Cilantro Lime Jalapeño Pesto

My little dude loves his condiments, and as I look back at my last few food posts it’s really no surprise – all manner of barbecue sauce, salsa, guacamole, etc. basically means he got it from his mama.

 

I’m not mad about it.

 

As far as I’m concerned if you have a good handful of delicious condiments you can make just about anything taste new and different. Salsa makes a really great dip (obviously), a fantastic addition to guacamole, it mixes well into beans or rice, can be added to soup, and also gives pizza a fun new twist. Barbecue sauce goes on anything, and we all know that guac (or any form of avocado) is just SO HOT RIGHT NOW!

 

Another fun condiment that is so underutilized, in my humble opinion, is homemade pesto. You have herbs, nuts, a little citrus, maybe some cheese, and a little olive oil and you have a recipe for fun condiments that can be used for literally anything! Take this delicious cilantro lime jalapeño pesto for instance – you can use it for anything you use salsa for, but it adds just an incredibly different take. I think the thing I’ve loved it for the most is swirling it into mashed avocado with some sea salt and pepper for a really delicious dip. I could eat that all day long!

 

Y’all enjoy – and feel free to give it your own spin!

CILANTRO LIME JALAPEÑO PESTO

Makes about 1 cup of pesto

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of cilantro, leaves removed, washed and dried
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and roughly chopped
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, roughed chopped
• 1/3 cup toasted almonds
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4-1/3 cup of olive oil

Directions:

1. Combine the cilantro, jalapeño, garlic, almonds, Parmesan and lime juice in a food processor.
2. Pulse to combine and everything is finely chopped and well mixed.
3. With the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil until your desired consistency is reached.
4. Store in an airtight container for up to 10 days in the refrigerator.
5. Enjoy!