April 8, 2010

Recipe: Pestomole


This is one of the easy ones.  It's pesto without the processed oil.  It's all whole foods so you get the benefit of all the nutrients that come along with that, even in avocados.  With dinner for six, this sauce clocks in just under an amazingly low 15% fat by calories per serving.  Compare that to the average pesto made with olive oil which has a heart-stopping 85% fat by calories.

Pestomole

1 medium bunch of fresh basil (enough to fill a blender with loose leaves--about 4 cups)
2 cloves garlic
1t salt
2 lemons, juiced
1 avocado
1 C water

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  This sauce will easily coat a full pound of whole wheat pasta.  Throw in some fresh tomatoes or a few steamed veggies and you'll have a great meal!

Note: One of the great things about pesto is this dish can be served warm or cold.

Serves 6.
Posted by Le Chateau Soleil at 2:40 PM
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17 comments:

  1. E SoleilMay 29, 2010 at 5:28 PM

    haven't made it yet, but I've tasted it, and it's D-LISH!!

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  2. AnonymousSeptember 9, 2010 at 5:09 PM

    Looks yummy (followed link from 'This is why you're thin'), just have to comment that Olive oil isn't "heart stopping," in fact, it raises HDL (good cholesterol) and is thought to be one of the reasons why the Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest!

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  3. MelissaSeptember 9, 2010 at 6:34 PM

    What type of avocado did you use? Just want to get my measurements correct. Thanks :)

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  4. cocoa and coconut September 13, 2010 at 5:31 AM

    This looks fantastic. I found this through "This is Why your Thin" blogspot. I love the flavours here and concept that its avocado. I am making this! For sure!

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  5. cocoa and coconut September 13, 2010 at 5:32 AM

    Ps. With your recipe, you've just given the recipe for the pestomole, correct? But in the picture there is pasta, carrot and tomato? I want to try and recreate this plate perfectly..

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  6. Le Chateau SoleilSeptember 13, 2010 at 6:03 PM

    First, let's address the comment from anonymous. Thanks so much for posting. This question comes up a lot. Olive oil, like an other oil, has saturated fat which has been shown in research to raise total cholesterol levels and increase risk for diet-related disease like heart disease, strokes and diabetes. HDLs are like the body's garbage trucks that haul away bad cholesterol. So, higher HDL levels can been seen as good for hauling away bad stuff, or it can be an indication that you are putting too many cholesterol-raising foods in your body. When eating a low-fat, high fiber, plant-based diet, you will see that both LDL, HDL and total cholesterol levels decrease.

    For more information, check out my post on oils. Thanks again for the question!

    http://lechateausoleil.blogspot.com/2010/08/whats-wrong-with-extra-virgin-olive-oil.html

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  7. Le Chateau SoleilSeptember 13, 2010 at 6:04 PM

    @Melissa: I used a regular medium-size Haas avocado... the smaller dark green/black ones that you find at most stores. I have not tried it with the larger bright green ones. Glad you want to give it a try! Enjoy!

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  8. Le Chateau SoleilSeptember 13, 2010 at 8:47 PM

    @Brittany: Thanks for checking in on the ingredients. At the bottom of the plate are shaved carrots that you can make with a peeler. They are long, paper thin strands. As for tomatoes, I would use fresh chopped tomatoes mixed in with the pasta. Then for garnish, save a few fresh basil leaves, maybe a creatively cut tomato top and some lemon zest. Voila!

    If you want some more tips on how to plate food creatively, check out my post on plating...

    http://lechateausoleil.blogspot.com/2010/03/plating-basics-cashew-peanut-puree-and.html

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  9. cocoa and coconut September 13, 2010 at 9:11 PM

    Thank you for your detailed reply. Can't wait for this to grace my family's table.

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  10. Helen MelonNovember 23, 2010 at 7:24 AM

    Oh wow I cannot wait to try this! I have been trying to find a good vegan pesto recipe for a while.

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  11. AnonymousDecember 20, 2010 at 3:54 PM

    I can't help but wonder WHAT ingredient in classic pesto is NOT vegan?!?!? Seriously, I'd like to know!

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  12. Le Chateau SoleilDecember 21, 2010 at 12:11 AM

    Good question. Parmesan cheese or other hard cheeses are pretty standard in pesto.

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  13. LydiaJanuary 5, 2011 at 7:06 AM

    Hello,
    This looks a awesome. Do you put the whole lemons in the blender after squeezing out the juice separately?
    Thank you!

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  14. Le Chateau SoleilJanuary 5, 2011 at 9:26 AM

    Good question. No, I just use the lemon juice. /give it a try with the whle lemon and see what you think. Maybe use just 1 lemon?

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  15. LydiaJanuary 5, 2011 at 7:35 PM

    Thanks for reply re lemons, I'll let you know how it goes (eventually - must go shopping!)

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  16. AnonymousDecember 26, 2011 at 12:55 AM

    I made this tonight as one of our first E2 meals and it was really good. Thanks!

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  17. Dave SoleilDecember 26, 2011 at 9:32 AM

    Great to hear! Welcome to a world of better health...

    ReplyDelete

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