RAW ALMOND SUN DRIED TOMATO PESTO
This is one of my favorite dips and I recently taught it in one of my Klean Kitchen cooking classes. I recommend raw, unpasteurized, organic almonds for this recipe because once they’ve soaked for awhile and start to sprout they take on a really bright flavor that you just can’t achieve with treated almonds.
This pesto is versatile too! Use it as a dip for veggies and crackers or heat with a little water, cream, coconut milk, or broth and it makes a great sauce for pasta or veggies.
Ingredients
2 cups sundried tomatoes
1.5 cups soaked almonds
1.5 cups grated parmigiano reggiano (optional)
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tsp. grated garlic
1 lemon juiced
1 tsp. salt
Instructions
Place almonds in a food processor and process until coarse, stopping once to scrape the sides with a rubber spatula. Add tomatoes, garlic, lemon juice, basil, and salt and process mixture, stopping frequently to scrape the sides. Once mixture is very pasty add the cheese. If mixture does not combine evenly add more olive oil or cold water 1 Tbsp. at a time until it’s uniform.
Notes
*Almonds and other nuts and grains have a natural pesticide called phytic acid that the plant produces to protect against hungry pests and as a store of phosphorous and energy for growth after germination. This compound is very hard for us to digest and also binds to nutrients, making them unavailable to us. Soaking and rinsing seeds, nuts, and grains removes the phytic acid from the food, making it a more nutrient dense and nourishing resource for our bodies.
Place the almonds in a glass jar and cover with water (they will grow when soaked so make sure there is extra room). Leave the jar loosely covered and unrefrigerated for 24 hours. Empty the water and rinse the nuts. Cover with fresh water and place in the refrigerator.
The nuts, if not pasteurized, will sprout after soaking for 24-48 hours. A sprouted nut/seed/grain is alive; a super food with active enzymes that aid in digestion. You can keep the almonds in the refrigerator and use them through the week to snack on, add to salads or cereals, or use them for pestos and tapenades. Continue to rinse and replace fresh water and they will keep for at least 2 weeks.
*This recipe calls for just 1 tsp. garlic. Feel free to add more if you like your pestos garlicky.
