Spinach Pesto: Getting your Pop Eye on!

Here's some good news for all you veggie lovers and people who are trying to "diet" (and I mean, really trying!): spinach pesto can pack as much as a cup of calcium-rich leafy greens into your daily meal plan without too much pain.  Pesto, in laymen's terms, is a sauce/dressing traditionally made from basil, pine nuts, parmesan, and EVOO (all four good-for-you-items, in moderation, of course).  It's great on pasta, most forms of protein (including fish and "white" meat such as pork and chicken) and smeared on bread or as a base for a simple pizza.  It's very simple to make, lasts for a while in the fridge (or months in the freezer), and tastes AWESOME.  So much better, IMHO, than having to gnaw on a head of lettuce covered in sticky dressing dotted with fried croutons for "flavor and texture" when you're supposed to be watching what you eat.

The final product: a fine-ground pesto perfect for adding flavor to just about anything.

Took a break from eating my bowl of angel hair, spaghetti and chicken coated in pesto.  For a carb-laden dish, this had a bright, zingy flavor, uncommon for most pasta dishes. A single serving (about 1 cup) packs approximately 1 cup of garden-fresh essential vitamins and minerals.   

  In this blog, I'll be covering another form of the pesto powerhouse using a veg that you either love or hate.  My job here?  Hopefully to help you *at least* try delve into the greener side of life, the side your mother so bull-headedly blackmailed you with: "If you want a cookie you'll have to eat all of your (insert green item here)".  This version is adapted from Giada Di Laurentiis' recipe for Grilled Chicken with Spinach and Pine Nut Pesto.  It includes each of the ingredients indicative of a good pesto, minus the expensive grocery list, all without skimping on flavor, body or texture.  I hope you dig this stuff as much as I now do.  

A twirl of noodles seconds before meeting its delicious fate.  

Without further adue, The Ingredients...

A scant 1/4 cup blanched, slivered almonds
About 2 ounces of Kerrigold Dubliner cheese (2 x 1/4 inch slices off a 3 x 8 square inch block)
2 cups baby spinach, pre-washed or washed and well dried
2-3 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (this is one item I didn't skimp on because it can make or break the flavor of your pesto)

... And the recipe:

Heat a small frying pan over medium heat and add almonds, toasting until just fragrant.  Remove to a clean plate and allow to cool to room temperature or place in freezer to expedite cooling process.  Set aside.

Slice cheese off the block and break into small chunks.  Place in bowl of food processor with almonds and pulse until the consistency of oatmeal.  Scrape sides of bowl with rubber spatula.  Add spinach, lightly packing down to ensure proper contact with processor blade.  Pour lemon juice over top and pulse 4-5 until most of the leaves have been coarsely chopped,  Scrape bowl down again.

Slowly drizzle in EVOO while running the processor until a finely-ground paste forms, or until desired consistency is reached.  Makes approximately 1 full cup.

To store, pour into a clean bowl and press a length of cling film over as much of the surface as possible.  This will slow the oxidation process and keep the sauce bright green for about a week in the fridge.  For long term storage, carefully pour into small zip loc baggie, pressing all excess air out.  Flatten sauce into a single even layer and freeze flat until firm.  Break off chunks as needed, no need to thaw if using in hot applications like Spaghetti.  Bon appetit!