Avocado Pesto

This pesto recipe is a great dinner, lunch, summer salad…Ohh…it’s just great! One word of advice, eat right away- we know what happens to avocados when exposed to air!

1 bunch basil leaves (no stems)

½ cup pistachios (or pine nuts, walmuts)

2 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled

2 tbs fresh lemon juice (about ½ of a lemon)

3 cloves garlic

½ cup olive oil or water (same taste fewer calories with water)

Salt to taste

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Wiz all the ingredients in your food processor until smooth and creamy! This is good served with your favorite pasta or mixed with a salad!

Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe

Here is a nice summer/fall salad. Well.....eat this salad anytime!

·         4 cups uncooked spiral pasta (use rice pasta for wheat-free version)

·         1 cup fresh pesto (your favorite-click here)

·         2 Tbs chopped green olives, or olive tapenade

·         1/4 cup pine nuts

·         1 cup frozen peas, defrosted (or fresh if you can get them)

·         12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved

·         Several fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped

·         1 Tbsp olive oil

·         Salt and pepper

Cook pasta according to instructions on the package. Make sure the water is salted (at least a half teaspoon per quart). Remove pasta from heat and strain when pasta is cooked, but still firm (al dente).

Put pasta in a big bowl. Mix in fresh basil pesto, green olives, and pine nuts. Gently mix in cherry tomatoes, peas, fresh basil leaves and olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Chill or serve at room temperature

Pistachio Arugula Pesto

Pesto recipe # 21544....haha, kidding of course. This pesto has an earthy spice that only arugula can provide. This is best served with a penne pasta and grilled veggies!

1/2 Cup Roasted, salted Pistachios
2 Cups Arugula
4-5 Tbs Olive Oil (or to taste)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 small seeded jalapeno (optional)
Fresh Cracked Pepper

Mix all ingredients in a food processor. Mix well, or to your favorite texture.

Cilantro Jalapeno Pesto

Do you want a yummy, spicy pesto that is ready in less than 5 minutes? Well, wait no longer- that recipe has arrived!

Cilantro Jalapeno Pesto

2 large bunches Cilantro (cut off the ends)

2 cups pistachios (or your favorite nut)

2 large jalapenos roughly chopped

1 tbs cumin

½-1 cup of oil (based on your taste)

Salt and pepper to taste

Place all of the ingredients into a food processor except oil. Blend for 20 seconds and slowly add oil. You will need to stop and scrape the side down. Repeat until you get a texture you like!

This dish is best enjoyed with bread, pasta and of course- a Modelo especial.

Cilantro pesto

Here is a cool yet hot summer treat for all of you pesto lovers. I made mine extra spicy, because I love the pain of spice! Yummo

3 cups washed : Cilantro Leaves
5 Garlic cloves
¼ cup Olive oil
½ cup Walnuts/Cashews/Pistachios (your choice)
2 Jalapeno peppers
1/4 TSP cumin
¼ cup Ice cold water
Salt: ¼ tsp


Combine all the ingredients in the food processor (use water if necessary to move the blade). This can be made more or less spicy by adjusting your jalapenos. The cumin will keep your guests wondering for hours about the special spice! Nothing fancy, but it hits the spot. The BEST part? Its all done in less than 5 minutes!!

Vegan Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

Vegan Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

¼ cup oil soaked sun dried tomatoes (separated from oil)

2-4 tbs fresh chopped basil (based on your taste)

2 tbs Italian parsley chopped

2 tbs chopped garlic

¼ cup of nuts (pine, walnut, pistachio) your favorite

3 tbs chopped red onion

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 tbs tomato paste

½ cup crushed tomatoes

¼ cup of red wine

½ cup of olive oil

½ cup of nutritional yeast (optional- I don’t care for it much)

Okay- this is simple- put all of the ingredients into the food processor and blend. Once you get a texture that you like, add it to your favorite pasta. You can heat this recipe if you like, but I do not.

Vegan Pistachio Pesto

This is the simplest pesto you’ll ever make. There are so many vegan recipes out there that call for miso, more yeast and a list of other ingredients. After trying many, this is my favorite- and it take about 5 minutes to make. I like this with pasta, mixed with root vegetables, served on bread or dip sweet potato fries In (the uses are endless)…I hope you try this one soon. FYI- to keep costs low, you can make enough pesto to feed four VERY hungry people for about $7.00 if you get the ingredients at Trader Joes…oh, and by hungry- I mean HUNGRY- and trust me, my friends and I can eat. This recipe below is good for about two very hungry people with enough left over for lunch the next day.

Vegan Pistachio Pesto

1 cup pistachio bits (Trader Joes has the cheapest)

¼ to ½ cup olive oil

1 small bunch basil (about 20 leaves)

3 tbs garlic

1 tbs nutritional yeast (you may omit- I do)

Salt and pepper to taste

Add all the ingredients except the oil to a food processor, blend on high. Slowly add the oil until you get a texture that you like. Once you do, add salt and pepper. That’s it. Super Simple.

While you were prepping, you could have started a pot of water to cook some pasta! If so, try paring this pasta dish with a glass of Revolution Wines Pinot Grigio or a crisp pint of Czech Lager.