Coriander pesto

This unctious, tangy pesto is one I’d call a real crowd-pleaser and people will think you spent hours making it!   Today we grilled some salmon darnes and had a huge dollop of this on the side with some steamed veg for a quick weekday dinner.  The pesto keeps for about a week in a clean airtight glass jar in the fridge.  It is fantastic served with some steamed carrots/pak choi/spinach/courgettes and a grilled or steamed piece of fish or chicken.  For a snack or decadent breakfast spread it thickly on some wholemeal gluten-free or (if you eat gluten) 100% rye 100% sourdough toast with perhaps some sliced tomato (and a little crumbled goat/sheeps feta chees if you eat dairy) on top.

 

 

For a generous jar with 6 servings

4 small green chillies, stalks removed (optional)
100g fresh coriander, stalks and leaves, washed and cut up in 2-3cm lengths
25-30g organic raw pumpkin seeds or half pumpkin half sunflower seeds (you could also use almonds or walnuts if you don’t have any seeds)
2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly cut up
Extra virgin olive oil (about 150ml)
Pinch of Himalayan/Atlantic sea salt
Juice of 2 limes (or use juice of a lemon if you cant get limes)

1. Combine all the ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor, grind until smooth.
2. Add the olive oil as you go until you achieve a thick, consistency.  If you want a pouring consistency, add more oil.

Why this is good for you:
Fresh coriander  binds to toxic metals in your gut and gets them safely out of your body.  So if you have mercury dental fillings, for example, this is a great thing for you to eat.  Coriander and lemon juice  have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties to keep your skin clear, younger and fresher longer.  Lime or lemon juice also aids digestion at mealtimes.  As many people struggle to make enough digestive juice to fully break down their food, it can be a helpful addition to a meal.   Garlic helps kill gut infections such as candida overgrowth and parasites, which are REALLY common, even in Ireland! But garlic also encourages growth of beneficial bacteria in your gut.  Harmful candida and parasites  cause many digestive problems, skin disorders and even mood problems that I make dealing with them a priority in nutrition clinic. Extra virgin raw olive oil is also packed with antioxidant vitamin E, which helps reduce your tendancy to allergy as well as moisturising your skin from within.  Eating this pesto helps balance your gut bacteria in favour of the good, helpful ones.