Power Pesto Obstacle Course

I love my farmer's market. I visit friends who retired and inherited family land. They turned it into an organic farm. Other vendors sell flowers my black thumb can't grow, grass-fed beef, eggs and shrimp from the coast. Half the time I don't know what I'm getting til I get there. My ingredients determine the recipes for the week ahead. Every week is an adventure but I didn't expect the adventure to turn into an obstacle course.

This week's Farmer's Market haul.

At the top of my list of how to use this week's haul was pesto. I love it. Not only is it full of flavor but it is so versatile. A dab makes a plain sandwich into a gourmet lunch, squash noodles more than a paleo substitute for egg noodles, and ramps up any sort of salad dressing.

My ingredients

Obstacle #1: I bought some basil this week but realized I didn't have enough for all the on-line pesto recipes I was reading. What to do? What to do? Hmmmm, I had leftover power greens from last week. And sure enough, I found plenty of recipes featuring power greens like kale, chard and spinach. So I threw a couple of those in for good measure AFTER I made sure to remove the bitter stems.

Obstacle #2: Pesto traditionally is made with pine nuts and healthier versions are made with walnuts. And this girl who is allergic to everything is also allergic to the omega packed walnuts. ManO is not a nut person. Again, what to do? Parmesan cheese is an ingredient already so I added some more to make it a bit thicker.  I added more flavorful olive oil. If you aren' t allergic to certain nuts like I am but don't want the nut texture, you can use a tablespoon of nut flavored oils. They are all over the marketplace now.

Obstacle #3: ManO is not a garlic fan and pesto without garlic is my nightmare. So I just added one clove. Sniff. I really want to protect ManO's immune system with a bunch but he doesn't believe me for some reason. And he was around to make sure I didn't sneak in more than he could stand.   

Obstacle #4: I forgot to buy some meat for dinner. In reality, it was more "forgot." I'm really trying to reduce our meat, especially red meat, consumption. But I remembered turkey spaghetti sauce in the fridge.

Obstacle #5:  I also "forgot" to buy spaghetti.  Poor ManO, now he doesn't even get gluten-free rice pasta. I go for veggies as the base of the sauce. YAY! I grabbed my Farmer's Market golden zucchini and made "noodles."  Just slice any kind of squash with a veggie peeler, lay on paper towels to drain, and saute for a few minutes. I added a dollop ( a very technical cooking term, ya know) and stirred. Perfection.

      
Well, I made it through the obstacle course and this is what we had for dinner:

Power Pesto (Nutless version)

2 cups basil with stems removed
1 cup power greens (or spinach) with stems removed
1 clove (or more) minced garlic
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon (or to taste) sea salt
1/2+ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon flavored oil (optional)   

1) Place garlic in food processor and mince or mince beforehand.
2) Add salt.
3) Add greens and mince fine.
4) Add Parmesan. Do not mince yet.
5) Put on processor lid and pour oil (including flavored oil if used) slowly through opening while processing.
6) Check consistency and add more cheese or oil if necessary.
7) Put in container, cover and refrigerate.

Bonus tip: You can apparently freeze pesto by covering small containers of it with olive oil. I am such a fresh fan but may try this idea. If you are overwhelmed by basil this summer, I can totally see putting some pesto up to remind you of summer in the cold, dark winter.

Are you a pesto fan? Have you tried to make alternate types of pesto? What is your best necessity-is- the-mother-of-invention substitution when it comes to recipes? Have you every tried to make a meal and find yourself running an obstacle course?

 

Confessions of a Half-hearted Juicer

Confession #1: I let lettuce shrivel in the fridge.
Confession #2: I forget there is one lone apple in the back of the fridge.
Confession #3: I'm so frugal we didn't get an ice maker for the fridge.
Confession #4: I've been known in the past for going on fad diets and then tiring of them real quick.

Do you get the picture? I have a love/hate affair with fresh produce and my fridge. It's like out of sight, out of mind. As much as I love our farmer's market, I dread going and seeing only large bunches of veggies. If I had all the money I've wasted on fresh produce over the year I could buy an apartment in Paris. Well, maybe just go to Paris for five days and stay in a student hostel (shiver, been there and done that) but you get the picture.

All my family and friends juice and are healthier for it. My friend Mary C has a VitaMix , the Cadillac of juice extractors.  It pulverizes veggies like no one's business. Thanks to her daughter, who favors the single serving making Nutribullet, she's also become a whiz mixing with additives like hemp protein and flax oil.

Then there's my daughter-in-law Shannon who has a Ninja, a large high-powered blender. She is the queen of smoothies. She loves them as a runner. The grandkidlets just plain love them. Do they know they're healthy?

What did I have? A fear of juicing. Not because of the thought of all that healthy stuff coursing through my brain but my household budget hasn't allowed me to consider an appliance that is almost a hundred dollars. Add in the fact I neglect to use my veggies and I like to chew them besides.

Well, I decided to apply my repurpose credo to juicing. What did I already have? A mini processor and an immersion blender.

Hmmmm. Now to figure out the waste issue. I bought a small pint of local blueberries. A resealable package of spinach.  A pack of organic shredded carrots. And one small green juice drink rather than all the bunches of kale, heads of broccoli, cucumbers, and other green things that would otherwise die a meaningless death under my watch.

First I pulverized my spinach, blueberries and carrots in the processor by processing, adding a bit of the green juice, and processing some more.

Then I poured the semi-solid concoction into my immersion blender cup and really let it go to town. That's all it took.

And it was pretty tasty.

Yes, I had more dishes to wash. But for a first try it was pretty successful. If you have a regular blender and use frozen fruit and a banana (sniff, I'm allergic!), it will be even thicker. I like a bit of crunch in my drink but if you don't, you can buy carrot juice in small bottles as well.

The leftovers? Most will be used tonight as ingredients in dinner. No waste.

Only time will tell if I decide I like the ease of a Nutribullet or the Ninja. If it is worth it, I can save up for one. But, for now, my make-do plan is working. I like veggies I can sip down and drink up! 

Frugal Cheater's Healthy Drink

1/2 cup spinach
1/2 cup shredded carrots (or carrot juice)
1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup "green" juice
1 banana (optional for additional sugar and smoothness)

Process or blend veggies until as smooth as possible. Add juice and optional banana. Process again and drink. 

Epilogue: I am still juicing after a week. AND I discovered Earthbound Farm Organics has a packaged baby kale, shard, and spinach blend that is perfect. No waste.  Feeling so much better. So I may just have to save my pennies up for an upgraded machine after all.

Earthbound Farm makes it easy to get your power greens. Click here for more info

Caution: Remember that there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. There is some research saying that too many servings of kale and other greens can affect your thyroid function. Too much fruit and not enough protein affects diabetics. Not eating a balanced diet is just not a good thing. Use good judgement when juicing and talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns due to your own health situation.   
 
So, are you a juicer? Do you prefer to drink your veggies and fruits rather than chew? What is your favorite smoothie, homemade or bought?