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    Home / Sauces & Dressings

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    Cilantro and Pepita Pesto

    By Alanna Taylor-Tobin on Jan 23, 2010 (updated Nov 12, 2020) / Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    A great way to use up extra cilantro, this pumpkin seed cilantro pesto adds brightness to a variety of dishes, from scrambled eggs to sheet pan dinners, and everything in between. Updated 11/12/2020. 

    jar of cilantro pesto
    Aside from a certain shredded wheat neurosis (in which said block of cereal had to be thoroughly decimated and submerged in milk before I would touch it) I was never a particularly picky eater. At age 7, I became obsessed with sushi and declared it my favorite food. I ate fairly heartily, usually finishing the comestibles on my plate without a fuss. I didn't love vegetables, but I would eat them as necessary. (Oh, except when I didn't feel like it. Then I would ask to be excused outside, where I would toss my greens off of the deck and into the bushes below.)

    One day, a pickier eater than I stayed for dinner. My dad had lovingly made fresh basil pesto to serve over salmon, and I was all set to dig in when this friend began caterwauling. Apparently pesto was disgusting, I'd just never realized it before. My dad, a bit bewildered, resignedly got up to make something more kid friendly for the two of us that night.

    pesto on toast
    I got over my pesto-phobia pretty quickly; like, right after my friend went home. And it's a good thing, since Jay makes the best pesto ever. We have jars of it rotating through the fridge all summer long to smear on sandwiches, eggs, and pasta. In the winter we sometimes use other herbs, such as marjoram, parsley, arugula or cilantro. Pesto is a handy way to use up a bunch of herbs which you may have purchased, say, to garnish a pumpkin and black bean soup that you meant to blog about, but never got around to snapping a photo of before it disappeared. And now you're stuck with a huge bunch of the stuff which your thrifty boyfriend keeps heckling you about. Don't fret, just puree it with some garlic, olive oil, parmesan and pumpkin seeds, and voila! A vivid green condiment to brighten up your winter meals.

    Cilantro pesto adds a bright note to any dish, and goes especially well with Mexican-type foods such as migas, or swirled into a bowl of soup. I wouldn't waste it on any picky eaters, though.

    spoon with cilantro pesto on it

    Serve Cilantro Pesto with:

    • Roasted Potatoes and Parsnips
    • Grilled Tofu
    • Minestrone Soup
    • Tomato Soup
    • Breakfast Tacos

    For more pesto based recipes:

    • Zucchini Pesto Lasagna
    • Nettle Pesto Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
    • Ricotta and Roasted Beet Tart with Beet Greens Pesto {gluten-free}
    • Vegetarian Stuffed Butternut Squash with Mushrooms, Millet, and Kale Pesto

    *Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram,  Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this cilantro and pepita pesto recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet  and  #bojongourmet.*

    No ratings yet

    Cilantro and Pepita Pesto

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Cilantro pesto adds a bright note to any dish. Serve this on grilled cheese, swirled into soup, with roasted veggies, grilled tofu, on tacos, or with bread or crackers for a snack. Omnivores will enjoy it with roasted meat, poultry, or fish.
    Alanna Taylor-Tobin
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total: 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 1 cup

    Ingredients

    • 1 large bunch cilantro, rinsed thoroughly, dried and roughly chopped
    • 1/2 cup raw or toasted pepitas (green pumpkin seeds)
    • 1 medium clove garlic
    • 1/4 cup grated parmesan (omit for a vegan option)
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 cup olive oil, or as needed

    Instructions

    • Place the pepitas and garlic in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the cilantro, parmesan and salt and process until fairly smooth. With the food processor running, gradually pour in enough oil to make a thickly spreadable paste.
    • Store in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to a couple of weeks.

    Notes

    Nutritional values are based on one cup.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 508kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 21gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 1000mgPotassium: 649mgFiber: 4gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 5275IUVitamin C: 21.2mgCalcium: 342mgIron: 4.4mg
    Making this? I'd love to see!Tag your snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet!

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    the cover of the award-winning cookbook, Alternative Baker

    Hungry for more?

    Alternative Baker celebrates the unique tastes and textures of 14 gluten-free flours, from buckwheat flour to almond flour to sorghum and coconut! This cookbook will fill your kitchen with sweet treats that burst with flavor every month of the year.

    Learn more and find out where to buy →

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    Welcome

    Alanna Taylor-Tobin smiling and holding her cookbook, Alternative Baker

    I'm Alanna, a recovering pastry chef-turned food photographer, stylist, videographer, and award-winning cookbook author. The Bojon Gourmet is a celebration of the sweet, savory, and occasionally boozy recipes that I create in my San Francisco kitchen. About →

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    the front cover of Alternative Baker, a cookbook by Alanna Taylor-Tobin, winner of the IACP Cookbook Awards

    My cookbook, Alternative Baker, contains 100+ recipes featuring corn, oat, chestnut, almond, buckwheat, sorghum, and other gluten-free flours. Find out where to get your copy! →

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Last week I shared my favorite gluten-free sponge cake recipe, and here's another fun way to use it. Add an extra egg white to the batter and soak the cake with sweet milks (or coconut milks) for a gluten-free (and optionally dairy-free) riff on the beloved Latin-American sweet. 

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While I don't recommend having cake for lunch, I do recommend whipping up a tres leches cake for your next gathering. They're brilliant for parties because they can be made a day or two ahead and refrigerated until ready to serve. 

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Here are a few things readers have said about this cake:

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"So this is the best coffee cake I’ve ever had, GF or otherwise! Another genius recipe!"

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"This coffee cake is so good - a light, tender crumb and with a pleasant touch of lemon. If I didn’t know it was gluten free I wouldn’t even suspect so."

Recipe linked the_bojon_gourmet. If you make it, please let me know how you like it! 

https://bojongourmet.com/gluten-free-blueberry-coffee-cake-streusel/

#singluten #glutenfreerecipes #glutenfreecake #blueberrycake #coffeecake
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This version with whipped mascarpone, berry chia jam, and fresh berries was actually our wedding cake!

A trio of flours - millet, sweet rice, and oat - give the cake a mild, neutral flavor with a moist & springy crumb. 

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Recipe linked the_bojon_gourmet 

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Bojon appétit!

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Bojon appétit! 

🎥: nadia.creativity & rdaphoto 

https://bojongourmet.com/gluten-free-scones-almond-flour/

#recipereel #recipereels #glutenfreebaking #sconesofinstagram #sconesrecipe

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