thursday recipe: Lee Holmes red capsicum and hazelnut pesto & basil pesto

Lee Holmes' blog Supercharged Food is one of the first wholefoodie blogs I started reading when I discovered blogs about four years ago. 

I bought Lee's ebook Supercharged Food for Kids and have been following along ever since.

In recent times Lee has produced a collection of beautiful cookbooks all aimed at those looking for deliciousness to go with their nutrition. And today I have not one but two nutritious, delicious recipes to share with you from Lee's book 'Supercharged Food Eat Clean, Green and Vegetarian'.

Before we get to the recipes, let's talk about the book. Well, as you can see it is beautiful to look and Lee is the picture of health so we're off to a good start! Between the covers you'll find an introduction that is supercharged in itself, it is jam packed with nutrition information, cooking tips, seasonal veg guides, great tips for getting more veggies into your diet, shopping list and meal planner.

The 120+ recipes are divided into chapters: Drink Your Vegetables, Breakfast, Salads & Soups, Main Meals, Desserts, Sides Dips Snacks & Nibbles, and Dollops Dressings and Sauces.

Chai chia breakfast pudding sounds like a great way to me to start the day. Moving on to lunch I'll have the eggplant, pomegranate and minted quinoa salad please. Throughout the recipe sections there are 'supercharged tips' and 'health benefits' explained, so if you are new to wholefoods and don't know your chia from your quinoa don't worry!

Fudgy black bean biscuits have me intrigued and worried at the same time, black beans in a biscuit? How is that texture going to work out? Tell me if you've given them a go.

For anyone transitioning to a wheat free, dairy free, gluten free, sugar free or vegan diet or who is already eating this way and wants inspiration this is the book for you.

Thanks to Lee and her publisher Murdoch Books for sharing not one but two recipes from this book, red capsicum and hazelnut pesto, and everyone's favorite basil pesto minus the pine nuts and parmesan cheese. Whip them up for an after school snack with veggie sticks or crackers, as a great healthy spread on toast, to have with grilled or roasted meats, on pasta if you're still loving pasta...there are lots of ways to enjoy these yummy, good for you, pestos. 

Let me know your favorite.

Lee Holmes 'Supercharged Food Eat Clean Green and Vegetarian', 

Published by Murdoch Books $34.99

Red Capsicum and Hazelnut Pesto

WF  DF  GF  SF  VEG  VG          Makes 2 cups

Homemade pesto is so easy to whip up yourself, that you’ll soon be waving goodbye to the citric acid, preservatives, additives and the high-sodium hit that can accompany a large proportion of supermarket varieties.

11/2 red capsicums (peppers), seeds and membrane removed, chopped

3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

2/3 cup basil leaves

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

2 tablespoons wheat-free tamari

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes

juice and zest of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

135 g (43/4 oz/1 cup) lightly toasted hazelnuts

2 tablespoons cold-pressed extra virgin
olive oil

pinch of Celtic sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and whizz until it reaches the desired consistency. This pesto will keep in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Supercharged Tip

For a delicious variation, try substituting the hazelnuts with blanched almonds, or sunflower seeds and pepitas (pumpkin seeds).

Basil Pesto

WF  DF  GF  SF  VEG  VG          Makes 1 cup

My man loves this recipe — he calls it pesto with a twist. Basil is packed with iron and magnesium, which improves circulation, and the essential oil eugenol provides anti-inflammatory effects similar to that of aspirin, making it as good for you as it is delicious.

160 g (53/4 oz/1 cup) blanched almonds

2 garlic cloves, peeled

2 large handfuls of basil leaves

80 ml (21/2 fl oz/1/3 cup) cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes

small pinch of Celtic sea salt

Place the almonds in a food processor and whizz until fine. Add the garlic and pulse, then add the basil and whizz again. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until you have the desired consistency, then add the lemon juice, yeast flakes and salt.

This pesto will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week and can be refreshed with an extra splash of extra virgin olive oil.