pesto pesto, do your very besto

My “science lab” (aka kitchen) was closed down for several months due to my roommate doing a full gut rehab. This made it very hard to experiment with new recipes.  I mean, I was doing dishes in my bathroom. It was not pretty.

The “lab” is back in full production and here is my newest recipe with food fact below!

Dairy Free Pesto

Traditional Pesto has parmesan cheese in it and for us lactose intolerant peeps that’s no bueno. Whatever your reason for staying away from cheese or if you just want to try something new, you can always substitute a traditional recipe where it calls for parmesan cheese for finely chopped pine nuts.

That may be your simplest solution or you can try creating your own from my Dairy Free Pesto Recipe Template.

Each time I make my pesto sauce it tastes slightly different depending on what my taste buds are craving for the day.  Use your tongue as a guide and happy creating!

Dairy Free Pesto Recipe Template

Ingredients (makes about 1-1/2 cup):

• about 1 cup packed fresh basil
• about 1 cup packed fresh spinach or arugula
• 1/3-1/2 cup good tasting olive oil. I love the olive oil from Oh Olive.
• 1-2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1-2 cloves of garlic (depending how much garlic you like)
• ¾-1 cup pine nuts (I chose raw for more nutrients)
• salt and pepper to taste

How to:

1.     Blend ingredients in food processor/ blender
2.     Taste and add more of one flavor if needed (if one flavor is too strong, like garlic or lemon, just add more nuts/ basil or spinach)
3.     Add salt and pepper to taste at end
4.     If using blender make sure liquid is at the bottom
5.     If too creamy add 1 tbsp of water

This pesto sauce is great on pastas (gluten free of course), spaghetti squash (awesome pasta substitute), chicken breast, and sandwiches or wraps (I like Udi’s brand tortillas).  It’s also great on pizzas which will be the next recipe I post 😉

What?!? You mean there’s a great tasting gluten free, dairy free, pizza out there? You bet! Be sure to opt-in to receive my blog updates so you don’t miss it!

Food Fact:

• Did you know that the calcium in 1 cup of raw arugula > calcium in 1 tbsp parmesan cheese?
• In fact, it’s almost twice! (120mg vs. 70mg)
• The calcium in ⅓ cup cooked spinach (80mg) > the calcium in 1 tbsp parmesan cheese.
• Conclusion: Dark leafy greens are great sources of calcium.