parsley walnut miso pesto

I probably say this all the time but the truth is I LOVE cheese. I eat slices of cheese for snacks, I sprinkle cheese on just about everything we eat, and whenever there is a cheese sampling going on at the local cheese shop I am there in a split second.  It’s quite the addiction.

Recently, one of my closest friends called me with dreadful news.  Her doctor is having her remove dairy from her diet.  This particular friend loves cheese almost more than I do. We both cried over her loss.

The good news, (yes, there is good news) is that sometimes we just don’t need as much cheese as we think we do.  And this recipe for a miso base pesto is an example of how to get creative when you can’t eat something you love. Not only do I use miso instead of cheese, but I use parsley instead of basil (since we don’t have basil at the farm anymore).  The result….Absolutely amazing!

Look at the color!

We enjoyed our parsley walnut miso pesto over a mixture of roasted vegetables and quinoa.  A healthy and absolutely clean your plate good kind of meal.  And guess what…We didn’t end up at the bar eating french fries and drinking beer after this meal.  It was totally filling.  I highly recommend a glass of your favorite red wine to enjoy while you eat.

Parsley, Walnut, Miso Pesto:

1 1/2 cups parsley, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

healthy size handful of chopped walnuts

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tbs water

1 tbs of miso (I used white miso, but you could use any other)

a squeeze from half a lemon (you can omit this if you don’t have a lemon on hand)

Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. If mixture is too thick add a little more oil and a drizzle more water.  Enjoy over cooked pasta, vegetables, on sandwiches, of straight from your spoon!

Enjoy!