Recently I stumbled upon a Green Charmoula recipe because of a photo that looked interesting, but the reviews of it were seriously lacking. And even though I’m still not a fan of cilantro, the ingredients looked intriguing, using both parsley and cilantro with a side of mint and jalapeno. So I decided to give it a go, knowing I could doctor it up as needed.
Turns out the recipe did need a little help; a splash of lemon and a doubling of the mint and ginger did the trick. The result is an interesting herby, minty, slightly spicy pesto-like vinaigrette that grows on you. The first few tastes didn’t totally hook me or my guests, but half-way through our meal people were asking for the recipe. (And that has happened twice!)
So far I’ve used this on flat bread pizza, as a spinach salad dressing, drizzled across baked sweet potatoes and then as a light spread on a chicken salad wrap. Talk about versatility! It whips up in seconds, no cooking required. And with these great health benefits (see Happy Health Tips below), adding a second helping is almost a requirement!
Minty Herbed Pesto and Vinaigrette
- 1/2 jalapeno (with seeds for extra kick)
- 1/2 cup parsley, loosely packed
- 1/2 cup cilantro, loosely packed
- 1 cup mint, loosely packed
- 1 thumb fresh ginger, peeled (about 2-3 tbls)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt and black
- 1/2 to 1 cup extra virgin olive oil, depending on desired consistency
Place the jalapeno, parsley, cilantro, mint, ginger and lemon in a blender (or food processor). Pulse to combine and chop everything up. Begin to add in the olive oil while running the blender, letting the all the ingredients combine mince into a paste.
Decide if you want a vinaigrette or a more spreadable pesto, add the oil to get desired consistency; then add a good pinch of salt and pepper to taste.
Spread on bruschetta, over grilled pork, use in place of mayo, drizzle on a salad or over baked potatoes. The uses are really endless.
Will last a few days in the fridge, but allow time to come to room temperature.
Happy Health Tip: Parsley and ginger have anti-inflammatory proprieties while cilantro helps to remove heavy metals and other toxic agents from the body. The extra virgin olive oil is a healthy fat that helps protect our brain and liver.
For more recipes, go to Monique’s blog: FatandHappyBlog.com and Monique’s new site, HappyEatsHealthy.com