Oh My Basil!

Cooking with fresh basil is a culinary pleasure I like to indulge in as much as possible.  Thanks to its popularity, basil is readily available, even in winter months.  This time of year you'll find the leafy greens blossoming in backyard gardens, fragrant and especially delicious, so take advantage while it is abundant. Basil has many health benefits to.  I've included some tips to help you utilize the herb in ways beyond my recipe this week. 1.  According to botanist James Duke, author of The Green Pharmacy, basil has anti-anxiety effects.  It contains phytochemicals that studies suggest may lower cortisol, a hormone secreted when you're tense.  Simmer down on a hot or harried day by adding the herb to your iced tea: add 2 or 3 leaves (per serving) while your tea is steeping.  Lounge chair optional.   2.  The herb is a super source of iron with a little more than two cups of chopped Click to watch!  fresh basil leaves or 1 tablespoon dried providing 10 percent your daily value. That is right up there with spinach!  You could easily get your dose by subbing basil in for spinach in your salads, tossing into scrambled eggs or adding chopped basil to your vinaigrettes.   3.  Vitamin K is essential for helping blood clot and basil is full of it!  In fact, just two tablespoons of basil provides 29 percent of the daily recommended value. Practice your knife skills by chiffonading basil.  Check out this video where I'll show you how.   For best results with all these tips and suggestions, use fresh basil whenever possible.  When cooking with it, add to the dish during the last few minutes for maximum flavor.

Are you ready to do more than garnish tomatoes and salads or spike soups and sauces?  Great!  Let's use this herb at the peak of flavor and availability in a convenient and versatile sauce.  While pesto certainly highlights the bounty of fresh, summer taste, combining parmesan cheese, olive oil and nuts means it's tipping the scales at about 8 grams of fat per one tablespoon serving.  I'm going to keep the heart healthy fats from the nuts and olive oil, but substitute the parmesan to reduce the fat.  Let's get blending! Pumped Up Pesto Ingredients: -2 large bunches basil (about 5 cups fresh basil leaves) -2 to 4 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped -1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil -2 TBSP lemon juice -1/4 tsp fine sea salt -1/4 tsp black pepper -1/4 cup raw walnuts -1/2 cup of cooked white beans (butter bean, northern beans, navy, etc). Directions: Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor.  You'll need some power to blend everything smoothly, so your Magic Bullet might not make the grade for this project.  I like to layer the blender in this order: walnuts, garlic pepper, sea salt, lemon juice, beans and basil.  Pulse the ingredients a few times until they begin to homogenize a bit, then transfer the power to medium speed and drizzle in the oil in a steady stream.  Blend well until the consistency is smooth.  Taste for seasoning, adding more salt or pepper to your taste. Pesto can keep well in the fridge for about three days and freezes extremely well. I would recommend making a second batch.  Just think...you'll be able to pull it out of your freezer, in the harsh cold of January and taste a little summer in your meal.

Kelly Bowlin