Cilantro Pesto
I have, over the years, attempted to grow cilantro several times. The hot, very humid weather of South Florida does fairly well for growing herbs. However each time the cilantro plants bolted before I got much use out of them. As the cilantro gets more mature, the stems thicken; the leaves get much bigger and brown. I hated tossing it because it seemed such a waste. So one year I promised myself to kept a close eye on the growing, after all I had a recipe for homemade cilantro pesto that I wanted to try. After a couple months or so I felt it was a good time to make cilantro pesto. Unlike basil pesto, this pesto doesn’t require parmesan cheese, I have seen some cilantro pesto recipes with parmesan cheese added, but for some reason in my mind it just didn’t click. The complimentary flavors are white onion, and serrano chile. Also, roasted pecans are used instead of pine nuts. Pecans seem to enhance the flavor of the cilantro, rather than compete with it.
Use this pesto with migas (tortilla and eggs), or with chicken or beef in tacos. Some of this batch got mixed in with a little sour cream for a tasty tortilla chip dip. Use your imagination in using this cilantro pesto, I know I have. This is a recipe I had found on line and once again I adapted it to my taste, just as you should. But most of all enjoy!
2 cups, packed, of cilantro, large stems removed
1/2 cup roasted pecans
1/4 cup chopped white sweet onion
2 peeled garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon chopped and seeded serrano chiles……….optional (high in the heat factor)
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
a splash of lime juice adds a bit a sweet/tart flavor judge for yourself
In a food processor, pulse the cilantro, pecans, onion, garlic chile, and salt until well blended. With the food processor running, slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream. Adjust seasonings to your taste. Add more oil as needed for your use. Makes about 1 cup.
BTW ~~~~~~~~~~~~~I buy my cilantro now because it is in such abundance in almost any market.
ETA.............check this out http://podchef.motime.com/post/566367/Be+Born+Again+with+Cilantro
he has a wonderful yet quirky site that is quite informative.
2 comments:
yum. i've always wanted to try cilantro pesto, but never found a recipe i wanted to try. can't wait to try this. this would be a good sauce for some mexican sea bass.
it seems you aren't the only one thinking about cilantro recently. check out this post from the podchef. apparently some people hate cilantro. phillistines.
Wow--I've got to try this! Should be plenty of cilantro, aka corainder, aka chinese parsley up in the garden in another week or so.
Post a Comment