Cilantro Pesto... Warning:This may be a bit different.
Pesto, traditionally done with basil. But, I had a bunch too much of cilantro sitting around. I had some cilantro ready to be picked in the garden, so I didn't want it to go to waste, Now, that would be a shame. I thought why not make a pesto! It freezes very well and I could use it later for all sorts of recipes. We know it goes well with pasta. But, I love to use it in other recipes to bring in a ton of flavor.I love to take a tablespoon and mix it in some cucumber yoghurt sauce. It is great served with grilled meats. I love to use it as an addition to marinades.You can add a bit to a salad dressing. It is a rather quick recipe to make and have around. I didn't have any pine nuts, so I used what I had...pecans. Feel free to add pine nuts/almonds. Also, if you don't care for the cilantro, stick to the original ingredient....just use basil (you might be better off:).
Note: if you don't like to use the food processor for this, just chop by hand.
You will need: feel free to adjust amounts to your liking
1 bunch cilantro
1 large garlic clove,sliced
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup pecans
1 tsp kosher salt
Drizzle:
1/2 cup olive oil
Directions:
Do not put in the oil yet, set it aside. Process till nicely blended and pureed...oh, I don't know, maybe about 1 minute or so. Stop and check the consistency. Making sure all the nuts and garlic have been minced You will see that the ingredients have formed a coarse paste. Don't overdo it though.
Place in small containers(or ice cube trays)and freeze. You can use it with pasta, as an addition to a marinade, mix it in some sour cream and use as a dip , etc.
6 comments:
Oh I love this!! thanks for the step by step!!
Room design studio, You are welcome! BTW, your blog is beautiful!
just made this, it is fantastic !! i substituted Hazelnuts which worked great!
I am so glad you tried the pesto, Les! Thanks so much for taking the time to share your feedback.... The hazelnut addition sounds like a great idea. I'm thinking most nuts should work... Sometimes I add a mixture, depending on what I have on hand.
thanks for this! A local store (Houston, Tx)used to make this and I was trying to remember the ingredients. It is delicious! I'm sure these are the same ingredients, except they added a serrano pepper - it doesn't give too much heat if you take out the seeds, but gives a deeper flavor. I may try it with walnuts. For us in southeast Texas, cilantro is a winter herb!
Nanette, You are most welcome. I sure like the idea of the serrano pepper! I think it will go amazingly well with the cilantro. Great idea... will need to try that.
Sure hope the pesto will be as close to the one you remember:).... you can definitely adjust quantities to taste.
Thanks for stopping by...
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