Basil Pesto

I love pesto! Particularly basil pesto. Finding a good store-brought pesto anywhere is almost impossible. I have tried. However, this recipe is my go-to when I want basil pesto.

Ingredients

Leaves from 1 large bunch basil
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 ounces grated Parmesan cheese 
Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Fresh lemon juice

Add basil, Parmesan cheese, and garlic to a food processor; chop. Adding olive oil in a thin stream while pulsing ingredients in food processor. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and lemon juice, processing briefly to mix.

References
Pesto Tips and Recipes

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Sun-Dried Tomato Mayo

There are two things that I love: sun-dried tomatoes and mayo. What's great about sun-dried tomato mayo is that it adds something new to the table and it goes great on sandwiches.

Ingredients

1/2 cup light mayonnaise  
1/4 cup roughly chopped sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
1/4 cup boiling water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pressed or minced garlic clove
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Place chopped sun-dried tomatoes in a small bowl and pour in boiling water. Let stand for 10 minutes, then drain and pat tomatoes with paper towels.

Mix mayonnaise, olive oil, garlic, cayenne pepper, and sun-dried tomatoes and put in the jar of a blender. Blend until almost smooth, stopping to scrap down sides of jar as necessary. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Referenes
Sun-Dried Tomato And Roasted Garlic Mayo

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Black Olive Caviar

This is a really easy and simple spread for bread. It's nice to serve as an appetizer. It takes very little time to put together.

Ingredients

1/4 cup black olives, minced
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Stir all ingredients together and serve in a small bowl with slices of sourdough bread or baguette slices as I used here.

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