ST. LOUIS — Wonderful Pistachios Basil Pesto
Serves: 16, Serving Size: 1 tablespoon, Time to Table: 10 minutes
Ingredients
1/8 cup Wonderful Pistachios No Shells
2 cup basil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon lemon zest
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt, to taste
Directions
- Add Wonderful Pistachios, basil, garlic, lemon juice, zest, and parmesan cheese to a food processor. Pulse until nuts are finely chopped.
- Stream olive oil through food chute and puree until smooth.
- Serve immediately or store in refrigerator up to three days. Can also freeze pesto up to one month.
*Serving suggestion: Spread about 1 teaspoon of Wonderful Pistachio Basil Pesto on slices of toasted whole grain baguette. Top with a slice of fresh mozzarella cheese, a slice of tomato and a basil leaf.
TIPS:
TIP 1: Put More Plants On Your Plate
- In the Med diet is rich in fruits and veggies, they eat about 7-10 servings of produce per day.
- Including veggies at breakfast can help us meet that goal.
- Simple ways to do this include incorporating leftover veggies to your scrambled eggs or make a smoothie that includes greens such as spinach or kale.
TIP 2: Treat Meat as a Flavor Enhancer
- The great thing about a Mediterranean diet is that the things we love like meat, cheese, and even wine are not off limits, however, portions matter.
- Many of the dishes from the Med use meat more as a flavor enhancer compared to being the star of the dish.
- Look for recipes that use smaller portions of meat IN vegetable or grain based dishes.
- Try tossing a little shredded chicken or turkey into a grain-and-veggie pilaf or tuck some into stuffed peppers with whole grains, nuts and herbs.
TIP 3: End Your Day with Fruit for Dessert
- A goal many of us have is to reduce our intake of added sugars, and one way to do this is to satisfy our sweet tooth with fruit-based desserts.
- One of my favorite desserts is blending a scoop of plain Greek yogurt with honey, vanilla and topping it with pomegranate seeds & pistachios.
Pom seeds which deep red color is a sign that the fruits are rich in antioxidants that protect your heart and and pistachio nuts which are an ideal source of plant-protein which includes a good dose of fiber and heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.