Desperate to get my oldest to eat meat, I started tossing the bite size chicken into pesto and she would eat it as fast as I eat M&M’s. Then she got tired of it. So, as my oldest went on a meat strike, I started experimenting with this gem. It is not only a perfect way to get my oldest to eat chicken, but I found it is also a great way to sneak iron-rich foods into our family’s diet.
Hope you all enjoy!
The ways I use the pesto:
- over pasta (of course)
- on chicken
- as a salty, herbaceous spread in one of my jalapeño cheese bread sandwiches (I’m writing it up now! Stay tuned…).
Ingredients
- ¼ cup toasted walnuts
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese - large grated
- 3-4 medium garlic cloves
- 3 cups loosely packed fresh spinach
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt (optional)
Directions
- In a small dry skillet, toast walnuts over medium heat. Stir constantly to prevent burning for about 2 minutes.
- Remove nuts from heat and transfer into a bowl to cool.
- In a food processor, combine nuts, garlic, and grated cheese. Process until finely ground (about 20 to 30 seconds).
- Add spinach, lemon juice, and if desired, salt.
- Turn on food processor and slowly pour in olive oil. If the pesto is still too thick for your liking, add a little more oil.
- Serve with pasta, over chicken, as a spread, or any other food you want!
10-Minute Pesto