Inspired Avocado Pesto

I’ve fully accepted the fact that my once-weekly blogging schedule will keep me from posting ideas as I think of them. It will also keep me from coordinating posts with time-sensitive topics (read: I’m currently sitting on a scone recipe I made for the day of the Royal Wedding…and yeah, you’re gonna wait a while longer for that one).

But a number of post ideas have been bumped this week in favor of a delicious, seasonal dinner I had this week, and it is too good not to share. I do not take credit for this being an original idea. It is, rather, a hybrid of two of my favorite bloggers’ recipes. I know and love Angela’s Creamy Avocado Pasta, and when Gena posted her raw Pistachio Pesto recipe, I got a hankering for a gigantic pile of fresh, raw food so strong that I decided to get wacky and marry the two recipe ideas.

So, you see, I call it “inspired” not so much because it was this genius idea of mine, but rather because it was inspired by these ladies’ already awesome recipes.

To be fair to me, though, I think my reaction was something to the effect of “o92nvoiufdsnbvjnw9ejfsiudhfpnvf!!!” when I tasted this variation.

Avocado Pesto (raw, vegan, gluten-free)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
• ~1/2 cup each basil and baby spinach (adjust proportions according to your taste, or even add more!)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3/4 avocado
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp salt, plus pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Grind sunflower seeds in a food processor until a bit crumbly, then add basil and spinach and pulse to combine.
2. Add remaining ingredients and blend until well incorporated.
3. Taste and adjust salt and pepper accordingly. If too thick, add more oil.
4. Toss with noodles of choice. I spiralized 1.5 medium zucchinis  and added cherry tomatoes and chopped sundried tomatoes, per Gena’s serving suggestion.

Makes 2 Diana-sized portions. Serves up to 4 normal people.

You’re not gonna go wrong, whichever version of this recipe you choose! Just worship at the altar of basil and you’ll enjoy your summer of pesto very much indeed, methinks.

Also, if I may, I’d like to think I have the perfect utensils with which to enjoy such a dish. Behold: the Forkchops.

Chopsticks with a fork and knife on the opposite end to deal with those pesky bites that let’sbehonest are not so much bite-sized. Or perhaps not pickuppable by novice chopstick-users? Not that I would know.

Basil: love it or hate it? Discuss.