Hey yo whadda ya know? I made you some pesto and it’s delicioso!
Sorry about the mega lame into . . . forgive me?!
In my defence I have been studying the finer details of the digestive system and how it works in great detail today . . . safe to say my brain is feeling like mush right now. Hence the super dorky, seriously lame opening sentence . . .
Sorry . . . and moving on 🙂
I made us some pesto and am feeling pretty chuffed about it because –
1 – I made pesto!
2 – Not only did I make my own pesto that not only happens to be super delicious but it also happens to be vegan, dairy free and paleo friendly and, and, it actually still tastes like pesto!!!
Take that mushy brain!
Honestly, if you served me this pesto without telling me it was parmesan free I never would have guessed. I may have thought it was lighter on the parm than some of your more traditional pesto recipes but it definately still has that zesty, pesto-ey bite we know and love with an added tart, tangy, tomato twist!
Ok so, let me tell you about this pesto . . .
But before I do can I just say, It’s really hard to make pesto look pretty so bare with me ok . . . I did the best that I could but please trust me when I tell you that it is all kinds of delicious and you need it in your life asap!
Now – Our roasted garlic and sun-dried tomato pesto is made with a combination of spinach and kale as well as a generous helping of basil because I just love the way the slight earthy, pepperiness of the kale leaves combined with the crisp, clean freshness of the baby spinach balances out the fragrant punch from our basil.
Trust me you guys are going to love, love, love this!
Next up we have a hit of smoky, sweetness thanks to our magically deliciously roasted garlic. It’s a much more mellowed out flavour than when you use fresh/raw garlic and in my opinion takes things to a whole new level! Roasted garlic is truly divine and I can not get enough.
Macadamias add a decadent, buttery, seriously smooth richness and a sprinkling of pretty little pine nuts add that traditional, hit of nuttiness we all know and love.
A cheeky squeeze of lemon juice cuts through the aromatic, earthy-richness and then you have that slightly tart, subtly sweet, tangy tomato bite to bring it all together in one insanely delicious, flavour packed little spoonful.
Now, I should tell you I like my pesto to the nice and thick, almost like a paste, because I find adding more oil leads to a much thinner consistency and it doesn’t “stick” as well as I’d like to whatever I choose to serve it with. Feel free to add more oil (or even just a splash of water) if you like to make a thinner consistency.
Do what you feel people, make it your own.
Once you have made your fragrant, flavour packed bowl of pesto go ahead and eat it on all of the things!!!!!
Use it to dip your veggies in for a stella mid afternoon snack, or make these meatloaf muffins, or these “zoodles” or stir it through your scrambled eggs, smother your face chicken in it, or steak, or fish, or tempeh, or tofu, or protein of choice . . . I think you get the idea . . .
All natural, quick and easy, light, fresh, smoky, sweet, tart, tangy – roasted garlic and sun-dried tomato pesto that also happens to be vegan, dairy free and paleo friendly.
I mean seriously would you look at all that flava flave?!
Yes, yes, just yes!
Make it. Eat it. Love, love, love it.
Roasted Garlic and Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto {Vegan, Dairy free & Paleo friendly}
Makes approx 1 cup of all natural, quick and easy, light, fresh, smoky, sweet, tart, tangy – vegan, dairy free and paleo friendly roasted garlic and sun-dried tomato pestoIngredients –
Don’t forget you will need to soak your macadamia’s for at least 2-3 hours or even overnight before making your pesto. Go get them ready now so you can get your pesto on in a mere 2-3 hours time or first thing tomorrow!
1 cup of fresh basil leaves
2 cups of spinach leaves
1 cup of kale leaves
1 head of roasted garlic (4-6 large cloves)
1/4 macadamia nuts (soaked in water overnight or for at least 2-3 hours)
1 Tablespoon of pine nuts
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 Tablespoon of coconut oil, melted and cooled
1 Tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
Method –
1 – Place all ingredients into your food processor or blender and process to desired consistency.
2 – Taste and adjust seasonings to taste and if you prefer a thinner pesto feel free to add in some extra coconut oil – you could sub olive oil of any other neutral flavoured oil that you like or even a splash of water if you prefer)
3 – Store in an airtight container in the fridge, or you can freeze for future use by spooning into an ice cube tray 😉
Enjoy xoxo
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Question of the day –
Are you a fellow pesto lover? What’s your fave recipe or way to get your pesto on?
Feel free to share recipes or leave links to recipes in the comments below and if you make this recipe make sure you snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page or tag me on Instagram or twitter – sharing is caring people 🙂
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