As you probably know, I am the mother of two young kids. And like a lot of other parents I struggle with getting enough vegetables and other healthy foods into them. So I take every opportunity to sneak it in when ever I can, without them knowing it most of the time! I puree them into sauces, I grate them into casseroles and throw them into smoothies. One of the things my kids love, especially my son Kristofer, is pesto. And quite often I make my own so when I discovered putting broccoli into it a few months ago I haven't made it any other way ever since! The first time I made it, they both said that it was the best pesto they have ever had! They don't have a clue that there is broccoli in it and would happily eat it with a spoon.
And did I mention that they both absolutely hate broccoli!
100 gr broccoli
80 gr parmesan
80 gr toasted pine nuts
1 clove garlic
25 gr fresh basil
juice from 1/2 lemon
50 ml extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons water
Start by cutting the broccoli into florets and steam them for 5 minutes. You can also cook them in a little bit of water if you don't have a steamer. Remove from the pan and run under cold water and drain. Now it is just a matter of blending everything to the consistency you like. Because I am trying to hide the broccoli I make it quite smooth but it can just as well be a bit chunkier. You can use a hand held stick blender or a normal blender. I've got a Nutribullet and that works perfectly and takes no time at all. I don't put any salt into this because the parmesan is quite salty but once the mixture is blended nicely, check the seasoning and add some salt and pepper if it needs it.
When I give this to my kids I mix it with some wholewheat pasta and this evening I had some chicken thighs which I baked in the oven with some salt and pepper and a little drizzle of honey. If you or your kids are pesto fans, I promise you that you will love this one!