I love taking traditional recipes and knocking them out of the park with ingredient swaps. Traditional pesto consists of fresh basil, pine nuts, olive oil, lemon and Parmesan cheese. Yes, it’s wonderful and endlessly versatile.
But, get a little creative with your blender and a few pantry staples and you can whip up a new pesto every night of the week. Swap your herbs and nuts and presto pesto chango! In this cilantro-almond pesto, hints of fresh ginger and garlic make an excellent sauce for fish, shellfish, chicken and steak. Here’s how to do it.
Cilantro-almond pesto with ginger and garlic
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- 1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, or more as necessary
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
Step 1. Place the almonds in a small dry skillet and set the pan over medium heat. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the nuts are golden brown and toasted, shaking the pan frequently.
Step 2. Transfer the nuts to a blender and add the cilantro, broth, ginger, garlic and oil.
Step 3. Puree until smooth, adding more broth if necessary to create a thick pesto, scraping down the sides as necessary.
Step 4. Season to taste with salt and black pepper and enjoy!
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