Basil Pesto - Recipe Swap Link Up

I'm a little tardy on this link-up, but hey, the more the merrier, right?! Or, I guess it would be 'better late than never'? Whatever, you get what I mean. Join me with Martinis & Bikinis the Green Fashionista for a Recipe Swap!

I am a self proclaimed foodie. I. love. food. I also love to cook, but it's hard cooking for just two people. This is why I adore this particular recipe - as it allows me to prepare, freeze it, and make a gourmet meal later on (in minutes!). Pesto is a great way to 1) use up the absurd amounts of basil your monster genetically altered plant is producing and 2) jazz up plain old boring pasta. Also, pesto is freakin' expensive.

So, to start off, I scoured all my favorite cookbooks. Of course, old faithful was the only one I could find a recipe in.  This cookbook, given as a wedding shower gift by my sister-in-law Kelly, is the best thing ever. (If you need a gift idea for someone who likes to cook, or wants to learn to cook BUY THIS BOOK). I was  skeptical at first because it doesn't have pictures. ( I know, right?) What cookbook doesn't have pictures? I select 99% of the recipes I cook by the amazing pictures. This cookbook is all business. However, you quickly get over that because it literally holds every recipe known to man. It is called (get this) "How to Cook Everything." They really aren't kidding.Want to make homemade syrup? We got it. Need the perfect white sauce? We got that too. Genius.

Aside from the 'everything' cookbook, here are some of my favorite books to cook from:

   (P.S. - if you love Cuban cooking, you need "Memories of  a Cuban Kitchen". My cousin (from Cuba) gave this to me as a wedding gift, and it has the best, most authentic recipes. In fact, it even has THE recipe for the original daquiri made famous by Earnest Hemingway at La Floridita in Havana.)

See what I mean? No pictures, all food. I'm pretty sure you have to memorize this to be on Chopped. #howdotheyknowallthoserecipesbyheart

Here is the recipe that I used ( When I made it, I left a few things out, and added a few...I do this. I can't follow a recipe)

Basil Pesto

2 Cups loosely packed Basil (I also added oregano, and parsley)

1/2 Clove garlic

Salt

2 tbsp pine nuts or walnuts (i left this out - didnt have nuts..)

1/2 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 Cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, Pecorino, or other hard cheese

So first I went out to my monster plant and harvested some herbs. I also had some oregano which has somehow survived from last summer. It looks rough, but I actually had a lot of leaves left on the plant - so I grabbed some!

giant leaves...

My harvest...

I'm an EXTREMELY messy cook, so I have no prep pictures. I was afraid oil + camera + granite = disaster. So I'll just give you the run down. Use your imagination. 

First, I washed all my herbs and put them into the ninja. Next, I added the garlic, salt, (and pepper, again I add stuff) and the oil. If you plan on serving the pesto right away, go ahead and add the cheese. If you are freezing it, leave the cheese out. Next puree the crap out of it. One note  - I accidentally added too much oil so I had to add more basil and garlic and by then end I felt like it was a little too pureed. I would recommend stopping when its on the thicker side - it will become more liquidy the more you puree it. 

If you are freezing it - which I did - take the Parmesan and chop it up in the trusty ninja, and fold into the pesto. (I now have walnuts, so i'll probably add those as well...)

Anddd Voila! Friends, we have Pesto. Now, don't you think you can do this? And doesn't sound impressive? Oh the pesto, oh yeah, I made that. You're welcome.