Low FODMAP Pesto

www.meandmyibs2.blogspot.com

I bought a potted basil plant from Tesco two weeks ago. I looked at it yesterday and I thought it was starting to look very bushy and I needed to start using up the leaves!

But can you still call it pesto if there is no cheese or garlic in it? Well, I did a little research on the Internet and it turns out you can. In fact, as long as there are fresh herbs in it, some sort of nuts and olive oil you can call pesto to anything your heart desires (or, in my case, whatever is available in my cupboard).

Apparently the choices are endless, these seem to be the most popular:

1. Fresh herbs (basil, spinach, mint, coriander, parsley...) + nuts (pine nuts, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds...)
2. basil + pine nuts
3. parsley + basil + pine nuts
4. basil + coriander + pecans
5. basil + baby spinach + walnuts
6. mint + coriander + parsley + walnuts
7. rocket + walnuts
8. spinach + dried basil + pine nuts
9. Additions: sundried tomatoes, avocados, canned artichoke hearts, miso paste, nutrional yeast...

I made mine with:

•  1 cup of basil leaves (packed)
• 1/4 cup of mixed chopped nuts (mixture of peanuts, almonds and walnuts)
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• a pinch of salt or to taste
• 2 tsp of lemon juice or to taste

Put all the ingredients in a food processor except the olive oil and blend at a high speed for a few seconds. With a spatula scrap the sides of the bowl back to the bottom. Add a little olive oil and blend at a high speed for a few seconds. Scrap the sides again. Add a little more olive oil. Repeat the process until you get a creamy and spreadable consistency.

If you are not using it straight away, cover it with a thin layer of olive oil and keep it in the fridge in an airtight container. It's meant to keep for 3 days. I will let you know...


Note: the next time I will lightly toast the nuts on a dry pan.