Lazy Meals: Smoked salmon and sauteed veggies with basil pesto and prosciutto-wrapped asparagus

OK, so the title of this post is quite a mouthful…as is the meal itself!

I hope that people following the blog are getting the idea that Paleo food is both creative and relatively easy. Really, it is Except maybe for pork belly, but let’s not go there.

I got the idea for the prosciutto-wrapped asparagus spears from Paleo Australia and simply paired these with smoked salmon, sauteed veggies and my homemade basil pesto.  The meal was a winner and can be made from prep to serving in 45 minutes, less if you’re a whiz with a kitchen knife!

In terms of prep, this was very simple: chop and sautee veggies with plenty of garlic – even if you plan on smooching someone, don’t skimp on the garlic! – grill the asparagus spears – I love the flavour a cast iron skillet imparts – then wrap in proscuitto and serve with the smoked salmon and basil pesto. Ta-da!

Smoked salmon and veggies with prosciutto-wrapped asparagus

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