From Dawn's Kitchen, With Love!

Dawn here: First, I must share that as a kitchen witch, I love to experiment with recipes, altering the ingredients (either by choice or happenstance) and perfecting that just so taste. Many of my measurements are "eyeball" measures, and I like to mix flavors that enhance each other.

I found a common recipe for basic pesto on the internet and realized I didn't have the requisite basil (not enough leaves on my plants, yet) and I also had just used all my pine nuts in a different meal earlier in the week. So, I did what any good kitchen witch does and used the resources I had on hand. With the dandelions taking over my back yard, I went outside with my kitchen shears and harvested a good handful. A quick perusal of the herb pantry revealed I had plenty of pecans, too. I must say the result was, *divine!*

Dawn's Dandelion Pesto
Ingredients:
1 c pecans
6 cloves garlic
3 cups whole, organic dandelion greens (sorted, washed)
olive oil (about 2 cups, more or less to preference)
1 c Parmesan cheese

Add first three ingredients to food processer or blender. drizzle olive oil in mixture as you blend the ingredients together. Continue drizzling olive oil until a nice paste consistency. Add 1/2 c parmesan and drizzle more oil while blending ingredients in your processer. Watch the consistency, you want a nice paste mix...add rest of cheese and continue drizzling the oil while you blend the mixture up.

You now have a lovely pesto mix to use in your pizza, pasta or bread dip recipes! 

• • 

    All jarred up and ready to use for pizza, pasta or dip!

    Post Script: I have noticed the effects of the dandelion after eating this pesto--I feel like a million bucks, with extra energy and, yes, like I am detoxifying my system! It is an extraordinary addition to your diet, especially on those days after you've indulged a little too heavily in junk food or one too many midnight margaritas the night before!
     
    BONUS RECIPE! 
    
    Power of Three P Salad 
     Ingredients
    1.5 c Dawn's Dandelion Pesto Sauce
    2 c cooked pasta (bowtie or shells work best)
    1 c spring peas
    1/2 onion, chopped
    1 lb chicken, cut into bite size chunks
    olive oil
    
    In large sauce pan, heat olive oil and tenderize onion. Add chicken and brown. Remove from heat and placed cooked chicken and onions in a large bowl. Add pesto sauce, peas and pasta and mix thoroughly. 
    
    Buon Appetito!