Leftover Greens Pesto

I don’t like to waste food. But many times I find myself with some herbs and greens leftover from a recipe. Here is a great way to use them up. Pesto Sauce.

This is not your classic pesto. But who says we can’t enjoy a flexible and delicious sauce by using all of our extras? Truly it is just a raw green sauce after all.

Here is a variety of ingredients that are pretty fool proof:

Greens: Spinach, power green blend, arugula, swiss chard, kale (baby kale or dinosaur kale) and carrot tops.

Herbs: Basil, cilantro, parsley and mint. 

Nuts: Pine nuts, walnuts, pecans, almonds, pistachios, pepitas and sunflower seeds.

Combine half greens, half herbs, or any ratio truly works.  Don’t be afraid to get creative — there’s really no wrong answer.

Use your favorite nuts or seeds, and leave that Parmesan out of the equation if you don’t have it or follow a vegan or paleo diet.  I’ve left the Parmesan out several times and have always been happy with the results. If you want the cheesy flavor, nutritional yeast is an excellent substitute.

Instructions:

Simply add everything but the oil into your food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the oil through the feed tube with the processor on until it reaches the desired consistency. Adjust the seasoning and your homemade pesto sauce is ready to go!

Recipe:

4 cups greens*

1 clove garlic minced

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup toasted nuts or seeds**

1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan omit for vegan or replace with nutritional yeast

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil*

Serve on pasta, pizza, toasts, grain bowls and sandwiches. If I am not going to use the whole amount right away, I find freezing it in an ice cube tray and putting the cubes in a container in the freezer the way to go. They thaw very quickly since its oil not water and perfect when you want use just a little on something.