I had not one but TWO portions of leftover cooked broccoli in my fridge that I wanted to use (one from Outback, one from eating at my Mom's house last night.) Leftover cooked broccoli does not appeal to me in its original form because it loses the crispness and seems a little stanky, but I didn't want all those vitamins and minerals to go to waste. So, inspired by this Asparagus Pesto concept I created a Broccoli Pesto.



If you put less olive oil, you can make it thicker and spread it on toasts or crackers for an appetizer, or use it as a sandwich spread. If you put more oil, of course, it will be more saucy and better suited for tossing with pasta. For lunch today, I kept it thicker, and slathered a thick layer on a heated spelt tortilla. Then I cut up and sauteed some mushrooms and leftover pork roast (also from Mom) and added that- and topped it off with avocado chunks and a good sprinkling of coarse salt. Yum! It was sweet because Ross found love on this Valentine's Day- love with his lunch. And of course the whole thing was all A-OK with the No White Food thing.

If you don't have leftover broccoli, obviously you can just cook some and run cold water over it so it's about room temp, and start from there. Also, I didn't put garlic in it, but feel free to try. I also didn't have any fresh lemons but I think the zest of a lemon could be interesting.


Broccoli Pesto


Ingredients:

• a couple handfuls of arugula or spinach leaves
• about 4 cups cooked broccoli
• about 1/2 cup shredded parmigiano
• splash of white wine vinegar
• splash of bottled lemon juice or juice from a lemon
• 2 T of heavy cream or half and half (optional- it makes it a little more rounded and creamy but is not strictly necessary if you think it's too fattening.)
• about 1/2 cup olive oil, more or less depending on what consistency you desire
• salt and fresh ground pepper

Method:

• Put arugula, broccoli, and parmigiano in a food processor. Pulse to break up the pieces put don't puree.
• Add in the vinegar and lemon juice, and cream if you're using it. Add a big pinch of salt and a big pinch of pepper. Pulse to combine.
• Add olive oil about a tablespoon at a time and pulse after each time. When it's reached the right consistency, check the seasoning. If it tastes flat, add more lemon or vinegar. If it's ho-hum, try salt and/or pepper. You can also add extra parmigiano to kick up the complexity.
• Use as pizza or pasta topping, on bread, or as sandwich spread. Store unused portions in an airtight container in the fridge.