I have yet to meet a chutney that I didn’t love, but mint chutney is on my must-have list. Like ketchup is a must with hot, crispy crinkle-cut French fries. So one would think that when I had both mint and cilantro in my fridge, whipping up a mint chutney would be a no-brainer. Right?
Right. Except that I was craving pesto with lots of olive oil and served up with a gluten-free crostini. Especially after I found this pumpkin seed pesto recipe from Flourishing Foodie. My idea was to replace the fresh sage with cilantro to up the Mexi-flavor.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Z6usBsuPJu/And then I did what I do and married all of these ethnic flavors into one kick-butt fusion pesto. I crumbled farmer’s cheese over the top and served it up with Sesame Blues. You could also stir this pesto into cooked pasta or rice, spread it on a sandwich, whisk it with vinegar for a salad dressing, or mix it into a compound butter. The fusion flavors just make it that much more versatile.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Z6uSl4OPI_/Mint Pumpkin Seed Pesto
3/4 c. pepitas
1 c. fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 c. fresh mint leaves
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup olive oil, or to taste
1/2 lime, juiced
kosher salt, to taste
Toast pepitas in a skillet on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned on the edges. Remove from heat and set aside.
Place the cilantro, mint, garlic, and ginger into a food processor and pulse until the ingredients are finely chopped. Add the pumpkin seeds and process until combined. Leaving the food processor running, slowly add the olive oil until the mixture reaches your desired consistency. Add lime juice and salt and pulse a few more times to combine.
Store unused pesto in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Makes about 2 cups.
Linking to the awesome parties listed here.
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