Wednesday 12 October 2011

Grasshopper's Vegan Pesto

Adaptations. Living creatures are perpetually adapting. Understanding the culinary properties of your favourite foods teaches us how to adapt any recipe when we don't have an ingredient, or have specific food intolerances to avoid. May your days be filled with opportunities to experiment with ingredient substitutions. Risky when inviting guests, but surely a grateful experience of rich lessons. Ask your guests their thoughts on your new creations, and such is how we will continue with adaptations. In this vegan pesto recipe, parmesan is absent, so hemp protein is an excellent substitution for a vegan diet.

Grasshopper's Vegan Pesto
-olive oil
         a choice of seeds or nuts...
-hulled hemp for high protein works beautifully,
    or walnut, just try to use a nut or seed with a soft consistency
if using a mortar and pestal, however  any seed or nut can be
   ground in a blender; flax seed is nutritious, but lacks flavour and
   its geling properties keep soaking up the oil (not grasshopper's favourite choice)
-fresh basil leaves, fresh parsley leaves, arugula,
       any green with flavour
-cloves of garlic
-salt to taste
 
Mash, using mortar and pestal or blender for larger amounts or harder nuts and seeds. Use at room temperature or you may also line a baking dish with plastic wrap, pour the pesto over the wrap and freeze in a slab and put into a ziplock bag in the freezer for future use. Then break off chunks as needed. Just melt frozen pesto chunks in a hot pot of cooked/drained pasta, for a quick on-the-go nutritious meal.
For a great pasta recipe, see Grasshopper's easy gnocchi recipe
 http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=838924271458807488#editor/target=post;postID=3981368696112836922
Love Grasshopper

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