Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Food Synergy Pesto with Almonds and Anti-Cancer Greens


Garlic, along with leeks, onions, and other members of the alium family are among the top anti-cancer foods. Most people find it inconvenient to consume raw garlic but this recipe tones it down with parsley, lemon juice, and other flavors. Besides the garlic, the anti-cancer foods are parsley, arugula, and avocado.

For this quantity of pesto, I use a mini-blender. The full sized blender tends to slide over the tops of the ingredients in Step 2.

¼ cup sliced almonds
2 T avocado or olive oil
2 T water
1 teaspoon lemon juice
¼ ripe avocado, skin removed
1 clove garlic coarsely chopped
1 small handful of parsley
1 cup arugula, packed
¼ tsp. of salt, or to taste

1.  Lightly toast the almonds over medium heat, stirring a few times. They should be fragrant and slightly crisp, not brown. Pour onto a plate to cool.

2.  In the bowl of a small blender combine the oil, water, lemon juice, avocado, and garlic. Puree until it forms a smooth mixture.

3.  Add the parsley and puree until smooth.

4.  Add the arugula and puree to whatever consistency you prefer.

5.  Add the salt and the toasted almonds and pulse a few times. Repeat until the almonds are coarsely or finely ground, depending on your taste. I like mine slightly grainy, as you can see from the photo.

6.  You can serve this with pasta, as a garnish for soup, or in a sandwich. I like to spread it on whole wheat bread with slices of cooked chicken. Sometimes I top the pesto with a slice of cheese and broil at around 425 degrees until the cheese melts.

Other Food Synergy Recipes:

The Mango Lassi With Anti-Cancer Spices 

The Pretty Good Almond Berry Green Smoothie