(Basil) Pesto

Ah pesto. When I make pesto I try to put it on everything, much to the chagrin of my boyfriend! There is something magical about how the basil, garlic and cheese marry together. Plus it is the easiest thing in the world to make if you have a food processor. These days I don't use a recipe, I judge by proportion and taste. I like mine garlicky and I often omit adding any nuts, but I would recommend following a recipe to start out, and figure out from there what you like and don't like. Here is a traditional recipe to get you started.

Basil Pesto
2 cups fresh basil leaves (packed)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
3 garlic cloves (I use 4-6)
1/3 cup pine nuts (you can use walnuts or almonds too!)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1. Prep: Make sure to wash your basil, remove the large stems, and cut the cheese into small chunks, like cubes.

2. I like to start by adding the cheese by itself in the food processor so I can make sure it is reduced to powder. Next, add the nuts and garlic. When you see them joining the consistency of the cheese start adding the basil slowly. You can do this through the shoot in the top and pushing it in or by removing the lid. Once the basil is incorporated add the oil slowly. You want the pesto to be thick and not runny but it should blend easily. In other words don't feel like you have to add as much oil as the recipe calls for. 

3. The final step is one that many recipies neglect. Storage! Pesto turns a dark green/brown when it it exposed to air, so the key to storing pesto is limiting its exposure to air. You can do this by making sure you pick a container that is close to perfectly the size you need and by changing containers as you deplete your pesto. The last and most important thing is to seal it with olive oil. A layer of oil on the top of your pesto will help keep it fresh and bright green.

Enjoy!

 

A Blog?

Starting a blog has been on my mind for quite a while, but I never took the next step and started one. I couldn't imagine why people would want to read my stream of consciousness, and after all the audience is what a blog is for right? Maybe, but I have decided to blog for me. I need an outlet to express myself and I can't paint so I will write. Most likely my blog will be dominated by food recipes and pictures of my dogs, but hey that's what make me happy. :) So here we (I) go!

Juice (R)evolution

I started juicing a while back when I finally committed to a black and silver Jack LaLanne juicer from Costco after lusting after a variety of juicers for months. I jumped into juicing with no idea what I was doing and no direction or goal other than to let the juice flow. I started reading anything I could find on how and what to juice. I had an image in my mind of my boyfriend and me juicing for breakfast every morning and getting super healthy which of course didn't happen. As it turns out the boyfriend only likes fruit juice which is tasty but not super nutritious and I can drink just about anything. I have finally settled into a routine where I try juice every other day any while my whole life hasn't changed I have seen some positive results. I don't own a scale so my results aren't appearance related. I have suffered from migraines for a handful of years now but recently they have become increasingly debilitating. In the first few days of juicing I was in the last half of a week long migraine which ended up landing me in the hospital. I recovered and I kept juicing partially because I couldn't keep anything solid down and partly to keep detoxing my body. For a week I was able to eat one food meal and two meals of juice until I got completely back on solid food. I also went cold turkey from caffeine in that time period and am now not drinking anything except for tea, which is pretty major since I was drinking an energy drink or espresso every day. Not only that my energy is up, I sleep better, no headaches (and therefore no pain meds), and I generally feel better. Is it 100% the juice? Possibly not but it has put me on the right track.