Walnut Basil & Mint Pesto

I love to recreate ol' time favourite recipes with the ingredients I have on hand.  This is a great way to explore ones creativity, palette and most of all add a new recipe to the box. Today I wanted pesto but I had no pine nuts. The replacement for them was hemp seeds & walnuts. These ended up great in the recipe plus they both added a boost of omega 3. In my kitchen window I have fresh herbs growing, as I was looking at the mint I thought yup it's going in as well. Now it's time to start putting this recipe together.

Ingredient's 

1 cup basil

1/4 cup walnuts

1 tbsp mint leaves

1/2 tbsp hemp seeds

1 garlic clove

1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast

2 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt & pepper each

1/4 cup EVOO

**use organic when possible**

Yields about approx 1/3 cup

Method 

Add all ingredients to your blender/mixer with the oil being last and purée till smooth 

You will need to pause a few times to scrap down the sides of your blender to ensure the mix gets fully puréed. Give it a taste test. This is the time to add more of any ingredient if you desire to switch it up or change the consistency.

 I also love to use spinach, kale & parley and other nuts & seeds for a pesto.  So many recipes are out there to explore for this little versatile sauce. The above recipe is what I had on hand.

Also there are so many dishes pesto can be added to or used in for example, pastas, vegetables, sandwiches & pizzas. ( Just to name a few ideas )

Today I was craving zoodles. I ended up topping it with a few more hemp seeds, walnuts, chopped basil & diced red onion. Yum! I think my Sunday night pizza is calling for the pesto left overs. 

FYI :) I also have one vegetarian pesto posted on the blog plus one with recipe on Instagram for you to explore.

Being that Nutrients and the Health Benefits of all food are constantly on my mind when I cook and when I eat out, is why I like to sometimes share the benefits of some of the ingredients I use in my recipes. Below you will see I chose to share a little on basil & walnuts. 

Health Benefits of Basil:

*DNA Protection Plus Anti-Bacterial Properties

*Anti-Inflammatory Effects

*Nutrients Essential for Cardiovascular

*Anti-aging properties 

*Rich in antioxidants

Did you know? That Basil belongs to the mint family, which makes sense to pair it up with some fresh mint

Nutritional profile for basil

Basil is rich in vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin C, magnesium, iron, potassium, and calcium.

Health Benefits of Walnuts:

• *They can reduce the risk of breast cancer. ... 
• *They're packed with omega-3 fatty acids. ... 
• *They can reduce risk of diabetes. ... 
• *They contain antioxidants that boost heart health. ... 
• *They can help you deal with stress.
• *Walnuts can help with metabolic syndrome 
• *Cardiovascular Benefits
• *Anti-Cancer Benefits

Nutritional profile of walnuts 

Walnuts are an excellent source of omega 3, rich in magnesium & copper. Walnuts also contain calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium and zinc, vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin A, folate and other B vitamins.

• Whether you follow this recipe or create one of your own, hope you enjoy & may you be Nutritionally Well. Thanks for stopping by my blog.