Pesto Is Your New Best Dipping Sause – It's Great For Your Heart
There's nothing like a fresh pesto to liven up a meal. It pairs well with just about anything: lamb, beef, chicken, vegetables.
When drizzled over a well-seasoned steak or chop, the fats melt with each other, and an explosion of taste takes you all the way through sweet, salty, and umami flavors. It keeps everything fresh and delicious, and is positively fantastic for summertime.
It's not challenging to make, even though one of the ingredients is not common. Most grocery stores carry pine nuts, generally in the baking section.
It's also wonderful to make in large batches, where you can freeze any leftovers to use again, retaining the fresh basil taste and richness for later in the year.
Take a look at how easy this is.
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Fresh Basil Leaves, Packed
- 1/2 Cup Freshly Grated Locatelli Or Parmesan Cheese
- 1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/3 Cup Pine Nuts
- 3 Cloves Garlic, Minced
- 1/4 Teaspoon Salt To Taste
- 1/8 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper To Taste
Directions
- Coarsely pulse the basil and pine nuts in a food processor
- Add in the cheese and garlic – pulse to combine
- Slowly drizzle in the olive oil until a thin paste consistency
- Season well
- Store tightly sealed or freeze for up to 3 months
And, pesto is extremely healthy for you.
Basil – A Super Herb For Every Meal
Basil is a quite nutritious leafy green, containing vitamin A, vitamin K, calcium, iron, and manganese. It's not a significant source of most nutrients (you don't eat a lot at any one time), but it can be a delicious way to give yourself a boost.
Sweet basil, the most common type grown and used, has quite a number of studies behind it showing it can help numerous health issues.
- Reduces memory loss
- May reduce depression
- Improves fasting blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglycerides
- Reduces blood pressure
- Protects against aspirin damage
- May help prevent certain cancers, including breast, colon, and pancreas
- Inhibits the growth of bacteria that cause dental decay
Basil is one of those plants you can use as much as you would like because it's truly nutritious.
What Can Pine Nuts Do For You
Pine nuts are very rich in oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid that may help reduce LDL cholesterol. It also contains the omega-6 fatty acid pinolenic acid, which may help reduce appetite.
Pine nuts contain a considerable amount of B vitamins and vitamin E. They also have an exceptionally high amount of manganese and copper, two nutrients people may be deficient in and they may not even realize it. However, manganese and copper supplements are uncommon.
Pine nuts contain a higher amount of magnesium and iron, both readily bioavailable and easily absorbed. That makes pine nuts very good for people who suffer from anemia.
Olive Oil And Your Health
And let's not forget about the olive oil. This oil is one of the components of the Mediterranean diet and a primary source of study for scientists looking to justify why the Mediterranean diet work so well for people with heart disease.
Scientists believe it's the monounsaturated fatty acids, particularly the omega-3 fatty acids, that make it so wonderful. In addition, olive oil contains many antioxidants that can help reduce inflammation, heart disease, stroke, obesity, and dementia.
When you use olive oil, be sure to use a higher-quality one that shows the country of origin and processing. Many of the cheaper oils cut the olive oil with lesser quality oils to reduce the price.
We hope you get ambitious and try making pesto. Once you learn the basics, you could add all sorts of herbs and spices to flare up the different tastes and textures you get from your pesto. Then, you can take your dishes to the next level and really enjoy the taste.
