Condiments: Basil pesto

Gosh darn it, I love pesto. It’s such a versatile condiment, working with so many different dishes and can be made with quite a wide variety of herbs, oils and nuts. This recipe is for the classic basil pesto. There is absolutely no need for any parmesan in a pesto made with quality, fresh ingredients. This keeps for about a week (possibly longer) due to the oil content. It works well added to lunches when they need some more zest.

Basil pesto

Ingredients

Bunch fresh basil, washed and dried (should be 2-3 cups)
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2-3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Pesto ingredients

Method

Place the nuts and garlic in a food processor and pulse a few times. Add the basil and pulse a few more times. With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the oil. Stop occasionally to scrape down the side of the food processor to ensure a consistent result. Blend until smooth.

Serving suggestions

Serve with “zucchini pasta”, with eggs at breakfast, or mixed with tuna or other fish for a tasty and easy lunch.

Basil pesto zucchini pasta served with juicy steak

Condiments: The best down home ketchup yer ever gawna taste!

Ketchup is surely one of life’s greatest pleasures. But, you’ve never tasted ketchup ’til you’ve tried this one. It’s honest to god the bees knees. Make it and you’ll never douse your hot chips with Heinz ever again. This is another Mark Sisson recipe that I’ve adapted slightly, using less apple cider vinegar than the original recipe calls for. It does still need that vinegar though, to give it a real bite.

Condiments are well worth time investing in, because they help jazz up lots of different meals even when you’ve got no motivation to make anything special.  Depending on the ingredients, they can also last quite a while in the fridge – the apple cider vinegar in this ketchup means it will keep for weeks.

Ingredients

280g of tomato paste (usually 1 can or 2 small tubs)
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup water
3 tbsp raw honey or maple syrup
3 tbsp white onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp black pepper

Ketchup ingredients

Method

Mix all ingredients in a food processor or with a hand blender until smooth. Add a bit of water if too thick. Store in a tightly covered jar in the refrigerator. Easy!

Paleo tomato ketchup