A dear friend of ours produces a fabulous garden every summer and we are some of the lucky recipients of her produce. Last summer her basil plants prospered beyond normal limits and she sent an overflowing bag of the aromatic herb our way. We reveled in its fragrance and then began to wonder what we would do with it all.
We have tried to make an oil-free Basil Pesto a few times and have not been satisfied with the results so we decided that the time had come for another attempt. My husband, Rob, came up with this easy and very tasty recipe. The remains of our basil bounty were carefully packed into storage containers in the freezer for us to enjoy at will.
It is easy to make this into an excellent meal by cooking your favourite whole-grain pasta and, when the pasta is almost done, adding in some chopped vegetables, such as onions, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, pepper, and letting them lightly cook while the pasta is finishing. Drain, place in a large bowl and mix in the basil pesto. If desired, mix a handful or two of greens into the hot mixture in the bowl. Enjoy!
Rob’s Oil-Free Basil Pesto
4 cups packed fresh basil leaves
½ cup nutritional yeast
Juice from 3 lemons
2 tbsp garlic powder
8 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
1 cup vegetable stock
1 cup cashews, soaked for at least 15 minutes
Blend all ingredients together. Add stock to achieve the desired consistency.
Taste and add salt, nutritional yeast and/or garlic powder as desired.
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My name is Debra Harley (BScPhm) and I welcome you to my retirement project, this website. Over the course of a life many lessons are learned, altering deeply-rooted ideas and creating new passions.
