Enhance the flavor of chicken or fish with this great tasting pesto that can be prepared in a matter of minutes. Add it to fish tacos with a few avocado slices for a taste treat. (Taken from page 687 of the 2nd edition of the World's Healthiest Foods book.)

Prep and Cook Time: 10 minutes Ingredients: 2 cups chopped fresh cilantro 1 cup chopped fresh parsley 3 scallion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, pressed or finely chopped 1 tsp ground cumin 2 or 3 canned jalapenos, depending on desired heat 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pumpkin seeds 2 TBS water 1 TBS fresh lemon juice 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil salt and white pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Press or finely chop garlic and let sit for 5 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
2. Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Add olive oil a little at a time at end. You want the pesto to be blended yet not smooth. It is best with a little texture. Serve at room temperature. Do not heat it.

Nutritional Profile

Introduction to Recipe Rating System Chart

In order to better help you identify recipes that feature a high concentration of nutrients for the calories they contain, we created a Recipe Rating System. This system allows us to highlight the recipes that are especially rich in particular nutrients. The following chart shows the nutrients for which Cilantro Pesto with Pumpkin Seeds is either an excellent, very good, or good source (below the chart you will find a table that explains these qualifications). If a nutrient is not listed in the chart, it does not necessarily mean that the recipe doesn't contain it. It simply means that the nutrient is not provided in a sufficient amount or concentration to meet our rating criteria. (To view this recipe's in-depth nutritional profile that includes values for dozens of nutrients - not just the ones rated as excellent, very good, or good - please use the link below the chart.) To read this chart accurately, you'll need to glance back up to see the ingredients used in the recipe and the number of serving sizes provided by the recipe. Our nutrient ratings are based on a single serving. For example, if a recipe makes 4 servings, you would be receiving the nutrient amounts listed in the chart by eating 1/4th of the combined ingredients found in the recipe. Now, returning to the chart itself, you can look next to the nutrient name in order to find the nutrient amount it offers, the percent Daily Value (DV%) that this amount represents, the nutrient density that we calculated for this recipe and nutrient, and the rating we established in our rating system. For most of our nutrient ratings, we adopted the government standards for food labeling that are found in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's "Reference Values for Nutrition Labeling." Read more background information and details of our rating system.

In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Cilantro Pesto with Pumpkin Seeds