My niece Hillary is one of the coolest cats I know. She also happens to be a whiz with the vegan food.

Following is her idea of pesto, which is pretty far out of the pesto box, not requiring nuts or cheese.

However, “out of the box” being a place I’m most comfortable (it’s a family thing), I gave it a whirl and was not surprised to holler, “YUM!”

This is particularly good for novice vegans, vegans short on time, or carnivores who want to be vegan for a day—no cooking required, just a food processor or a high powered blender.

Also, another neat little tip I learned from the Food Network this week, if you want to cook pasta without actually cooking it, simply soak in water for around two hours at room temp. I tried it..it works! When done soaking, just rinse and drain twice and add pasta to whatever sauce you’re using. Serve immediately or if you want to, heat through in the micro or on the stovetop. Great for hot summer nights when laboring over a hot stove seems like a sin.

Hillary’s Avocado Pesto:

1 ripe avocado

1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes

drizzle of olive oil

2 cloves raw garlic

juice of half a lemon

3-4 cups loosely packed dark baby greens like kale, spinach, chard or a combo (traditional basil is great, too).

sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

Blend thoroughly until a paste-like texture is achieved, adding a little water or more olive oil if the mixture is too thick. Pour over steamed new potatoes, any kind of pasta, spaghetti squash noodles, zucchini noodles or anything else you fancy.

 

 

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Editor: Emily Bartran

Photo: whologwhy/Flickr