Pesto would have to be one of the most versatile condiments.. serve it as a dip, a spread, a pasta sauce, a topping. There are so many lovely ways. And, when made fresh with good quality ingredients pesto is also powerfully nutritious (while being the yummiest addition to almost anything).

Apart from increasing the delicious factor of meals adding pesto is an easy way to boost your intake of vitamins, antioxidants and lovely fats – things that we need to feel bright, well and stay strong.

So, here’s one creamy and very green pesto recipe, which I guarantee will make you feel good and have your immune system smiling. Made with fresh greens, herbs and avocado it’s also a very rich source of folate so is wonderful for fertility health too. It’s also flexible, so if you don’t have all the ingredients just improvise. I’ve added suggestions to make this easy plus ideas of how to enjoy it, there are so many! (To give you an example last week I made a container full, we had some tossed through pasta, I added pan fried chicken, fresh rocket and chopped tomatoes to the pasta too. Then I used a little leftover chicken and pesto the next morning to make wraps for lunch and the rest of the dip got demolished as a dip when we had family over for dinner the following evening. Easy and so good)

Super Green Avocado Pesto

Makes: About 1 Cup

Preparation time: 10mins

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch basil, leaves removed
  • 1 bunch parsley, leaves removed
  • 2 sprigs mint, leaves removed
  • 1 cup baby spinach leaves (or fresh kale, collard greens, rocket.. any fresh greens you like really)
  • 1/4 – 1/3 cup nuts (I love using walnuts, but will often use a mix of nuts – walnuts, almonds, brazil nuts and cashews all work well)
  • ½ an avocado
  • 4 Tbsp. Olive oil
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 Tbsp. water
  • Salt and pepper

Method 

  1. Add basil, parsley and mint leaves and all other ingredients to a deep jug or bowl, and using a hand held mixer blend all together. If you have a food processor, add all to your processor and blend.
  2. To adjust thickness you may like to add a little more water. Season to taste.
  3. This pesto can be served as a dip with flat bread, in wraps and sandwiches, on toast, served with smoked, tinned or fresh cooked salmon or with poached, fried, scrambled eggs, with firm tofu, added to hearty salads of any kind (I love adding a big spoonful to a roast veggie salad or a simple tuna salad), in a burger, it’s also beautiful when tossed through pasta, zucchini strips or noodles. It keeps in an airtight container in the fridge, it lasts well for a good 3 days.

Gestational Diabetes –

This is a fantastic pesto for ladies with GDM and for pregnancy in general too. Enjoy as a spread, tossed through pasta or enjoy as a dip. No recipe modifications required. This pesto contains very little carbohydrate so a few spoonfuls added to a meal or enjoyed as a snack will be very fine. If unsure of what’s best for you however, I would recommend speaking with your Dietitian or feel free to reach out to me via email or social media

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