The CDC has come out to say that flu season has come early and is hitting several states pretty hard. I was leaving the gym on Monday and a few of my friends were walking out with me and I told them, to wash their hands. I guess its the mother in me, but sometimes the most obvious places we should wash we forget. There is nothing worse than the flu, and nothing worse than the flu during the holidays.
A great way to help fight infection is with our diets. Certain foods increase our bodies ability to fight disease and infection. If you want a simple way to increase the disease-fighting power of your meals, be generous with your use of high-quality herbs and spices. This applies year-round, but as cold and flu season nears, you may want to consider spicing things up more than you might normally.
This great pesto has it all, herbs, citrus and garlic. Three big powerhouse nutrients for our body when it comes to anti oxidant and powers against infectious diseases like cold and flu.
Add in the the beta carotene of pumpkin along with the fact that it is a great source of fiber with few calories, this little pesto, is delicious and a great seasonal surprise.
This Pumpkin Pesto works great on grilled or toasted bread, crackers, on top of pasta, or on fish. You can freeze it up to pull out throughout the season. Use an ice cube tray and fill individual slots with pesto, cover with plastic wrap and foil and freeze. You can pull out individual cubes throughout the next several months to use when needed.
- 1 cup fresh Parsley
- 1 cup of Basil
- 1 cup Pumpkin Puree
- ⅓ cup salty shelled pistachios
- ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ lemon juiced
- Pinch of kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Add all ingredients except olive oil to food processor and run till combined.
- Through tube add olive oil while processor is running.
About Amy Stafford
You can usually find me in my garden, the kitchen, at the gym or spending time with my family. I love sharing recipes, gardening and exercise tips and stories of my backyard chickens and beekeeping.
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Hi, I am Amy, and I am a confessed Food Lover, Garden Addict and Photo Junkie!
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Love that this is a pumpkin pesto! Never would have guessed you could throw in some pumpkin puree to take pesto in a whole other direction : ) Brilliant.