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HomeWFPB RecipesSaucesAnti-Flamme Pesto

Anti-Flamme Pesto

A vibrant and nutrient-packed twist on the classic pesto. This refreshing blend is designed to harness the powerful health benefits of its whole-food ingredients, making it a perfect addition to your meals for both flavour and wellness.

  • Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice provides a zesty brightness to the pesto while being rich in vitamin C and antioxidants. Its acidity helps enhance the flavours of the other ingredients and promotes digestion, making it an excellent addition to any meal.
  • Water: A simple yet effective way to achieve the desired consistency without adding excess calories. It helps bind the ingredients while keeping the pesto light and fresh.
  • Curly Lettuce: This leafy green is a powerhouse of nutrition, rich in vitamins A, C, and K, as well as folate and fibre. Its crisp texture adds a unique twist to the pesto, and it’s low in calories, making it an excellent choice for those looking to maintain a healthy diet.
  • White Miso: White miso adds a savoury umami flavour to the pesto while providing beneficial probiotics that support gut health.
  • Ground Chia or Linseed (Flaxseed): These tiny seeds pack a nutritional punch, loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, fibre, and protein. They promote heart health, aid digestion, and help to reduce inflammation in the body.

Health Benefits:

  1. Anti-Inflammatory Properties: The combination of lemon juice, miso, and chia or flaxseed contributes to reducing inflammation in the body. Chia and flaxseed are particularly rich in omega-3 fatty acids, known for their anti-inflammatory effects.
  2. Rich in Antioxidants: Lemon juice and curly lettuce are loaded with antioxidants, which combat oxidative stress and may lower the risk of chronic diseases. Antioxidants promote overall health and longevity.
  3. High in Fibre: The inclusion of lettuce and chia adds a significant amount of dietary fibre, promoting healthy digestion and regularity. A high-fibre diet can also aid in weight management by keeping you fuller for longer.
  4. Supports Heart Health: Omega-3 fatty acids found in chia and flaxseed, alongside the heart-healthy vitamins in curly lettuce, contribute to better cardiovascular health. They help reduce cholesterol levels and lower the risk of heart disease.
  5. Boosts Immune Function: With high levels of vitamin C from lemon juice and curly lettuce, this pesto helps strengthen the immune system, helping your body fend off infections and illnesses.
  6. Digestive Health: The probiotics in miso promote healthy gut flora, enhancing digestion and nutrient absorption, while fibre from lettuce and chia supports gut health and regularity.
  7. Versatile and Nutritious: Anti-Flamme Pesto can be used in various ways—toss it with whole grain pasta, spread it on sandwiches, drizzle it over grilled vegetables, or use it as a dip for fresh veggies. Its versatility makes it easy to incorporate into your diet, allowing you to enjoy its benefits daily.

Anti-Flamme Pesto isn’t just another condiment; it’s a health-boosting powerhouse that can enhance your culinary creations. With its refreshing flavours and incredible health benefits, it’s a nutritious addition to any meal you and your body will love!

TIPS
1. No parsley? Other greens or herbs can be used as a base or combined to bulk it out if you don’t have enough of any one green. Suggestions: spinach, basil, coriander, or rocket (monitor the amount of ‘bite’ you want). Experiment with seasonal greens and herbs so you can make some kind of pesto all year round.

2. Pesto provides instant, raw, mega-greens when you’ve no time to cook, or you’ve not enough greens for meal-sized servings.

3. This pesto is freezer-friendly. Store in small batches so it will thaw quickly.

4. Pesto has an aura of luxury about it, but it will cost you practically nothing if you grow the parsley. It is very easy to grow – no green fingers are needed.

Anti-Flamme Pesto

Innes HopeInnes Hope
Delightful lemon-tang! Anti-inflammatory, dairy & nut free.
I casually call this herb spread-come-dip a ‘pesto’ though, strictly speaking, pesto is made with basil. This ‘pesto’ has a medicinal quality, as it can help reduce inflammation in the body in a most delicious way!
Course Sauce, Snack

Ingredients
  

  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • ¼ cup water
  • 3 cups curly parsley tightly packed, leaves not stems
  • 1 tsp white miso or salt
  • 1 tbsp ground chia or linseed (flaxseed)
  • extra parsley, chia or water if needed

Instructions
 

  • Juice the lemons and pour the juice and about half the water into a blender.
  • Add one cup of parsley, and blend, then add the salt or miso and blend it in.
  • Add another cup of parsley and blend. Add the rest, bit by bit, enough to keep the mix moving. Add the chia or linseed, blend. The pesto should be thick and moving slowly in the blender. Add a touch more water if the blender gags.
  • Scrape the mixture into a bowl. If it looks too watery, stir in some extra chia or linseed to take up excess moisture – it will soon swell, so avoid adding a lot; you can always stir in more later if needed. Makes about a cupful.
  • Spread it on sandwiches, toast, or wafers. Nice on crackers with soups and salads. Stir it into pasta, scoop a dollop onto the dinner plate with mains, or serve as a dip. It keeps well, covered, in the fridge – the lemon juice ensures it stays looking fresh and green.
Keyword parsley, pesto, plant-based, vegan, wfpb
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Innes Hope
Innes Hope
Innes Hope works in the arts, crafting thoughts into words, verses, and recipes for a better world. She stopped eating animals in the early 1970's inspired by reading the book, Diet for a Small Planet. Innes remains concerned about food justice and the climate crisis, and for her, living a plant-wholefoods lifestyle is an obvious choice - an instantly effective, delicious, resilience-empowering, and deeply rewarding way to help heal the world. Still enjoying better health and energy since discovering whole food plant-based eating years ago. She encourages others to join her on the journey.
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