Yummy Pesto!

Urban Harvest is selling 1lb bags of organic basil at the moment so I decided to buy a bag and make pesto. I had no idea what 1lb of basil looked like but it is about a bread bag full and ends up being about 12 cups of loosely packed leaves.

I used brazil nuts and almonds but you can experiment with different nuts. Pine nuts are traditional. Lots of recipes call for walnuts but I don't like those.

I freeze my pesto flat in bags and break off pieces when I need it for pasta or as a sauce for a pizza. Apparently it's great as a salad dressing too but I've never tried that. If you keep it in the fridge it will last a few weeks but you need to keep a layer of olive oil on top to keep it fresh.

BASIL PESTO

1 lb bag of basil
4 cloves garlic, crushed with the side of a knife
1 cup raw nuts (mine is brazil and almond)
4 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup water
1 tsp salt or more to taste
Cracked fresh pepper

Fill the sink with water and dump the bag of basil into the cold water to wash it even if it has already been washed. You never know who's hands have touched it! Remove about 3 cups of leaves from the stems.

In a food processor, blend the nuts, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, water, salt, pepper and the 3 cups of basil leaves. Once that has become a paste, add another 3 cups of basil leaves. The leaves will have water on them from being washed so that will add moisture to the pesto. Keep going until you have used all the basil.

Taste. Add more salt, lemon juice, olive oil, water depending on your preference for flavour and consistency.

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Puerto Rican Green Rice with Tomatillos, Beans and Corn

We have two rogue tomatillo plants in our garden so I am trying to find recipes to use up the fruit. Apparently the plants are impossible to get rid of if the fruit splits and spreads the seeds so I need to harvest them and use them soon!

Tomatillos look like tomatoes but they're green and are hiding inside papery husks. The husk splits when the tomatillo is ready to be eaten. You have to cook tomatillos, you can't eat them raw. Not sure if they'd make you sick but they are very sour and gluey.

This recipe is an adaptation from The Tropical Vegan Kitchen

5 large tomatillos
Water
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
1 jalapeño chili chopped fine
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt plus more to taste
1 1/4 cups long grain brown rice
1/4 cup chunky salsa
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans
1 cup corn kernels
2 tbsp lime juice

Remove the tomatillos from their husk, rinse under cold water to remove the stickiness and bring to a boil in a pot of water. Let them boil 5 minutes, pour off the water and mash or blend or purée. Add enough water to make 3 1/2 cups of liquid.

In a skillet with deep sides (or a pot will do I guess), bring the tomatillo liquid, onion, cilantro, garlic, chili, oil and salt to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, stir in the rice, cover and let simmer for about 30 minutes until almost all the liquid has been absorbed. You'll need to check the doneness of the rice and add more liquid if needed.

Stir in the beans, salsa, and corn. Let stand for 5 minutes then fluff with a fork. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Stir in the 2 tbsp lime juice before serving.

If you want this as a side dish then you can omit the beans and corn.

Happy meatless Monday! And happy new school year!




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