My first cooking video! It's pretty amateur, I'll admit, but that's how we learn, right? :)
In this video I make an herb blend similar to a pesto, chimichurri, or gremolata. This is something I make as a base to enjoy like a sauce, dip, or salad dressing. I eat it with pasta, steak, on top of veggies, as a dip with crackers, etc. Herbs are nutritional powerhouses and can seriously increase the antioxidant content of a meal and so this is a staple in my house for an easy hit of added nutrition. It's also a great way to use up any extra herbs from the garden or the store.
In this video, I used:
3 cups lightly packed herbs (cilantro, parsley, dill)
1 lemon, halved
1 tsp of salt
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup (maybe more) extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup soaked pistachio nuts to thicken (optional)
Makes about a little over a cup in about 5 minutes.
Notes:
I used cilantro, parsley, and dill but you could also use basil, parsley, mint, chives, oregano, etc.
I used soaked pistachio nuts (because I had some sitting in the fridge, but you could also use walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, or pine nuts. Soaking is not necessary but can make it creamier and milder. Adding nuts without soaking makes a chunkier paste.
Spiciness will mellow out in the fridge in a day or so.
To make this into a green goddess salad dressing, I add olive oil, lemon juice or ACV, and/or water.
To make a dip, I pureed an avocado plus a couple tablespoons of the herb blend.
This can be made in large batches and frozen for future use.
Be willing to experiment:
Use different herbs
Add cayenne or crushed red pepper for a little punch
Add nutritional yeast for more umami (cheesy) flavor
If it's lacking flavor, add more salt
If it tastes boring, add more lemon
Most of all, enjoy the process. Experiment with different herbs. Taste and adjust as you go along. You'll get really great at this and enjoy it with all kinds of different meals.