Pesto Recipe
Our Faculty of Nutrition Students were asked to come up with a Pesto Recipe for a Pesto making and tasting session for our Wellpark College Information Evening.
Easy to make, tastes delicious and is full of ingredients that are good for you.
Pesto Recipe
Pesto makes for a delicious, nutritious dip and can be used as an accompaniment to grilled or BBQ’d fish or chicken, omelettes, stir fries …
Ingredients
A large bunch of coriander/rocket/parsley/kawakawa/basil/baby spinach/dandelion leaves…
1 – 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
¼ cup pumpkin seeds/ sunflower seeds/toasted cashew nuts/pine nuts/almonds…
Juice and zest of one fresh lime OR lemon juice
20ml (1 tablespoon) of macadamia oil or olive oil (increase if you are going to use it as a sauce)
Optional
A small red chilli
2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese, finely grated (optional)
Method
- Place greens and nuts or seeds in a food processor and pulse OR use pestle and mortar to crush
- Add lemon/lime juice and zest, garlic and oil (and optional chill or grated parmesan) until combined and serve.
- Season.
Nutritional benefits of ingredients
Oats
are a rich source of B vitamins; they stabilise blood sugar levels; they are a great source of soluble fibre (Beta glucan) which has been shown to lower cholesterol levels by binding to excess LDL cholesterol and carrying out of the body. Beta glucan is also known to enhance white blood cell production which is important for immunity
Coriander
is a herb which is anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and is also an amazing detoxifier and heavy metal chelator (binds and therefore is more easily detoxified by the liver). Medicinally, it is used frequently for arthritis and inflammatory digestive disorders.
Rocket
is a salad green which is a rich source of vitamins A, K and C and folate. Also contains iron and copper. It is a potent anti-oxidant.
Parsley
is another herb with a full range of vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium. It is also a diuretic which means that it helps to increase urination thereby helping the body to remove waste.
Kawakawa
Native plant used in Maori Herbal Medicine (Rongoa) as a digestive aid and anti-parasitic.
Pumpkin seeds
are rich in zinc, copper, manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, and selenium; vitamin B complex, and vitamin E plus plant sterols which are beneficial for hormones and heart health. They are also rich in omega 3 and 5 essential fatty acids.
Sunflower Seeds
are similar to pumpkin seeds from a nutritional perspective. They are especially rich in the essential fatty acids.
ENJOY.
