Presto It's Dairy-Free Pesto

In my recent months of trying to heal my body I have had to be REALLY creative in the kitchen. When all of a sudden you are given a long list of foods that are harming you(and you happen to love all of these foods), it can feel like you're meals have become limited to rice and veggies.

So here is a recipe that can spice up your rice. Kick your tomato-free pizza up a few notches. Make your taste buds SING!

With that being said, I am pleased to wave my magic wand and present to you PRESTO! IT'S DAIRY FREE PESTO!


If you've never had pesto before, it's a beautiful sauce made from basil, nuts, olive oil, garlic and Parmesan cheese. With this recipe we're going to make it vegan by using Nutritional Yeast, but feel free to use Parmesan instead!


Ingredients:
6-10 Fresh Basil leaves
1/4 Cup freshly chopped Parsley 
4-6 cloves of garlic
1/4 Cup Almonds(unsalted and out of shell)
1/4 Cup Sunflower seeds(unsalted and out of shell)
3 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 TBSP Nutritional Yeast
Water
Salt

Add your almonds and sunflower seeds to a blender(or food processor or magic bullet) with enough water to cover them. Blend until smooth. Add your garlic, nutritional yeast, basil, parsley, olive oil and salt. Blend until the herbs are mixed and the sauce is smooth.

And Presto! You have pesto!

On a side note, you can add onion, oregano, pepper, or other spices to this mix. If you want it really garlic-y, use 6 cloves, if you want it less use 4 or even 3. If you want a strong basil flavor, use 6, less, well you get the idea ;)

Enjoy this beautiful pesto on pizza, pasta, meat, fish, or to spice up salads, garlic breads, sandwiches...the possibilities are endless. Go with the flow and see what happens!

"Meat" Loaf

I've been experimenting with the bean mixture I made the other night and have found a nice way to make some "meat" loaf.  Just follow the recipe here for the veggie burger mix and then do the following to make a tasty, tender loaf. Depending on the size of the loaf you plan on making, you can freeze any leftover mixture or make them into burgers for the next night.

"Meat"Loaf

-Veggie burger mixture
-1/2 can tomato sauce
-Spices(parsley, Italian seasoning, black pepper)

Place your burger mixture into a baking dish and flatten it out so that it covers the entire pan. Smooth the tomato sauce over the top of the mixture and top with your spices. Bake in the over at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve.


This recipe is great with my onion gravy. Here's what you will need:


-1 onion
-1 tsp olive oil
-2 tbsp butter or margerine
-2 tbsp flour
-1 tbsp soy sauce
-2 cups water or veggie broth

Fry your onions in a frying pan with a little olive oil until the onions are transparent. Set aside. In a medium sized pot over medium high heat, add butter and flour. Stir ingredients together and continue to stir until it becomes a golden coloured paste and it no longer smells of flour. Add the onions, water/broth and soy sauce. Stir together and reduce heat to medium. The mixture will thicken as it continues to heat. It is also really good with some added salt, pepper, and savory. Add whatever spices you like to create a unique gravy flavor.

I love this gravy over mashed potatoes, and it can be altered any way you wish. Mushrooms would also taste lovely in it! Enjoy, and as always, I would love to hear your feedback!