Lemon & dill pesto

• Preparation Time 10 Minutes
• Makes 10 servings

Vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, milk-free

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I now have become a little obsessed with pesto, that is something I never thought would happen. Since becoming vegan a little over 3 years ago, I have made and eaten and whizzed up so much.

I do prefer the green version, mainly because it can be made from so many different ingredients.

Eating foods in season was something I grew up with. We had a large fruit and vegetable garden and our meals were worked around what was growing in that plot.

I would normally use kale, mint, baby spinach, basil and carrot tops but never dill. I thought For some reason I avoided it. I only decided to give it a go for my best friend, who loved dill but was not too keen on basil pesto. What a surprise to find I loved it. To me, it has a lovely flavour profile which is

• Fresh
• Zesty
• Clean
• Buttery
• Lemony
• Delicious

It will definitely be on my pesto making list now.

Can I use any other nuts?

Yes, if you want an alternative to cashews you could use pine nuts, walnuts or skinned almonds. If you want to make it nut-free then you could use seeds such as pumpkin or sunflower. I have not tried that but I know there are recipes on the internet.

An alternative to nutritional yeast

Instead of using nutritional yeast, you could use vegan parmesan

How long does it keep

If you place it in a plastic airtight container in the fridge, it will last for around a week. If you freeze it in portions as I do then place in an airtight container or box, it will last up to 3 months.

Not just for pasta

There are many varied ways you can use pesto. Why not try

• Using a small spoonful to mash potatoes.
• Spread onto pizza dough instead of a tomato based sauce. Top with grilled vegetables and vegan cheese.
• Add to mayonnaise when making potato salad, this is delicious.
• Add a teaspoon to the top of soups to bring them alive.
• A toasted sandwich with a little pesto makes your taste buds sing.
• New potatoes are in abundance in Spring. Toss some boiled new potatoes in some pesto and eat or roast them in the oven.

There are just a few ideas. If you have any you would like to share, let me know. Of course these ideas would work with any herb pesto.

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Ingredients

• 1/4 cup of basil or lemon thyme
• 1 3/4 cups of dill fronds (leaves)
• A few chives (optional)
• 3 garlic cloves
• Zest of a whole lemon
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tbsp of cold water
• 3 tbsp of nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1/4 tsp of salt
• 1/2 tsp of Dijon mustard
• 1/2 a cup of cashews nuts

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Instructions

1. To a food processor add all the ingredients and blitz until it turns into a smooth green glossy sauce.
2. You can either store it in the refrigerator then or do as I do and pour the pesto into ice cube trays. Place into the freezer and when frozen transfer into sealed freezer bags. This is a simple way to not only preserve it longer but also have it readily available in handy portions.

• Vegan Cottage Pie
• Smoky Red Lentil & Carrot Soup
• Soft Gluten-Free Bread Rolls
• Hearty Vegetable & Ale stew with Dumplings
• Cream of Mushroom Soup

If you make this, don’t forget to tag me on Twitter as @veganalchemist1 or my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/thegfveganalchemist I love seeing your versions of the recipes. I would love to hear your comments too.