Author Notes
This recipe has postively addictive flavors and is an adaptation of Angelica Kitchen's House Dressing. I pack in more parsley, umeboshi plum paste, and scallions, making it much thicker. This added dimension of texture over steamed vegetables and grains is very satisfying and all the ingredients are good for you - as in "clean."
The fresh parsley is loaded with vitamins and minerals, the sesame paste imparts just enough oil to blend the ingredients together, and the umboshi plum paste makes me wonder if this is the origin of "ume" flavor - try it and let me know!
Best of all it's so easy to assemble I make it twice a week - and I'm in a lazy cook phase. —fuhsi
Ingredients
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3/4 cup
parsley
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1/4 cup
tahini
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1.5 tablespoons
umeboshi plum paste
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1/2 cup
water
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3
whole scallions, chopped
Directions
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Pack the parsley into a generous 3/4 cup - more is better, so don't be shy or a perfectionist!
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Chop the scallions.
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Put the parsley and scallions in a blender.
I mix the tahini, umeboshi plum paste and water in a glass measuring cup to "capture" all the tahini, and pour the mixture into the blender.
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Start with a chop pulse to break down the parsley, then hit "puree" for a minute or two.
Pour the pesto out into a small bowl or jar immediately as it will settle unevely in the blender if allowed to sit too long. It keeps on the counter for an hour or two before dinner.
Spoon over steamed vegetables with grains and a plant protein. We've been steaming cubed tofu over the veggies, or frying up the Westsoy seitan - yes, seitan! Someone recommened it and after years of avoiding seitan and being post-vegetarian, when I opened the package, my husband and I both exclaimed "ew!" when we saw it but frying in coconut oil in a cast-iron skillet, it actually is quite good and high in protein.
Store any leftover pesto in a jar in the fridge. Much as I'd like to make a big batch, it's worth making it over and over because half the purpose is capturing the nutrition that only comes from its freshness.
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