we ran out of our supply. Man, did I miss it afterwards.
The first time I tried my hand at this recipe was about 4 years ago. Since then, I have made many substitutions and additions, playing with the recipe and learning new things. Somehow, though, I always come back to this one, the one that was taught to me by one of the greatest influences on my culinary life, my Nanny Cathy. (For all you non-southerners out there, Nanny is just a south Louisiana term for godmother. Don’t get excited.)
This recipe has seen a LOT of trial and error, so I would advise some caution. Do me, and yourself, a huge favor and follow this recipe first, to the letter, and then play with the ingredients. Not that it’s hard, don’t get me wrong, just that it’s a lot of bold flavors, and you don’t want to make an overpowering pesto. I have seen many a food video that adds pesto to cream sauces, and I’m always left wondering “why?” If you mix the right blend of ingredients the right way, pesto is beautiful enough by itself. I also like adding it to other recipes for flavor, like a spoonful to my marinara sauce for depth, or a light smear on some crusty bread when I’m making homemade bruschetta, but sometimes I will just dip some pretzel chips into it by itself. Yeah, it’s that good.
I issued a challenge to our Facebook followers that if we were to get 50 likes on our page, I would put out a bonus recipe this week. Unfortunately we were a little short. BUT, fortunately we gained five new followers to the website! Soooo, that’s something to CELEBRATE!!!! I’ll cave and you will see a SECOND post up today! Without further ado, let’s get jiggy with it. Too much? Ok, let’s get started.
Spinach Basil Pesto
Credit: Nanny Cathy
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup fresh spinach
- 1-2 garlic cloves depending on size (note: Start on the low end, and add more if the flavor is not strong enough. You can always add more garlic, but you can’t take it away)
- 1/4 cup of grated or shredded parmesan, depending on your texture preference
- 1/8 cup of pine nuts (I have also seen walnuts, pistachios, and almonds…. do you boo boo)
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon (or a few splashes from the bottle)
- Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
Directions
- Add your basil, spinach, garlic, pine nuts, and parm to a food processor or blender. If using a blender also add lemon juice and 1 tbsp of olive oil, just to get some liquid in there too. Pulse until well chopped and season with salt and pepper.
- Turn your blender/food processor on to a low/medium speed and SLOWLY drizzle in olive oil until the mixture is smooth
- Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or on the freezer for a few months. When thawing DO NOT MICROWAVE. Set on the counter until thawed or in frige if you are leaving the house.
A final note on this recipe is to let your pesto sit. Yes, you can serve immediately, but I have found that it taste’s so much more flavorful if you let it sit for about 24 hours and…. marinate? I don’t know how to describe it. My favorite way to eat it? Drizzled over sauteed shrimp and fresh cauliflower mash. Keto YUM!!!
Until next time,
Em