Make one bowl of fresh basil pesto on a quiet Sunday and let it carry you through five weeknight dinners – less time in the kitchen, more time enjoying real food
A little planning ahead makes all the difference. Spend ten unhurried minutes blending a batch of pesto at the start of the week, and you give your future self the gift of five dinners that can be made with ease. This pesto containing – basil, toasted pine nuts and walnuts, Parmesan, and good olive oil, comes together entirely in the Optimum Thermocook Pro M 3.0, which grates, blends, and emulsifies it to a glossy finish in one go. From there it steams, stirs, and folds its way through the week, turning chicken, salmon, pasta, sandwiches and a Friday-night dip into something that tastes like you tried, even on the evenings you didn’t have it in you.
MAKES: approx. 1 jar
PREP TIME: 5 minutes
COOK TIME: 5 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 60 g fresh basil leaves
- 80 g Parmesan cheese, in pieces
- 40 g pine nuts
- 40 g walnuts
- 1–2 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 150 g extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
METHOD
- Add the Parmesan and garlic to the Thermocook bowl and grate until fine (Speed 8, around 10 seconds). Scrape down the sides.
- Add the basil, pine nuts, walnuts, lemon juice, and salt.
- Blend on a medium speed (around Speed 6), slowly drizzling the olive oil through the lid opening until the pesto is smooth and glossy.
- Scrape down, pulse once more to bring it together, then spoon into a clean jar ready for the week.
ONE SAUCE, FIVE WAYS
MONDAY
Pesto-crusted steamed chicken. Spread a generous layer of pesto over chicken breasts and steam in the basket until cooked through and tender. A finish of chilli flakes adds some warmth.
TUESDAY
Salmon & celery salad. Steam a salmon fillet, then flake it through sliced celery with a spoonful of pesto loosened with a little lemon – fresh, light, and quick.
WEDNESDAY
Creamy pesto pasta. Cook your favourite pasta, then stir through pesto loosened with a splash of cream or reserved pasta water for a silky midweek bowl.
THURSDAY
Pesto caprese sandwiches. Layer ripe tomato, fresh mozzarella and a smear of pesto between good bread – no cooking required.
FRIDAY
Pesto mayo dip with chips. Fold the last of the pesto through mayonnaise for a five-minute dip to share with crisps – the relaxed end the week deserves
A Thermocook Pro M 3.0 recipe. Discover more at froothie.com.au/thermocook-recipes
