Poor Girl's Pesto

Don't get me wrong, I will never be a vegetarian; I just enjoy meat too much.  But after watching Fork Over Knives last weekend, I decided to make it a goal to consciously cut down on the amount of animal products I consume.

Last night I was starving and craving a big bowl of garlicy pesto goodness, but to my dismay discovered my basil plant was pretty picked over. And I was out of pine nuts. So I raided my fridge and made a puree using broccoli and walnuts and tossed it with some whole wheat linguini.  And you know what?  It was pretty good! Even my carnivorous boyfriend didn't seem to miss meat in his dinner.

Broccoli Walnut Pesto

I large head of broccoli cut into pieces (I used mostly just the florets)
2 garlic cloves
1 cup basil leaves
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup walnuts or nut of your choice
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Zest from 1 lemon, and juice from 1/2 of a lemon

Throw everything into a food processor or blender.  Adjust seasoning to your taste and  add more olive oil if it's too dry.  Toss with your favorite cooked pasta, spread on a some toasted french bread or mix with greek yogurt for a healthy salad dressing.

(Note: You could steam the broccoli first for a sweeter and more colorful pesto.  I may try this next time, but i was hungry last night)