Thai Basil Pesto
When life gives me Thai Basil… apparently I make pesto.
I recently moved to a cozy neighborhood in Singapore that boasts a fantastic wet market. I go there every weekend to stock up on local produce, meats and fresh flowers to adorn my apartment. Most of the produce and meats come from Indonesia or Malaysia, and it is relatively inexpensive compared to the fancy grocery store I used to live near (that imported everything from Australia or the US).
This morning, I did my usual weekend shopping trip to buy some salad stuff and something to prepare for dinner. I had planned to do a simple chicken breast roast with steamed broccoli and cauliflower. But I realized when I got home that my veggies had gotten mixed up with another customer’s and I unexpectedly ended up with a bunch of fresh Thai Basil. I debated making some Thai Green Chicken Curry but was a bit too lazy to gather all those ingredients needed.
After a quick web search for ideas, I ended up making a Thai Basil Pesto, which provided a unique Asian twist on regular pesto. The resulting blend of Thai basil, mint, sesame oil, fish sauce, soy sauce and lime was wonderfully fragrant and intensely flavorful. I used the pesto to jazz up my chicken, which I served with some roasted tomatoes and cauliflower. The pesto was also delicious tossed with some cold soba noodles and fresh cherry tomatoes.
For another pesto recipe, try this Homemade Pesto with Penne Pasta.
Thai Basil Pesto
Yields: 1/2 C
Ingredients:
- 2 C thai basil leaves
- 1 C mint leaves
- 1 T sesame oil
- 1 T fish sauce
- 1 T soy sauce
- 1 T lime juice
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth.
Spoon into small ziplock bags and freeze until ready to use. Or refrigerate for up to two weeks.
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