Basil Pasta

Posted on 08/24/2020 by Christy

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This is a great “pesto” substitute if you don’t eat dairy.

The lemon gives the pasta a little “zing” that you’d typically get from the Parmesan cheese in regular pesto.

We skip the pine nuts, too, because I had a really bad experience many years ago where I lost my sense of taste for an entire week after eating some “bad” pine nuts!

Sure, you could add a different nut to make it more like pesto, but we enjoy it just fine like this.

Basil Pasta Recipe

Serves 4 (as an entree) – – or serves 6 as a side dish

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed VERY tightly
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp unrefined salt
1/2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
2 tsp raw honey
3 medium cloves garlic

16 ounces pasta of your choice (we prefer Trader Joe’s gluten-free rice pasta as shown below)

DIRECTIONS:

Toss everything (except the pasta) into a food processor or blender, and process until combined (stopping to scrape the sides a few times as needed).

Makes 3/4 cup – 1 cup of sauce. This sauce freezes well for later use, too, so feel free to make extra while you’ve got your blender dirty! 🙂

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions; and drain/rinse.

I like to cook the Basil Sauce a bit before tossing it with the pasta. So, while the pasta is in the strainer, add the sauce to the empty pasta pan. Cook for a few minutes over medium heat. Then, add the pasta and toss to combine.

Enjoy! And be sure to check out our RECIPES PAGE for more delicious recipes!!!!

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Dairy-Free (& Nut-Free) Pesto

Posted on 02/22/2012 by Christy

(For more great recipes and all of the grocery shopping tips you need to ensure that you select the most additive-free versions of every ingredient you need to make hundreds of my recipes, check out my e-book “Eating Additive-Free“!

For this recipe, you’ll need:

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed (~ 4 ounces)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
2 tsp raw honey
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
(12 oz. uncooked pasta, optional)

Toss everything into a food processor (except for the pasta!) and process until combined, stopping to scrape the sides a few times as needed.

Makes 3/4-1 cup of sauce. Freezes well for later use, so I make TONS of this when it’s basil season 🙂

If using for a pasta dish, cook 12 oz. pasta according to package directions. (We like the organic brown rice pasta varieties from Trader Joe’s.) Drain. Toss with pesto and serve!

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Great Trick for Broccoli Haters

Posted on 07/11/2011 by Christy

If you (or your kids, etc.) are not broccoli’s greatest fan, then you’ve got to give this recipe a try! Forget about smothering your veggies with cheese! I just tried this recipe that I found on the back of a store-bought basil package (The Herbal Garden brand) because I thought it sounded tasty. And, as an unexpected result, I learned that fresh basil totally covers the “broccoli taste” of broccoli – it just tastes like BASIL! Trust me, and check out the recipe below! 🙂

For more great recipes and all of the grocery shopping tips you need to ensure that you select the most additive-free versions of all ingredients needed to make this recipe (and all of my recipes), check out my book “Eating Additive-Free“!

Ingredients:

6 cups water plus 2 cups ice (ice bath)

1/3 cup sea salt

1 head broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 TBSP olive oil

3 cloves garlic, sliced very thin

2 TBSP fresh basil, cut into thin strips

Directions

1. Bring water and salt to rolling boil and cook broccoli in water for 4 minutes.

2. Remove broccoli and place in ice bath for 2 minutes.

3. Remove from water and place on triple layer of paper towels.

4. Cover broccoli with triple layer of paper towels and gently pat dry.

5. Put oil and garlic in large, nonstick skillet and cook over medium heat for about 30 seconds. Do not burn garlic.

6. Add broccoli and cook for about 3 minutes.

7. Place on platter and sprinkle with fresh basil.

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Great Fresh, Summer Recipe: Pizza on the Grill!

Posted on 07/10/2011 by Christy

CHECK OUT OUR RECIPES PAGE FOR MORE GREAT RECIPES!!!

Thanks to my buddy Mike for this awesome suggestion!! This recipe is great if you’re hungry for pizza and don’t want to heat up your oven (or prepare a crust)!!

This is a simple “pizza” you can make outside on your grill using pre-made tortillas for the crust!

(Psst….If you enjoy this recipe, be sure to get yourself a copy of our additive-free cookbook & grocery shopping guide, “Eating Additive-Free“! It’s stuffed with 150+ more tasty recipes!! Your satisfaction is guaranteed…or your money back!)

INGREDIENTS:

For each pizza, you’ll need:

1 tortilla (we use Food for Life brand; find it in the freezer section of most health stores)
1 TBSP olive oil (approx.)
1 large clove garlic, pressed
1/8 tsp dried oregano
1 Roma tomato, thinly sliced
2 large leaves fresh basil, sliced
1 TBSP freshly shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)*
1/2 cup shredded cheese (we use 1/2 Provolone & half Mozzarella)*

*Buy bricks of cheese and shred them yourself to avoid additives. (Seriously, take a look at the ingredients list on pre-shredded varieties!)

*Check out our Grocery Shopping Guide for our tips on selecting the most additive-free versions of every ingredient used in our recipes.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat grill to about 350 degrees.

Brush both sides of the tortillas with olive oil. Spread garlic evenly on the top. Sprinkle with oregano. Add tomatoes and basil. Sprinkle evenly with cheese.

Set “pizzas” directly on the grill, and cook for about 2 minutes, until cheese is melted.

These burn easily, so don’t take your eyes off of them!!

Let rest for a couple minutes before serving!!

Call me when dinner is ready 🙂

ENJOY!!

Note – Of course, you can use whatever toppings you like and/or use pizza sauce instead of just garlic and olive oil, etc. But this is our favorite combo!