Spring Green Pea Pesto

Spring is in the air. The birds are singing noisily in the trees and are busy building their nests. The cherry and apple trees have soft pink blossoms. The beautiful scent of the azalea is drifting on the breeze. I’ve caught it, spring fever, and I want something fresh and green that will have me tasting spring in every bite. This brightly colored pesto is just the thing. I know you can buy ready made pesto at the market but do yourself a favor and make some of your own. It’s so easy, takes less than 5 minutes to make and the flavor from your own fresh ingredients is so much better than store bought. Pesto is a very versatile sauce. You can spread it on bruschetta, mix it in with pasta, use it as a pizza sauce or as a marinade on tofu or meats and much more.

Kristy

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh or frozen peas (thawed)
• 1 cup basil leaves
• 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley leaves
• juice of 2 lemons, about 5-6 tbsp
• 1 tsp capers (optional but good)
• 1-2 cloves garlic (depending on how much you like garlic)
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste

Preparation:

1. Place all of the ingredients except the oil in a food processor.
2. Pulse until you have a coarse paste.
3. While the processor is running stream in the olive oil until the mixture is smooth.
4. Season with salt if desired.

Nutritional Info:

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Serving size 2 tablespoons.

Nutrients per serving:  Calories: 70, Cal. from Fat: 54, Total Fat: 6g, Sat. Fat: 1g, Carbs: 3g, Fiber: 1g, Sugars: 1g, Protein: 1g, Sodium: 90mg, Chol: 0mg

Notes:

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.