Spinach & Basil Pesto
Time
10 Min
Serves
4
Published April 10, 2023 by Dr. Stephanie Gray, DC
This post may contain affiliate links.
Oh, I just love pestos. Pestos are an easy way to elevate any dish. It can be eaten on just about anything. Chicken, fish, vegetables, rice, pasta. Have chicken and not sure what to do with it? Brush pesto on it. Have spiralized zucchini? Pour pesto on it and now it’s an amazingly tasty “pasta” dish. Super easy. All you need is a food processor or high speed blender.
I love pestos because it’s a great place to stuff leafy greens. This recipe calls for spinach and basil but I’ve made many pestos with kale, arugula, parsley, cilantro and they all taste good. We all know leafy greens are good for us. Not all of us love our greens and not everybody loves to eat salad everyday. Pestos are a great way to hide your leafy greens.
But why are leafy greens so good for us? Leafy greens are literally the best thing for your DNA. They add chemical tags (called methyl groups) to your DNA that turn genes off. It’s a complex process called methylation and it inhibits expression of genes; how your genes are read. Another example is smoking can decrease methylation on a gene called AHRR. Not smoking, increases methylation of that gene reducing cancer risk. Scientists are working to better understand the factors that affect DNA methylation but we do know that diet plays a huge role in how genes are expressed. Long story short, eat your leafy greens!
For other great dinner ideas, check out these other recipes:
Stir Fry on Cauliflower Rice with Almond Butter Sauce
Curry Chicken with Coconut Milk
12 Minute Broiler Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas
Why you will LOVE this Spinach & Basil Pesto
- A super, quick and easy, HEALTHY sauce to elevate any dish
- Cheaper than store bought pesto and no bad fats
- Simple ingredients using real food
- Visually appealing; beautiful green colour
- A great way to load up on your leafy green veggies; support your genes in a positive way!
- Gluten free, grain free, dairy free, low carb with nut free option
- No wheat, no sugar, no seed oils, less INFLAMMATION
How to Store this Spinach & Basil Pesto?
Store leftovers in a tight glass container or mason jar. Must be refrigerated. Eat within 7 days. Stir before use as ingredients will settle.
Spinach and Basil Pesto
Equipment
- 1 food processor
Ingredients
- 1 cup spinach
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 cup raw walnuts or sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast or parmesean
- 1 lemon juiced and zested
- 1/3 cup olive oil added slowly
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- In a food processor, add all ingredients except olive oil. Process for about 1 minute.
- Slowly add olive oil while the machine is going. Process until all ingredients are nicely mixed together.
Notes
Nutrition
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