Roast Cashew Nut Pesto

This is my flavour of the month. I just can’t get enough of it. I’ve made it for clients and for dinners at home with friends. It’s great because it just injects so much flavour into dishes. Try stirred into soup, pasta, on top of roast chicken or with my personal winner is with a poached egg. This is a vegan pesto.

Makes 300g

Ingredients:

120g cashew nuts, (roasted for 8 minutes at 200 degrees, lightly golden)

1 large garlic clove

1 tsp white wine vinegar

zest and juice of half a lemon

125ml extra virgin olive oil

50g fresh basil

1/2 tsp unrefined caster sugar

good pinch of sea salt and black pepper

Use a blender to break down half the cashew nuts to a fine consistency and empty into a bowl. Then pulse blend the other half leaving it roughly chopped and tip into the same bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients into the machine and blend for a minute until just all combined. Scrape the pesto in with the nuts and mix together checking the seasoning adding a little more salt or pepper to taste. This keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.