Practically Paleo Pesto

Prep: 20 minutes / Cooking: 5 to 15 minutes (for nuts) / Yield: 2 cups; 16 servings

Unlike conventional pesto, this one is made without Parmesan cheese. If you need to avoid nuts, try the take-off on pistou – the French Provençal version of pesto without nuts. Either can be used to baste salmon, white meat fish, or chicken before baking, roasting, or grilling. It can also be stuffed under the skin of chicken breasts before baking. Toss sauce with parboiled vegetables, sliced fresh tomatoes, or diced chicken breast for a salad, or spoon over grilled fresh tuna or pork at the table.

Note: Do not use flax oil if you plan to heat or cook with this sauce.

Ingredients

2 packed cups fresh basil leaves, washed, dried, stems removed
¼ cup toasted walnuts or pine nuts; double if desired
¼ cup fresh parsley leaves, washed and dried, stems removed
1 teaspoon finely ground, unrefined sea salt, or to taste
2 to 3 medium to large garlic cloves, chopped or crushed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; double if desired
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil
Additional oil or preservative-free chicken broth, optional
3 drops vitamin E oil

Process all ingredients in blender, Vita-Mix, or food processor and blend until smooth, stopping to scrape sides with spatula. For thinner consistency, add a dash of oil, broth, or stock with motor running. Transfer to clean wide-mouth jar that allows very little air space.
Cover and refrigerate. After each use, top with thin layer of olive or avocado oil to prevent oxidation.
Use within 1 week, or freeze in ice trays, transfer to sealed container, and use frozen pesto within 2 months. You may also freeze in small jars, leaving an inch of space below the lip in the jar (where it narrows) or the top.

Variations

Practically Paleo Pumpkinseed Pesto: Replace nuts with lightly toasted pumpkin seeds. Use hulled green pumpkin seeds (found in natural foods stores).

Practically Paleo Mint Pesto: Replace basil with fresh mint leaves. Reduce garlic to 1 clove. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper. Serve with lamb, duck breast, or green salad.

Practically Paleo Pistou: Omit nuts. Add ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste.

Reprinted with permission from The Garden of Eating: A Produce-Dominated Diet & Cookbook by Rachel Albert-Matesz and Don Matesz (Planetary Press, 2004).

Check out other Rachel Albert recipes:

Baked Fish Fillets with Practically Paleo Pesto

Twice Cooked Greens with Onions and Celery

Cinnamon Spice Tea

Creamy Carrot Soup with Ginger