I’m not alone in finding myself trying to eat better in January. I read a lot of food blogs, and I think at least half of them are talking about embracing the vegetable (the other half are valiantly clinging to their chocolate and bacon, shouting a battle cry against dieting). I’m not a dieter, I wholeheartedly disagree with the idea of limiting your food intake for a specified period of time in the hopes of losing weight. First, it’s not healthy, and “losing weight” is a dubious goal. And second, I don’t have that much willpower. But even I have to admit that after the holidays, I was feeling a little sugared out. I needed to get back to the healthy eating habits I’d more or less adopted over the last two years. I knew a lengthy visit to the produce department was in order, but I was having a hard time planning meals that didn’t involve butter. It was like I’d forgotten how.
If you know me, you know I’m a huge fan of plans. I love lists and schedules and charts. And as much as I hate to admit it, I like those detailed features in fitness magazines that tell you what to eat and when (and by the way, how do those magazines get away with calling themselves fitness magazines?). When I saw the Bon Appetit Food Lover’s Cleanse for 2012, I was instantly drawn to it.
In fact, I was drawn to it last year, too. But when I gave it a try, I barely made it two days. Their first attempt involved too-complicated recipes for weeknight cooking, too-expensive trips to the market, and meal plans that didn’t fit into the way I live. This year they re-vamped the meal plan to solve some of those problems, so I thought I’d try it again. I wasn’t going into this as a cleanse (and I don’t really think their meal plan is all that cleansing, really), or with any intention other than to experiment with some new recipes, eat more fruits and vegetables, and revel in the joy I find in following carefully detailed daily regimens.
I still don’t know that this really fits in with the way I live and cook, but I am awfully pleased at some of the good recipes I’ve discovered, and I’m having a lot of fun with all the cooking. I wanted to share some of my favorite recipes, and this is one of the best: Pumpkin Seed Cilantro Pesto. Cilantro pesto is nothing new. I remember buying it from Trader Joe’s when I was in college, and eating it on tortillas, which didn’t seem at all weird to me at the time. But I particularly like this version. And I’m even more pleased that I have a bunch of it left in the refrigerator after serving it with some salmon. I am already daydreaming about all the great uses to which it will be put, including some crostini with avocado and an omelet.
This is an easy recipe if you have a blender or food processor. I have yet to try making pesto in a mortar and pestle, although I intend to someday. Because there’s no cheese in it, it will freeze well. And it should be easy to multiply the recipe if you want to make a great big batch to have on hand. I’m sure you’ll think of even more excellent ways to devour it (right out of the dish with a spoon is totally acceptable). Like most pestos, it does thicken after sitting for awhile, so don’t worry if it seems especially runny right after you blend it.
Pumpkin Seed Cilantro Pesto
Adapted from Bon Appetit
The recipe calls for cracked coriander seeds. I bought whole seeds and roughly ground them in my mortar and pestle, but if you have ground coriander and don’t want to go out and buy whole seeds, you can get away with using that. Just use about half the amount called for.
- 2 teaspoons plus 1/4 cup olive oil, separated
- 1/2 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
- about 1/2 cup firmly packed cilantro leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon cracked coriander seeds (see note)
- 1 small garlic clove, roughly chopped
- about 1/4 cup warm water
- the juice from half a juicy lime (about 2 tablespoons)
- a good pinch of kosher salt
Heat two teaspoons of the oil in a medium skillet. Once it’s hot, add the pumpkin seeds. Let them cook for only a minute or two, shaking the pan and stirring the seeds frequently. They’ll start to make popping sounds when they’re done. Remove them to the bowl of a food processor or blender.
Add the cilantro, coriander, and garlic, and give it a good pulse or two to roughly chop the ingredients. Then slowly add the olive oil while blending. Then add the water: Use just enough to loosen up the mixture (I used the whole quarter cup). Add the lime juice and give it another pulse or two, then remove the pesto to a bowl, and add salt to taste, stirring well.
We ate this served over some pan-seared salmon and sadly undercooked lentils. We also had some fragrant beet soup, which I’ll be sharing with you next. So far, I think the healthy eating plan is working out a-ok. I only want french fries a little bit.