Meat Free Monday
The star of today’s Meat Free Monday is the humble herb parsley. Normally relegated to a garnish, it is now taking centre stage, as the latest research points to its anti-cancer properties. This popular herb is a good source of apigenin (a compound found in parsley and celery) which has been shown to exhibit potent growth-inhibitory effects in HER2/neu overexpressing breast cancer cells. It has also been shown to inhibit migration and invasion of ovarian cancer cells.
One way to incorporate parsley into your diet is to make a delicious and versatile parsley pesto. Subtler, earthier and more wholesome tasting than the traditional basil version, this recipe is a great way to use up that bunch of parsley in your fridge. And of course parsley is so easy to grow in a pot that we should have no excuse not to have this nutrition rich herb to hand.
Parsley Pesto
Ingredients
2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves (no stalks)
3-4 tablespoons pine nuts
3 tbsp freshly grated parmesan
1 -2 crushed cloves of garlic
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Method
Simply combine all the ingredients in a food processor and whizz until smooth. Smear on crusty fresh bread as an appetizer or toss through pasta for a nutritious meal. It is so versatile. It can also be swirled through soups as a finishing touch or mixed through potatoes and other vegetables.
I love pesto but never thought of making it with parsley – and now that I read about the anti cancer properties, I will certainly be giving it a try.
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What a great recipe – simple and versatile.
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Got to admit I am not a big fan of the old parsley as garnish thing, but I will try out this pesto recipe to see if I can change my mind about parsley
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I have made a version of this and I agree it is wonderfully healthy and versatile. I like to add some garlic to mine too
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Another way I like to incorporate parsley in my diet is by making the lebanese dish tabouleh.
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I love taboleh too Deirdre – thanks for the reminder.
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I had never ever thought about using parsley as a herb in pesto before but what a great idea – it sounds so fresh and healthy.
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I am a big fan of this pesto, which I use as a pasta sauce. I add lemon for a bit of zing and some toasted walnuts for a nice crunch.
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Lemon and walnuts would be a terrific addition Fiona.
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Oh yum!
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I usually make a big batch of this pesto as I grow a lot of parsley in my garden. Leftovers can be frozen and added to veggies and even as a pizza topping.
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It is a great idea to make it large quantities if you can and freeze the remainder. I love things like this too!
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This sounds wonderful! Am definitely inspired to try it as soon as I get my hands on a bunch of fresh parsley
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I have been stuck in a parsley rut forever, but I feel motivated and inspired now by reading your post and the comments of others. Thanks for sharing!
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I’ve been unimaginatively using parsley for years as nothing more than a garnish – this sure has openend my eyes – can’t wait to try itl
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Like others have commented, I have never given much thought to using parsley in my cooking beyond as a garnish but this sounds really nice.
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I’m excited to try this – I’ve only made the basil variety, but it is great to find something new to try.
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JBBC, you make it so easy to get excited about loading up on your greens with recipes like this!
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Each year, we get an overabundance of flat leaf parsley in our garden, so this recipe sounds perfect for using it up to great effect.
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Parsley also has great detox properties.
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WOW! This parsley pesto sounds SO good. Could anything be anymore healthier than this and what a great way to get to eat a lot more parsley in one sitting,.
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sounds great – thanks for sharing
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Yummy! I love pesto, so it is great to learn about a new version that sound so healthy.
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A great way to use up a large amount of parsley. It freezes well too which is an added incentive to make a large amount. Highly recommend it to your readers.
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Paula, thanks for the endoresement 😉
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Love the sound of this and the enthusiastic response of your readers is infectious!
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Thanks for all your comments everyone – great to see the enthusiastic response to this humble herb. Don’t forget to let us know how you get on with it if you try the recipe.
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Thanks for this, Marie. It’s the first time I’ve seen something which is specifically beneficial for those who have had HER2 breast cancer – and tasty too!
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Hi Julia – welcome to the blog and thanks for your comment. Hope you are inspired to make it and do let us know how you get on.
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Love this recipe. Thanks for sharing with us these healthful gems.
XOXOXO,
Jan
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