Easy Pesto Recipe

[jaideeguy]

for a quick meal, i always keep some home made pesto in the freezer. can be added to spagetti, casaroles, spread on bread and toasted, use for pizza topping, etc

get your blender out and first put in 4-5 cloves of garlic, then blend smooth, then add 1 cup fresh [but dry] sweet [falang]basil leaves, olive oil, 1 cup nuts [pine nuts are traditional and expensive, but any nut can be substituted], parmesian cheese, pinch of salt and blend it into a paste.

during the blending process, you will have to add olive oil to keep it in a slurry so the blender can work. don't let it get too thick as to stop the blender or you can burn out the blender motor as i've done in the past.

once finished, then put the finished pesto into plastic bags and freeze them immediately or the pesto will oxidize and trun an ugly dark color. alternately, you can put it in jars, but always keeping a 1/4th inch of olive oil on top to stop oxidation.

it's a great quick western meal.

[lotus eater]

for a quick meal, i always keep some home made pesto in the freezer. can be added to spagetti, casaroles, spread on bread and toasted, use for pizza topping, etc

get your blender out and first put in 4-5 cloves of garlic, then blend smooth, then add 1 cup fresh [but dry] sweet [falang]basil leaves, olive oil, 1 cup nuts [pine nuts are traditional and expensive, but any nut can be substituted], parmesian cheese, pinch of salt and blend it into a paste.

during the blending process, you will have to add olive oil to keep it in a slurry so the blender can work. don't let it get too thick as to stop the blender or you can burn out the blender motor as i've done in the past.

once finished, then put the finished pesto into plastic bags and freeze them immediately or the pesto will oxidize and trun an ugly dark color. alternately, you can put it in jars, but always keeping a 1/4th inch of olive oil on top to stop oxidation.

it's a great quick western meal.

Can these be easily found?? If so what's the thai for it?

[sbk]

Any nuts? cashews are better than peanuts for instance?

[jaideeguy]

Any nuts can be used, but i would not use peanuts, as they are rather strong tasting and may over power the other ingredients. cashews are fine...

fresh [but dry] sweet [falang]basil leaves,........rimping sells the 'falang variety' fresh in the herb section. i guess that the thai basil could be used, but the taste wouldn't be authentic.

i always have falang basil in my garden and wife often uses [and prefers sometimes] the falang basil for curries etc.

[lotus eater]

fresh [but dry] sweet [falang]basil leaves,........rimping sells the 'falang variety' fresh in the herb section. i guess that the thai basil could be used, but the taste wouldn't be authentic.

i always have falang basil in my garden and wife often uses [and prefers sometimes] the falang basil for curries etc.

I'm in Chiang Rai - no Rimping.

Would quite like to plant basil. Any tips? Does your garden basil have the scent and taste of good mediterranean basil?

[jaideeguy]

Yes, it's the real itallian sweet basil and it has gone to seed and i now have many young sprouts comming up. I brought the origonal seeds in a seed shop in CM [not easy to find] and am planting more from seed pack because falang basil has a tendancy to cross polinate with thai basil....sort of like humans [555].

tips for growing basil.....good, well drained soil [can grow in pots] and once the seedling is 6 inches tall, then pinch the terminal so it will split, then pinch again in a week and regaularly, so it will bush. and you should pinch flowers off as it likes to go into flower quickly.

[luumak]

I absolutely lov pesto. there is no sub for pine nuts but if you must, use walnuts. Since there is so much cheese the quality of the parama is important as the oil.

Basil is a weed, ez to grow but not seen italian basil in thailand

[AlexLah]

Hi all,

See my pasta Pesto Chicken Spinach recipe somewhere in this section.

Basicaly you put all stuff in the blender except for the pasta, ha ha. Make sure the chicken breast and Spinach is cooked first after that just mix all together add some Italion seasoning ore salt and peppah, sprinkle Parmesan on top lah.

I grow many different herbs and veggies just on my balcony in BKK.

Basil is doing great here, Spinach as well.

Trying to grow a Parmesan cheese tree but so far no luck, any tips are very much appreciated.....