September 10, 2023

Presto! Pesto Adds Flavor and Superpowers

Who doesn’t love pesto, the uncooked sauce most associated with the city of Genoa in Northern Italy? The pesto most of us have tried is made with fresh basil that’s been pounded and mixed with super-diced garlic, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, then blended with extra virgin olive oil. Basil pesto imparts a beautiful green color on pasta and is a great spread on Italian bread. The dark green basil leaves are nutritional stars, because they are full of compounds that stabilize blood sugar levels and antioxidants that help protect cells from free radical damage. The garlic in pesto contains allicin, […]
January 30, 2023

Presto! It’s Pesto To the Rescue

The versatility of pesto can help us all do our very besto when it comes to adding great flavor and big benefits to dishes. Use your imagination and check out the pesto chart along with two of my out-of-the-box pestos that deliver great taste along with powerful nutrients. You can serve these and any favorite pesto over vegetables; pasta; flatbread … whatever you choose! Nettle Pesto At the height of allergy season, incorporating nettles into your meals can be a soothing practice offering relief. With research supporting the use of nettles for seasonal allergies and hay fever, this plant contains […]
January 3, 2022

Kale-Cashew Pesto

Cashews are a sweet nut that helps to balance the sharpness of kale. I use Tuscan kale, which is mild and tender. It’s also called lactinato kale, black kale, or cavolo nero. This pesto is wonderful tossed with pasta, quinoa, roasted potatoes, or even spread on sandwiches. This recipe is from The Age Beautifully Cookbook, and it’s loaded with antioxidants, which prevent and repair oxidative damage to cells caused by free radicals. Kale is practically a wonder drug, with all its disease-preventing indoles (sulfur compounds), immune-boosting carotenoids, quercetin, vitamin C, and a bonus helping of bone-building calcium. Olive oil is […]
January 30, 2018

Quick Pesto Pizza Is a People Pleaser

Pizzas are family favorites, but many of them are loaded with calories and unhealthy ingredients. This quick and easy Pesto Pizza delivers loads of benefits AND flavor. Save even more time by buying precut vegetables at your market’s salad bar. Ingredients: ⅔ cup thinly sliced red onion (about ½ onion) 2 cups small broccoli florets 8 ounces sliced button mushrooms 2 Tbs. olive oil 4 ounces premade basil pesto, such as Cucina & Amore or DeLallo Simply Pesto 2 thin pizza crusts (10–12 inches each), such as Angelic Bakehouse Flatzza, Against the Grain Gourmet (GF) or Rustic Crust 4 ounces […]
June 7, 2016

Nettles Add Power to Pesto

At the height of allergy season, incorporating nettles into your meals can be a soothing practice offering relief. With research supporting the use of nettles for seasonal allergies and hay fever, this plant contains anti-inflammatory and immune boosting properties (Learn more about the benefits of nettles in our story on them). It is also rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Nettles care commonly cooked into a tea, but they also make a flavorful sauce. Enjoy this fresh nettle pesto today over quinoa or gluten-free pasta. Chef’s note: Never eat or touch fresh nettles; heat neutralizes the volatile compound that sting […]
April 29, 2014

Mama Mia! That’s a Delicious Pizza

Pizza is a favorite food for most of us, but it’s even better when topped with delicious, age-defying toppings. My Kale Cashew Pesto is so full of anti-aging ingredients, I don’t have room to list them all here. (See the full recipe below.) Pesto is a versatile spread that works on pasta, in sandwiches, in soups, and on this delicious Pesto Whole Grain Pizza with Artichokes (recipe below, where it works well in place of tomato sauce.)