Cilantro & Pumpkin Seed Pesto
You all are too funny with your comments on mom hair! I think we all agree that its the whole package that counts… and that Halle Berry (short hair and all) does NOT have mom hair 
I was going through my kitchen the other day with a mission to remove all clutter from my cabinets… We have so much food that hasn’t been touched!
In an effort to not waste, I came across a giant bag of pumpkin seeds that I bought a while back. I have no idea why I even bought them… but I’m sure I had a good reason
I’ve seen other bloggers make cilantro pesto before and I have to admit… I was a little intimidated by it. The only pesto I make and like is basil pesto.
I very nervously combined the cilantro, pumpkin seeds, and some garlic in a food processor and pulsed away….
A little olive oil, the juice of one lime, and some cumin were added in the mix…
I was AMAZED at how good this was!!!
I thought about adding a little jalepeno to it, but decided against it. Next time I’m adding in the hot stuff!
I made a chicken quesadilla for dinner and spread some of this on top. It was the perfect addition!
Ingredients:
- 2 giant handfuls of cilantro (about 3 cups)
- 1/2 pumpkin seeds
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice of one lime
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- salt to taste
- additional water if needed
Directions:
Combine cilantro, pumpkin seeds, and garlic in food processor. Pulse a few times to break everything up.
Add in lime juice, cumin, and olive oil. pulse until nice and creamy. If the consistency is too thick, add a little water to make desired consistency… or you could add more lime juice. For a little kick, add one small seeded jalepeno to the mix 
Enjoy!
Ohmigosh does this sound right up my alley! How yummy!
I’m one of those people that thinks cilantro tastes like soap. I wonder if you could make this with another herb instead…
This is so interesting! I am going to have to try and report back!
Sounds delish and I have all of the ingredients to make it! I am making black bean tacos later this week and bet it would be a perfect addition!
The pesto looks great! I love the greeness
That pesto looks so fresh and delicious- it would probably be good on halibut as well!
I think we had almost-identical meals last night – while I didn’t quite have cilantro pesto, I had a cilantro/avocado based coleslaw alongside a quesadilla!
cool combo! a nice change from traditional pesto. i’m sure the flavor just “pops”!
That looks delicious!
looks SO beautiful! sadly, I am not a huge fan of cilantro…but I am sure I could sub for basil!
I have never made pesto before. I am totally going to try this out and make it hot! I love cilantro!!!
I do that all the time … I buy things for no real reason and then end up having to be creative. This looks delicious!!
YUM! I just made a quick pesto the other night with arugula and spinach..now I need to try this one! The color is gorgeous!
Uumm… YUM!! The thought of using anything other than basil for pesto has never even occured to me. I know, I really think outside the box.
It looks tasty. I’ll have to remember that for my Cinco de Mayo get together.
That sounds wonderful! I’ve made a cilantro pesto that had miso in it.
Oh, and Ava eats hummus either way, spooned in by me, or she digs her hands right in her bowl and grabs it. I haven’t tried giving her anything to “dip” into it. I don’t think she’d get that yet. She loves hummus!
great recipe b/c in the summer, cilantro is sooo abundant and is much cheaper than basil, which is a bonus
and pumpk seeds are usually cheaper than pine nuts…score!
xo
This sounds so tasty! With chicken sounds even better!
That sounds wonderful!! I love to use pesto on pizza instead of traditional sauce!
I was thinking while reading, “I wonder where she’ll use this”…quesadilla….brilliant! I love it! I will definitely try this!