Dairy-Free Pesto!

 

Who doesn’t love a good pesto? And for wayyy too long I settled for the Costco vegetable oil pesto in a jar (insert dark closet here) BUT not this year! Not while there are mounds of basil growing in my backyard as we speak! Not this time.

 

 

Pesto is actually really easy to make! All you need is a blender and the 4 ingredients you see above. Oh yeah, and actually as I take this photo I see that I have left out the most important ingredient…the ingredient that makes every dairy-free recipe taste like it may have dairy in it… SALT!

Yes my friends, that is the secret. Why do we love cheese so much? Salt. Creme cheese? Salt. Sour cream? It’s the salt. Cottage cheese maybe even…? (SALT.) For those of who you are doubting that this seasoning could have such an impact on your taste buds…think again. Research has shown that salt actually stimulates the same pathways in our brain that are also stimulated by drugs, sex and alcohol :X This mesolimbic pathway in the brain has also been shown to fire when we eat sugar (big surprise) and therefore my friends, I personally make the conclusion that salt is addictive. So choose wisely when, where and how often you eat it!!!!

 

 

Yeesh. Anyways, back to this pesto. It is bomb! Just add a few large handfuls of fresh basil, 3/4 cup avocado or olive oil, 1/2 squeeze lemon and 1/4 cup pine nuts to your blender. Don’t forget to add enough of our beloved mineral salt as well! (Add to taste)

 

 

Blend for 30 seconds and VIOLA! You’ve got yourself some delicious dip, spread and topping!