Designed by: Chef James O’Hara, Senior Instructor at Johnson & Wales University, Charlotte, NC.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups spinach, blanched and shocked
- 1 cup basil, blanched and shocked
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 2 tbsp. flaxseed ground
- 2 each garlic, cloves chopped
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup parmesan, grated
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Preparation:
- In a medium-size pot, bring water to a boil.
- Plunge spinach and basil in boiling water for 10 seconds, remove and shock in ice water bath.
- Squeeze excess water from spinach and basil.
- Combine all ingredients into a blender or food processor. Blend until mixture is smooth.
- Add more oil if the mixture is too thick; season to taste.
Nutrition Facts
Flaxseed is a plant-based source of omega-3 fat (ALA). Sprinkling ground flaxseed on cereal or oatmeal or adding it to a smoothie is an easy way to add fiber; one tablespoon of ground flaxseed has 2 grams. The ground form is easier to digest, thus to obtain the most benefits ground is recommended over whole flaxseed.
Spinach is a powerhouse of nutrition. It is low in calories (7 calories per cup) and packs 4% of the daily value for potassium, a nutrient most Americans don’t get enough of. Spinach also contributes vitamin C, magnesium, iron and calcium to the diet.